HKG transit - checked baggage advice

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brads92

Junior Member
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Jan 14, 2011
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Hi AFFers!

I've tried to search around for info relating to this, but I can't seem to find it.

Basically, I've just rerouted an existing QANTAS booking SYD-LHR-SYD to SYD-LHR//FCO-HKG-SYD (with a 12 or so hour layover in HKG).

Whilst changing the itinerary over the phone, the agent mentioned that I wouldn't be able to leave the airport in HKG, and when I asked why she said that if I leave and 'QANTAS finds out, they'll destroy the bags that I've checked through from FCO-SYD'.

I have never heard of this happening before, and frankly it sounds ridiculous. There's no way I'm wasting 12 hours of HKG stuck in the airport!

Can anyone advise whether they've heard of this ever happening? If guess if worst comes to worst, or if the check in agent insists, I'll just check my bags through to Rome and re-check them once I reach HKG.


Cheers!
 
sounds like nonsense to me as long as you are checked in and board the flight how would they know you'd left the airport...
 
I think this has been discussed here before. I think the issue is that you need to have paid the "Hong Kong immigration tax/fees" to be able to exit the airport. I might be wrong...

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QF agent that advised this. If it was a case of paying the "Hong Kong immigration tax/fees"... I'm probably thinking it might just be worth rechecking bags.
 
I had a similar layover with a colleague - arrived 09:00am from Sanya and next flight was 11:45pm (from memory). We weren't going to hang around the airport for that length of time, so we cleared immigration, checked our hand luggage at the secure area and went out on our merry way. Made sure to get back well in time for our boarding and to collect our hand luggage - no problems.

How would the airline know if you'd cleared immigration? The only time I've been asked anything to do with luggage has been as we were boarding - 2x; traipsed down the stairs alongside the door, confirmed some photo equipment was that and *not* anything sinister, back up the stairs and into my seat.

(What's the difference between this and checking in with luggage and *not* going airside straight away?)
 
A few years ago we had ~16:00 hours transit with my father with checked bags.

Used the lounge on arrival at ~7:00am, went to airline desk to get a note for security/immigration, went to hotel until ~7:00pm and returned to airport late at night.

No issues at all.
 
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4 weeks ago we had a planned 6 hour stopover for our NRT-HKG-SYD........went and had lovely dumplings, star ferry ride & some shopping:D
 
Done this many, many times. Check your luggage through and make sure you have your HKG>SYD boarding pass.
Just walk out of immigration and re-enter after some shopping/sightseeing.
 
Done this many, many times. Check your luggage through and make sure you have your HKG>SYD boarding pass.
Just walk out of immigration and re-enter after some shopping/sightseeing.

Absolutely concur. I've done it often. Even if there is some arcane 'rule' in the fine print, the airline staff at most airports, including HKG are too busy to do something as daft as try to find such luggage. Go and enjoy the Island or TST!!

By the way, I was in HKG last week.. What a relief. The last stopover of a 2 week round the world business trip to California, Germany, UK and Taipei. The barista in the coffee bar in the CX J Lounge at gate 2 was provider of the first good cup of coffee on the entire trip :)
 
hilarious comments from the QF agent, utter and absolute rubbish! you can definitely leave the airport. no problem
 
Concur with the above. I've done it a few times; luggage checked through, drop the carry-on in secure storage and catch the train into Hong Kong.

No issues.
 
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