Trip planning DONE4

[simongr]

Simon, What happened with your extra bag, did they make you go and check it in land side, or did they take it from you airside? how strict are they being on the bag sizing, ie looking at it by eye or putting all bags through a sizer?

I had two options re the bag. Stow all stuff in my other bag or check one of the two bags landside - i.e. I would have to go through immmigration. Staff were very helpful and gave suggestions for condensing etc. The size limits were reasonably generous and I was able to stow my book in my jacket pocket and that went through the xray with my shoes. They are very strict though on the one-bag - no matter what the size - including handbags - they had to be stowed in other bags.

For my trip back from LCA-LHR I will only take one bag and wont have any goodies so the bag will be small.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

You can buy duty free going thru london as long as you have the receipt. I arrived LON with bottle of aussie wine, bought in Mel and had receipt and went thru no problems.

Interesting. I had read the rules which referred to sealed duty free purchased within EU only. Or were you merely flying to London and not connecting to onward flight with the bottle?

 

[garyjohn951]

I was in transit to Malaga. Must admit they casually looked at the reciept, but the bottle was in a downtown duty free bag, which I believe is Australian company only.

 

[Dave Noble]

I was in transit to Malaga. Must admit they casually looked at the reciept, but the bottle was in a downtown duty free bag, which I believe is Australian company only.

Was this before the EU wide regulations came into effect on 6/11 ?

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

and since August 10 this year?

 

[garyjohn951]

10th October 2006 on inward bound QF flight from Singapore.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

That doesn't make any sense. At that time UK allowed no liquids through security.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - am now at LCA just checked into my LCA-LHR fligth. Bags are checked in through to SYD but I am not. Because the HKG-SYD flight has not opened (over 24 hours to departure) I cant be checked in. Meaning that I could try OLCI just before take off here (if that works ith my dodgy eticket that isnt really an eticket) or I check in at the lounge in LHR - although having not done that before I am unsure how that works.

Also very annoyed at my 21D seat on LHR-HKG flight. Not quite as close to the front of J class as I would hope as a sapphire member checking in 8 hours before take off

Well time for a last keo or two

S

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I would check in at LHR, and also check if there are any better seats available LHR-HKG. This assumes you have enough time in transit (and allowing for change of terminals if any, plus the horrid security queues).

 

[Dave Noble]

Also very annoyed at my 21D seat on LHR-HKG flight. Not quite as close to the front of J class as I would hope as a sapphire member checking in 8 hours before take off

What row does J start from? For an international flight , if you did not select a seat in advance, you will have been just allocated one from what was left over. For a seat further forward, booking a seat in advance would have been worthwhile

Dave

 

[simongr]

Cheers - I was a bit lax on seats. Cathay staff being very helpful - already bumpd to 12H which is row 2 . Some issues with next flight so was advised by staff to simply take a seat and relax and they will find me - a good sign so far.

Sadly BA Club Europe should be badged WT- worse business class than a 763 to AKL or a 743 to LAX.

Cathay lounge is small and neat but I just need to check in and have a brief rest before finally getting home.

Hmm very friendly staff indicated that they cant release a seat until departure or maybe until i get to HKG... maybe an op-up is in the works

Very nice staff though - +1d6 for CX so far (mind you is the lack of seat a - 1d10?)

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

as with many airlines, business class intra-europe on BA is nothing flash

 

[NM]

Check-in while in transit at both LHR and HKG is simple. At LHR, just follow the signs to Flight Connection and just after the security check point are the transit check-in desks. At HKG, its on the arrivals level where there are 3 or 4 different locations of connections transit desks. Just follow the signs.

 

[simongr]

Little chappess was waiting for me at HKG with directions to transit desk - just a sligth annoyance that I had to be screened again - mind you they didnt steal the amenity kit this time

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I can't recall any international transfer that doesn't involve rescreening (at least for the last several years), so why the annoyance?

 

[simongr]

I guess I havent done much international transfer so havent experienced it. It was annoying that I seemed to get dumped into a long general queue rather than a transfer queue because I didnt have my boarding card - there seemed a lot fewer people going through the transfer lounge/screening than the queue I was in.

I rashly assumed that if I was airside then there would be no need to screen again...

 

[NM]

I guess I havent done much international transfer so havent experienced it. It was annoying that I seemed to get dumped into a long general queue rather than a transfer queue because I didnt have my boarding card - there seemed a lot fewer people going through the transfer lounge/screening than the queue I was in.

I rashly assumed that if I was airside then there would be no need to screen again...

I am not sure I understand. At HKG, the transfer desks where you can get your onward boarding pass are before the security check-point that lead you up the escalator to the departures level. I am not award of any screening between arrivals gate and the transfer desks at HKG. I wonder where you were sent?

I have regularly arrived into HKG without an onward boarding pass and have not had any problems having it issued at the transfer desks on the arrivals level. Then through the security screening and up the escalator to the departures level and off to The Wing or The Pier.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - I think I did exactly what you did NM - and that did go smoothly. I thought I walked past a different transfer area that you could only access if you already had a boarding pass. I was tired though...

 

[NM]

Hmm - I think I did exactly what you did NM - and that did go smoothly. I thought I walked past a different transfer area that you could only access if you already had a boarding pass. I was tired though...

You need to have a boarding pass to go through the security check and up the escalator to the departures level. But you can get the boarding pass at the transfer desks on the arrivals level. Overall I have found HKG to be a good place to transit.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

You need to have a boarding pass to go through the security check and up the escalator to the departures level. But you can get the boarding pass at the transfer desks on the arrivals level. Overall I have found HKG to be a good place to transit.

Ditto, although I prefer transit at SIN to HKG.