HKIA Frequent Arrivals Card

[NM]

I believe WP and SG qualify in the case of QF, as that's what they had pictures of in terms of sample cards in their "bible".

My Qantas Lifetime Gold card was accepted, but my AA EXP (at the time) was not. Once enrolled, its good for us for the life of the passport. I used it last week for my first HKG visit in 18 months. Very fast way to enter/leave HKG.

 

[NM]

Would an e-channeller be able to assist his companion ?

I suspect not ... Finger print and all that.... But I do not know.

Thanks

Only the enrolled passport can use echannel. Non-enrolled passport need the completed landing card and a regular visitor lane with a manned (personned) gate.

 

[cosi]

NO each person must be individually registered.

My wife does not qualify, so if we are arrive together, it pain to have wait, especially if the queues are long

 

[kpc]

Quick Q...will be landing in Hkg in 3 weeks. I assume I will have to fill in the HK landing card etc, go through immigrauon (and queue up!!) as normal before I can seek out the e channel registration booths, and register with my QF plat card. Is that right? So it will be of no benefit to me for this trip...right? Given the bar code is valid for the life of my current passport, and that I will have to change mine in the next 12 months (pages running out!), and if I have no planned trips to Hkg in the next 12 months (but will likely visit again soon after), would I be wasting my time applying for the e channel pass this time?

Is it correct that HK immigration no longer stamp your passport? If so, I will be happy as I might be able to squeeze a bit more use out of my current passport which doesn't expire till 2018.

 

[markis10]

Quick Q...will be landing in Hkg in 3 weeks. I assume I will have to fill in the HK landing card etc, go through immigrauon (and queue up!!) as normal before I can seek out the e channel registration booths, and register with my QF plat card. Is that right? So it will be of no benefit to me for this trip...right? Given the bar code is valid for the life of my current passport, and that I will have to change mine in the next 12 months (pages running out!), and if I have no planned trips to Hkg in the next 12 months (but will likely visit again soon after), would I be wasting my time applying for the e channel pass this time?

Is it correct that HK immigration no longer stamp your passport? If so, I will be happy as I might be able to squeeze a bit more use out of my current passport which doesn't expire till 2018.

HK don't stamp your passport, they staple an entry permit to the passport, and you can use the e channel on departure for the same trip you registered on arrival.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Can someone please tell me where exactly the enrollment place is?
I've spent the last two trips on a fruitless trip around arrivals and couldn't see anywhere to register
There in two weeks and back again in Jan and would like to apply if I can

 

[markis10]

Can someone please tell me where exactly the enrollment place is?
I've spent the last two trips on a fruitless trip around arrivals and couldn't see anywhere to register
There in two weeks and back again in Jan and would like to apply if I can

Its a small desk immediately after immigration before you go into the baggage hall.

 

[cosi]

Can someone please tell me where exactly the enrollment place is?

I agree that they are hard to find and the signage is poor, but I would recommend you ask the immigration officer to direct you to the enrollment counter.

 

[cosi]

Quick Q...will be landing in Hkg in 3 weeks. I assume I will have to fill in the HK landing card etc, go through immigrauon (and queue up!!) as normal before I can seek out the e channel registration booths, and register with my QF plat card. Is that right?

Correct

So it will be of no benefit to me for this trip...right? Given the bar code is valid for the life of my current passport, and that I will have to change mine in the next 12 months (pages running out!), and if I have no planned trips to Hkg in the next 12 months (but will likely visit again soon after), would I be wasting my time applying for the e channel pass this time?

Correct,as you need to re-apply, complete a new appication each time you passport expires.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I agree that they are hard to find and the signage is poor, but I would recommend you ask the immigration officer to direct you to the enrollment counter.

Thanks, sounds like a good plan

 

[wandering_fred]

There are two main exits following passport control. Only one has the eChannel registration desk.
The one on the "right" or the A exit if I remember correctly.

Yes the eChannel has its benefits, but traveling with (eg) non-status spouses was much better with the FrequentVisitor card.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[serfty]

Has little has changed since post #1: (http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/control/echannel.htm#fvapc)

 

[Princess Fiona]

Nothing has chnage from post #1:

Are the doors in the baggage hall or on the arrivals side of immigration? I wandered up and down the baggage hall and couldn't see any desks or signs

 

[markis10]

Are the doors in the baggage hall or on the arrivals side of immigration? I wandered up and down the baggage hall and couldn't see any desks or signs

The desks are about a metre or two from the immigration stations, if your in the baggage hall you have gone too far!

 

[wandering_fred]

Thanks serfty - you jogged my memory.
There was only one station with extended operation hours. The other had much shorter opening hours which meant I ignored it. And forgot about it.

Under the picture you included is the quote.

These offices are open from 10am to 6pm at the Arrival North Hall and 7.30am to 11pm at the Arrival South Hall.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[serfty]

The desks are about a metre or two from the immigration stations, if your in the baggage hall you have gone too far!

Absolutely!

The desks are not accessible from the baggage hall.

Each desk is tucked in beside a room (shown as white rectangles) - when I did mine some years ago there were temporary/portable partitions isolating the desk from the general hubbub of the immigration area.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Thanks serfty - you jogged my memory.
There was only one station with extended operation hours. The other had much shorter opening hours which meant I ignored it. And forgot about it.

Under the picture you included is the quote.

These offices are open from 10am to 6pm at the Arrival North Hall and 7.30am to 11pm at the Arrival South Hall.

Happy wandering

Fred

They open strictly on time in typical HK fashion, my flight arrived around 07:00 and I had to wait patiently for 30 mins while the immigration officers mucked about. I was allowed to apply at 07:31.

Kinda ruined any priority on that trip but the subsequent trips made it worth it.

It was definitely right of the exit (before the sliding doors to the baggage hall), I had to walk around and nearly missed it myself.

If you have been there 3 times in the past, I recommend just using your passport rather than your FF card, it's so much easier, and they just put a little barcode sticker on the back. Not sure about you but at immigration and customs I don't typically have my FF card at hand.

 

[Mal]

I'm curious why they still add barcodes. From my understanding they now use the mrz code (ie you scan your passport) for entry and the barcode isn't used. The advantage is that it also allows entries at other ports (eg ferry) through their similar e-channel entries.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I'm curious why they still add barcodes. From my understanding they now use the mrz code (ie you scan your passport) for entry and the barcode isn't used. The advantage is that it also allows entries at other ports (eg ferry) through their similar e-channel entries.

In early October you had to scan the barcode at HKG, can't speak for ferry or mainland entry points.

 

[Mal]

Next time try scanning the photo page of the passport. I am sure this is how I entered last time through the airport. Ferry terminal required the photo page to be scanned but that was good as they didn't previously allow echannel entries to those with the HKIA express clearance.