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Help! Booked an accidental 23hr layover in Guangzhou

Help! Booked an accidental 23hr layover in Guangzhou

Old Sep 3, 2016, 4:08 pm
  #76  
 
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Originally Posted by philly20152016
I'm flying HAN-CAN-YVR with only 2h40m for transit in CAN. I believe that I will need to get a boarding pass at CAN, but I'm not sure whether I will have to pick up my baggage at CAN or not.

My recent experience with a similar trip via Shanghai (HAN-PVG-YVR) was not fun at all. At PVG, I had to get a temporary visa, get my baggage, change terminals by bus, and check in again. The whole process took >3 hours.

Do you think that 2h40m for a transit in CAN is going to be enough for my case? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Assuming this is all on one ticket and I assume all on China Southern, you shouldn't have to deal with luggage. CAN is like PEK (but not PVG) and generally autoroutes baggage for intl-to-intl transfer passengers so you don't have to go through full Immigration, Bag Claim/Customs, etc. You should just be able to go through "International Transfer/Transit" Immigration desk. I'd be surprised if you didn't get your onward Boarding Pass in Hanoi, but if not, there should be an airline transfer desk somewhere between deplaning and the the Immigration transit/transfer check desk, where you can get it.

As always, try to doublecheck with the airline beforehand but at least at check-in, so you can see if your bags are tagged to YVR (or not) and you know where you stand with your boarding pass. Worst case, 2:40 is enough time to accomplish a full manual transit, bag reclaim and recheck, particularly if the plane is on time into CAN. If you feel time is short and you need to get things speeded up, don't stand around in endless queues--speak up, get attention, move to the front, enlist a CZ staffer to help you get dealt with on a priority basis.
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Old Sep 4, 2016, 3:20 am
  #77  
 
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Also check on the China Southern Airlines, they are offering Hotel accomodation for passengers on long layover, but they may only apply if there is no earlier flight available.

They also offer free lounge access, it's all pretty clearly written there.

Finally, if there is an earlier flight, why not ask them what a rebooking would cost?
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Old Sep 4, 2016, 8:53 am
  #78  
 
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Originally Posted by Reifel
Also check on the China Southern Airlines, they are offering Hotel accomodation for passengers on long layover, but they may only apply if there is no earlier flight available.

They also offer free lounge access, it's all pretty clearly written there.

Finally, if there is an earlier flight, why not ask them what a rebooking would cost?
Not sure who you are answering, but if it is the latest poster @philly, I don't think your suggestions apply. Philly's layover is 2 hours and 40 minutes, and the question pertains to this possibly being too short, not too long. The next earlier poster, posted 6 months ago, has presumably resolved her issue.
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Old Sep 4, 2016, 1:07 pm
  #79  
 
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Originally Posted by jiejie
Not sure who you are answering, but if it is the latest poster @philly, I don't think your suggestions apply. Philly's layover is 2 hours and 40 minutes, and the question pertains to this possibly being too short, not too long. The next earlier poster, posted 6 months ago, has presumably resolved her issue.
Thanks, didn't saw this indeed. Didn't expected someone to write on a 6 month old thread
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Old Sep 5, 2016, 2:22 pm
  #80  
 
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Originally Posted by Reifel
Thanks, didn't saw this indeed. Didn't expected someone to write on a 6 month old thread
We have older threads than this arise from the dead!
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Old Sep 5, 2016, 4:29 pm
  #81  
 
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Thanks jiejie and everyone else for your comments.

I contacted China Southern office in Hanoi (via facebook), and they assured me that my luggage will be routed to YVR. I must say that I'm really impressed with their customer service team on Facebook: all questions are answered within minutes during their office hours.
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Old May 26, 2017, 6:32 pm
  #82  
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overnight at CAN?

I am considering an itinerary that has me spending approx. 2300-1000(+1) in Guangzhou. I would prefer to stay awake during that time, so as to adjust to my onward time zone.

Is there anything worthwhile in Guangzhou at those hours? Or would I be better served piling up some work and staying in CAN? I've never been to Guangzhou, and I believe I'm arriving too late to use the ditie /地鐵 to go from airport to city.
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Old May 26, 2017, 7:31 pm
  #83  
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The airport bus to Guangzhou Station will be running; it runs till the last arrival.

That said, Guangzhou Station is not a great area. At night or during the day. There's a 24-hour street with small restaurants and such about a 15-minute walk away, but I wouldn't send you there unless you're desperate to escape the airport.

You might look on the booking sites for a place near the airport to stay for a few hours. I recall there are a few.
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Old May 26, 2017, 7:43 pm
  #84  
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Originally Posted by 889
The airport bus to Guangzhou Station will be running; it runs till the last arrival.

That said, Guangzhou Station is not a great area. At night or during the day. There's a 24-hour street with small restaurants and such about a 15-minute walk away, but I wouldn't send you there unless you're desperate to escape the airport.

You might look on the booking sites for a place near the airport to stay for a few hours. I recall there are a few.
Thanks. I saw some info. about the Pullman hotel at the airport, so perhaps I'll camp there.
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Old Jul 16, 2017, 2:46 pm
  #85  
 
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Originally Posted by jiejie
Assuming this is all on one ticket and I assume all on China Southern, you shouldn't have to deal with luggage. CAN is like PEK (but not PVG) and generally autoroutes baggage for intl-to-intl transfer passengers so you don't have to go through full Immigration, Bag Claim/Customs, etc. You should just be able to go through "International Transfer/Transit" Immigration desk. I'd be surprised if you didn't get your onward Boarding Pass in Hanoi, but if not, there should be an airline transfer desk somewhere between deplaning and the the Immigration transit/transfer check desk, where you can get it.

As always, try to doublecheck with the airline beforehand but at least at check-in, so you can see if your bags are tagged to YVR (or not) and you know where you stand with your boarding pass. Worst case, 2:40 is enough time to accomplish a full manual transit, bag reclaim and recheck, particularly if the plane is on time into CAN. If you feel time is short and you need to get things speeded up, don't stand around in endless queues--speak up, get attention, move to the front, enlist a CZ staffer to help you get dealt with on a priority basis.

Ok Question related to this. I booked a QR turn where I arrive at 15:00 and leave the next morning at 01:00. Could I stay in the airport and not leave in order to not need to get the transit visa? As its returning to the same location I am afraid the 72 hour visa wont apply. What if I book another ticket (to HKG) get the 72 hour visa, fly back and cancel the HKG the next day?

Just trying to figure out creative options. Thanks in advance!

Last edited by bison1847; Jul 16, 2017 at 2:51 pm
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Old Jul 16, 2017, 6:54 pm
  #86  
 
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Originally Posted by bison1847
Ok Question related to this. I booked a QR turn where I arrive at 15:00 and leave the next morning at 01:00. Could I stay in the airport and not leave in order to not need to get the transit visa? As its returning to the same location I am afraid the 72 hour visa wont apply. What if I book another ticket (to HKG) get the 72 hour visa, fly back and cancel the HKG the next day?

Just trying to figure out creative options. Thanks in advance!
Please don't use the word "transit visa" as that is a completely different document that you get in advance. What you want is Transit Without Visa (TWOV). Memorize this term and use it. As for your routing: I assume you are talking about a turnaround at CAN. If you are returning back to the same country that you arrived from on QR, that is not a valid transit and you likely won't even be allowed to board the initial China-bound plane without a visa. If you book a CAN-HKG return ticket to nest in the middle and actually fly it, then you can qualify for a TWOV. You do have to fly it. If you use the CAN-HKG just to get past boarding the QR plane to CAN then arrive in CAN and cancel the flight to HK, it will be picked up by Chinese Exit Immigration that you tried to pull a sneaky and it could be rather unpleasant for you.

If you are arriving on QR nonstop DOH-CAN midafternoon, you can book and fly the evening CAN-HKG flight then return on the next morning HKG-CAN and take the wee hours QR flight, a day later than you originally planned. Each way you'd get 24 hours TWOV.

Another option is to fly the inbound to China as you'd planned, book a one-way CAN-HKG so you can use TWOV on the inbound, then change the return flight from CAN-DOH to HKG-DOH and not return to the mainland.

You'll have to decide whether the cost of changing the QR flight arrangements, plus cost of flying to/from HKG and possibly spending night in HK, is worth foregoing getting a Chinese visa. But you must do something, as your current plan is untenable.
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Old Jul 16, 2017, 10:48 pm
  #87  
 
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Originally Posted by bison1847
Ok Question related to this. I booked a QR turn where I arrive at 15:00 and leave the next morning at 01:00. Could I stay in the airport and not leave in order to not need to get the transit visa? As its returning to the same location I am afraid the 72 hour visa wont apply. What if I book another ticket (to HKG) get the 72 hour visa, fly back and cancel the HKG the next day?

Just trying to figure out creative options. Thanks in advance!
A few problems:
* As jiejie said, you probably meant Transit without Visa (TWOV), not Transit Visa (G Visa).
* You must depart to a third country, or you may stay in China longer than you may hope for. That applies for TWOV, and probably also for the G Visa.
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Old Jul 17, 2017, 10:34 am
  #88  
 
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Since G transit visas are pretty much the same price as L tourist visas and take the same amount of hassle to get, it's a no-brainer to just get the L visa, if one is getting a visa.

The main reason for G's to still exist is that some "questionable" nationalities cannot get regular L or other types of visas without a sponsor or joining a group tour, and if they need to pass through China as an individual traveler, a G is the most practical legal way they are allowed to do it. This situation doesn't apply to most nationalities though.
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