Originally Posted by
QueenOfCoach
There is a long thread about a guy who was denied boarding on a Transit Without Visa ticket to China.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...arding-aa.html
Essentially, the passenger was denied boarding due to the AA ticket agent's interpretation of TIMATIC. The passenger incurred a lot of expense, and eventually got through to someone at AA who was able to address his situation properly. If you read the thread, skip to the end and read about the resolution.
My own take-home lesson from this present thread and the TWOV thread is to not take chances. It's not that big a deal to renew a passport (or get a Chinese visa).
I would rather do that than risk missing my trip, incurring other expense and having to deal with fighting for a refund and other compensation.
Murphy knew all about human nature when he wrote his Law.
I disagree. It can be a big and expensive deal to get an unnecessary visa for China. The cost is $160 plus miscellaneous costs for passport photos and getting oneself to and from the Chinese consulate. If you cannot go to the consulate in person, you must find and use a visa service agency. Their fees can be easily be a couple hundred dollars, depending on the agency's reputation and the need for quick processing, plus FedEx fees. Most people would prefer to spend that money for a few extra days overseas or generally on something else.