Originally Posted by
Andrew_G
I agree that Chinese immigration is usually pragmatic. My concern would be that carriers and agents may not be. For example, last December I was going to Chengdu under 72 hours TWOV, but my AMS-CTU flight was cancelled following an engine failure after take-off. KLM automatically re-booked me on CZ to CTU via CAN, but I presumed that CZ would deny my boarding without a visa. Do you think that CZ would have let me travel?
(Luckily I found space on a QR flight to CTU via DOH and KL re-booked me on that. All-round great IRROPS service from KL, incidentally, although I could have done without the excitement of the engine failure).
I suspect you are correct that CZ would have denied you boarding. The pragmatism probably has limits... namely that the passenger circumstances must be involuntary. While the cancellation of the original flight was involuntary in your case, the choice of routing options to recover was within your control. I think you made the right call there.