Airside Transfer

[KhunDave]

Arrived at BKK with bags checked through to CNX. Already checked in to domestic flight with TG via internet check in. Went to TG airside transfer desk with my booking reference, they asked to see my boarding pass from my international flight. Then a bit of conferring amongst themselves.

Then the bad news - because I had arrived with Etihad they could not issue me a domestic boarding pass. I protested that I arrived recently with Air France and had no problem getting my domestic BP airside, a bit more conferring and they said that only certain airlines' passengers can get airside BP due to an "agreement with immigration".

Clearly further discussion would get me nowhere, so I had to trek all the way back to BKK immigration, pass landside, go up to level four and get the dam_n thing printed at the landside check in desks. Then all the way back down again in what was IMO a totally pointless exercise. Is this policy or was I just unlucky?

[thrilled]

Weird,I had never heard of anything like it.I mean if passport is good,and you paid the money,I just don't understand.

[tw25rw]

edit: Question already answered..

Edited January 14, 2010 by tw25rw

[lomatopo]

For International --> Domestic connections at BKK, regardless of your domestic destination, all passengers must clear Immigration at BKK. This has been the practice for quite some time, maybe more than 1 year. For those domestic locations which accommodate international arrivals/departures, one can check bags through BKK to the final domestic destination, then claim bags and clear Customs.

Not sure how you made the transition from AF previously? Perhaps that was a Domestic --> International connection at BKK and you previously cleared (stamped out) Immigration at CNX? That is current practice.

Edited January 14, 2010 by lomatopo

[KhunDave]

lomatopo, you mis-understand - my fault perhaps for not being clear enough. I was not attempting to clear immigration at CNX, merely to collect my TG boarding pass and then go through the airside immigration desks at BKK to the domestic area. This is what I have done previously with various airlines when connecting to TG. I cannot see the point of making the passenger clear immigration to landside at BKK, only to go up to level four, get a BP and then go back airside, when the airside transfer desks can do exactly the same job.

[geriatrickid]

With the exception of direct ticketing on Star Alliance flights using TG codes, everyone has to do the dance with immigration at BKK. (Maybe under the code sharing now with Air berlin and Bangkok Airways, the PAX will be exempt as well.) I do it every flight in on EVA even though I check my bag from TPE or NRT all the way to HKT. BA is One world and AF is Skyteam.

What's the problem? Immigration at BKK is usually faster than when a big plane unloads in ChiangMai.

The PAX you see with those little Q stickers are the people that will clear immigration at their final destination.

[lomatopo]

OK, not sure why TG would not issue a BP at the transfer desk. Perhaps something was amiss with your PNR? Or they showed you checked in already and were actually directing you to the mid-field Immigration desks? Or perhaps they are not staffed enough to handle intl-dom transfers? Was this a single ticket? Or did you have separate tickets?

Since you checked in on line (for your domestic TG flight) could you use that documentation, assuming you printed it out, to clear mid-field Immigration (level 2, East Concourse)?

[KhunDave]

I was on two separate tickets, but have never had a problem with this before - I have arrived with AF, KLM, SAS and others and always been able to get the TG boarding pass airside. I had a printed booking reference to show, but no boarding pass as TG's OLCI does not allow you to print them. AFAIK only a boarding pass will get you through airside immigration.

geriatrickid - to confirm, I was not trying to clear immigration at CNX. This is no longer possible. It is possible however (or it should be) when bags are checked through to CNX to pass through airside immigration directly into the domestic piers at BKK. As far as I can see, going landside at BKK solely to get a piece of paper printed and then go back airside is a total waste of time and effort.

[infernalman7]

It's the agreement between the airline you flew in from and Thai Airways I think. The problem is handling your checked luggages.

[geriatrickid]

It's the agreement between the airline you flew in from and Thai Airways I think. The problem is handling your checked luggages.

Bingo.

However, the agreement is only for selected Star Alliance partners. My bags are checked all the way through but I still have to exit and check in again Been that way for the past 3 years for me since I switched to EVA.

[lomatopo]

It's the agreement between the airline you flew in from and Thai Airways I think. The problem is handling your checked luggages.

In this specific case this is not the issue. The OP did not have to claim his bags and then check them back in. Most non-LCCs have interline agreements with all major carriers regardless of alliances, EY and TG interline each others bags even across separate tickets/PNRs. You have to show the documentation for any continuing ticket when you check in, then the the PNR's are cross-referenced and bags can be checked through to CNX.

I'm still not sure why TG wouldn't issue a domestic BP at the transfer desk allowing pax to clear mid-field Immigration. Maybe just a confused agent, or it could also be related to increased security issues, but the OP should drop a note to TG and ask for an explanation.

[KhunDave]

I'm still not sure why TG wouldn't issue a domestic BP at the transfer desk allowing pax to clear mid-field Immigration. Maybe just a confused agent, or it could also be related to increased security issues, but the OP should drop a note to TG and ask for an explanation.

Good idea, I'll do that and report back on the answer (if any...)

[KhunDave]

Well as promised here is the response from TG. Seems that it is policy to make the connecting passengers of some airlines do a wasteful trek up to level four and back down again. Would be useful to know which airlines this applies to as well as Etihad. It's also worth noting that despite the reference in their reply to being unable to check me through to CNX, I was already checked in via OLCI and my bags were tagged through at my point of origin. Therefore it really was just a question of the simple task of printing out a boarding pass. If TG had managed to allow boarding passes to be printed during online check in - as so many airlines have now - then this issue wouldn't even arise.

Dear Khun Dave,

We wish to refer to your e-mail on 16th January 2010.

We do regret the inconvenience you experienced because you could not get the boarding pass to Chaing Mai upon arrival at the transfer desk at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Taking this opportunity, we wish to explain to you that due to EY (Etihad Airways) do not have the agreement of MOU (Memorandum of understanding) with THAI. Therefore, our staff were unable to check through to final destination at Chiang Mai and requested you to check-in at the Departure area on 4th floor.

Thank you for contacting us. We trust that we shall have further opportunities to welcome you on board THAI Airways International's Royal Orchid Service during your future travels. Until such time we send you our best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Thanida Saengsuwan

Customer Relations Service Officer

[lomatopo]

Khun Dave, Thanks for following up. I guess TAGS must charge originating airlines for this service, and EY does not have enough connecting PAX to warrant signing an agreement and paying the fee? I would have thought that the 700 baht passenger service fee would have covered this activity?

[sbk]

I would guess any airline not in the Star Alliance would not have this agreement

[lomatopo]

I would guess any airline not in the Star Alliance would not have this agreement

No, as the OP indicates in the first post, they flew AF previously, who are not *A, and were able to get a BP at the xfer desk. This is a TAGS issue rather than a TG/*A issue. Airlines have to have an agreement with TAGS (pay money) in order to get this service.

If the OP has a lot of business with EY (directly or via their company) then maybe contact EY sales and ask they investigate engaging TAGS going forward.