Singapore Changi Airport-claim luggage for Transit Hotel stay/changing Airlines?

[Banon]

My wife and I are transiting through Singapore next week. We've got a reservation at the Transit hotel, but I'm a little confused on how we need to handle our checked luggage (scuba gear in large dive bags).

Our trick is that we're flying American Airlines on frequent flier points to Singapore, landing at 12:25 AM, then changing to Silk Air for the flight to Manado that leaves at 9:30 AM that same morning. Since American Airlines and Silk Air are not partners, there is not a way to check the luggage and have it handled by the airlines all the way through. We have to claim it in Singapore and re-check it with Silk Air.

I asked the Transit Hotel how we should get the luggage and they recommended that we NOT clear customs when we land at 12:30 in the morning; that we should leave our checked luggage unclaimed until we check out about 7 hours later, then get it from the unclaimed luggage people and go check in with Silk Air. I'm a little uncomfortable with this plan.

My concerns are:
1) If we DON'T claim our luggage when we land, then we may have trouble finding/claiming it the next morning, or
2) If we DO claim it when we land, that the Singapore airport security may be closed at about 1:30 AM so we can't get back into the secure area where the Transit Hotel is.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation at Singapore/Changi Airport?

 

[dive_lover88]

You could go to Welcome to Changi Airport and try contacting them to ask how do you go about with this situation.

I believe they will help you.

 

[fdog]

<snip> Since American Airlines and Silk Air are not partners, there is not a way to check the luggage and have it handled by the airlines all the way through. We have to claim it in Singapore and re-check it with Silk Air.

I'm not sure who told you this, because when you interline luggage (checked through to your destination) they don't need to be codeshare partners.

We interline all the time. Just show your second itinerary to the gate agent as you check in, they'll tag your bags appropriately.

For your case, I am especially certain of this; we transit SIN a couple times a year, and have had zero issues with interlining between SQ (Singapore Air) and NW (Northwest). We've been told the limit is 24 hours.

2) If we DO claim it when we land, that the Singapore airport security may be closed at about 1:30 AM so we can't get back into the secure area where the Transit Hotel is.

This is not a concern - it's a certainty. You will not be able to get back into the sanitized side of the airport until you have a boarding pass and check your bags.

In your shoes, I'd do what we did a couple years ago: interline the luggage, walk off the airplane and into the Transit Hotel, wake up and see a transfer desk to get my next boarding pass.

Since our return layovers are about 20 hours now, we go downtown with our carry-on luggage and leave the checked bags as interlined luggage, and it's never failed to show up in LAX yet.

If you're still really concerned, switch your resos to the Crowne Plaza, pick up your luggage, and check in the next morning. This has the advantage of letting you lay eyes on your dive gear for peace of mind.

Hope this helps.

All the best, James