matnikstym

Flying HNL-HKG (China Airlines)then HKG-JNB (Emirates) (2 seperate tickets) with an 8 hour layover in HKG. Will China Air check my bags all the way through on Emirates? If not, when in HKG we go to baggage claim and are outside of the secure area and need to get back in but don't have a boarding pass (no printer to print at HNL airport at the 24 hour point). Do we have to wait outside for 5 hours until Emirates opens or is there somewhere we can print a boarding pass to get through security? Any day rooms in the area?
Mahalo for your help!

Kathie

Even with separate tickets you can check your luggage through IF the airline you are flying first has an agreement with the second airline. Only China Air can tell you whether they will check your luggage all the way through. IF they say thay can check the luggage through, you present both sets of tickets when you initally check in at HNL. They should put a tag on your baggage for your final destination.

Them when you get to HKG, you will go to the transit desk where they will print you a boarding pass for your second flight.

rkkwan

Yes, CI should be able to tag your bags all the way to JNB.

There is a paid lounge in the airside of HKG, after you get your boarding passes at the transit desk and clear security. Not very good value and no real rooms.

www.plaza-ppl.com/hk_en/index.php

On the landside, there's a Regal hotel connected to the terminal, and the Novotel Citygate about 5 minutes away by taxi or shuttle bus. Don't think either one has cheap day room, but you can check with them:

http://www.regalhotel.com/Regal-Airp...otel-Home.aspx
http://www.novotel.com/novotel/fiche...he_hotel.shtml

kibawe

Got stuck in HK airport for a day last year with a sick child. I decided to get a room at the Regal Airport Hotel. I paid about $300USD for the night. Even with the Cathay Pacific rep escorting me there with my sick child, that was the lowest rate they would give. If I were you, I'd just do the lounge or roam around the airport. The room at the Regal was way overpriced as was the food.

matnikstym

Thanks for your replies! Glad to know I won't be sitting at the curb waiting with nothing to do for 4-5 hours. mahalo for the links rkkwan!

Cicerone

As noted above, China Air should be able to check your bags all the way through, just keep insisting on this point at the China Air counter at HNL airport. There is no reason that they should not be able to put JNB tags onto your bags as the final destination. Don’t confuse code sharing arrangements, where airlines share equipment and routes with certain airlines, with baggage transfer agreements which virtually all airlines have with each other in which they agree to transfer passenger’s baggage between them for free. (The only airline which I am aware of may not have this agreement is British Air).

If you are unable to get a boarding pass in HNL for the Emirates flight, then when you arrive in Hong Kong you DO NOT have to leave the secure are to get one. You will be “in transit” and will simply go to the transit/transfer counter for Emirates and get a boarding pass for you onward flight. Follow signs for “Transit/Transfer” and the correct letter area for your airline. It is very easy to do. Hong Kong is a major transit airport and thousands of people transfer flights here. You will NOT have to go through Immigration in Hong Kong, you will just stay in the Transit area (what is referred to as “airside” above). There are restaurants and shops here, in addition to the day rooms. There are also places to get foot massages and facials. There are money exchanges places. I don’t think you will run out of things to do. For info on transfer/transit, go to http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/aguide/transit.html for info.

If for some reason you could not check your bags all the way through, then you will have to go through Immigration (hopefully you hold US passports as that means you don’t need a visa for Hong Kong), collect your bags, walk through the Green customs channel, then go upstairs to Arrivals and find the check-in desk for Emirates. As you have a ticket, there is no problem for them to issue you a boarding pass. You will then have to go back through Immigration again to re-enter the secure are. There are a few restaurants in the Arrivals area if you want to hang around there before going through Immigration. With a 5 hour layover you have more than enough time to do this, so I would not panic if for some strange reason China Air won’t check your bags through from HNL (but really there is not reason that they shouldn’t).

Cicerone

Sorry, I should point out that even if you have your boarding pass issued in HNL, when you arrive into Hong KOng, you still want to go to the transer/transit area; that is, you do NOT want to follow signs for Immigration and Baggage claim. You will spend the layover inside the secure area, shopping eating getting a foot massage or whatever. The only reason to go through Immigration is if you wanted to get a room at one of the airport hotels (seems a waste of money for 5 hours) or try to get to downtown Hong KOng for a look (possible in 5 hours, would be a very quick look, but would be doable if you were game and weather was good). What time are your arrival and departure flights?

rkkwan

Another thing I want to add. Throughout the departure gate area are groups of lounge chairs. They are quite comfortable and I often see people sleeping - actual sleeping - in them.

Here's one of them, near Gate 32:

rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p163727794/?photo=216741333

matnikstym

Cicerone, we arrive at 4:30 p.m. and depart 12:30 a.m. 8 hour layover
thanks rkkwan also, the chairs do look comfortable. if all goes well, will probably go into the lounge for a shower and rest there (after looking at all the shops)

rkkwan

If I were you, I would go into the city for a leisure walk and a dinner. Yes, you'll be tired, but I think that beats hanging out at HKG.

matnikstym

How it worked out:
Checked in online for Emirates at HNL but weren't able to print a boarding pass.
Asked China Air if they would check our bags through to JNB, but since our flight was after 12 midnight they couldn't do it...if it was before midnight they could. So got to Hong Kong, had to retrieve our bags and wait 5.5 hours until Emirates opened and could get our boarding pass. If I had known HK was so easy to get around, we would have left the airport, but stayed in the airport walking endless circles. Had a good dinner though...