Originally Posted by
moondog
Insofar as PRC TWOV is concerned, passengers are only eligible if they are in TRANSIT from one country to another.
The reason I call "deplorable" is because anyone who takes your advice is likely to be denied boarding or turned back if they happen to make it to China. (If I worked for an airline, I'd bounce anyone who tried to board a straight up RT sans visa in a heartbeat.)
I have been on top of these TWOV threads on FT ever since the program was kicked off, and have become intimately familiar with the rules in the process... and, read many sob stories in the process.
Reading is one thing, doing is another.
While I respect everyone's opinion, FT is littered with many (too many) I heard, I read, my secret brother-in-law knows a guy...
Not sure why you would "bounce" someone who is not doing anything wrong. Would you bounce someone who was going to Germany without a visa? (It is not needed there.) How about Russia? They are very strict there on visa's there - more so than China, but, MR turns in DME are done all the time there without a visa. Why? Because it is allowed.
The visa is simply not needed, as long as you leave China within 24 hours. Period. No exceptions.
The vast majority of airline agents know the visa rules. The few that don't are always enlightened by a supervisor. (Especially when you treat them with respect.) Never a problem.
As for entry into China, a boarding pass within 24 hours and a valid passport have always been the only things needed. Never in dozens and dozens of trips has a Chinese immigration official ever asked to see the boarding pass of my inbound flight. It is irrelevant. All they want to know is how long you will stay.
But again, anyone who is worried should get a visa. Just as anyone worried about security lines should get to the airport super early. Not needed, but if it makes you feel better, do it.