Travelers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area flying with Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines out of Hong Kong International Airport can now conveniently obtain their boarding passes, complete check-in procedures, and have their luggage tagged at six ferry terminals and two land ports before proceeding to the Hong Kong airport.
Frank Naeve (4th L), senior vice president sales & distribution of the Lufthansa Group, Ricky Chong (4th R), assistant general manager of Hong Kong Airport Authority Air Network Development, and other guests gesture at the inaugural ceremony of the UCI service at Shekou Cruise Homeport in Nanshan District yesterday.
An inaugural ceremony was held at the Shekou Cruise Homeport in Taizi Bay yesterday, attended by Frank Naeve, senior vice president sales & distribution of the Lufthansa Group, alongside officials and representatives from Hong Kong airport and Shekou ferry terminal.
The upstream check-in (UCI) service, provided by the German flagship carrier, offers a seamless one-stop experience at the ferry terminals in Shenzhen's Shekou, Nansha and Pazhou of Guangzhou City, Humen of Dongguan City, Zhongshan City and Macao's Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal, as well as the Macao Port and Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
The service allows travelers to complete all necessary paperwork related to Hong Kong immigration clearances, while checking in and having their luggage tagged at any of the eight UCI points in the GBA, enabling a streamlined, hassle-free journey to the Hong Kong airport for their flights.
Naeve signs on a board at yesterday's UCI launch ceremony in Shekou.
To be eligible for the UCI service, travelers are required to produce valid ferry or bus tickets to the Hong Kong airport, confirmed departure flight tickets for the same day, as well as valid travel documents and visas for their destinations or transit airports. After completing all the required paperwork, travelers will receive their boarding passes, have their check-in baggage processed and obtain tax-refund coupons at the UCI service points. Passengers collect their check-in baggage at the final destinations.
Upon arrival at the SkyPier Terminal of the Hong Kong airport, passengers will undergo security checks and receive their tax refunds before taking the airport transit system to reach the airport terminal for boarding their flights. The UCI service shortens the minimum connection time at the SkyPier to approximately 80 minutes.
Introduced on a trial basis since Sept. 30, the UCI service has been well received by air travelers in the GBA area, especially those around Shenzhen, Su Ling, a staffer at the Shekou port check-in counter, said yesterday.
Naeve said at yesterday's launch ceremony that Lufthansa anticipates to handle 20,000 travelers on a yearly basis in the GBA with the introduction of the UCI service.
Lufthansa now operates daily flights from Hong Kong to Frankfurt, Germany, and Zurich, Switzerland.
