Originally Posted by
Houston Traveler
Unexpected trip coming up. Using freq. flyer miles for all flights.
Going ORD-PEK arriving around 8:30pm. Want to clear immigration and get a hotel for the night.
Want to use 24 Hr TWOV before continuing on to ICN the next day at 8:30am.
Family issues may require me to turn around in PEK and return to ORD from PEK the morning after I arrive in PEK. The continuing flight to ICN would be canceled.
What happens if I must return to ORD without taking the flight to ICN?
Is there a penalty I must pay because I would be returning to the same country I came from without a transit to a third country?
Houston Traveler
Probably a monetary fine and scolding, possibly an escort to a holding room while they sort out your story. And more importantly, the Chinese are likely to look upon this as a willful attempt to circumvent their TWOV rules. You cannot rule out that they will flag your passport in their database, which may affect future trips or TWOV attempts. I do not understand your reasoning about "family issues" subverting your plans to fly out PEK-ICN the next morning. You would just take this flight to remove yourself from China, completing your legal TWOV and then sort out your return/move up your ICN-ORD flight once you get to Korea. I doubt if this is would delay your return by more than a half-day to the USA. If you have to pay for a flight back because there is no award space, so be it.
If your family issues are that potentially serious, cancel the trip before setting out.