Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iamthecheese86]

My boyfriend is coming here to Korea to visit me, and his flight went through Beijing, China. The airline, United, told him when he arrived that he needs a visa, simply to transfer planes WITHOUT LEAVING THE AIRPORT when he will be there less than FOUR hours. They would not let him board the plane. He had looked this up and found it was untrue, but they said, "no our expert says." So he rebooked for the next day at an expense of $1700 to himself, plus $100 for a night in a hotel. However, United is flat out WRONG. Every single resource I have checked says you do NOT need a visa when you are at the airport for less than 24 hours and not leaving the airport. This includes other airlines' websites, the Chinese consulate's website, and the United States Department of State.

Suffice to say, he is miserable right now and has sent a letter to their complaints department but cannot get through to them on the telephone. This is ridiculous. I am ready to boycott United, and he better get a full freaking refund. And so much for spending Christmas day together.

[chellovek]

Take some ibuprofen for the headache.

[Sector7G]

[Gnawbert]

Very strange. I've flown through Beijing on my way to several places and never had anything like this happen. Like the other poster, I was escorted and bused to connecting flights. I did have to go through re-screening but at no point did I ever have to have a visa simply to transfer flights.

[Sector7G]

Just curious, how did re-booking for the next day resolve the visa issue? And how was he able to leave the airport to get a hotel without a visa?

Unless....do you mean he was not allowed to board the originating flight? I get it now. Sorry for the snarky comment. It just wasn't very clear.

[sulperman]

E-mail your story to consumerist.com. They often seem to get results for the people that tell their stories there.

[AsiaESLbound]

United ticketing agents should had made a call to verify it being true that no visa is needed to transfer via china for less than a 24 hour stopover in the airport. Your boyfriend has a major valid complaint and a $1800 bone to pick with United for causing this unnecessary costly failure. He definitely needs to go up for help on this one. Trying to resolve it with the airline first and documenting everything as much as possible are both necessary.

When I flew to Myanmar from Seoul via Bangkok last August, they were going to stop me from boarding due to not having a visa, but they made the call to confirm that visa on arrival was being done at that time so I was allowed to board the plane. All it takes is for the agent to ring the boss to verify what you say is true to allow you to pass GO.

[iamthecheese86]

Thanks everyone! I will check out that website and absolutely everyone I've talked to has said he should absolutely get his money back. Oh, and yeah I was a little unclear. They didn't let him board originally, at LAX. And his new flight was routed through Seoul instead.

[lawyertood]

I once had a connecting flight through Beijing on United and had to get a visa while at Beijing airport as the only way to get to check-in was to go through Chinese immigration. I was sent to a special office where I showed my ticket and they made some notation in my passport.

In fact, I had to even pick up my luggage (never informed that it would be necessary, but lucky I looked at the carousel) and re-check it at the United counter. I told another American family, who was told that theirs would be checked through all the way to their final destination, to do so and fortunately they did otherwise they would have been without their luggage when they arrived in Chicago.

[Sector7G]

For future reference for anyone reading this who find themselves in situations like this or similar, you may be allowed to board if you sign a waiver stating the airline is off the hook if you are denied entry. That is what I had to do just this past August when flying from Incheon to Bangkok without an ongoing ticket for leaving Thailand. At first they were very adamant about not letting me board. But eventually a supervisor let me on after I signed the waiver relieving them of financial responsibility. I think that is their main concern.

[eb]

Are you talking about a round-trip ticket? Delta did this to me before I went to Korea, but it was because of implicating only an arrival date with a tourist visa. Anyways, you can purchase fully refunable proof depature date at the airlines' walk up counter ( no problems with this). Then, when you arrive in Seoul, just simply revist the same counter and they're ususally more then happy to just put the refund right back on your credit card. EB

[Sector7G]