Hong Kong Airport - Are you able to leave when in transit

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mike hunter

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Hi all,

Just a quick question - I am flying to London this Thursday 9/12/04 -

I am on QF29 which passes through Hong Kong - where i will be in transit, we have a family member in Hong Kong - I was thinking of taking christmas presents in my hand luggage ..

Will I be able to go through immigration, meet my family member - then go back to immigration in the time that I am on the ground for

regs

Mike
 
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Yes, you can go through immigration and return while your baggage is in transit in HK. I haven't done this for a year or but it's unlikely to have changed because the airport hotel is outside immigration. A couple of times while in transit I've gone through immigration to meet a HK friend for a chat over a drink.
 
I also did this last year. We arrived early morning on CX from FRA and departed in the even on QF for BNE. No issues with clearing immigration. One suggesting if you are planning to leave any carry-on luggage etc at the airport - they charge per item. So we purchased a cheap polly-canvas bag (aka Kiwi Samsonite) and dumped lots of smaller carry-on bags into it. The purchase cost of the bag from the chemist next to the left-luggage store was less than leaving one piece for the day.
 
I too can attest that this works fine - arrived CX ex SFO early am in May this year, spent the day in Central and Kowloon, had some beers with HKG FlyerTalkers, then left 11 pm for BNE. Bags were originally checked in LAS (LAS-DFW-SFO-HKG-BNE) and they all arrived safely in BNE...

Only here on AFF would anyone understand such a routing to get from LAS to BNE. 8)
 
willyroo said:
Only here on AFF would anyone understand such a routing to get from LAS to BNE. 8)
he he he, I seem to remember something about 22,000 miles and that routing.

Pitty my last one could not fit HKG into the limit and I had to return PHL-ORD-NRT-BNE. NRT is not a patch on HKG, especially the lounge difference. But the NRT lounge does have a cool automatic beer pooring machine that tilts the glass and poors for a perfect head. However, I'll take a beer from the fridge in the Wing/Pier over that experience any day.
 
Hi All,

dredged this up through search.

If I arrive into HKG on QF30 from LHR at 08:05, and am scheduled to fly out of HKG to SYD on QF128 at 20:30 that night..... can I check my luggage straight through to Sydney from LHR?

I plan to head in to the Island to meet up with a mate and don't want the hassle/expense of leaving baggage at the $torage place in the Arrivals hall.

thanks
XS
 
Shouldn't be an issue. I assume the two flights are on the same ticket? If not, you will need to ask in LHR that they check the bags through to SYD and show the two tickets/ bookings.

Worst that can happen is they check the bags only to HKG. Clear customs (fairly quick), pop back upstairs and try and check back in. Shouldn't be a big drama, and QF have several flights a day from HKG, including one that leaves at 9:35am. If refused there, just take your bags into town on the AirportExpress and check in at either Central or Kowloon stations. You can check in the night before, so a ~12 hour departure isn't going to matter.

The last time I entered HKG, I put for the address of residence "Transit Vist of approx 5 hrs". That was all I needed for the few hours I spent in town
 
Mal said:
The last time I entered HKG, I put for the address of residence "Transit Vist of approx 5 hrs". That was all I needed for the few hours I spent in town
I certainly hope you are right.

When I am there in April in transit for 3 hours I would like to go outside rather than wait in the lounge. Maybe a quick taxi trip to see some of the city or island if enough time.
 
Nah, Transit cities such as HKG, SIN and BKK seem to take fairly liberal views to short stays. I bet they see lots of similar >5 hr stays in the country and have no issues with it.

Then again, I'm sure I will get questioned heavily at one of those airports soon.

For your 3 hours, the best I could recommend is catching the Airport Express to Central and popping out of the station. Take a quick walk down to the harbour (less than 5 min) and look across the water.

The trains run every 10 mins or so, and are about 25 mins journey. You should have enough time for a quick bite to eat as well, but may be cutting your time short.

I spent just over 2 hours in HKG in my transit. That included train into Central, a trip across the ferry (and back), a quick snack and jumping back onto the Airport Express. I know HKG relatively well, but even then you should be able to manage just about the same without an issue.

I don't think taxis are much faster than the Airport Express. Expect about 100HKD for the AE each way or about 300 HKD for a taxi

http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/train/ae_intro.htm
 
Mal said:
... I don't think taxis are much faster than the Airport Express. Expect about 100HKD for the AE each way or about 300 HKD for a taxi

http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/train/ae_intro.htm
The taxi's are invariably slower than the AE.

Also, a same day return costs as much as a one way, i.e. HKD100!. If you have a CX BP no more than a week old, you can get a standard 1 month return for HKD100 (saving HKD80) with this coupon. (Although, when I purchased one last year they simply took the coupon and did not ask to see my CX BP).

FWIW, HKD100 is a bit less than AUD18.
 
Thanks for the tips Mal and serfty.

The amount of time in HKG will depend on whether flight arrives on schedule and how quickly I can clear immigration and customs. No luggage at all so a bonus.
 
I'm not sure how much it will cost (for cab/bus) but you could visit the Lau Pat giant buddha. 3 hours isnt really enough time to visit HK unless you are just picking something up.
 
I know is not enough to see HKG but also I do not want to sit in the lounge for 2 hours considering I have never been to HKG.

I am taking advantage of the BKK-HKG-BKK business class flex fares with Finnair by taking 2 same day return trips (on different days) to HKG.
 
The giant buddha is on same island as the airport so should be fairly quick to get to.

If your transit is only 3 hours - figure 15 minutes to get to immigration (in case you get one of the end gates), another 15-30 minutes to get through immigration, then the trip to HK or kowloon, and repeat in reverse. Doesnt leave much time, even if you already have the return BP.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
I'm not sure how much it will cost (for cab/bus) but you could visit the Lau Pat giant buddha. 3 hours isnt really enough time to visit HK unless you are just picking something up.
True..

One scenario, assuming all flights are on schedule and 5 mins through immigration both ways, is:
• landing at the far end of the terminal (10 mins)
• departing from the far end (10 mins),
• max wait for on-time trains, (10 mins wait + 25 mins on train)
• boarding ½ hour before scheduled time (30 min)

Gives you a total time in Central of about 60 mins.

You would need to catch the train back no less than an 70 minutes before scheduled departure.
 
Thanks serfty.

I would be happy with even 10-15 minutes in central. I am not a lounge person so anytime outside is worthwhile.
 
Hmmm, JohnK, I could have sworn I sat with you in the QF F lounge in BNE...maybe that was a figment of my fetid imagination :twisted: .

If I were you, I'd be doing the same thing...getting out in HKG. Even the return trip on the Airport Express for HKD180 is worth it. I've never seen them late, delayed or not working. But I agree with a mid-pont between serfty's and Kiwi Flyer's times, it's pushing it...but any time seeing Central is better than nothing if you've never seen it before.

But if you're doing the same flights twice, then you might be able to see a little bit at both visits.
 
What time of day is your flight from BKK? Is it an a/c that originates (or rather turns around) in BKK or one coming through from the middle east?

There are times of the day when I've sat on the runway in a looooong queue and so quite late leaving BKK. Other times when left on time no problem at all. Also if the a/c is on a through trip there is more scope for it to arrive at BKK late and therefore also be late leaving.

I did a CX BKK-HKG-BKK turnaround late last year and outbound flight was quite late, making my comfortable 2 hour transit into little more than an hour.
 
Lindsay Wilson said:
Hmmm, JohnK, I could have sworn I sat with you in the QF F lounge in BNE...maybe that was a figment of my fetid imagination :twisted: .
Yes it was me Lindsay. I have seen Brisbane so many times the airport was a better place plus we organised to meet in lounge well in advance.

Lindsay Wilson said:
But if you're doing the same flights twice, then you might be able to see a little bit at both visits.
If have time central one time and Kowloon the other.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
What time of day is your flight from BKK? Is it an a/c that originates (or rather turns around) in BKK or one coming through from the middle east?
It is scheduled to leave BKK 15:40 arrives HKG 18:30 and departs HKG 21:30 arriving BKK 23:50.

It is Finnair flight which goes HEL-BKK-HKG-BKK-HEL on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

If no time for a visit to central or kowloon then just clear immigration, get stamp in passport, walk around, clear immigration again, get another stamp in passport and get back on plane and leave. It is just a status run and anything else is a bonus.
 
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