Hainan airlines to Hong Kong via Beijing

Question

I’m flying to Hong Kong from Manchester UK via Beijing with a layover of 16 hours. We are family of 4. I was wandering if i need to collect our checked luggages and recheck in again please? I bought the tickets directly with Hainan airlines for both legs and return to Manchester from Hong Kong via Beijing also but with a shorter layover, even if says on the tickets Beijing to Hong Kong and vice versa is operated by Hong Kong Airlines. I am worried that I have to collect the bags and recheck in with Hong Kong Airlines.

If you have flew with them recently, please can you tell me what happened? As I messaged Hainan airlines and they said I have to collect and recheck the bags. Then I read other posts saying I don’t as they should be automatically redirected to Hong Kong from Manchester. Please help? I am really worried.

Answer

When flying on a combination of Hainan Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines, even if both legs are purchased on a single ticket, the procedure for checked baggage can vary depending on the ticketing arrangement and airline interline agreements.

Key considerations for your situation:

If your tickets are issued on a single PNR (booking reference) with both airlines listed and Hainan Airlines is the operating carrier for the first leg, there is a possibility that your checked baggage can be tagged through to Hong Kong. However, this is not guaranteed, especially when the second flight is operated by a different airline, even under codeshare.
Hainan Airlines customer service has indicated that you need to collect and recheck your bags in Beijing. This is often the safer assumption because baggage handling between different airlines—even within the same alliance or codeshare—may not always be automatically transferred, particularly in China where procedures can differ.
A 16-hour layover in Beijing is long enough to accommodate collecting luggage, clearing customs/immigration (if required), and rechecking with Hong Kong Airlines.

Tips and best practices:

Confirm at check-in in Manchester whether your bags can be tagged all the way to Hong Kong. If they cannot, you’ll need to collect them in Beijing.
Allow plenty of time to transfer between terminals in Beijing if the two flights operate from different terminals, as Hainan Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines may use separate areas.
Keep all baggage claim tags and boarding passes handy to facilitate rechecking, and have a plan for storing carry-on items during the layover if you plan to leave the airport.
Even if other passengers report bags being automatically transferred, it is not guaranteed, and relying on anecdotal experiences can be risky.

In summary, while automatic transfer of baggage is possible if the ticket is on a single booking reference, in China it is common and safest to expect that you may need to collect your bags in Beijing and recheck them with Hong Kong Airlines. Your 16-hour layover should give you ample time to do so without stress.

Hainan airlines to Hong Kong via Beijing

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