Checked baggage on unmarried segments

MelbFlyer

Active Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2022
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Hi guys, just wondering - if I book 2 unmarried award legs of CX flights using QFF points and the transit time is 3-4hrs apart, ie. as per below - would I be able to ask to have my luggage checked through to my final destination upon check-in (and thus have 2 boarding passes from MEL)?

ie -
Leg 1 - MEL > HKG in economy
and then
Leg 2 - HKG > KIX in business

Or, considering it's an unmarried, even though it's on the same PNR, HK immigration would expect me to clear customs / enter HK?

Would make it easier to transit in HKG without having to clear customs / immigration.

Thankyou :)
 
You’ll have no problem at all given it’s on the same PNR. CX will through check on separate bookings as well.

Thankyou!

I actually attempted to book the flights as Leg 1 and Leg 2 - it didn't allow it and came up with an error after entering passenger details - presumably due to MCT (even though it's 3hrs+ between flights).

I then managed to book them on separate PNRs, so I hope upon check-in, they'll be able to check my baggage all the way through to my intended destination. even despite them being on separate PNRs.
 
I can't tell how many PNRs you have, however, CX will generally through check even if they are on two bookings.
 
You said originally it was the one PNR. In that case, you definitely need to prompt them to do it.

It's still fine though - I suggest bringing a print out of the HKG-KIX leg ticket and they should have no problem checking it through and giving you boarding passes. No problems at transit either, just present your onwards boarding pass.
 
Thankyou!

I actually attempted to book the flights as Leg 1 and Leg 2 - it didn't allow it and came up with an error after entering passenger details - presumably due to MCT (even though it's 3hrs+ between flights).

I then managed to book them on separate PNRs, so I hope upon check-in, they'll be able to check my baggage all the way through to my intended destination. even despite them being on separate PNRs.

I can't tell how many PNRs you have, however, CX will generally through check even if they are on two bookings.
It's still fine though - I suggest bringing a print out of the HKG-KIX leg ticket and they should have no problem checking it through and giving you boarding passes. No problems at transit either, just present your onwards boarding pass.

As above, I have 2 PNRs.

Thankyou for the guidance - I'd much rather have my luggage checked to my final destination even despite both legs being on 2 separate PNRs.

If unable to be done, as long as leg #1 lands on time, I should be fine to pass immigration / collect luggage and re-check in for leg #2.

Good that CX can through check though, much more comforting.

For reference though, it's MEL > HKG and then HKG > TPE. Different travel classes hence why I booked two legs separately rather than MEL > TPE. Also awards availability was a factor as well.
 
Cathay through checks bags even on separate tickets, as others have pointed out. don't forget if at least one of your sectors is in business class you get lounge access for business class at every port including departing Australia if your flight from Australia is the economy but the connector is in business

Edited to add: probably NOT applicable to the OP here as separate tickets, which will likely be treated as a stopover. Meaning ‘highest class’ likely won’t be applied. (If this had been a single ticket, the business class sector HKG-TPE would have granted lounge access in Melbourne.)
 
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Cathay through checks bags even on separate tickets, as others have pointed out. don't forget if at least one of your sectors is in business class you get lounge access for business class at every port including departing Australia if your flight from Australia is the economy but the connector is in business

Yep my HKG to TPE leg is in business (nice to have a full proper business suite on a short flight), MEL to HKG is on economy (I'm fine with economy for a 9hr overnight flight).

Nice of CX to honour the highest class of travel, even despite the 2 legs being on separate PNRs. I'll definitely ask about it (through baggage to TPE and lounge access) when checking in.
 
Yep my HKG to TPE leg is in business (nice to have a full proper business suite on a short flight), MEL to HKG is on economy (I'm fine with economy for a 9hr overnight flight).

Nice of CX to honour the highest class of travel, even despite the 2 legs being on separate PNRs. I'll definitely ask about it (through baggage to TPE and lounge access) when checking in.
Actually, scrap that! Give. you are in separate tickets it will probably be treated as a stopover, so no lounge access based on ‘highest class’. :(
 
Actually, scrap that! Give. you are in separate tickets it will probably be treated as a stopover, so no lounge access based on ‘highest class’. :(

That's okay :) I wasn't expecting lounge access anyway except for in HKG.

I was more just looking to see if my luggage is able to be checked through despite my 2 CX flights (3.5hrs scheduled transit time) being on separate PNRs.
 
Actually, scrap that! Give. you are in separate tickets it will probably be treated as a stopover, so no lounge access based on ‘highest class’. :(

That's okay :) I wasn't expecting lounge access anyway except for in HKG.

I was more just looking to see if my luggage is able to be checked through despite my 2 CX flights (3.5hrs scheduled transit time) being on separate PNRs.

I'll definitely ask when checking in, to have my luggage through-checked all the way to my final destination. I've got my two PNRs printed out.

In addition, do you think that (or if anyone has first hand experience) if I ask nicely when checking in, even despite the two legs being on separate PNRs, in addition to the above, if they can also honour the highest class of travel (and hence grant lounge access in MEL)?

Surely if they can accommodate through-checked luggage on legs which are on separate PNRs, they can also honour lounge access ;)
 
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I'll definitely ask when checking in, to have my luggage through-checked all the way to my final destination. I've got my two PNRs printed out.

In addition, do you think that (or if anyone has first hand experience) if I ask nicely when checking in, even despite the two legs being on separate PNRs, in addition to the above, if they can also honour the highest class of travel (and hence grant lounge access in MEL)?

Surely if they can accommodate through-checked luggage on legs which are on separate PNRs, they can also honour lounge access ;)
You can always ask, but there is a specific exemption for a stopover, even on the one ticket. So separate tickets is be expecting a 'no'.

And for separate tickets you would be able to ordinarily rely on the one world connecting rules if your flights met the eligibility criteria. Again, yours dont.
 
You can always ask, but there is a specific exemption for a stopover, even on the one ticket. So separate tickets is be expecting a 'no'.

And for separate tickets you would be able to ordinarily rely on the one world connecting rules if your flights met the eligibility criteria. Again, yours dont.

All good, I wasn't really expecting lounge access in MEL anyway as I'm in Economy.

I'll still just ask anyway (both through-checked luggage and lounge access in MEL), the worst they can say is no :)
 
So I asked for my luggage to be through-checked, no issues at all - got 2 boarding passes in MEL.

I mentioned that my 2nd leg is in business and did manage to get lounge access in MEL though - the The House Lounge (Etihad). Better than nothing!
 
As above, I have 2 PNRs.

Thankyou for the guidance - I'd much rather have my luggage checked to my final destination even despite both legs being on 2 separate PNRs.

If unable to be done, as long as leg #1 lands on time, I should be fine to pass immigration / collect luggage and re-check in for leg #2.

Good that CX can through check though, much more comforting.

For reference though, it's MEL > HKG and then HKG > TPE. Different travel classes hence why I booked two legs separately rather than MEL > TPE. Also awards availability was a factor as well.
I've got something similar with a layover in DOH - multiple tickets but couldn't find the one reward booking through to Australia. In others' experience, do QR check the luggage all the way through? If so, does that mean that I don't need to go through immigration in DOH? If not, does that mean that I do need to go through immigration in DOH and risk missing my connecting flight (transfer time ~3hrs)?
 
I've got something similar with a layover in DOH - multiple tickets but couldn't find the one reward booking through to Australia. In others' experience, do QR check the luggage all the way through? If so, does that mean that I don't need to go through immigration in DOH? If not, does that mean that I do need to go through immigration in DOH and risk missing my connecting flight (transfer time ~3hrs)?

I think given my recent experience, you should be fine to ask for your luggage to be checked through to your final destination even despite your flights being on separate PNRs.

It did make a difference for me, as even just transit security at HKG at 7:30am was very busy.

If the above wasn't possible and had I been required to go through immigration and customs / luggage collection, then re-checking in for my 2nd leg, I wouldn't have had a nice and chilled 1hr to relax in the lounge at HKG.

It's definitely worth an ask.
 
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Having just done this yesterday, the CX check-in agent was more than happy to accommodate and was able to cross-check my luggage all the way to IB and issue my boarding passes for the CX sectors through 3 separate PNRs.

CX Y to CX J QF rewards to IB Y.
 
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