Transit Hong Kong > Bangkok luggage issues

[Paolo]

I got a bargain on BA Heathrow to Hong Kong tickets early this year. It was a cash ticket, part-paid with Avios at an amazing redemption rate, which means the tickets are non-refundable. I was hoping Hong Kong would be fully open come February, but with the testing and status code palaver, I’m thinking of booking connecting flights to travel straight on to Bangkok. The only reasonable connecting flights I can get are with Hong Kong Airways or Emirates.

My massive headache is how I get luggage through Hong Kong. I’m assuming I’ll have to comply with all the Hong Kong testing and documentation requirements if I pass through immigration and collect checked bags, in order to check them onto the connecting flight. I’ve considered just taking hand luggage, but both Hong Kong Airways and Emirates have a 7kg limit, whereby BA offer much more.

Does anyone have any advice? Do I bite the bullet and pass through immigration, complying with the testing etc? Or is there something clever I’m not thinking of?

[RoundTheWorld]

There is a small chance that if you book Cathay from Hong Kong to Bangkok BA may let you check through your luggage from LHR to BKK via HKG, but you need to speak to BA to confirm. Failing that, when you complete the HK health declaration form before departure from Heathrow there is an option to say you are in transit or just staying in HK for a short period of time, and you will be exempted from further testing. It is also possible that HK may remove all these tests and restrictions by February next year.

[BJ]

For Thailand checked bags are absolutely unnecessary. Pack a 55cm cabin bag for 10 days, after 7 send dirty clothes to laundry: they are very inexpensive, very professional and available almost every other Soi. Usually takes 2-3 days but you can pay extra for same day. You still have 3 days clean clothing while awaiting return of laundry. Pack valuable stuff in small backpack which you can also take. Skip the liquids excepting fragrance in wash bags, on arrival in Thailand go to 7-11 to stock up on travel-sized shampoo etc. Packing a 55cm bag for 10 days is a piece of cake, on my current trip I have 13 shirts, 3 trousers, 3 shorts, 3 swimsuits, two pair of shoes, 14 pair of socks and 14 underwear in mine. No worries about checked bags and no stack of laundry to return home with.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

RoundTheWorld wrote:

There is a small chance that if you book Cathay from Hong Kong to Bangkok BA may let you check through your luggage from LHR to BKK via HKG, but you need to speak to BA to confirm.

BA won’t check through bags on separate tickets.

They won’t even do it for BA-BA flights.

[BJ]

@Polly recently got CX to interline with QR.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

What CX and QR do is irrelevant to the case in hand.

[Paolo]

Thanks. I’ll book the connecting flights with a checked bag included, but try to pack everything into a 55cm cabin bag, all while crossing my fingers that the restrictions are eased!

At the moment a RAT test is required 24 hours before departure. That’s no problem from the UK, I’ll get a Randox kit. Does anyone know if I can take a Randox test with me to complete before departing Thailand for the return leg? Or does anyone know if it’s easy to get hold of tests in Bangkok? Cheers

[SamG]

On the way there you could take your BA hand bag allowance (which they never check sizes in my experience so you could take a decent size cabin case and another backpack – more than enough for Thailand!). Worse case they’d take it off you at the gate in HKG and put it in the hold. Maybe check around Flyertalk Emirates but I’m pretty sure they’d check through to BA on the way home – Cathay Pacific certainly would

[RoundTheWorld]

At the moment a RAT test is required 24 hours before departure. That’s no problem from the UK, I’ll get a Randox kit. Does anyone know if I can take a Randox test with me to complete before departing Thailand for the return leg? Or does anyone know if it’s easy to get hold of tests in Bangkok? Cheers

The 24 hour before departure RAT test can be done by any kit. It is a self-declare test and you do not need to show the result to anyone. You just need to tick the ‘negative’ box in the health declaration form.

[Gavin454]

Paolo wrote:

Thanks. I’ll book the connecting flights with a checked bag included, but try to pack everything into a 55cm cabin bag, all while crossing my fingers that the restrictions are eased!

At the moment a RAT test is required 24 hours before departure. That’s no problem from the UK, I’ll get a Randox kit. Does anyone know if I can take a Randox test with me to complete before departing Thailand for the return leg? Or does anyone know if it’s easy to get hold of tests in Bangkok? Cheers

Only required if you’re entering HK though – if you’re staying airside with just hand luggage, you don’t need anything.

[Paolo]

RoundTheWorld wrote:

The 24 hour before departure RAT test can be done by any kit. It is a self-declare test and you do not need to show the result to anyone. You just need to tick the ‘negative’ box in the health declaration form.

That’s interesting. Can I just take a pack of the NHS kits? I still have a few of them stuffed in a draw somewhere. I had assumed it would need to be a “fit to fly” lateral flow test.

[John]

Well any lateral flow test is a “fit to fly” test if you do it before flying.