Two seperate ticket transit via Hong-Kong and more
I will soon need to book a round trip flight from Mumbai to Beijing and I had previously asked about it here. Anyway my original plan was to buy a single round trip ticket Mumbai (BOM) - Beijing (PEK) - Mumbai (BOM) via HongKong (HKG). Then reading some Q/A here I found out that I (Indian) wouldn't need a visa for HKG. So now I'm thinking of spending some time in HKG while returning from Beijing which would have been easy if I had got hold of a single ticket with a long lay-over in HKG while returning but unfortunately i can't find any.
The only alternative would be to buy two separate round trip ticket i.e BOM - HKG - BOM and HKG - PEK - HKG which i find is not much different fare-wise. Now if I decide to do it this way then I would necessarily have to travel by Air-India (AI) for the first part -> BOM - HKG - BOM. Now AI lands at HKG at 06:50 and I have a choice to make on the second part of my journey -> HKG - PEK - HKG. which is to opt either CX6108 - Cathay Pacific flight operated by Air China (CA) which leaves HKG at 10:30 or CZ-309 - China Southern which leaves HKG at 13:20 same day.
Then on returning from PEK to HKG I'm planning to enter HKG and stay there a couple of days and leave HKG by AI on the final leg of BOM - HKG - BOM.
So based on the info given above I have a few queries:
Firstly can someone confirm that as an Indian I don't need to have visa to transit HKG or enter HKG if my stay is not more than 7 days?
Worst case scenario would be that AI cannot check my baggage further than HKG but do you think AI would be able to check my baggage all the way to PEK if I choose CX6108 (operated by CA) since AI and CA are Star Alliance members.
Do you think the time difference (06:50 - 10:30) is sufficient to make the connection in case I would have to check the baggage myself at HKG or should I opt for CZ-309 in which case i believe there's enough time (06:50 - 13:20).
Since visa is not required so I'm guessing that my ticket for the journey ahead is the only document that i need to show at passport control in case i need to check my baggage at HKG. Also would I face any problem at passport control when i would re-enter HKG during my return leg of the trip considering that I may have had already entered once before recently for baggage while going to PEK.
Any practical problems you foresee in this plan?
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Do you go through customs twice on connecting flights?
You only go through once. If you connect through another country, you will just have to go through security and not customs. Incorrect, it all depends on the country and the airlines you're traveling with. Remember customs and immigration are different things and in some cases you'll clear then in different airports.Do you need another ticket for connecting flight?
A: It depends, but the general rule is NO. Some airlines will through check baggage onto separately ticketed flights, but some won't (even if both tickets are with the same airline). Some airlines will take pity if your delay is due to them, but others don't.Are connecting flights on one ticket?
Fly on a single ticket when you need to connect flightsTypically, any connecting itinerary you arrange on a single ticket conforms with whatever connecting times apply. That's true even on tickets that involve two airlines, as long as those airlines have interline agreements.Does Hong Kong allow transit passengers?
Passengers transiting through Hong Kong must carry a printed boarding pass. Self-printed and mobile boarding passes will not be accepted.Transit Requirements para sa OFW and Balikbayan na may Flight Layover in Different Countries
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