Not Flying Last Leg Of Flight, How To Retreive Luggage?

[Ket1978]

Hi all,

I am looking for options on flying to Sydney. MAS is offering nice tickets but the wait for the connection on the return (KL-BKK) is 6 hours. Bit long to hang around at the airport. Could book a airasia flight instead, but how should I deal with retreiving my luggage? How do I make sure I get my luggage as I will be carrying more than hand luggage only?

Any experiences on this?

Thank you...

Ket

[Martian]

I don't think there is anything you can do to get your luggage mid-itinerary. Maybe you can "anonymously" contact the airline and ask such a "theoretical" question.

6 hours is a bit of a layover but considering the added cost and problems it could cause doing what you are thinking, maybe just tolerate it and get on with it.

Good luck!

Martian

[ovenman]

To retrieve your luggage in Kuala Lumpur, you would have to check your luggage only to Kuala Lumpur on the return. I don't honestly know whether MAS would allow that.

[tw25rw]

In theory, if you don't get back on the plane, they have to take your luggage off. So if you tell them you are sick and will spend the night in KL, they'll have no choice.

[Farma]

Check with MAS to see if they will allow it. I can’t see it being a problem as it looks like you’ll change planes in KL.

I regularly skip the last leg of gulf air flights. On check-in at BKK I ask for my bags to be put through to Bahrain only. The check-in staff then asks about my further travel and I advise them I will make my own arrangements. They are happy with that and my bags are waiting for me at Bahrain.

[andiwilson]

You should be able to get round the luggage problem but do you realise that Airasia fly from a different airport. I would imagine that by the time you've waited for your bags and done imigration got the bus to KUL LCCT which I believe is at least 20 mins traveling time that you would have used up over an hour. If you book with Airasia and you miss the flight due to delays you loose your money so realistically you would be looking to book a flight for three hours after you land.

The alternative to this is look up the high speed rail link to Kuala Lumpur and go spend a few hours sightseeing.

[siam2007]

You should be able to get round the luggage problem but do you realise that Airasia fly from a different airport.

they fly from exactly the same airport. just from a different terminal. as you can not hire a taxi or bus to run on the tarmac to reach the other terminal, your vehicle of choice has to drive around the runway behind the fence. that is what makes the journey from one terminal to the other time-consuming. the actual AirAsia LCCT is just a kilometer away, opposite the main terminal building.

[samgrowth]

You should be able to get round the luggage problem but do you realise that Airasia fly from a different airport.

they fly from exactly the same airport. just from a different terminal. as you can not hire a taxi or bus to run on the tarmac to reach the other terminal, your vehicle of choice has to drive around the runway behind the fence. that is what makes the journey from one terminal to the other time-consuming. the actual AirAsia LCCT is just a kilometer away, opposite the main terminal building.

On the save side, I recommend 4 hours between schedule arrival & schedule departure. Don't forget AirAsia will close their counter promptly.

You can take a taxi for 40 MYR. Travel time 15 mins.

You can take the bus 1.50 MYR. Travel time 20 mins, add waiting time another 25 mins (total 45 mins)

[ozfarang81]

just ask them to tag the bags to KL only. As for the transferring to the LCCT, what a PITA! dont bother, just wait for MAS, find a paid lounge if they have one and u dont have access to lounges.

[IMA_FARANG]

Hi all,

I am looking for options on flying to Sydney. MAS is offering nice tickets but the wait for the connection on the return (KL-BKK) is 6 hours. Bit long to hang around at the airport. Could book a airasia flight instead, but how should I deal with retreiving my luggage? How do I make sure I get my luggage as I will be carrying more than hand luggage only?

Any experiences on this?

Thank you...

Ket

I'm not sure they will let you do any of these, but I thought of:

1. Check you baggage to KL. Easiest way if they will let you. Ask the airline before you go to the airport if it is possible. Must go thru security inspection for your checked baggage at your start, from then on you have no control of your checked bag.

2. If you don't mind spending a day or so in KL (I assume that's what you want to avoid) MAS might offer a Malysia stopover fare which allows you to take a short break in Malaysia. For a small extra cost they might provide a hotel and a tour of KL/shopping discount coupons/etc. for a 24 or 48 hour layover. SG used to offer a Singapore Stopover fare, which I once used. Possibly MAS does the same with Malaysia.

3. See if the airline will let you send your bags "unaccompanied baggage" to BKK. You will pick it up in the "lost baggage" or "left baggage" area in BKK. You will have to clear it thru customs in BKK yourself. There is a small fee for the service. I once did this when my carry-on baggage was too heavy, and the excess baggage fees were to costly.

Not sure if any of these will work, but I've used the last two methods in the past. You won't know if you don't ask.

[Groongthep]

In theory, if you don't get back on the plane, they have to take your luggage off.

Tw25rw is correct. The airline will not carry checked bags without the passenger aboard.

3. See if the airline will let you send your bags "unaccompanied baggage" to BKK.

As above, this is not an option as it violates international security regulations.

[ozfarang81]

The airline will tag his bags to KL only if thats what he wants

[torrenova]

The airline will tag his bags to KL only if thats what he wants

Of course they will. It is the reverse, wanting to send bags further than you intend to travel which is not allowed. You could but have your bags offloaded.

[Ket1978]

The airline will tag his bags to KL only if thats what he wants

Of course they will. It is the reverse, wanting to send bags further than you intend to travel which is not allowed. You could but have your bags offloaded.

thank you all for the insights... Did the risk assessment based on your replies and:

-do not want to bother other passengers by having the luggage unloaded

-save the time for moving to the other terminal

and booked a return flight with Singapore Airlines, as they have a nice promotion...

Thanks!