China provides TWOV for many passengers. What passport was in use in this case? Something doesn't sound right about the details here.
Originally Posted by
Baze
Never rely on the airline websites for VISA information. ALWAYS go to the state department website or the equivalent for the country visiting/transiting. If you had done just a tiny bit of research before leaving you would have known you needed a transit VISA. Sorry, lack of preparation is not the airlines or the airports or cities fault.
And never rely on a random post on FT, either.
TIMATIC is a very reliable source; it also happens to be the one the airlines use. That's where I'd start. And it clearly notes the TWOV options for passengers at PVG.
If the immigration authorities don't honor the details in TIMATIC it isn't clear to me how the airline is supposed to know that will happen or be responsible for it.
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps...t/default.aspx
The full details from TIMATIC for the OP's itinerary - assuming US passport - are here:
Code:
/ 02JUL12 / 1657 UTC
National USA (US) /Embarkation USA (US)
Transit China (People's Rep.) (CN)
Transit Singapore (SG) /Destination Indonesia (ID)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW
China (People's Rep.) (CN)
TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Holders of confirmed onward tickets
for a max. transit For details, click here time of 24 hours. Transit
incl. two stops, with a total transit time of 24 hours, within
China (People's Rep.) is permitted.
Visa required, except for Nationals of USA holding confirmed
onward tickets for a max. transit For details, click here time of 48
hours, provided arriving at and departing from Shanghai
Hongqiao (SHA) or Pu Dong (PVG) airports.
- All transiting passengers are subject to passport control.
Passengers in transit are required to hold passports or
passport replacing documents that are accepted for entry
into China (People's Rep.). For more details on document
requirements, please enter China (People's Rep.) as a
destination.
- Leaving the airport transit area is allowed.
China (People's Rep.) (CN)
YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION NOT REQUIRED.
Singapore (SG)
VISA NOT REQUIRED.
Additional Information:
- Hotel accommodation is available within the transit area of
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
- There are no international airside transfer facilities
available between Singapore Changi (SIN) Terminals 1, 2 and
3 and the Budget Terminal. For details, click here
Singapore (SG)
Vaccination against Yellow Fever required if arriving within 6
days after leaving or transiting countries with risk of yellow
fever transmission For details, click here.
Exempt from Yellow Fever vaccination:
- Children under 1 year of age.
- Transit passengers not leaving the airport.
- Those not leaving the airport in the countries concerned.
Warning:
- Persons without valid yellow fever certification, if
required, will be subject to a risk assessment upon arrival.
If entry is denied, travellers will be denied, up to the
discretion of the authorities. A yellow fever certification
is only considered valid from 10 days after the date of
vaccination.
Indonesia (ID)
Passport required.
- Passport and/or passport replacing documents must be valid
at least 6 months after the date of entry.
Passport Exemptions:
- Holders of Emergency and Temporary passports.
Visa Issuance:
Visa required, except for Nationals of USA can obtain a visa
on arrival for a max. stay of 30 days,(SEE NOTE 43284) (SEE
NOTE 46597) provided:For details, click here
NOTE 43284: Applicable at Balikpapan (BPN), Banda Aceh
(BTJ), Bandung (BDO), Batam (BTH), Denpasar Bali (DPS),
Jakarta (Halim Perdana Kusuma (HLP) and Soekarno-Hatta
(CGK)), Kupang (KOE), Lombok (LOP), Medan (MES), Ujung
Pandang (UPG), Manado (MDC), Padang (PDG), Palembang (PLM),
Pekan Baru (PKU), Pontianak (PNK), Semarang (SRG),
Surabaya (SUB), Solo City (SOC), Ujung Pandang (UPG) and
Yogyakarta (JOG) airports.
NOTE 46597: Not available to holders of Emergency or
Temporary passports.
Minors:
- All children, even when included in their parent's
passports, For details, click here
Additional Information:
- Passengers exceeding their permitted stay will be fined
(Note: The day of arrival in Indonesia is counted as the
first day of stay).
- Visitors intending to travel to the Indonesian province of
Irian Jaya must obtain a permit ("Surat Jalan") from the
"Dinas Intel Pam Pol MABAK" in Jakarta or other regional
police headquarters.
- Extensions of stay are possible depending on the type of
visa.
Warning:
- Visas must be used within 90 days after date of issuance.
Indonesia (ID)
Vaccination against yellow fever, if arriving within 6 days
after leaving or transiting countries with risk of yellow
fever transmission For details, click here.
Exempt from Yellow Fever vaccination:
- Children under 9 months of age.
- Transit passengers not leaving the airport.
- Those not leaving the airport in the countries with risk of
yellow fever transmission.
Recommended:
- Malaria prophylaxis. Malaria risk exists throughout the year
in all areas of the five eastern provinces of East Nusa
Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua and West Papua. In
other parts of the country, there is malaria risk in some
districts, except in Jakarta Municipality, in big cities and
within the areas of the main tourist resorts. P. falciparum
resistant to chloroquine and resistant to
sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported. P. vivax resistant to
chloroquine reported. Human P. knowlesi infection reported
in the province of Kalimantan.
Recommended prevention in risk areas: IV.
CHECK TINEWS/N1 - EUROPEAN UNION: NAMED CHILDREN IN
PARENTS' PASSPORT OR TRAVEL DOCUMENT
Timaticweb Version 1.3
02 July 2012