How long should I allow for a connection in Bangkok if I have to recheck in on a separate Jetstar flight?

Airports, Transfers & Logistics
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I have a question in regards to time required for an international to international flight connecting at Bangkok. We will be flying in from Doha on Qatar Airways with a scheduled arrival of 7pm. The connecting flight to Melbourne will be on Jetstar with a scheduled departure of 9:40pm. The two segments will be on different tickets, so we’ll have to check-in to receive the Jetstar boarding pass. I’m concerned now 2h 40m is cutting it too fine.The trip was booked using points on a multi-city booking.

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Hi Alison, you may or may not be in a spot of bother. Because it’s not the one ticket you do not have a guaranteed connection, which means that if your first Qatar flight is delayed into Bangkok Jetstar would consider you to have no-showed for your next flight – causing you to pay the no-show fee or purchase a brand new ticket if you miss it. Qatar also won’t check your bags through to your final destination if it’s two separate tickets, meaning on arrival in Bangkok you will be expected to claim your bags and transfer them before re-checking them for the next sector on your itinerary.

This may or may not be an issue; if you’re doing carry-on only you will only need to get yourself from your arrival gate to the Jetstar flight via the Jetstar customer service desk to have them print you a new boarding pass, so 2hrs 40 minutes should be ample time. However I’d assume you’re doing checked bags which may leave you stretched for time – you will need to be at check-in and bag drop no less than 1 hour before the flight leaves, so essentially you have 1 hour and 40 minutes from wheels down to taxi to the gate, disembark, get through customs, immigration and to check back in. It’s not impossible, but you’ll have no time to dawdle and if there’s a slight delay on your Qatar flight you may find yourself stuck.

Try pay for an upfront seat to give yourself a good chance of being first off your Qatar flight to hasten your exit if there’s a delay, or try and cram for carry-on only is just about the only things you can do to help :blush:

3 Likes
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I don’t like the sound of this at all. Anywhere else is OK but Bangkok is notorious for times taken to go through immigration. I went through BKK 3 times last 2 years. The first time I was in Business so sailed through easily. But last two times, it took more than 1 hour (1 hr and 30 minutes or thereabout) to go through.

And to get through on the way out is a bit faster but still quite sometimes.

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Thanks for your input Jimmy

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Thanks for your reply z28!