Virgin interline baggage - Hong Kong Airlines and Hainan

Hi All,

Im looking to make a 3 legged multi city award booking using velocity points. It's Sydney to Tel Aviv. SYD to HKG with Virgin, HKG to PEK with Hong Kong Airlines and finally PEK to TLV with Hainan. I am able to book it all on one ticket and have transit times of about 2-3hrs in HKG and PEK.

According to the virgin booking agent since it is a multi city booking and they are not "connecting flights" then I am required to collect my baggage and check back in at each stop. I highly doubt this is the case since it will all be booked onto the one ticket anyways and doesn't matter if they are "connecting" flights in their system or not and virgin already have interline agreements with both airlines. Anyone had any thoughts/experience with this?

Cheers

Hi chillybags,

I have never done a HK Airways to Hainan Airways connection but earlier this year flew (on one ticket) MEL-CKG with Tianjin Airlines then from CKG-CAN with Hainan Airlines return flight. On both occasions I was required to collect my bags and re-check them in at the Chinese airports. When I questioned the check in agent at Hainan Airlines she advised that this is because they are different airlines and if I was booked Hainan Airlines all the way they'd be able to check my bags all the way through. So unless something has changed it appears you'll likely have to do the same.

Hi chillybags,

Virgin + Hainan is my little secret way of using Velocity Points to get to Israel. Don't let too many people know :)

Anyway, I've done revenue & award tickets over the last 2 years with Virgin, HK Airlines & Hainan and provided you are on the same ticket you should be able to interline the luggage. It will definitely work SYD-HKG-PEK, and may very well work all the way to TLV meaning that you don't even need a TWOV for Beijing and can use the T2 transit security which has no queues, although when I transited that way in October they spent a solid 10 mins searching everything possible (I think due to otherwise having nothing to do because so few passengers transit this way)

On the way back, you will definitely be able to interline Hainan to HK Airlines and again stay airside in Beijing. Just watch for the fact that the transit security only opens at 6am. Someone from my flight tried to enter China rather than wait and was turned back at immigration and told to use the transit security. I was travelling hand luggage only, but there were others waiting that had checked bags that were sent all the way through. We were also met at the airbridge and assisted as far as transit security.

Make sure to go to the boarding gate early and get your documents checked each time and ask them to verify that your bags have made the connection.

Lounges in Beijing (HNA) and Hong Kong (HK Airlines) are both very good, with good wine & food selections, showers and friendly staff.