Singapore transit

[ronlon]

I have the following award flight booking made through Qantas:

MEL -SIN (JQ) -DOH (QR)- FRA (QR) departing mid June.

It is one ticket and Jetstar website confirms that they have agreements with Qatar for baggage transfer.

According to the Singapore government website and the Changi airport website it seems that I qualify as a transit passenger however both Jetstar and Qantas seem to suggest otherwise utilising the Sherpa covid restrictions tool.

It says that I cannot enter Germany via Singapore. I think it is something to do with approved transfer route and connection status.

I phoned Jetstar who answered within a few minutes and said check government restrictions and check with Qantas. To compound matters the JQ website page in relation to Singapore transit states that only Jetstar Asia (3K) transits with Qatar. The Jetstar agent I spoke to acknowledged this. This web page is dated 25 March.

A 4 April Jetstar webpage DOES NOT list Qatar as a JQ transit airline in its list of Singapore transit airlines.

I have emailed Changi airport and I am waiting a response.

Does anyone have experience with a recent JQ to QR Singapore connection/transit or can unravel this information or suggest how else I can confirm things ?

 

[serfty]

Some things are just too hard.

Is there any chance of rebooting a routing that works (hopefully giving Jetstar a miss)?

 

[ronlon]

Some things are just too hard.

Is there any chance of rebooting a routing that works (hopefully giving Jetstar a miss)?

Serfty yes after 3 years of trying to get to Germany/Croatia to see family and holiday the hurdles have not fallen away ! I think I am on my third or fourth routing. It started off really nice, business class booked all the way first with CX then JL....cancelled....cancelled. I do have a back up booking to my SIN route which I was lucky to find recently just several weeks out from departure: MEL-DOH-FRA with QR.

 

[dajop]

Another backup plan could be applying for a short term visit pass for Singapore (assuming you are all fully vaccinated), and get to the airport early enough to get a RAT test @histopath if they can't/won't check you all the way through to QR.

At the moment QR only seem to have the single departure - at 02:40am, which is >8hrs after your JQ flight arrives, which would be more than enough time to collect bags and recheck them if need be.

 

[Grimace1]

I wonder how long it will take for Singapore to remove the requirement of;

passengers who are transiting through Changi and plan to depart on a different airline, must have both flights booked in the same booking itinerary.

I've been thru Singapore plenty of times but had my luggage checked thru each time so never needed to collect it or use the transfer desks.

 

[ronlon]

I spoke to Qantas twice today regarding my Singapore connection ( Jetstar to Qatar). Just a reminder it is one ticket. First agent said I need to check in again at Singapore including baggage. The second agent said myself and baggage will simply transit through however when I pointed out the information on the Jetstar website DOES NOT not list Qatar Airways as a Singapore transit partner (only as a baggage partner) the agent made some more enquires and corrected the advice to say that myself AND baggage does need to clear immigration/customs in Singapore and re-check in.

If this is true this is an undesirable stress point for a for a 3hr 25min connection. JQ7 MEL-SIN has often been late in the past 2 weeks.

I did get a response from Changi airport but it was just standard transit info and said check with the airline.

Unless anyone else has an idea or undertaken this JQ/QR connection, given I am 30mins from MEL airport and flight is June I am thinking of actually going out there to the JQ check in with my booking and ask them.

 

[dajop]

I note that the current version of the safe travel website does not indicate the need to be with pre-approved partners. I am not sure if that was never written in the site, or it has changed recently.

ICA | Entering, Transiting and Departing

ICA is responsible for the security of Singapore's borders against the entry of undesirable persons, cargo and conveyances through our land, air and sea checkpoints.

safetravel.ica.gov.sg

 

[ronlon]

I just called Qatar for their take on this. First the agent said that all this information will be given to me upon check in at Melbourne on the day! When pushed to be able to confirm if JQ and QR are transit partners in Singapore the agent came back with a "no".

Is the lack of transit capability despite one PNR a real thing? Should Qantas have offered more information when I booked or was the onus on me?

 

[ronlon]

With this QF issued FOUR passenger ticket that includes a Jetstar to Qatar Airways connection in Singapore, I have spoken to three different Qantas call centre agents with this rather simple question: “Do we have to clear customs and immigration in Singapore? “. The answers have been “no”, “yes” and “don’t need to clear customs but need to go through immigration”. I then emailed Qantas custom care to seek clarification…….18 days have now passed with no reply. Rather than risk a missed a connection due to clearing both customs and immigration in Singapore I have now rebooked with Emirates.......How much longer can Qantas sustain this loss of business ? This post has not included that detail of the hours spent on hold to obtain the inconsistent info !

 

[JohnK]

Are the transfer desks not in operation in SIN?

I'm more than certain wife and daughter went to transfer desk in SIN in March but luggage was already checked to HKT.

In the past the transfer desks used to transfer luggage from one carrier to another without needing to exit and check-in again but there were a few times where I had to exit and check-in again.

 

[SYD]

Are the transfer desks not in operation in SIN?

I'm more than certain wife and daughter went to transfer desk in SIN in March but luggage was already checked to HKT.

In the past the transfer desks used to transfer luggage from one carrier to another without needing to exit and check-in again but there were a few times where I had to exit and check-in again.

The Transfer Desks in T3 (SQ terminal) were operating when I passed through on Thursday. Don't know about T1 or if the luggage transfer service is back up but the Changi airport website is still showing the need for single PNR and luggage tagged through.

Transiting through Changi | Covid-19 Information Hub | Singapore Changi Airport

www.changiairport.com

 

[serfty]

The Transfer Desks in T3 (SQ terminal) were operating when I passed through on Thursday.

They were certainly open on Friday, I used T3 'A' - although I don't do checked luggage.