Hong Kong Airport occupied by protesters

[Rockheart]

The Hong Kong airport has always been my favorite flying from Canada. It's a good airport and layovers are easy and comfortable.
It wasn't the same as other Chinese airports and never had issues.
Now i see the protests in Hong Kong have moved to the airport. I know it is only the outside terminal but still seems to be a drag for travel.

The other options for transit to Bangkok are Japan, Korea and China including Taiwan.
Japan and Korea are ok airports but I was not happy in my last trip through Shanghai.
The USA is an option too but it feels like I am not progressing to my destination by going south first.
Tokyo and Seoul are still 6 hours to BKK while Hong Kong is only 2 hours to Krung Thep.
Hong Kong was also a great place to drop off for an over night or a daytime layover, i just hope it doesn't become like other Chinese airports.

[outlander5]

Yeah can't leave airport in shanghai without a prior vista I've seen some pretty pissed off people there!

[Rockheart]

Actually if you get a transit visa you can spend 24 hours in Shanghai. I came back through there in 2017 at they gave me a transit visa.
What i didn't like was you cannot get your bags checked through, so you have get you bags go through customs then check your bags in again.
If you go through regular immigration you cannot leave the airport but if you go down to the end and get a transit visa you can go out.
So if you do want to run into the city there is no where to put your bags in Shanghai.

Hong Kong you can check you bags through and not have to transfer them when you get there.
Then you can just stay in the transit concourse and not have to deal with immigration.
However if you want to go into Hong Kong you don't need a visa and you don't have your bags with you.
The train is very quick into town from the airport.

Hong Kong has been very consistent other parts of China aren't the same, nor as comfortable.
The Thai airways lounge in Hong Kong is one of my favourites.

Shanghai transit visa
visa1.jpg

[George Pill]

Same thing happened at Suvarnabhumi Airport several times. It is a disastrous experience for travelers. Funny, the best times to travel to Thailand would be after these shutdowns. Less tourists and crowds. More ladyboys hurting and cheaper prices on everything. Best times to shop for reduced prices in luxury hotels.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=protestors+at+suvarnbhumi+airport&form=EDGEAR&qs=PF&cvid=e21303475a6a4415b22ad2cd70c99fb9&cc=US&setlang=en-US&elv=AY3%21uAY7tbNNZGZ2yiGNjfPHmR%21uVWK7tB2fK0XWeqGcctWsnnfmfGBs7UIMlmcEsEuErJpqiiZnJ%21Xtt8lCQi2PmWyYHGZ7J3bwmO*mfmyW&plvar=0&PC=ASTS

[George Pill]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/12/asia/...hnk/index.html

Now what's the Peking leadership going to do to save face? What happens to all those travelers stuck with no news when they'll get out. Is anybody feeding them, restocking toilet paper, passing out folding mattresses and blankets, bathing them and washing their clothes? Probably will hate HK forever and never even stop over that schmucking stinking crazy place. Wonder if the hotels are still available and accessible. Lots and lots of ruined business trips, weddings, expensive tour packages already planned and paid for months in advance, honeymoons, and so on. Peking already has enough trouble with the Trade Tariff War with the USA that is affecting Thailand with shrinking tourism and international trade. Think what will happen if there is a vicious crackdown.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/...cracy-protest/

[Rockheart]

This is China so everyone knows the airport will be cleared out within a couple days.
In Thailand there is so many things to take into account and most of the time they wouldn't storm the airport there, unless the political balance was just right.

As far as people stuck there, that is what travel insurance is for. In some cases the airlines may help.
No one is being forced to sleep in the airport. I'm sure the usually over priced hotels in Hong Kong are cheaper than usual due to the protests.
However there is lots of super cheap accommodations that cater to Chinese patrons who don't mind sleeping in a closet sized room.
Plus Chinese don't mind sleeping many to a room if necessary, even if they don't know each other.
North American travelers may have more issues.

This unrest could go on for quite some time so Travel through Hong Kong probably not recommended in the near future.
Travel insurance is available on many credit cards if you buy your ticket on it.

[George Pill]

Hope everybody got high credit limits on their credit cards. The airport occupation resumed today this time with the riot police fighting to remove them. Thanks to their advantage in numbers this protest got feet for long distance running. How's the Chinese doing in Vancouver? Saw lots of them living there after many moved in when HK reverted back to China from England. Everybody wears black clothes and the huge dim sum restaurant was always full. Are they protesting, too? Not at all in Honolulu.

[Rockheart]

Nobody is stuck there for very long. The Chinese will clear up the airport fairly quickly, the airport won't be closed for long.
The occupation didn't resume, it just continued today. They are starting by clearing the front of the airport so people can board buses and such.

The Chinese in Canada never protest China or almost anything. I've only ever seen Chinese protesting Canadian policy.
Even Tienanmen square was more of a general protest not Chinese specifically, if you are from China you probably won't protest.
Many Chinese living in the USA and Canada are generally still loyal to China. If you noticed, Chinese never have integrated like other cultural groups.
We have allowed them to set up a version of their own country inside most of our cities. Some people are more like advance teams sent to spy and prepare for Chinese domination. Canada is full of Chinese shell companies that seem to perform little service.
This influences our elections and policy. China is slowly taking over but so slowly we aren't really seeing it, Trump sees it too.
This new politically correct atmosphere where all "minorities" must be respected above all plays right into China's hand, and i am sure they are partly behind all the outrage you see on Twitter etc.
The Chinese are no minority by any means, however they are able to take advantage of being a minority in our countries.
I'm not clear why we would give people minority status when they have billions of residents that are flooding our countries, like China and India.
Still I am not blaming all Chinese immigrants or descendants, it is just interesting how we allow Chinese loyalists to operate in our societies.
Meanwhile we are all worried about other stuff....

People in Hong Kong are different. They were never actually Chinese or Communist previously, so they are not loyal to China at all and only share culture.
Almost none of them want to be Chinese Communists and they have never experienced it in their life times.
Still they will be crushed. The Hong Kong airport makes them way too much money to be shut down like this.
It's not like they haven't been warning it is coming.

[George Pill]

I'd love to be a fly on Xi Jinping's forehead. Wonder what he's planning to do next. The fate and survival of China, Inc., and Communism now rests in his hands. Think he can try to get away with murder just like he did in Tiananmen Square? Hong Kong has the most expensive real estate in the world and home to the biggest billionaires, too. Also the most concentrated population squeezed into a tiny piece of land. It's the crown jewel of the nation with the largest population in the world. It is the economic capital of China. Ignore Trump's fake BS about troops being massed at the border. He's a stupid blowhard who makes no sense about anything. Bet you he's going to take credit if China fails and the USA reaps billions in bank transfers and mass immigrations of rich smart Chinese into our country. If XP sends in armed troops and start shooting i think things will get worse and the whole nation will rise up in arms and retaliate. If the protestors win DEMOCRACY and civil rights will result. The Communist Party will finally fail forever. So who will win? How would you manage this serious crisis? Keep watching. The most important event of the 21st Century is about to happen. The whole world is going to be affected.

[George Pill]

Found this article in my home newspaper. Describes the Hong Kong protests in a nutshell. A good read.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/protests-put-hong-kong-on-collision-course-with-china-s-communist-party/ar-AAFIaxx?li=BBnb7Kz

[George Pill]

https://www.pattayaone.news/thai-tou...rport-closure/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/h...rport-n1042131

[Rockheart]

I think Thailand is making up a panic.
Just because 30,000 passengers didn't come yesterday or today doesn't mean they are not coming at all.
Airlines will reroute and reschedule, i'm not clear why they think travellers will cancel?
Tourists won't all cancel unless there is no hope.

I've had my flights from Canada delayed by snow storms, but I still get to Bangkok just maybe a day or two late.

The airport is already seemingly back to normal already.

[rxpharm]

I think they are projecting loss of tourism numbers to cover themselves as there have been declining numbers of tourists overall this year. I have to agree, I prefer to transit through HK airport when flying to and from Canada to LOS. I would suggest you try the Singapore Airlines lounge for a change of pace as it is very nice as well if you have time on your next trip.

If the protestors continue to disrupt the airport it is pretty clear that the Chinese military will be requested to help restore order. It will take them close to a week to clear up the delayed/stranded passengers from these last few days, and if more disruptions occur even longer.

[Rockheart]

I think Air Canada would already have rerouted everyone through China, Korea or Japan anyway.
Most of those flights to Bangkok are never completely full. Seoul seems like there is a flight to Bangkok every 30 minutes if not more.

I can't afford to use the lounges anymore. I guess i could try other Star Alliance lounges there if I get the chance again.
Just have a routine with the Thai airways lounge.

Unfortunately since you now need 50000 flight miles plus minimum dollars spent to get Star Alliance Gold and full elite status.
When it was only 35000 for Gold it was perfect. 2 trips to Thailand every year would do it. Now you need 3 trips which is just too much.
Also up until this year business class on Air Canada was still affordable, but now the prices have gone up significantly.
Most business class return from Bangkok is now $7000 Canadian. If you fly through Hong Kong it is only economy to Bangkok but you still pay the same price.
If you fly through anywhere but Hong Kong you will usually get Business class all the way to Bangkok but have a longer flight to BKK from your layover.

Upgrades used to be easier too but now it is very hard to upgrade. I think this is because they are now trying to sell upgrades to everyone when the check in online or at a machine.
Last time it was about $1200 to upgrade from premium economy to business when i checked in at the machine. That seems like too much.
Premium economy is now $3500 which is what business class used to be....
Also there seems to be less competition on the routes from Canada to Asia than there used to be, which might explain the price hikes.
Seems to be Chinese airlines or Air Canada.

However i do miss the lounges. One year i bought a Maple Leaf club membership which gives access to all the lounges Air Canada has rights to in the world. It is $665 which, I suppose, is far cheaper than business class but not very good if you only travel once or twice. It did allow me to bring a guest too. I paid $300 because i had 25k on Air Canada.

https://www.mapleleafclub.ca/en/service/memberships/

My Aeroplan Visa only gets me into domestic lounges a couple times and I think the American Express is only domestic too.
I would say the Air Canada lounges were starting to get too full so they are probably raising prices and limits to combat that.

[George Pill]

You guys should make your reservations through Orbitz.com or Expedia.com. Just click the "my dates are flexible" and out pops all kinds of flight schedules. I just look for the shortest layover times that will get me to BKK in 18 hours from HNL. Try departures from SFO or LAX to BKK. You'd be surprised how the fares are the same originating from HNL. All of those flights take you to the same layovers in the same number of hours. I think they fly twice as fast from the west coast. Makes me mad. Used to be a Manila layover from PAL and at 70 POUND limit for each of two check-ins. Then came the incidents where they authorities were finding gun cartridges in the check-ins or carry-ons. Obviously those schmucks are still abhorently corrupt fools. Then the cartridge reports stopped and PAL stopped taking in layover flights from HNL. After that I flew on China Eastern Air and layover in Shanghai. The food on that airlines is pure SHEET. The sauces they put on the rice is nothing but sugar and water with a brown coloring. It will kill diabetics. Now I fly on China Airlines and am happy its not Communistic. Much better food, on time, and short one-hour layovers. Love their speedy shuttles between gates because the distances are huge. Super big airport. Great for jogging between flights if you like.

You guys from Canada might consider flying to the USA west coast then on to BKK. Pretty soon Beijing, Schenzen, and other commie cities might start confiscating your cell phones like they started today. All Chinese leaving HK and going into China are now subject to search and seizures of their cell phones. They want to peek into their social media. Mudderfuggers! Next it may be tourists who look like Asians and then you Canadians. Mo beddah just stay away from all things Chinese, pop some popcorn, and see if they will survive until Christmas.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/16/asia/hong-kong-deny-march-intl-hnk/index.html

Why bother to apply for a permit? Just do it.

https://news.yahoo.com/china-denies-us-warship-visits-hong-kong-navy-232811140.html

Reminds me of a joke the Chinese made of past HK port denials to the US Navy. "After 2 months everybody got AIDS."
Just sail away down south and around the tip of VietNam. There will be a place call LOS and Pattaya Beach. Drop your money over there and laugh at the Chinese schmucks. No reason they cannot visit Olongapo and the two capitals of Vietnam on their way back.