CA: SFO to PEK from $1698!
Nov 1, 2019, 9:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Multiple locations
Programs: AAdvantage ExPlat LT Gold, BA Silver, Aegean Star Gold
Posts: 5,038
CA: SFO to PEK from $1698!
Air China is having a CNY sale from San Francisco to Beijing. This fare books into R class.[font]You will earn 14782 miles or 125% of flown distance in most Star Alliance programs except Air China where you would obtain 200% of flown distance or 23652 miles. United only gives 100% of flown distance or 11826 miles.[/font]
Source: My site PremiumCabinDeals
Source: My site PremiumCabinDeals
Nov 1, 2019, 12:07 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
Don't forget that many passports require a Chinese visa for this.
Nov 1, 2019, 2:15 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 644
Yes, a critical point which is easy to overlook but would result in tears. Cannot enter/leave from many (most?) countries and still qualify for visa-free transit. If you have China visa/passport, it's not an issue. Or if you don't plan to leave airport 
Nov 2, 2019, 5:58 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
Air China is having a CNY sale from San Francisco to Beijing. This fare books into R class.You will earn 14782 miles or 125% of flown distance in most Star Alliance programs except Air China where you would obtain 200% of flown distance or 23652 miles. United only gives 100% of flown distance or 11826 miles.
Source: My site PremiumCabinDeals
Book Flights Here!
Source: My site PremiumCabinDeals
Book Flights Here!
Been a while since I had a visa for China. I seem to remember getting a visa was expensive and took a few weeks. I actually would want to travel onto Australia.
Nov 2, 2019, 6:14 pm
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
It's an issue even if you don't plan to leave the airport. The airline won't permit you to board if your passport requires a visa and your itinerary is not TWOV compliant. This itinerary is not eligible for TWOV, even if one does an immediate turnaround and does not leave the airport.....and it doesn't matter whether these's an airside hotel, one would still need a visa for this unless one is using a passport for which mainland China does not require a visa.
Nov 2, 2019, 6:19 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Multiple locations
Programs: AAdvantage ExPlat LT Gold, BA Silver, Aegean Star Gold
Posts: 5,038
It's an issue even if you don't plan to leave the airport. The airline won't permit you to board if your passport requires a visa and your itinerary is not TWOV compliant. This itinerary is not eligible for TWOV, even if one does an immediate turnaround and does not leave the airport.....and it doesn't matter whether these's an airside hotel, one would still need a visa for this unless one is using a passport for which mainland China does not require a visa.
Nov 2, 2019, 7:56 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,502
Chinese Visa for US passport is something like $140 for 10 years - worth it IMO (much cheaper for passports of other required countries). Regular Visa processing should only take a couple of days; expedited process also available, including same-day, for the right fee.