OLCI,HLO for one-way flight - is this possible?

[scubabe]

If someone had a QF award seat which had them flying as follows:
MEL-HKG on Cathay
>5 hour connection<
HKG-TPE on China Airlines

With this routing, even if they’re OWE, they wouldn’t be entitled to visit any of the wonderful Cathay lounges at HKG, because they do not have an onward flight on a OW carrier. They couldn’t even get into the QF lounge in HKG, as again, no onward OW flight.

So they’re stuck with the CI lounge… but to make things worse, CI uses the PP lounge in HKG for their J pax… I’d really, REALLY rather not.

BUT, lets say the same OWE went and bought themselves a one-way MH Y-Flex ticket, which allows them to cancel their flight for a full refund at any time prior to flight departure… would they be able to just do online check-in, state HLO, and then use that ticket/PNR to use their OWE status to get into The Wing First/The Pier First? And then once they were suitably seated in the lounge, they could jump online and cancel their MH ticket?

I think that situation works in theory… but has anyone ever done such a thing, does it work in practice? What downfalls do we foresee?

 

[PrezRegan]

Yeah I think that would work but it is contingent on finding a flight that departs sufficiently late for you to enact this cunning plan

 

[scubabe]

Yeah I think that would work but it is contingent on finding a flight that departs sufficiently late for you to enact this cunning plan

LOL I have my eye on a MH HKG-KUL flight, it departs at 1910, and I’m scheduled to land at 1500-ish, so I’m thinking it would work.

Any idea how I can find out if the MH OLCI would work, without me presenting to a check-in desk to present passport etc?

Would hate to do all this just to find out that I can’t OLCI and need to have an ID check or something

 

[PrezRegan]

It is a possibility, that was my experience when trying to do OLCI for my international flights - even when I had the booking in the respective carrier's app it still required me to go to the deck to get a boarding pass/check in there. It's probably something on the airline's part to ensure that the traveller can actually legally enter the country they are flying to.

There's technically nothing wrong with you physically clearing immigration and going and checking in if you have time. If HCO it should be quick and it is a flexible as you say it is you should be able to cancel regardless but it might raise questions?

Really boils down to how badly you want the lounge - I'd personally just cop the PP one for 5hrs