Boarding strategies
I can chip in another couple of travel hacks I have found.
On EVA flights, the line to the transfer security checkpoint can be quite long. However, the EVA transfer desk is located right near the front of the line. If you walk up, and ask them any question about an upgrade, mileage, whatever...when you are done, they will direct you right to the front of the line to go into security.
In Suvarnabumi in BKK, it has long been a trick to go up and grab a taxi from the arrivals on the top floor instead of departures. This saves a bit of money, as there is no airport surcharge or fixed fares....and also saves you waiting in a line. They have recently put up one way turnstiles to prevent access to the street where the taxis are. However, if you go out of door 6...which is right in the middle of the ticketing hall, you can turn that turnstile a half turn....and easily squeeze through the gap with your luggage. You will then see a half a dozen taxis eager for your business. If I am going into BKK, I just make them use the meter. If I am going to Pattaya, I just offer a thousand baht and I pay tolls...and off we go.
I used to take a lot of red eye flights to Asia out of San Francisco. I found a way to not go through the body scanners and greatly speed up going through the TSA checkpoint. I would simply wait until 10 minutes after midnight when the checkpoint closes. I would then walk up and bang on the glass for them to open the door. They would open it, turn on the bag X-ray and let me walk through the metal detector...as fast as they could get me through.
And lastly, I think that right now Metro edges out FCC as the best place to plug in your laptop and have a pre flight drink at Pochentong before boarding your flight.
On EVA flights, the line to the transfer security checkpoint can be quite long. However, the EVA transfer desk is located right near the front of the line. If you walk up, and ask them any question about an upgrade, mileage, whatever...when you are done, they will direct you right to the front of the line to go into security.
In Suvarnabumi in BKK, it has long been a trick to go up and grab a taxi from the arrivals on the top floor instead of departures. This saves a bit of money, as there is no airport surcharge or fixed fares....and also saves you waiting in a line. They have recently put up one way turnstiles to prevent access to the street where the taxis are. However, if you go out of door 6...which is right in the middle of the ticketing hall, you can turn that turnstile a half turn....and easily squeeze through the gap with your luggage. You will then see a half a dozen taxis eager for your business. If I am going into BKK, I just make them use the meter. If I am going to Pattaya, I just offer a thousand baht and I pay tolls...and off we go.
I used to take a lot of red eye flights to Asia out of San Francisco. I found a way to not go through the body scanners and greatly speed up going through the TSA checkpoint. I would simply wait until 10 minutes after midnight when the checkpoint closes. I would then walk up and bang on the glass for them to open the door. They would open it, turn on the bag X-ray and let me walk through the metal detector...as fast as they could get me through.
And lastly, I think that right now Metro edges out FCC as the best place to plug in your laptop and have a pre flight drink at Pochentong before boarding your flight.
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- Making Khmer girls cry since 2003
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The new priority pass lounge at the airport is amazing. It's big, it's never crowded, very comfortable.ricecakes wrote:Agree with the metro tip. It's my go to.
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At PNH? Which one is the Priority Pass -- the same as Thai/Star Alliance? I didn't think Priority Pass had a partner lounge here, that's great news.gavinmac wrote:The new priority pass lounge at the airport is amazing. It's big, it's never crowded, very comfortable.ricecakes wrote:Agree with the metro tip. It's my go to.
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This lounge. This is a new development within the last two years or so:
https://www.prioritypass.com/en/Lounges ... -Penh-Intl
https://www.prioritypass.com/en/Lounges ... -Penh-Intl
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Yea, that's the one. I can't believe I didn't know that. No more suffering the shitty Bangkok Airways lounge for those flights. Priority Pass has really upped their game in the past year or two.gavinmac wrote:This lounge. This is a new development within the last two years or so:
https://www.prioritypass.com/en/Lounges ... -Penh-Intl
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All the airlines alliance status card and priority pass holders etc use that contract lounge as it's the only one beside the Bangkok Air's own at PP. Pretty decent and what I liked it most that it's not crowded.Miguelito wrote:At PNH? Which one is the Priority Pass -- the same as Thai/Star Alliance? I didn't think Priority Pass had a partner lounge here, that's great news.gavinmac wrote:The new priority pass lounge at the airport is amazing. It's big, it's never crowded, very comfortable.ricecakes wrote:Agree with the metro tip. It's my go to.
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Wow, that is good to know. I have been thinking of getting a new credit card that has a high yearly rate....but comes with a Priority Pass among other things. I think that just sealed the deal.
LoneStar wrote:Wow, that is good to know. I have been thinking of getting a new credit card that has a high yearly rate....but comes with a Priority Pass among other things. I think that just sealed the deal.
Which bank issues this credit card ?
I refuse to go out with nothing more than a whimper followed by a small farting sound and a shit stain on my bed sheets..
Just thought I'd share that with you.
Just thought I'd share that with you.
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At least American Express Gold and Platinimum cards usually have in most countries.scoffer wrote:LoneStar wrote:Wow, that is good to know. I have been thinking of getting a new credit card that has a high yearly rate....but comes with a Priority Pass among other things. I think that just sealed the deal.
Which bank issues this credit card ?
Chase Saphire Reserve. It has a hefty 450.00 yearly fee, but you get 3x points on travel expenses that can be converted one for one with Korean Air. You also get a 300.00 Priority Pass per year, 300.00 of travel credits, a 100.00 Global Entry expense to pay for a U.S. program to expedite you through customs....and a few other bells and whistles.
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And a 50,000 point sign up bonus!LoneStar wrote:Chase Saphire Reserve. It has a hefty 450.00 yearly fee, but you get 3x points on travel expenses that can be converted one for one with Korean Air. You also get a 300.00 Priority Pass per year, 300.00 of travel credits, a 100.00 Global Entry expense to pay for a U.S. program to expedite you through customs....and a few other bells and whistles.
I just made a trip from PP to Seattle on Korean Air and thought I would add a couple of tips to this thread.
I often stay at the in terminal hotel at the Incheon airport. I checked in this time...only to find the internet barely functional. I was staying for 9 hours....and all I was looking for was a bed, tv, shower....and most of all time killing internet. I got a refund, checked out, and went to their second location at gate 43. I checked in there and the internet was working well. Also, they have a lounge there stocked with food and drink. It does not come with the the price of the room....but I have never been stopped on multiple visits. I am not sure if they really even care much to enforce it. At near a hundred bucks for 9 hours.....I don't feel guilty about swiping a few finger sandwiches and beers during my stay.
My second tip is that as I arrived at Sea Tac airport.....the immigration line was incredibly long. There was at least an hour wait just to get to the escalator that takes you down to where the line normally begins. I have a pending Global entry application ( an American program to expedite you through immigration)....so I told someone I was Global Entry, and was immediately escorted past the line and downstairs to immigration. I could have simply taken a place in line already would have saved an hour wait....but I went to the Global Entry and asked about my application. Turns out it is still pending. Then, I asked the officer if he could go ahead and let me get through without getting in that long line.......I was downstairs in less than a minute. This would work a hundred percent of the time....to at least get you downstairs and avoid that first hour wait. You could always go to the global entry kiosk, scan your passport, look confused....and take your place at the back of the regular line.
That was my best effort at avoiding a long immigration line..........since I paid a guy in Mexico 7 bucks to wheel me past one in a wheelchair.
I often stay at the in terminal hotel at the Incheon airport. I checked in this time...only to find the internet barely functional. I was staying for 9 hours....and all I was looking for was a bed, tv, shower....and most of all time killing internet. I got a refund, checked out, and went to their second location at gate 43. I checked in there and the internet was working well. Also, they have a lounge there stocked with food and drink. It does not come with the the price of the room....but I have never been stopped on multiple visits. I am not sure if they really even care much to enforce it. At near a hundred bucks for 9 hours.....I don't feel guilty about swiping a few finger sandwiches and beers during my stay.
My second tip is that as I arrived at Sea Tac airport.....the immigration line was incredibly long. There was at least an hour wait just to get to the escalator that takes you down to where the line normally begins. I have a pending Global entry application ( an American program to expedite you through immigration)....so I told someone I was Global Entry, and was immediately escorted past the line and downstairs to immigration. I could have simply taken a place in line already would have saved an hour wait....but I went to the Global Entry and asked about my application. Turns out it is still pending. Then, I asked the officer if he could go ahead and let me get through without getting in that long line.......I was downstairs in less than a minute. This would work a hundred percent of the time....to at least get you downstairs and avoid that first hour wait. You could always go to the global entry kiosk, scan your passport, look confused....and take your place at the back of the regular line.
That was my best effort at avoiding a long immigration line..........since I paid a guy in Mexico 7 bucks to wheel me past one in a wheelchair.
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And while your global entry is pending, you should cough up the extra $70 for your APEC card (you can complete the interview at the same time). It is worth its weight in gold to skip the immigration queues in twenty countries. Also, once you get your global entry, you'll be able to use it in a number of other countries, including South Korea (see below).LoneStar wrote:I just made a trip from PP to Seattle on Korean Air and thought I would add a couple of tips to this thread.
I often stay at the in terminal hotel at the Incheon airport. I checked in this time...only to find the internet barely functional. I was staying for 9 hours....and all I was looking for was a bed, tv, shower....and most of all time killing internet. I got a refund, checked out, and went to their second location at gate 43. I checked in there and the internet was working well. Also, they have a lounge there stocked with food and drink. It does not come with the the price of the room....but I have never been stopped on multiple visits. I am not sure if they really even care much to enforce it. At near a hundred bucks for 9 hours.....I don't feel guilty about swiping a few finger sandwiches and beers during my stay.
My second tip is that as I arrived at Sea Tac airport.....the immigration line was incredibly long. There was at least an hour wait just to get to the escalator that takes you down to where the line normally begins. I have a pending Global entry application ( an American program to expedite you through immigration)....so I told someone I was Global Entry, and was immediately escorted past the line and downstairs to immigration. I could have simply taken a place in line already would have saved an hour wait....but I went to the Global Entry and asked about my application. Turns out it is still pending. Then, I asked the officer if he could go ahead and let me get through without getting in that long line.......I was downstairs in less than a minute. This would work a hundred percent of the time....to at least get you downstairs and avoid that first hour wait. You could always go to the global entry kiosk, scan your passport, look confused....and take your place at the back of the regular line.
That was my best effort at avoiding a long immigration line..........since I paid a guy in Mexico 7 bucks to wheel me past one in a wheelchair.
A little known fact, you don't have to be American to get Global Entry. U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents and citizens of the following countries are eligible for Global Entry membership:
Citizens of India.
Citizens of Colombia.
Citizens of United Kingdom.
Citizens of Germany.
Citizens of Panama.
Citizens of Singapore.
Citizens of South Korea.
Citizens of Switzerland.
(Citizens of Canada through NEXUS)
If you have Global Entry, CBP has entered into arrangements with partner countries to facilitate travel:
Argentina
Australia
Canada
Colombia
Germany
India
Mexico
New Zealand
Panama
Republic of Korea
Singapore
Switzerland
United Kingdom
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