Transferring in Singapore if booked on 2 different tickets.

[SYD]

Just back from SIN and pleasing to see that it’s a lot busier than it was in Mar & May!

Curiously, Changi still has the rule about seperate bookings in play. SYD+1 is transiting next week QR->QF on seperate tix. QR publish that they will check through luggage on seperate OW bookings. So it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

 

[SYD]

Just back from SIN and pleasing to see that it’s a lot busier than it was in Mar & May!

Curiously, Changi still has the rule about seperate bookings in play. SYD+1 is transiting next week QR->QF on seperate tix. QR publish that they will check through luggage on seperate OW bookings. So it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

For those interested, SYD+1 reported that QR happily checked luggage through QR J BER-DOH-SIN//QF J SIN-SYD on seperate PNRs (and issued all BPs).

That was on top of QF coming good with an upgrade request Y -> J (~ T-26 hrs). Otherwise that QF82 positioning flight home could have been nasty in whY having had QSuites to SIN…

 

[Lawrage]

Dont mean to revive an old thread but im currently booked to travel on EK into SIN. Have a flight booked 3 hours later from SIN - PER on SQ.

Any chance the transfers desk at Changi will be able to issue my BP and transfer my bags without needing to go through immigration?

 

[JohnK]

Dont mean to revive an old thread but im currently booked to travel on EK into SIN. Have a flight booked 3 hours later from SIN - PER on SQ.

Any chance the transfers desk at Changi will be able to issue my BP and transfer my bags without needing to go through immigration?

The transfer desk option should still be possible.

 

[BriarFlyer]

The transfer desk option should still be possible.

How does this system work with checked bags? I'm looking at a similar option to @Lawrage, but arriving on Qantas and transferring to a SQ flight. The thought of going through immigration and re-checking luggage had turned me off the idea but if that's not the case...

 

[JohnK]

How does this system work with checked bags? I'm looking at a similar option to @Lawrage, but arriving on Qantas and transferring to a SQ flight. The thought of going through immigration and re-checking luggage had turned me off the idea but if that's not the case...

When you go through transfer desk they ask for your luggage receipts coming in and then contact baggage services and they transfer your luggage to onward flight.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Thanks @JohnK. That sounds like a uniquely impressive service.

 

[AIRwin]

That sounds like a uniquely impressive service.

Uniquely Singapore

 

[Lawrage]

The transfer desk option should still be possible.

Thanks JohnK, fingers crossed.

Have decided to play it safe and have a backup flight booked for the next morning just incase.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks @JohnK. That sounds like a uniquely impressive service.

Hope all goes well for you.

Believe it or not similar service was available in KUL, BKK and TPE although not sure if still available since covid.

 

[LostRedditor]

We're in a similar situation for upcoming flight in mid June.
SYD-SIN on QF arriving 6.15pm
Then on a separate booking
SIN-HEL-OSL departing SIN at 9.40pm on AY (Finnair)

Wondering if we should rebook SYD-SIN to the day before and stay a night or is 3h25m enough if we have to go through customs to get luggage

 

[dajop]

We're in a similar situation for upcoming flight in mid June.
SYD-SIN on QF arriving 6.15pm
Then on a separate booking
SIN-HEL-OSL departing SIN at 9.40pm on AY (Finnair)

Wondering if we should rebook SYD-SIN to the day before and stay a night or is 3h25m enough if we have to go through customs to get luggage

You should be able to do at the transfer desk without having to pass through border to collect luggage and recheck yourself. But having said that 3:25 is always risky for separate bookings, as you are not protected if the SYD-SIN sector is running late, and you miss your connection, they won't help you out.

Are they both paid bookings or is one of the two an award booking?

 

[serfty]

Wondering if we should rebook SYD-SIN to the day before and stay a night or is 3h25m enough if we have to go through customs to get luggage

That's not 'tight' in SIN - however, if your QF81 is more than 2½ hours late you may be nervous.

 

[LostRedditor]

You should be able to do at the transfer desk without having to pass through border to collect luggage and recheck yourself. But having said that 3:25 is always risky for separate bookings, as you are not protected if the SYD-SIN sector is running late, and you miss your connection, they won't help you out.

Are they both paid bookings or is one of the two an award booking?

SYD-SIN is paid full fare economy flexi. SIN-HEL-OSL is award business booking.
This is my first time booking awards seat and it's been stressful. I figured 3:25 was heaps of time but I hadn't thought of the fact that they wouldn't be able to rebook me in business class.

I just now checked some stats on QF81 and found

How often is flight QF81 delayed?
On average, 67% of all flights are delayed. The average delay is 86 minutes.

So that's a bit scary. I think I will call and change our departure to the day before

 

[JohnK]

We're in a similar situation for upcoming flight in mid June.
SYD-SIN on QF arriving 6.15pm
Then on a separate booking
SIN-HEL-OSL departing SIN at 9.40pm on AY (Finnair)

Wondering if we should rebook SYD-SIN to the day before and stay a night or is 3h25m enough if we have to go through customs to get luggage

3h25m used to be plenty of time to transfer in SIN when airlines ran full schedules as you only needed to go to transfer desk. I've done this more times than I care to remember travelling to/from Thailand.

The way air travel is right now you might need longer connection time.

 

[LostRedditor]

3h25m used to be plenty of time to transfer in SIN when airlines ran full schedules as you only needed to go to transfer desk. I've done this more times than I care to remember travelling to/from Thailand.

The way air travel is right now you might need longer connection time.

Yeah that's becoming more apparent. Thanks JohnK. We will be changing our flights to the day before and spend a day in Singapore. Never been.

We're flying with a toddler for the first time so definitely don't want to chance losing business class flight.

 

[SYD]

Yeah that's becoming more apparent. Thanks JohnK. We will be changing our flights to the day before and spend a day in Singapore. Never been.

We're flying with a toddler for the first time so definitely don't want to chance losing business class flight.

The good thing is SIN is an easy stopover port and easy to get to/from the airport. The airport hotels are convenient but you can book something central and explore the city.

 

[Ade]

I just now checked some stats on QF81 and found


So that's a bit scary. I think I will call and change our departure to the day before

I figured 3:25 was heaps of time

As a measure, I once did CBR-SYD-SIN on QF one ticket and had SIN-MAA on SQ on a separate ticket. QF81 was severly delayed, so I had literally 40 (or so) mins before SQ departed. On arrival into SIN, I asked the airport staff how to get SQ BP for SIN-MAA and they asked me to go to a Transfer Desk on different terminal. I figured I won't have the time to do this. I also noticed that the SQ is departing a few gates away from where QF81 landed. So I rocked up to the SQ gate, banged on the glass doors prior gate security. Someone came out, I explained that my inbound was delayed and I need to be on this SQ to MAA. He brought someone from immigration - I handed in my passport, OCI and other documents and I was checked in at the gate and was one of the last ones to board the SQ to MAA. It was definitely stressful and I won't be doing it again.

Always better to have all legs in one booking or have a night (or a day, depending on when you land) in the transit city before the next leg.

 

[dajop]

SYD-SIN is paid full fare economy flexi. SIN-HEL-OSL is award business booking.

Very sensible to allow longer time and move to day before.

Under your scenario (cash to award ticket, one world carrier) QF has a policy of allowing through checking (in theory anyway), so shouldn’t need to recheck luggage . If you move to QF1 the day prior you probably could still through check if you wanted to (as <24hrs connection), but probably not a big deal, as doesn’t take long to collect and check luggage.

 

[LostRedditor]

Always better to have all legs in one booking or have a night (or a day, depending on when you land) in the transit city before the next leg.

Very sensible to allow longer time and move to day before.

Thanks, I did end up changing my QF81 to QF1 the day before. So we will be landing 9pm Singapore time.

Now to decide whether we go via immigration and get to a hotel by midnight or just book the expensive terminal hotel. Leaning towards a regular hotel. Some say 30min to collect luggage and clear immigration - sounds a bit too quick imo but I've never been there,