China Eastern to Shanghai

Are you connecting in China? Are you aware that you can’t just connect with another flight unless you go through immigration, pick up your luggage and check in again? This process can take hours so if you only have a few hours layover you might not make it. Also, if you have to commute to a different airport to get your connection you must have a special visa.  I was told, to late of course, by the Chinese Visa in Chicago (http://www.chinaconsulatechicago.org/eng/ywzn/qzhz/qz/t1241441.htm ) that Americans need a G Visa to change airports for connecting flights. You can’t get this at the airport and the 24 hour visa you can get at the airport won’t do it for you.

Depending on your connection some airlines won’t even let you board because you will get sent back on their plane. When trying to board a flight in Manila on Pal Airlines, they denied my boarding because I did not have a G visa. The manager told me that this happens daily because many purchase tickets connecting in China from online companies like cheapoair.com  thinking they can just use a visa they can get at the airport. But they find out the hard way they can’t.

Going through China to connect is a mess and one I have learned the hard way to avoid. Never again will I connect in China. If you make the same mistake I did, good luck getting your money back on the tickets you can’t use.