Exit to HKG during long layover on a same booking

[ninervictor]

Hi guys,

I have never done a long layover on purpose before and would like to ask the community for inputs,

Q1. I have booked a SFO-HKG-SIN flight on SQ1 & SQ865 (Single PNR), travelling on J redemption which I doubt it matters.
There's a 12 hours layover (on purpose) as I would wish to see the sights of Hong Kong. During check in at SFO, I assume that I will get my HKG-SIN boarding pass as well ? This would not count as a stop over since I am not staying more than 24 hours.

Q2. Can I use the SKL at Hong Kong upon my arrival from SFO-HKG to freshen up, since it's 6.30am in the morning, and enter the lounge again when I return for my evening flight

Q3. Assuming if I had to go to the transfer desk at HKG to get my BP for HKG-SIN, any issues of going over to the land side and come back again later ?

TIA

[yflyer]

Q2. Can I use the SKL at Hong Kong upon my arrival from SFO-HKG to freshen up, since it's 6.30am in the morning, and enter the lounge again when I return for my evening flight

Hi ninervictor! HKG airport passenger flow separates arriving pax from departing pax. In order to get to the HKG SKL, which is in the departure area, you need to follow transit directions and clear security (and BP check) to get into departure zone. And once in the departure area, there is no "standard" way to clear customs out of the airport. There may be a way out of the airport from the departure area, but it is not normal practice.

So it is probably not straightforward to use the SKL upon arrival if you are leaving the airport.

[ninervictor]

Hi ninervictor! HKG airport passenger flow separates arriving pax from departing pax. In order to get to the HKG SKL, which is in the departure area, you need to follow transit directions and clear security (and BP check) to get into departure zone. And once in the departure area, there is no "standard" way to clear customs out of the airport. There may be a way out of the airport from the departure area, but it is not normal practice.

So it is probably not straightforward to use the SKL upon arrival if you are leaving the airport.

Thanks yflyer for the input

[happyflyer]

There's a Plaza Premium Arrival Lounge in T2 if you want instead. As mentioned by yflyer, it is normally not allowed to leave the leave the airport from the departure area.

[EWR]

Last year, I arrived in HKG midnight and wanted to get to the PP lounge upstairs to wait for my morning (8 am) flight. The transfer desk was closed and transit security wouldn't let me go upstairs without a paper boarding pass. I showed them my virtual one on my phone and explained I didn't expect the transfer desk to have closed, but they simply wouldn't budge. They said I gotta print out the PDF BP I was showing them and wouldn't offer any printing help - only vaguely sniggering that they got me trapped. I'm recounting all this as a means of saying don't bother trying to enter departure area and then heading back down to arrival again. They wouldn't even help with a legitimate transfer! Really unfriendly airport and rude staff (even though the hard product is just alright)

[ninervictor]

There's a Plaza Premium Arrival Lounge in T2 if you want instead. As mentioned by yflyer, it is normally not allowed to leave the leave the airport from the departure area.

That seems like a good plan.

[SINFJ]

I do that all the time albeit as a CX flyer. Provided you are willing to forego the winging over to SKL on the inbound the procedure is actually pretty straightforward.

SQ is usually assigned gates 15, 16, 17 or 23 at HKG. You should already have your SQ 865 BP in hand on check in at SFO. If not, it is not a biggie as the transfer counters are immediately located on the same level as arrivals, before immigrations near the transit point. Checkin bags should already be tagged through to SIN by SFO ground staff.

Go through immigration and you are out. Be sure to be back by D-60 for SQ 865. If you have e-Channel access you can cut it down to 40 minutes. On return to the airport, use the far end departcure concourse (near check-in row H) so that it gets you close to the SQ assigned gates.