I am mulling a trip to Penang. Sky Scanner came up with:

Air Asia PNH - KL and;

Batik Air Kl - PEN.

The return is that same; Batik and then Air Asia.

The website says self-transfer, but if I have hand luggage only AND I check in online and have a boarding card, then I can stay airside. If I have checked luggage then I am stuck with with immigration, getting luggage, customs, baggage drop and security again.

Am I missing anything? Is there any reason I will not be able to stay airside as long as I have checked in online and have a digital or printed boarding pass for my onward journey. The flight times are perfect and the layover times are great if I stay airside, but are very tight if I have to carousel out and back through.

People have mentioned that KL has problems with transits.

Any thoughts and advice about this plan and dealing with KL transits?

Is this booking on one through ticket or are there two separate tickets? And what does it say when you click on "risks of this travel hack"?

Bluenose wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:45 am Is this booking on one through ticket or are there two separate tickets? And what does it say when you click on "risks of this travel hack"?

It's offered through Kiwi and MyTrip.

MyTrip explain that while I see a flight itinerary, the individual airlines - who are not connected and do not talk to each other - only see one flight, namely the one you are booked with them. This does not matter if you have hand luggage, but it does matter if you want your luggage booked through to your final destination. As we can now check in online, this also removes the need of going to a check in desk.

My problem seems to be at what point I clear immigration, and it seems that must be at KL. As the flights may be from a different terminal, this seals the deal - it's immigration at KL and then back through the sausage factory!

And at 01:40 and 01:30 layover time, this is going to be tight.

Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 1:20 pm

Bluenose wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:45 am Is this booking on one through ticket or are there two separate tickets? And what does it say when you click on "risks of this travel hack"?

It's offered through Kiwi and MyTrip.

MyTrip explain that while I see a flight itinerary, the individual airlines - who are not connected and do not talk to each other - only see one flight, namely the one you are booked with them. This does not matter if you have hand luggage, but it does matter if you want your luggage booked through to your final destination. As we can now check in online, this also removes the need of going to a check in desk.

My problem seems to be at what point I clear immigration, and it seems that must be at KL. As the flights may be from a different terminal, this seals the deal - it's immigration at KL and then back through the sausage factory!

And at 01:40 and 01:30 layover time, this is going to be tight.

So two separate airline tickets? I wouldn't want to do that with those layovers, especially at KLIA. Some of the gates at KLIA2 are a long way from where you get the transfer bus or train.

I’d be contacting both airlines directly, especially in view of the short transit time.
I’ve done similar going to the US, previously, with two different airlines, UK-New York with continental, and then New York to Seattle with Delta, and wholeheartedly say that I will never do that again with anything less than a 3hour stopover, if I have to recheck baggage. It’s not just immigration, there’s the customs part, too.

That said, I’ve just travelled to London with Emirates, who now also use Malaysian and KL, in addition to Bangkok Airways/BKK and Jetstar/SIN, to handle the Phnom Penh portion of the route.

It worked quite well; however-
There was no option for online check-in. 2 different airlines, so a Desk check in at PNH, and a transfer desk check-in in KL, which doesn’t open until three hours prior to departure of the next flight, which works wonders* with a 5 hour stopover.
Bags were checked all the way through, though.

Having done the route with Jetstar, I can say that they are the fourth choice in a three horse race.


Tiniest sip of sarcasm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 1:20 pm

Bluenose wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:45 am Is this booking on one through ticket or are there two separate tickets? And what does it say when you click on "risks of this travel hack"?

It's offered through Kiwi and MyTrip.

MyTrip explain that while I see a flight itinerary, the individual airlines - who are not connected and do not talk to each other - only see one flight, namely the one you are booked with them. This does not matter if you have hand luggage, but it does matter if you want your luggage booked through to your final destination. As we can now check in online, this also removes the need of going to a check in desk.

My problem seems to be at what point I clear immigration, and it seems that must be at KL. As the flights may be from a different terminal, this seals the deal - it's immigration at KL and then back through the sausage factory!

And at 01:40 and 01:30 layover time, this is going to be tight.

You would have to clear immigration in KL even if the flights used the same terminal, KL-Penang is a domestic flight.