Singapore early check in

[biggles20]

Evening,

While booking a HEL(VY)-BKK(3K)-SIN(QF)-MEL I am unfortunately unable to ticket the QF38 SIN-MEL with the remainder of the booking online due to multi-city gremlins.

Having to keep it separate I am assuming I will not be able to simply transit between flights and will have to clear immigration at SIN, collect my bag, recheck in and bag drop prior to accessing T1 and lounges. I have noticed that while there are early check in facilities at Jewel, it isn't clear whether these allow you to actually make your way inside the terminal or just drop your bag off early.

Can any confirm how early I can check in, bag drop and enter the terminal for a QF38 J ticket at T1 in SIN using those early check in facilities?

Cheers!

 

[encryptededdy]

You can bag drop all day at Jewel Early check-in.

I don't know if you can enter the terminal that early, but I'd imagine you can. It's worth checking out the Jewel though - 3hrs~ is enough time to experience most of the T1 lounges.

 

[Himeno]

You used to be able to get checked bags intercepted and retagged for a connecting flight by talking to staff at the transit area transfer counters, but it appears that may no longer be available.

Qantas uses the early check in on L1 of Jewel. Available from 8am. It's an automated kiosk/bag drop area, much like the QF domestic check in.
You can pass through the departure ICA checkpoint and enter the transit area as long as you have a same day (or early AM next day) boarding pass.
If you drop bags at the early check in 10 hours before your flight, you don't have to wait around to pass through into the departure area.

 

[SYD]

Depending on the day of the week, the QF J lounge doesn’t open until 2:45pm (QF 1st 3pm). The BA lounge opens 4pm and QR lounge 6pm.

“Entering” Singapore is pretty easy these days - all eGates. Similarly departing from T1. After you recheck your luggage at the Jewel and receive onward BP, just show PP and BP to enter departures area (literally around the corner) then scan BP and you’re in. We did it last week during a long layover. SYD+1 hadn’t seen the Vortex so we popped over.

BTW, you’ll most likely have a terminal change T4->T1? Someone else might advise on the best way to do that landside with luggage.

 

[Mh4k]

Something to note is I tried to use the early checkin two weeks ago and the computer said no, see service desk. But Qantas don’t man the Jewel early checkin area and had no staff at T1 proper until 4 hours prior to QF2 departure, which left me stuck at T1 with my bags and no boarding pass.

In my case I only had to hang around for an hour but if it had been longer I’d have been fairly annoyed.

 

[SYD]

Something to note is I tried to use the early checkin two weeks ago and the computer said no, see service desk. But Qantas don’t man the Jewel early checkin area and had no staff at T1 proper until 4 hours prior to QF2 departure, which left me stuck at T1 with my bags and no boarding pass.

In my case I only had to hang around for an hour but if it had been longer I’d have been fairly annoyed.

Do you know why you couldn’t check in?

 

[AIRwin]

Do you know why you couldn’t check in?

It also happened to me as I didn't have my middle name on the ticket

 

[docjames]

Evening,

While booking a HEL(VY)-BKK(3K)-SIN(QF)-MEL I am unfortunately unable to ticket the QF38 SIN-MEL with the remainder of the booking online due to multi-city gremlins.

Having to keep it separate I am assuming I will not be able to simply transit between flights and will have to clear immigration at SIN, collect my bag, recheck in and bag drop prior to accessing T1 and lounges. I have noticed that while there are early check in facilities at Jewel, it isn't clear whether these allow you to actually make your way inside the terminal or just drop your bag off early.

Can any confirm how early I can check in, bag drop and enter the terminal for a QF38 J ticket at T1 in SIN using those early check in facilities?

Cheers!

Doesn’t help you now but i was having gremlins with the multi-city tool (also involving HEL-SIN-MEL) and they (HBA Plat call centre) were (with some difficulty) able to single ticket it over the phone.

 

[velli25]

I recently had a long layover in Singapore in Nov transferring from an SQ to QF flight, layover approx 12 hours. You can do online check in for Qantas so once you bag drop you will have a boarding pass to get through security.

Option 1
On arrival don't collect your luggage, stay on the airside and do what you need to to kill time - if you have lounge access or priority pass access even better. When you're ready to immigrate you'll need to go to SATS lost & found luggage in the same terminal you arrived in. Process is super quick and easy. Grab bags and immigrate. Qantas from memory opened up bag drop for our flight ~4 hrs pre flight.

Option 2
Collect bags and immigrate. Early bag drop at Jewel. Go through security with online check in boarding pass. If you have Oneworld lounge access make your way around oneworld lounges around Changi. Only a few are open in the earlier hours and middle of the day so you may need to jump around. If you have plenty of time the Cathay lounge (need to get a shuttle to go there) is well worth it.

 

[biggles20]

Doesn’t help you now but i was having gremlins with the multi-city tool (also involving HEL-SIN-MEL) and they (HBA Plat call centre) were (with some difficulty) able to single ticket it over the phone.

I haven’t booked it yet but I’ll definitely give the call centre a try! No Hobart for me unfortunately… but I’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[docjames]

I haven’t booked it yet but I’ll definitely give the call centre a try! No Hobart for me unfortunately… but I’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice everyone!

It took some doing and a near 40min phone call - the operator could replicate the routing but it kept spitting out a price ~ 30% higher than what it had said online.

Eventually (apparently) there was some trick to “build” it / “select” it in reverse (ie. pick SIN-MEL first, then HEL-SIN etc. No idea exactly what that means but just adding some colour in case it helps you.

See if you can select what you want at the price you want on the online multi-city tool, take a screenshot, then call up if it crashes as it enters the payment phase And you have the details in front of you (and advise you have the screenshot with the price - which should help encouage them to honour it - especially if you get a less experienced call centre……)

 

[Mh4k]

Do you know why you couldn’t check in?

No idea sorry. Forgot to ask.

 

[SYD]

No idea sorry. Forgot to ask.

I don't suppose you recall if you were able to do OLCI via the QF app/website? If not, it was probably something that end rather than the early check-in.

I had no issue doing OLCI last week for QF292 (SIN-SYD), although you still need a paper BP to enter departures (AFAIK).

 

[Mh4k]

OLCI worked but couldn’t print a bag label

 

[elanshin]

I haven’t booked it yet but I’ll definitely give the call centre a try! No Hobart for me unfortunately… but I’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice everyone!

If you can't actually check in for whatever reason, you can pay a small fee to store your luggage at jewel. Also jewel itself is a lot to explore. We easily spent 5hours last year exploring the jewel from the garden upstairs to all the various shops.

 

[sap1l]

The Jewel early check-in will not work if your check-in requires manual intervention. The most common reason (according to Changi staff) is if your name on your passport doesn’t match the ticket name exactly, whether it be:

- missing middle name
- names in wrong order

I’ve found OLCI less sensitive to name differences - my passport name definitely never matches my ticket name, but I usually have about a 50/50 chance of OLCI working. In my past 5 visits to Changi, Jewel early check-in has never worked for me.

 

[Cognac]

I don't suppose you recall if you were able to do OLCI via the QF app/website? If not, it was probably something that end rather than the early check-in.

I had no issue doing OLCI last week for QF292 (SIN-SYD), although you still need a paper BP to enter departures (AFAIK).

I'm pretty sure that I've scanned through with a digital pass at Changi before. But I'm not 100% confident that I'm remembering correctly.

Also, when heading towards the entry for those egates I've always found the right-hand side line way quicker and easier than the left-hand side line even though both lead to the same suite of egates. Not sure if anyone else has experience that as well.

 

[SYD]

I'm pretty sure that I've scanned through with a digital pass at Changi before. But I'm not 100% confident that I'm remembering correctly.

Last year you needed a stamp to get through to departures. We just had BPs issued checking in for a previous flight and they were fine. I didn’t try flashing my digital BP on my phone.

Also, when heading towards the entry for those egates I've always found the right-hand side line way quicker and easier than the left-hand side line even though both lead to the same suite of egates. Not sure if anyone else has experience that as well.

At T1, I didn’t notice a 2nd line to get to departures but it sounds like the “right-hand” side is the entrance just around from the Jewel entrance/exit and Early checkin area?

Once you show BP and PP at the check point, there’s a huge row of eGates heading off to the left. They don’t have a cattle run so most people line up at the first few but you can go to to first available….

 

[Cognac]

Last year you needed a stamp to get through to departures. We just had BPs issued checking in for a previous flight and they were fine. I didn’t try flashing my digital BP on my phone.

At T1, I didn’t notice a 2nd line to get to departures but it sounds like the “right-hand” side is the entrance just around from the Jewel entrance/exit and Early checkin area?

Once you show BP and PP at the check point, there’s a huge row of eGates heading off to the left. They don’t have a cattle run so most people line up at the first few but you can go to to first available….

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's only the one set of e-gates to get in at T1. Basically directly behind the Qantas check-in desk/bag drop is a set of offices, toilets and such, but to either side of that block of offices is an entry lane for departures. Then, as you say, a huuuge row of egates with the ones closest to the entry lanes being the busiest.

I can't remember the exact geography with where the entrance is from the jewel (blame poor memory, I've been there often enough), but the "right-hand side" is on the D-Gate side of those e-gates.

 

[elanshin]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's only the one set of e-gates to get in at T1. Basically directly behind the Qantas check-in desk/bag drop is a set of offices, toilets and such, but to either side of that block of offices is an entry lane for departures. Then, as you say, a huuuge row of egates with the ones closest to the entry lanes being the busiest.

I can't remember the exact geography with where the entrance is from the jewel (blame poor memory, I've been there often enough), but the "right-hand side" is on the D-Gate side of those e-gates.

Jewel level 1 is right in front of T1 exit (arrivals). Jewel level 2 is also sort of in line with T1 Level 2 Departures (where QF check in is situated), but i think you have to cross the street for the departures drop off area.

Early Check in / bag storage is down at level 1 in Jewel just beyond the terminal itself. (on the left iirc when heading from the terminal).

PS it's Mario themed right now in Jewel until the end of the year to go with the Pop up Nintendo store on Level 4 (opposite Pokemon Centre).