Potential Trap for Travel to China Visa Free

saltypete on 13/12/2024 - 15:30
Last edited 13/12/2024 - 15:40 by 1 other user

A potential trap for those wanting to travel to China on the 15 (now 30) days Visa free.

We have return flights booked and were going to do the Hong Kong shuffle to refresh our Visa free deadline. (Have done this before).

Qantas would only let us board the Adelaide to Melbourne sector without a ticket out of China within the Visa free time - urging us to alter our flight booking at great expense.

Fortunately, Cathay Pacific were business as usual and (along with China immigration) couldn't have cared less. To cover ourselves we booked a bus ticket to HK just in case.

While its technically correct procedure, it's only been policed by some airlines recently. It's a bit of a rort by some airlines including Qantas to charge lots of extra fees. Qantas check in person offered that it's a revenue raiser.

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Comments

  • ronnknee on 13/12/2024 - 15:55
    +2

    I don't really get it.

    So you were flying Qantas from Adelaide to Melbourne to China? And then Cathay Pacific from China to Hong Kong? So it sounds like you made it China fine?

    • bargaino on 13/12/2024 - 18:15

      I'm confused too. Maybe OP tried to book with Qantas first, but actually booked with Cathay? ? Nah .

      • djones145 on 13/12/2024 - 18:23

        i think he booked a adeilade to china flight for over 30 days
        but was going to do the china to hk in between to refresh the visa ( restart the 30 days)

        qantas was a bit iffy cause they dont know the trick people do ( unlike cathay).

        • saltypete on 13/12/2024 - 23:39
          -3

          That's it in a nutcase! 😁
          From the discussion with the Qantas person involved they know the trick very well, but choose to enforce it at the ticket counter to put pressure on folk to buy different tickets. Its not a scam as such, but it's about revenue. It has caught people out to the tune of thousands. Easy to avoid if you know it's coming - hence the 'heads up'.

          • dtc on 14/12/2024 - 08:19
            +2

            @saltypete: It’s neither a scam nor about revenue. It’s because airlines are liable for letting people fly if the person doesn’t have a correct visa. So they identify your flights don’t match your visa and suggest you need to change them. You simply say ‘it’s all sorted, I am going back to HK’ and that’s all done. The person at the check in has no incentive or motivation to sell you a different flight other than to avoid the penalties associated with incorrect visa outcomes

            You, personally, understand your visa situation. Airlines see many more people who don’t.

            • saltypete on 14/12/2024 - 11:05
              -4

              @dtc: Ah, heres the rub. Even though we said we were sorted and even explained how we were going to do it, the ticket clerk said he was 'not allowed' to let us get on the flight due to Qantas policy.
              And he understood clearly what our intentions were and agreed we had it sorted, but was forbidden by Qantus to allow us on the flight - offering to let us buy a return flight within the Visa free period and being pretty open about it being a money thing.
              And heres the thing - if you roll up to Qantas with limited time on a direct flight to China you may only have minutes to resolve it there and then. If people are aware of it its not hard to book something- (even something you can amend later for no charge) before you arrive.
              Cathay Pacific didnt even ask and Chinese immigration were also fine about it.
              So all the info i have on it suggests strongly a money grab for travellers at a vulnerable moment. Its not a scam, it's about 'getting every available dollar' - to quite the ticketing clerk.

              • dtc on 14/12/2024 - 16:22

                @saltypete: So did you have proof of a return ticket out of china within the visa period that you could show qantas? Because that is what china requires (not qantas).

                • saltypete on 15/12/2024 - 15:53

                  @dtc: No - the point of the posting.
                  Qantas requires it, saying nothing about it until you try to check in.
                  China immigration doesnt- and I know this because I then went through China immigration in Guangzhou with a return ticket outside of the visa free period. (I speak no Chinese) nor do other airlines coming out of OZ.
                  Technically, they are probably correct - but the way they administer it becomes a trap for the ill prepared - hence the post….

  • 87percent on 13/12/2024 - 16:16
    -2

    Technically, HK is part of China, so why would this work?

    • HardQuiz on 13/12/2024 - 16:33

      Explain

    • bargaino on 13/12/2024 - 18:18

      Not China proper, not for immigration purposes. Sort of like Christmas Island for Australia.

      Chinese nationals need a visa or permit to enter HK.

      • bazingaa on 13/12/2024 - 18:49

        do we need a visa for Christmas Island ? :O I though it is kinda WA due to post code

        • bargaino on 13/12/2024 - 20:31

          I was referring to the offshore detention centre. Though it has been replaced by Nauru.

    • saltypete on 13/12/2024 - 23:48

      China has different immigration zones. If we chose to we could have gone to Macau as well.

  • videlity on 13/12/2024 - 16:20

    This is not new. Before visa free travel to China, I would be asked to show my return ticket to Australia (so they had proof I wouldn't overstay my visa).
    But this is a bit of an overreach unless there's an explicit rule about this.

    • CyberMurning on 13/12/2024 - 18:00
      +1

      Why would someone overstay in china if they come from Australia. The other way around, yes.
      Unless of course you are criminal and trying to hide amongst a billion people

      • saltypete on 13/12/2024 - 23:42

        I think that hiding in China would be fairly difficult. People apparently do sneak in from other countries, but id say that quality of life under the radar would be difficult and not very pleasant.

  • valuer on 13/12/2024 - 18:47

    Had the same problem once with flying with Thai from Bangkok. Thanks for the warning to avoid Qantas.

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