SIN-PVG-NRT-HNL - transit questions

[mingster]

Hi all,

Have booked an award flight which has us transitting through PVG for 3 hours. Could someone tell me if we will need to collect our bags and pass through immigration/customs at PVG before checking back in again? Have heard that this could be the case which could leave it a bit tight for us if there is a delay, plus my wife is a Malaysian passport holder so she might require a visa too as she doesn't qualify for the 72 hour waiver. Or should I ring SQ and ask if the bags will be checked all the way through or if they have an agreement with ANA?

Also, does anyone know if we can collect our boarding passes at Changi for the entire itinerary or whether we have to pick each one up at each point. Thanks in advance.

Mingster

[SilverChris]

PVG is a terrible place to connect. You can't check your bags through and will need to recheck-in, even for international-international connections. My mother had the misfortune of going via PVG in December and had to clear immigration although she had her onward BP.

They will ask a few more questions but you can get through even without a visa. Just make sure you have the onward BP.

[mingster]

exactly what I was fearing.. thanks SilverChris.

actually, what if I were to go through myself and pick up the bags and check them in whilst my wife waits in the Lounge as I don't require a transit visa?

[SilverChris]

AFAIK, no passenger can do an airside transit anymore. Both of you will need to clear CIQ, pick up your bags and recheck-in before heading back airside. The SQ check-in staff confirmed that they can only tag bags to the final destination only when going via PEK and not PVG.

My mother was in the same situation as you, doing an SQ-NH connection and a Malaysian passport holder. She had no idea PVG was such a PITA and didn't have a visa but she explained her predicament and got through immigration. They'll stamp your passport with a "transit" instead of "entered".

But to stay on the safe side, get your wife to apply for a transit visa

(This was back in December, so maybe someone else with a more recent experience can confirm if this is still the case?)

[mingster]

Ok thanks again for the advice SilverChris. How long did your mother take for the whole process?

We have 3hrs and 40 mins which hopefully should be ok as we are flying in J for both sectors. I might book one of those expedited immigration clearance services as well just in case.

[wfs]

hi minster , for your info PVG airport quite crowded arriving and departure

[dfs24]

Hi,

I have done an International => International connection at PVG before. This was on a through ticket, issued by MU and with both flights on MU.

Bags were tagged through to final destination, and it was possible to do Air Side Transfer. For me it was a stop at the transit desk to verify documents and then though some security then an escalator ride up to the departure level. This was in Mar 2013 on MU.

[Desert Traveller]

Ok thanks again for the advice SilverChris. How long did your mother take for the whole process?

We have 3hrs and 40 mins which hopefully should be ok as we are flying in J for both sectors. I might book one of those expedited immigration clearance services as well just in case.

Hi,

I have done an International => International connection at PVG before. This was on a through ticket, issued by MU and with both flights on MU.

Bags were tagged through to final destination, and it was possible to do Air Side Transfer. For me it was a stop at the transit desk to verify documents and then though some security then an escalator ride up to the departure level. This was in Mar 2013 on MU.

Chinese airlines have special arrangements at their home airports, same for CA at PEK.

Having said that, SQ should also be able to check you in and print your BPs for your NH flight as it is a *A connection and you can try to tag your luggage through. Just double confirm that you do not have to collect bags.

Even if you have to collect bags and check-in, minimum connection in PVG is two hours (assuming that SQ and NH use the same terminal). As you have almost four hours, you should have no problem making the connection. I have done international to domestic involving a terminal change (walking 10 or 15 minutes from T1 to T2) with luggage pick up in under two hours.

[mingster]

Thanks dfs24 and Desert Traveller. I wrote an email to SQ on the weekend and am waiting for their reply on tagging the bags through all the way to HNL. Both SQ and NH are in Terminal 2. With 3 legs to our trip I'm hoping that it all runs smoothly!

[inix]

Hi all,

Have booked an award flight which has us transitting through PVG for 3 hours. Could someone tell me if we will need to collect our bags and pass through immigration/customs at PVG before checking back in again? Have heard that this could be the case which could leave it a bit tight for us if there is a delay, plus my wife is a Malaysian passport holder so she might require a visa too as she doesn't qualify for the 72 hour waiver. Or should I ring SQ and ask if the bags will be checked all the way through or if they have an agreement with ANA?

Also, does anyone know if we can collect our boarding passes at Changi for the entire itinerary or whether we have to pick each one up at each point. Thanks in advance.

Mingster

Just curious, why do you have to fly to NRT via PVG on SQ when you can fly to PVG on SQ first to connect to your NRT flight?

[mingster]

Hi inix,

sorry I didn't quite understand your question. Do you mean why am I going via PVG instead of going straight to NRT from SIN? I booked a UA award to HNL from SIN and unfortunately this was the most "direct" route that was on offer.

[inix]

Hi inix,

sorry I didn't quite understand your question. Do you mean why am I going via PVG instead of going straight to NRT from SIN? I booked a UA award to HNL from SIN and unfortunately this was the most "direct" route that was on offer.

I see, if it was an award flight, perhaps you should explore putting yourself on *A flights instead? Flying from SIN - NRT on SQ and NRT to HNL on UA. This might actually make more sense, and 1 less transit since your parent is involved...

[mingster]

Haha trust me. I've spent hours trying to get myself on the simplest flights but unfortunately the flights I tried to choose were all "phantom availability" on UA. Would love to fly direct from SIN-NRT and NRT to HNL but there's no availability on UA at the moment and if I used Krisflyer miles for the first leg it would add on a significant cost in terms of miles to the trip as it's currently costing us 37500 miles to fly there one way in J and 50000 miles to fly back in F