KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assistance

[vh-scd]

Hi All
Mother-in-law and niece are starting to head to Melb tonight Hanoi-HKG-Melb.
Just received message from them to say KA HAN to HKG is delayed and they have been told they will miss the connecting CX flight that would have got them into Melb at 11:30 and the Hanoi rep for CX cannot say which flight they will connect to into Melb. Having checked the timetable the next option for CX is a 9:30 pm arrival. Maybe a HKG to Syd and QF to Melb. The thing is they don't know, are stressed, they speak Vietnanese and very little English. I was expecting there would be a CSM on the KA flight that could help out with language issues and provide guidance for them once they arrived in HKG to change planes. All I can think of is to try and call the CX customer service number and hope they understand and don't give me the privacy regulations do not permit response. Or I send them a message in English that they can show on their phone to a CX rep at HK when they arrive from the first hop and ask for someone there to pass along the flight details to me. Anyone else would be able to jump on the net and send details but not my two family members. any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Jason

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

I would suggest your parents head to the CX desk in HKG as soon as they arrive. Have them show their itinerary and incoming boarding passes to the rep. Hopefully that should be enough for the rep to look up their flights on the system and print BPs for the next leg.

 

[N860CR]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Shouldn't be an issue. Misconnects happen all the time. CX will sort it out either at checkin at HAN (most likely) or on arrival in HKG

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Thanks JessicaTam
i had assumed that CX would do whatever they could to help them out and not leave them in the lurch especially with the age of the travellers. Will see. J

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Thanks N860CR.
I think so too. Just added stress on the family who are travelling when I could sort it out in a minute if I was with them. J

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

I would suggest your parents head to the CX desk in HKG as soon as they arrive. Have them show their itinerary and incoming boarding passes to the rep. Hopefully that should be enough for the rep to look up their flights on the system and print BPs for the next leg.

I would hope there are KA/CX reps there to meet the plane on arrival and provide them with the assistance they need, which will possibly include overnight accommodation (KA/CX are pretty good with that, but there are other factors such as availability of accommodation and the reason for the initial delay, which I don't know if that is affecting large numbers of flights in addition to theirs?)

Main thing is to contact them and tell them not to stress! Just take it as it goes and go with the flow.

Even if KA/CX provide accommodation, there may be long waits while vouchers/buses/taxis are organised. Advise them to make sure they have any medication with them that they might need for an extended stay.

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

All good advice MEL_Traveller. Thank you. I will pass these details along when we call my family in a moment. Flight Track is indicating a dep from Han at 11:40pm Melb time. I will also send an English sms for them to show in case the CX reps at HK are able to forward us the arrival flight details. J

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

The really bad delays that lasted for a few days into and out of HKG (due to heavy rain) have eased a lot in the past 24 hours, at least as far as CX flights between HKG and Oz. There are three CX flights each day between HKG and MEL, so hopefully they will be on the next available.

With fewer flights suffering major delays one would hope that the availability of hotel accommodation would be greater, but that is also affected by general demand including every AFF members 'favourite', group tours. I use the word advisedly.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

All good advice MEL_Traveller. Thank you. I will pass these details along when we call my family in a moment. Flight Track is indicating a dep from Han at 11:40pm Melb time. I will also send an English sms for them to show in case the CX reps at HK are able to forward us the arrival flight details. J

Are they on the KA294? That is currently showing just an hour late, with an arrival into HKG of 1124pm local time. If that's the case, they'll almost certainly be met on arrival... tell them to look carefully for someone with a sign!

Even with taxi time to the terminal - they should hopefully make the MEL flight... although I note the 294 is being operated by an A320 - which might mean a remote gate, or even a bus.

It will be tight, but doable.

(VietNam is 3 hours behind melbourne... and flight time is only 1hr30mins... so looking ok at this stage)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Update: seems like the flight has been pushed back an hour later still from HAN... now scheduled to arrive HKG 0029. Looks like a misconnect.

let us know how it goes.

 

[Andyzx]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

I had a similar problem (twice actually) late arrival to a KA flight and late KA arrival to a QF flight. I was amazed at how helpful the KA staff were that I actually wrote a email of thanks to KA.
Either on board or at arrival gate they will either be met or get them to identify themselves as a missed connection. Get them to show their itinary and they will be looked after I am sure. The sms is also good but probably unnecessary as some of the flight crew will speak Vietnamese. I suggest that you also include you email address in the sms for the CX staff to contact you. Best of luck

 

[yohy?!]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

The KA reps will be at the gate trying to pick out pax with the MEL flight number affected on a sign, get your parents to stay with them if possible and they should be taken for rebooking. Hope it goes well.

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

MEL_Traveller, Yep. Misconnect.
Once the second delay from Hanoi was announced the KA pax were given some certainty by the KA/CX staff on the ground. Food vouchers for HAN were arranged, accommodation and other logistics details for arrival in HK were discussed and a confirmed flight number for onward HKG to MEL journey also provided. Well done KA/CX. WE managed to call the family members after they were settled in the departure hall in HAN. My elderly mum-in-law was a little less stressed but it will still be a challenge for her to get onto the CX flight today with no English skills and a 14 yr old niece on her first OS flight to look after. Fingers crossed and we will meet them tonight when CX lands at 9:50. Some stories for them to tell.
BIG Thanks for all the advice and well wishes from you and all other AFF posters.
Cheers
Jason

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

MEL_Traveller, Yep. Misconnect.
Once the second delay from Hanoi was announced the KA pax were given some certainty by the KA/CX staff on the ground. Food vouchers for HAN were arranged, accommodation and other logistics details for arrival in HK were discussed and a confirmed flight number for onward HKG to MEL journey also provided. Well done KA/CX. WE managed to call the family members after they were settled in the departure hall in HAN. My elderly mum-in-law was a little less stressed but it will still be a challenge for her to get onto the CX flight today with no English skills and a 14 yr old niece on her first OS flight to look after. Fingers crossed and we will meet them tonight when CX lands at 9:50. Some stories for them to tell.
BIG Thanks for all the advice and well wishes from you and all other AFF posters.
Cheers
Jason

thanks for the update!! looks like KA/CX came through.

i imagine the most stressful part will be having to leave the airport and get to accommodation (and return). will be interesting to hear back from you how that all went, and which hotel they were accommodated in (if, for example. the managed to get the airport Regal hotel, or had to go elsewhere)

 

[JohnK]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Shouldn't be an issue. Misconnects happen all the time. CX will sort it out either at checkin at HAN (most likely) or on arrival in HKG

Please don't believe what you have written happens all the time with CX.

Travelling with another AFFer MNL-HKG-BKK in business on separate PNRs and flight out of MNL delayed and missed connection in HKG. Luckily we ran to service desk as we were in business and the best they could offer was last flight of the night the next day. As for accommodation we only got voucher for 1 room :shock: and luckily at Novotel the person said CX do this all the time and gave us separate rooms. And pushing hard enough in the CX lounge that night we got first flight of the day the next day. Only because we persisted. They couldn't care less.

That's CX staff in HKG. I feel sorry for the 30-40 people behind us who also missed that connection.

Totally different story in BKK earlier that day where the BKK-HKG flight was delayed and we were put on TG flight BKK-HKG to make sure we made connection HKG-MNL.

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

I was wondering about the accom as well considering customs clearance for non visa holders. Will let you know.

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Just a quick final update to finish this thread.

Family members arrived on CX163. Their transit experience in HKG did not work out as thought. No hotel accom, possibly because of no transit visas for Vietnamese on the plane. Elderly mum-in-law said westerners and Chinese 'disappeared' and the remaining pax were taken to a large lounge area where there was food waiting for them. This could have been a CX lounge but not sure, probably unlikely. They had a message written on their new boarding pass folder that said not to worry and they would be met at the gate. This was written in English and they only speak Vietnamese. A business class pax from Vietnam asked if he could guest-in mum-in-law and niece to the CX lounge but the request was declined as lounge was chockers.

All future family reunions will need to be made by the vh-scd family heading OS more frequently as our mums and dads become increasingly frail. Something LOTS of the AFF posters understand.

Having been to HKG several times I know there was plenty of help available but the lack of Int travel/airports experience made it more difficult and stressful. Whereas most of us on this forum would have no problem finding the Info desk, a wi-fi hotspot or a sim card and getting clarity, message out to loved ones, not everyone has that ability. The experience does show there are still plenty of kind-hearted people who offer help to those in need.

Again, THANKS everyone for the posts.

Cheers Jason

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

Just a quick final update to finish this thread.

Family members arrived on CX163. Their transit experience in HKG did not work out as thought. No hotel accom, possibly because of no transit visas for Vietnamese on the plane. Elderly mum-in-law said westerners and Chinese 'disappeared' and the remaining pax were taken to a large lounge area where there was food waiting for them. This could have been a CX lounge but not sure, probably unlikely. They had a message written on their new boarding pass folder that said not to worry and they would be met at the gate. This was written in English and they only speak Vietnamese. A business class pax from Vietnam asked if he could guest-in mum-in-law and niece to the CX lounge but the request was declined as lounge was chockers.

All future family reunions will need to be made by the vh-scd family heading OS more frequently as our mums and dads become increasingly frail. Something LOTS of the AFF posters understand.

Having been to HKG several times I know there was plenty of help available but the lack of Int travel/airports experience made it more difficult and stressful. Whereas most of us on this forum would have no problem finding the Info desk, a wi-fi hotspot or a sim card and getting clarity, message out to loved ones, not everyone has that ability. The experience does show there are still plenty of kind-hearted people who offer help to those in need.

Again, THANKS everyone for the posts.

Cheers Jason

Thanks for the update.

It must have been a long wait for them at the airport. Hope they managed some sleep? (Did the lounge have somewhere they could rest?)

I thought about visas at the time, but didn't bother checking because I just assumed (obviously incorrectly) everyone would have had access to Hong Kong. Sorry about that.

In the event travel is needed for the folks in future... maybe the non-stop Viet Nam airlines flight?

 

[vh-scd]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

MEL-Traveller, they had no sleep. They made up for that yesterday with 12+ hours. The visa issue - I'm not sure. Hard to get a straight answer other than asking CX which we will do before they need to head back in 6 weeks.
It would have been Vietnam Airlines via the stop in HCMC as they have done that route once (with benefits of native speakers on board) but CX had return $US850 2 weeks out from dep date so we booked those and I was hoping they would get to experience a full service airline.
All future standard ops will apply - the vh-scd family head over on QF, Sing or CX metal with a few days R&R in transit.
Jason

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: KA delay HAN-HKG and knock on delay to MEL Elderly family member will need assist

I checked TIMATIC - Viet Nam citizen, flying to Australia, transit Hong Kong. The results confirm a visa is required to enter Hong Kong.

Transit via Hong Kong is only permitted provided passengers do not leave the departure (transit) area (ie must be direct air-air connection). 48 hours would be a rough time!!

TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Those who are in direct (Air to Air
or Air to Sea) transit provided holding confirmed onward
bookings, continuing their journey within 48 hours and not

leaving the transit lounge.