chebraccia

Hi,

I've been reading the FAQ and seen a lot about Shanghai but wanted to confirm so I don't get any surprises upon arrival.

I am flying from BKK to PEK (TG) continue PEK - LAX (CA) I arrive in PEK at 6:30am and leave at 9:00pm.

I would like to spend the day in the city and checking out the great wall.

I understand correctly that if my stop is less than 24 hours I can exit the airport.. Do I need to short check my luggage to PEK so I have an excuse to get through customs and re check in? why would they allow me to enter China if I am already checked through to the US? am I missing something?

Also upon arrival prior to going through customs can I enter a lounge for a quick bite?

Thanks in advance!

moondog

It's okay to leave the airport, with or without luggage.

Shimon

Must be on the same ticket!

moondog

Says who?

Shimon

I thought you have always been saying that, no?

Scifience

Definitely no need for onward flights to be on the same ticket when utilising TWOV. Just show proof of any onward flight to a third country departing within 24 hours (for PEK).

EmailKid

That is plain wrong.

EmailKid, arrived on UA and left on TG, then reversed on way back (one paid, other reward)

Shimon

If it isn't on the same ticket and you don't have a visa to china, don't you risk being denied boarding?

moondog

No.

jiejie

Issues:

1) Chinese Immigration is perfectly OK with an itinerary conforming to TWOV regulations (onward to 3rd country, within applicable time limit) that happens to be on two separate tickets. As in XXX-China and China-YYY.

2) Many airline check-in agents around the world are having enough trouble with a single-ticket XXX-China-YYY Transit Without Visa itinerary, though most will accede to a look-up on TIMATIC database that shows them this is OK. However, when doing this on two separate tickets, some agents at XXX will put up a stink and challenge your ability to do this visa-less. They will be incorrect, but there have been anecdotes about people being denied boarding. So, in this sense, Shimon presents a valid concern although I think becoming less of a problem as time goes on. Agents in some countries/some airlines may be more intractable than others. Be prepared with every bit of documentation you can muster.

3) OP and checked luggage: You should absolutely be able to check your luggage all the way through BKK-LAX without having to pick it up in PEK. Whether on one ticket or separate tickets. If on separate tickets, have TG staff in BKK interline by showing your onward to LAX. PEK airport policy is to auto-transfer international transit passenger bags without you having to manually pick up and recheck. So no need to short-check, just make sure whatever you need for the day/journey is in your carry-on.

4) OP and leaving airport: Yes, you may leave. Whether you are already checked through to USA or not is irrelevant. Deplane and go to an International Transit Immigration desk which will be before the main row of regular Immy counters. There will be clear signage. Be prepared to show them your onward ticket/e-ticket/confirmed flight to LAX...or boarding pass if you got that already in BKK. If you did not get that boarding pass for PEK-LAX, stop by the Airline Transfer Counter which you'll see before you get to the Immigration area. After you pass Immigration (and get your hexagonal transit stamp), you can head to the terminal front side and exit.

5) OP and lounges: Lounges are not available for arriving passengers, only for departing. The passenger streams are separated. So, if you want a bite before leaving the airport, the best bet is to go through the Immigration sequence, walk out of bag claim and Customs area, then on nonsecure side (main ticketing/check-in level), head for one of the restaurants there before taking Airport Express or other transport into city (or car to GW).

chebraccia

Thanks so much for your very informative replies, huge help!!!

I'm arriving on Thai Business, continuing on Air China First.. It's one itinerary.. So upon arrival in order to access any type of lounge I would need to pass through passport control and then through security to reenter terminal? or is there another direct way departures? if I get in to departures to access lounge, am I stuck there? or can I once again exit?

Thanks again!

EmailKid

Sure, you can exit. Just have to re-clear security if you want to fly / go to lounge again

EmailKid

moondog

Unless you have experiences or knowledge to back this claim up, I am highly dubious; once you're issued a departure stamp, you are classified as "departed". I was once on a flight that had an aborted takeoff and went MX; the procedure for readmitting the passengers back into China (many on expired visas) was nothing short of excruciating.

All this having been said, I DON'T speak from experience wrt the instant case. (Whenever I clear border control, my intent is to leave the country.)

GinFizz

I am sure that this can be done (there must be cases where it is really necessary) - but it makes sense that it will be very complicated. As moondog says you will need to go through immigration again, so it may only be simple (I use that word with caution though ...) if you have a multi entry visa or residence permit or are a Chinese citizen. There may also be problems to re-enter China using TWOV as strictly speaking you will not have just arrived from another country in transit, though there may be some flexibility in the system here given that you will have the hexagonal exit/entry stamp in your passport (but I wouldn't bet on it ...).

Also just thinking about the geography at T3 this is not going to be simple. Access to the train from T3E to T3C (baggage area and exit) is only on the inner platforms, so just going back through the immigration area (where you arrive from T3C to T3E on one of the outer platforms) won't help as you can't get back on the train to the baggage reclaim area from here. Of course there there may be another manned security door to allow you to get to the inner platforms - I have no idea where this would be located though. In the case of an aborted take off at least the passengers will already be on the upper 'arrivals' level of the building, though that still leaves the immigration and visa issues.

I think the bottom line here is don't try and do this unless you are prepared to sit it out in the Air China lounge for the duration of your stopover. Of course if you want to try, please report back with your findings ....

jiejie

I am also curious about Emailkid's confident assertion, as those of us intimately familiar with PEK T3E layout (myself, moondog, GinFizz) know that there is no "self-service" exit from the secure international airside that allows you to just waltz out, after you've already passed through Immigration and security controls. I've only experienced this contraflow situation under escort of airline/airport representatives, when the flight I was on had engine trouble and had to return to PEK. With special provision for visa exit stamps to be cancelled (as if we'd never departed China), also allowing us to board the train to T3C baggage/exit area from the platform normally reserved for outbound passenger stream.

I really don't think the Chinese are going to be impressed by your attempts at this maneuver for such a nonessential purpose. So, you can put yourself up to be the guinea pig. Understanding that if you fail, you'll be stuck airside for long miserable hours, whether in lounge or not. Trust us, the lounges at PEK (even Air China First Lounge) ain't no great shakes and particularly not the food. Seriously, just plan to enter under TWOV just once (upon arrival), then follow others via shuttle train to nonsecure/front side of T3 and find a breakfast/coffee there, then go into city. At end of afternoon, early evening, just get back to airport with plenty of time to get back airside and park yourself in the international terminal CA First lounge then. Not much sense in freshening up until you finish the day's activities in the city.