ETC: So, PVG-CAN and CAN-HKG are on different flight numbers? If so, 1:20 could be a little tight, but nothing to lose any sleep over.

As for PVG, CZ uses terminal 1 for both domestic and international flights.

What I originally posted was that if any of your flights are on the same flight numbers, these transitions should be quite smooth.

It's legal, but MU might give you static at check-in since the second ticket is not theirs, it's a DL ticket (never mind the metal). For that return, get to HKG early, in case you get into a situation and need the time to argue/escalate. This will likely depend on the check-in agent you get and how clued-in they are.

I concur, is OK.

CAN: Stay alert during landing announcements and deboarding from the PVG flight. CZ often corrals its international transit passengers into a group--usually on the jetway--and walks them through to exit immigration for release into the international area of the terminal. If you're the Lone Ranger in this situation, get moving as fast as possible. CAN however, is a bit of an outlier and has been doing some experimenting in the processing of international transit passengers, so be up for anything. If your flight into CAN is delayed and that 1:20 window is reduced much, alert a CZ staff member and charm them into helping you. Keep some spare RMB on you so in case you need to grab and pay for one of the electric carts to speed-zip you down the halls.

LOL, you're intra-Asia SM redemption experience sounds vastly similar to mine...

Copy of past visa needed?
 

I am about to apply for a tourist visa and the NY consulate instructions indicate that applicants who've visited China previously include a photocopy of the most recent previous visa. My last trip was over twenty years and three passports ago. Needless to say, I cannot find the passport. From your experience, is it necessary to show an old visa?

If this topic has been covered in the past, my apologies.

Thanks.

MC

I wouldn't worry about it since so much time has passed.

No, just forget about it. And answer the question about previous visits to China as "No" as if you'd never been. Back then, China didn't have computerized entry/exit so there's no way for them to verify one way or another. And besides, your passport number has changed multiple times.

However, I must warn you that the NY Consulate is a bit of a rogue operation and puts its own rules in place for applicants. Even though at most other missions in the USA, you'd get your 12-month multiple entry visa to which you are entitled (at the same price), NY will often only give out single- or double-entries. Especially if you don't have visas already in your current passport. If you will be needing to make multiple forays into China during the next year, I suggest that you reconsider using the NY Consulate (even though I see from profile you are in NY) and use a visa agent and ship your passport off to them with application. Chicago or Houston are both better Consulates that don't put additional burdens or restrictions on applicants, and contrary to popular belief, you can apply for a visa at any Chinese mission in the USA, not just the one designated for your region. No direct mail-in to any Chinese Consulate allowed anymore.

To the experts:

I am trying to use our UA/CO miles to fly from Asia to US instead of using our AA miles, for biz class seats.

Using AA miles would be so much easier as CX is a non-stop and quite easy to find availability when are a week to 10 days before departure. However We already have had redeemed a J/F r/t in November, and a F one-way departing in a few days, I feel the need to preserve our AA miles and start using other Alliances. DL redemption is a no go after seeing how convoluted others itineraries can become. I can live with the UA/CO redemption of 1 to 2 connections.

Looking at CO booking engine - about 80% of the award seats involve CA going thru PEK, the remaining is on OZ thru ICN, with rare occasion I see NH is there going thru NRT. Leaving from BKK, even the TG flight is going thru PEK. It looks very obviously to me that in order to use CO miles, we would have to transit in China.

My question is, do I need any Chinese Visa before hand for flying HKG/PEK/USA or HKG/PVG/USA?

Don't forget about DC, jiejie.

Thanks for the advice about the old visa and the warning about NY consulate. We were hoping to get the multiple entry visa, but don't have any actual plans for more trips. If we get it, great. If not, not a big deal. If I do go ahead and go in person to the NY Consulate, how long of a process (i.e. lines, etc) might I expect?

See the TWOV thread (transit without visa).

Short answer: No. As long as the time at PEK is not more than 24 hours from scheduled arrival to scheduled departure, and as long as the time at PVG is not more than 48 hours. You may leave the airport during your transits, stay in hotel overnight, sightsee, etc. depending on how long your layover lasts and time of day it is. More information can be found here, post #3, TWOV section.

Didn't forget about it. It's just that while you have personally had great results there, the anecdotal evidence points to this not always holding true for others. While there normally aren't any special hassles or obstacles posed by DC Embassy, there seems to be a bit more variability in handing out the 12-month multiples vs the singles and doubles. Also the longer durations such as 90 days. On the latter two points, Chicago and Houston (and the west coast Consulates) seem to be more reliably cooperative.

Not sure about current queuing time frames, but I have heard in the past that it is quite busy--probably one of the busiest visa application sections of any Chinese mission in the USA. Find out their hours and try to get there and in the queue at least 20-30 minutes before opening. Make sure you use whatever application form version they want and have it filled in advance along with photo(s)--possibly Consulate will have form available for download (or a NY visa agent should have a downloadable version). Also find out if they want it filled out by computer or will still allow hand-filling. You don't want to queue up only to find you have the wrong or incomplete materials--and plenty of people find this out the hard way at NY.

I was on board with you until you mentioned the "west coast". While I'm cool with Los Angeles, San Francisco is arguably even worse than New York. That having been said, after reading those recent tales about that embassy somewhere in Africa, I felt that we Americans have a pretty good deal... even if we have to pay more money for visas.

Um, no. Definitely not worse than NY.
I do agree that despite the cost, once you get that 12-month multiple entry with 90 day durations, it's a lot better than most other nationalities who have to keep doing extensions and then run to HK for new visas, one or two entries and 30 days at a time. Over a year's time, Americans probably shell out less for Chinese visa purposes than others who need to make multiple visits.

And bonus: we lucky USA passport holders get to do Mongolia border runs to re-activate another entry without need for Mongo visa! Let the Good Times Roll!.... One hasn't lived until they've done the border crossing visa run, stuffed in a jeep on top of millet sacks heading from Erlian to Zamyn Uud, with legs sticking out the window and 4 other people inside in similarly contorted positions. :p

I can vouch that SF Consulate is a mad house. Not only is the line horrible, you get all the Chinese who think they have special rights cutting in line shouting to the employees "麻烦你,麻烦你".....

It's like China, everyone's got a reason why they need to cut...

The visa agency I used during 2008 to get an insanely expensive F visa (olympics) used to be based in SF, but they relocated to NY shortly thereafter because they told me SF was too hard to deal with (lots of actual rejections). I only used them once after the move because their guanxi in NY was pathetic.