Transit thru Changi

[AIRwin]

Vietnam Airlines to SQ on different tickets

Same terminal?

 

[HS-TQE]

Many times over the years but apparently this service has now stopped since Covid although I've not had a need to try.

Though it was potentially riskier, I have read some stories on Facebook groups of lost baggage on unrelated connections between two carriers that are not interline/baggage through-check partners at Changi.

I wouldn't recommend it at all for most LCCs for that matter out of any port. In Changi's case, from what I recall, only a handful of LCC i.e Jetstar Asia, Scoot interline/OLCI between themselves and their mother carriers respectively.

 

[OZDUCK]

Same terminal?

Happily for us, yes.

 

[JohnK]

Though it was potentially riskier, I have read some stories on Facebook groups of lost baggage on unrelated connections between two carriers that are not interline/baggage through-check partners at Changi.

I wouldn't recommend it at all for most LCCs for that matter out of any port. In Changi's case, from what I recall, only a handful of LCC i.e Jetstar Asia, Scoot interline/OLCI between themselves and their mother carriers respectively.

It wasn't interlining as such.

You arrived on one airline and went to transfer desk and showed them your luggage tags and they manually transferred luggage to onward flight on another airline.

 

[super5]

It may depend on the airline - last year I flew QF into SIN and was told by the Transfer Desk that Scoot wouldn't issue my boarding pass on a separate booking so I had to clear immigration to check in.

Was that with no checked baggage? If you had no checked baggage to collect and transfer, I don't understand why they made you clear immigration to check in Scoot, when they could easily issue the boarding pass at the Transfer desk without clearing immigration.

 

[AIRwin]

Was that with no checked baggage?

Yes I'd made sure I had hand luggage only

 

[jpp42]

Was that with no checked baggage? If you had no checked baggage to collect and transfer, I don't understand why they made you clear immigration to check in Scoot, when they could easily issue the boarding pass at the Transfer desk without clearing immigration.

Fairly sure Scoot is quite strict about not doing this. You must go through arrival immigration and then depart again if you are arriving from another airline; you can only connect if your arrival was on Scoot or one of their authorised partner airlines. I know this isn't a Singapore government or airport requirement so seems a commercial decision - aimed at making it less desirable for you to build your own connecting itineraries?

Wording on the Scoot web site:

Unless you have booked your connecting Scoot flight on the same booking itinerary or seamless transfers with our eligible partner airlines, you will need to pass through Arrival Immigration - with a valid visa (depending on your passport)

 

[super5]

Fairly sure Scoot is quite strict about not doing this. You must go through arrival immigration and then depart again if you are arriving from another airline; you can only connect if your arrival was on Scoot or one of their authorised partner airlines. I know this isn't a Singapore government or airport requirement so seems a commercial decision - aimed at making it less desirable for you to build your own connecting itineraries?

I think Scoot is forcing travellers to unnecessarily go through immigration, I'll be avoiding Scoot.
Can anyone confirm if other airlines in Changi, will allow us to get an outgoing boarding pass at their Transfer desk in transit, without doing immigration and without regard of the previous incoming flight?

 

[HS-TQE]

I think Scoot is forcing travellers to unnecessarily go through immigration, I'll be avoiding Scoot.
Can anyone confirm if other airlines in Changi, will allow us to get an outgoing boarding pass at their Transfer desk in transit, without doing immigration and without regard of the previous incoming flight?

Most other LCCs bar the mentioned exceptions (i.e those passengers on same-itinerary bookings on Jetstar and Scoot) from what I read tells the passengers to clear immigration and re-check in.

 

[elanshin]

I think Scoot is forcing travellers to unnecessarily go through immigration, I'll be avoiding Scoot.
Can anyone confirm if other airlines in Changi, will allow us to get an outgoing boarding pass at their Transfer desk in transit, without doing immigration and without regard of the previous incoming flight?

Im just curious why you feel the need not to go out out in Singapore immigration when its generally reasonably quick both ways unless you're trying to build a insanely tight transfer connection. If it's going to save you a few hundred dollars, it's quite simple to hop out and hop in. Heck you can pick up some pretty cool souvenirs at jewel.

Also many airlines let you OLCI as well (I got my QF BP on my app well before I reached Changi). So you could conceivably check in from just about anywhere assuming you don't get flagged for something.

 

[super5]

Also many airlines let you OLCI as well (I got my QF BP on my app well before I reached Changi). So you could conceivably check in from just about anywhere assuming you don't get flagged for something.

What is OLCI? How can you get a boarding pass on the app, they need to check your passport and make sure you can enter the country you are travelling to? Changi told me they will not be allowing anyone to board in Changi without a physical boarding pass because of security reasons, is that correct or not?

 

[elanshin]

What is OLCI? How can you get a boarding pass on the app, they need to check your passport and make sure you can enter the country you are travelling to? Changi told me they will not be allowing anyone to board in Changi without a physical boarding pass because of security reasons, is that correct or not?

Online check in.

I got my Qantas Boarding pass on my app no problems in November. I had my details already put in on the booking online beforehand.

I only went to the desk to drop my bag off. But if I wanted I could've just walked straight into security without bothering check in.

 

[super5]

Online check in.

I got my Qantas Boarding pass on my app no problems in November. I had my details already put in on the booking online beforehand.

I only went to the desk to drop my bag off. But if I wanted I could've just walked straight into security without bothering check in.

To clarify, you were in Singapore, and got your Qantas Boarding pass online on your app to go back to Australia, and you are Australian citizen? Did they allow that because you are confirmed Australian? What if your destination was somewhere else, for example, Thailand, do you think you would have been able to get the Boarding Pass online also? I'm trying to figure out what situation online check-in works in Changi and does not require any physical boarding pass in Changi.

 

[elanshin]

To clarify, you were in Singapore, and got your Qantas Boarding pass online on your app to go back to Australia, and you are Australian citizen? Did they allow that because you are confirmed Australian? What if your destination was somewhere else, for example, Thailand, do you think you would have been able to get the Boarding Pass online also? I'm trying to figure out what situation online check-in works in Changi and does not require any physical boarding pass in Changi.

In all honesty, I wouldn't know exactly how they make that determination (yes AU passport travelling back to AU). It would be faster to see what the situation is if you gave examples of your proposed airline/routes you're considering.

Although as I said before, whats actually the problem with hopping out of immigration and back in if needed unless you have literally the tightest window to check in. It doesn't take very long to go through immigration at all at Changi.

 

[super5]

Although as I said before, whats actually the problem with hopping out of immigration and back in if needed unless you have literally the tightest window to check in. It doesn't take very long to go through immigration at all at Changi.

Singapore has been working towards passport-free travel this year, what does that say about the amount of information they are gathering whenever you pass their immigration? An insider has said Singapore data protection is very weak despite what they declare publicly.

 

[TomVexille]

Has anyone done a Transfer at Changi before, with 2 different airlines that have no partnership agreements, without clearing immigration?
For example, enter Changi with 1 airline, buy an outgoing ticket with a different airline during Changi transit, and get the outgoing boarding pass from that other airline, without clearing immigration? Assuming no checked luggage.
The Changi website seems to suggest the 2 flights must be on the same booking, but what if intentionally on different bookings?

Yes, flew MH into SIN, SQ back to MEL. MH did tag our bags all the way to MEL as they do interline, but just got SQ BP at a transfer desk. The transfer desk did double check our baggage receipts to make sure it was all correct as well.

 

[super5]

Yes, flew MH into SIN, SQ back to MEL. MD did tag our bags all the way to MEL as they do interline, but just got SQ BP at a transfer desk. The transfer desk did double check our baggage receipts to make sure it was all correct as well.

If MH tagged your bags all the way to MEL, that means your 2 airlines and flights were linked. In my example, I was asking what if the 2 airlines and flights were not linked.

 

[TomVexille]

If MH tagged your bags all the way to MEL, that means your 2 airlines and flights were linked. In my example, I was asking what if the 2 airlines and flights were not linked.

They were most definitely not linked, we just asked nicely at check-in in LGK. There are things called interline agreements where airlines will transfer your bags on unconnected tickets. In this case a revenue MH ticket and an SQ award.

 

[dajop]

If MH tagged your bags all the way to MEL, that means your 2 airlines and flights were linked. In my example, I was asking what if the 2 airlines and flights were not linked.

Not necessarily, an shrinking number carriers (such as SQ and MH) do allow you to through check of luggage to most other carriers (ones they have agreements with) when traveling on separate bookings. Generally speaking they won’t do this to Low Cost Carriers.

 

[super5]

They were most definitely not linked, we just asked nicely at check-in in LGK. There are things called interline agreements where airlines will transfer your bags on unconnected tickets. In this case a revenue MH ticket and an SQ award.

Alright, not linked, but the 2 airlines were aware of each other. If you had no checked luggage, and did not tell MH about your SQ ticket, do you think you could have got the SQ boarding pass at their transfer desk without telling them about your previous MH flight?