Sometimes you've got to feel for Qantas....

[only4tehlulz]

Take Barry here as an example on a letter that certainly made my day reading - even if he ends up being a made up story for the clicks....

Books a flight with China Eastern, includes a domestic flight in China from Xi'An to Shanghai as part of the itinerary, does not have Chinese Visa to transit and yet
1. Complains that he was "interrogated" while not having a visa
2. Gets to transit on a day visa that took him just under an hour
3. Complains that he had to collect luggage - as if you do not have to do the same thing in Australia, US or pretty much every other country
4. Thinks that Qantas was not good enough.

Traveller Letters: 'Frightening' transit through Shanghai on Qantas codeshare flight

Expecting to transit, these travellers found themselves on the wrong side of the terminal and without the visa they needed...

www.traveller.com.au

 

[TheInsider]

Quite pathetic that these people have no clue at all.

 

[p--and--t]

Take Barry here as an example on a letter that certainly made my day reading - even if he ends up being a made up story for the clicks....

Books a flight with China Eastern, includes a domestic flight in China from Xi'An to Shanghai as part of the itinerary, does not have Chinese Visa to transit and yet
1. Complains that he was "interrogated" while not having a visa
2. Gets to transit on a day visa that took him just under an hour
3. Complains that he had to collect luggage - as if you do not have to do the same thing in Australia, US or pretty much every other country
4. Thinks that Qantas was not good enough.

Traveller Letters: 'Frightening' transit through Shanghai on Qantas codeshare flight

Expecting to transit, these travellers found themselves on the wrong side of the terminal and without the visa they needed...

www.traveller.com.au

View attachment 220768

Barry should change his name to Richard (Cranium that is). Anybody that travels overseas without checking visa requirements and doesn't understand transferring from international to domestic requires luggage collection deserves exactly zero sympathy and copious amounts of ridicule.

 

[Mattg]

Yep, obviously this is all Qantas' fault!

Seriously, whatever happened to taking personal responsibility?

 

[Happy Trails]

There's another letter further down whingeing about DFAT.
Though what they have to do with quarantine arrangements in China is beyond me.


PASS THE PARCEL


The stories I hear about DFAT reflect my own situation. With the lack of uncertainty in China surrounding COVID-19, I was told my 18-year-old Australian passport-holding son would be required to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks in Beijing on return from the US. I called the Australian Embassy to discuss the alternatives but received a recorded message saying they would get back to me. Later that day I left a longer message with more detail, again seeking help, but received the same non-response. I called again the next day and tried a new approach but I was then diverted to the same message system, with again no response.

Once my son arrived at the airport, he spent eight hours being processed and tested (negative) at the exhibition centre. No family were allowed and he was allocated a hotel for two weeks, with no visitors allowed. Ultimately, we were lucky to have a relative with an empty apartment where he could quarantine. Through the local inspectors, due to his age, we obtained approval to have him sent there under supervision, but still with no contact. The slight difference was that we could at least pass parcels to him.

Stephen Wood, Beijing, China

 

[Hvr]

A letter to Barry from DFAT et al.

Dear Barry, you're too stupid to travel overseas.
Your passport has been cancelled, Please surrender it immediately.

Yours sincerely

The Australian public.

 

[Townsend]

I must admit I was totally stunned when I read both these letters yesterday. Surely the one thing you learn when you travel is to take responsibility for yourself!

 

[Anna]

It's his ingratitude about the opportunity to spend a short time in Shanghai that I think is galling too

Unexpected stop in a major world city outweighs boring fixed itinerary, to me anyway. He should be thanking the airlines for the chance.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Take Barry here as an example on a letter that certainly made my day reading - even if he ends up being a made up story for the clicks....

Well I suppose check-in forgot to tell him that he would need to apply for transit without visa on arrival. The process could be stressful if you were not expecting it!!

 

[relaxalot]

There's another letter further down whingeing about DFAT.
Though what they have to do with quarantine arrangements in China is beyond me.


PASS THE PARCEL


The stories I hear about DFAT reflect my own situation. With the lack of uncertainty in China surrounding COVID-19, I was told my 18-year-old Australian passport-holding son would be required to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks in Beijing on return from the US. I called the Australian Embassy to discuss the alternatives but received a recorded message saying they would get back to me. Later that day I left a longer message with more detail, again seeking help, but received the same non-response. I called again the next day and tried a new approach but I was then diverted to the same message system, with again no response.

Once my son arrived at the airport, he spent eight hours being processed and tested (negative) at the exhibition centre. No family were allowed and he was allocated a hotel for two weeks, with no visitors allowed. Ultimately, we were lucky to have a relative with an empty apartment where he could quarantine. Through the local inspectors, due to his age, we obtained approval to have him sent there under supervision, but still with no contact. The slight difference was that we could at least pass parcels to him.

Stephen Wood, Beijing, China

I particularly liked the "lack of uncertainty" as well........

 

[hmmm]

Yep, obviously this is all Qantas' fault!

Seriously, whatever happened to taking personal responsibility?

Well..... I thought I had a valid 72 hour ‘transit’ visa for Beijing, but apparently it’s only valid If you’re flying out of Beijing to a different city to that from which you arrived. I did not know this and apparently neither did Qantas. I was denied entry and returned to Australia on the same aircraft and in the same seat no less. Worst 24 hours of my life!

Conversely, I had an international to international transit in Jakarta, but my Flight were from different terminals and my passport had a few days less than the 6 month validity requirement for entry. I was given the visa on the promise that I collect my luggage and proceed direct to the other terminal and depart Jakarta, which I did.

so yeah..... China has some very weird rules.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well..... I thought I had a valid 72 hour ‘transit’ visa for Beijing, but apparently it’s only valid If you’re flying out of Beijing to a different city to that from which you arrived. I did not know this and apparently neither did Qantas. I was denied entry and returned to Australia on the same aircraft and in the same seat no less. Worst 24 hours of my life!

Conversely, I had an international to international transit in Jakarta, but my Flight were from different terminals and my passport had a few days less than the 6 month validity requirement for entry. I was given the visa on the promise that I collect my luggage and proceed direct to the other terminal and depart Jakarta, which I did.

so yeah..... China has some very weird rules.

You would not have had a transit visa for Beijing, but you would have been eligible for 72-hour transit without visa (TWOV).

The 72-hour TWOV was available many years ago, replaced now by 144-hour TWOV. QF and other carriers are well across the rules now.

That was a QF error to allow you to fly. And it seems in your case the authorities weren't willing to work with you for alternative plans. SYD-PEK-SYD is not eligible for TWOV, but SYD-PEK-HKG-SYD would have made you eligible for TWOV.

 

[dajop]

Well..... I thought I had a valid 72 hour ‘transit’ visa for Beijing, but apparently it’s only valid If you’re flying out of Beijing to a different city to that from which you arrived.

It's actually a different country, not city. SYD-PEK-MEL would not be eligible either, but say SYD-PEK-AKL would be.

 

[hmmm]

It's actually a different country, not city. SYD-PEK-MEL would not be eligible either, but say SYD-PEK-AKL would be.

Uggh. See what I mean when I say it’s a weird rule?
‘Transit’ means your Passing through, from one place to another. I was quite willing to buy a full refundable ticket to somewhere like Japan or Korea, but they refused to entertain the idea, so Qantas flew me home and reimbursed the whole ticket.
I appreciate it’s the travellers responsibility to have or be able to obtain the necessary visa, but it’s also the airlines responsibility as they get quite a significant fine for transporting ineligible passengers.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Uggh. See what I mean when I say it’s a weird rule?
‘Transit’ means your Passing through, from one place to another. I was quite willing to buy a full refundable ticket to somewhere like Japan or Korea, but they refused to entertain the idea, so Qantas flew me home and reimbursed the whole ticket.
I appreciate it’s the travellers responsibility to have or be able to obtain the necessary visa, but it’s also the airlines responsibility as they get quite a significant fine for transporting ineligible passengers.

It’s actually the same rule most other countries have.... must be to a third country. Same applies in Australia... you can transit without needing a visa or ETA, but that means country to country only.

It varies when it comes to how the Chinese authorities handle it. Sometimes they will allow you to purchase a flight to make you compliant, but it’s usually for departure out of China same day... so you would have had to fly on to korea or japan on the next flight, hoping to return via china at a later time.

 

[dajop]

Seriously, whatever happened to taking personal responsibility?

This is one of the reasons why the government has banned nearly all overseas travel. Australian travellers are a needy bunch.

 

[TheInsider]

I appreciate it’s the travellers responsibility to have or be able to obtain the necessary visa, but it’s also the airlines responsibility as they get quite a significant fine for transporting ineligible passengers.

Also the fact they flew China Eastern, but still blamed Qantas.

 

[RichardMEL]

Of course they blame QF because they used QF points to book the flights.

I do agree that the check in staff in PRG should have been alerted to this, or perhaps at least asked.. but they were probably 3rd party ground handlers and if the pax were checked in their care factor would be zero. Just a general failure at several points(pun only a little bit intended0.

Still a bit rich to blame QF for the operations of other suppliers and the lack of properly following up, since the Xian stop did seem to be scheduled rather than a diversion or unexpected stop.

And OK I can understand a scary experience being in limb in China - probably quite threatening (and no doubt a language barrier too).. I fully appreciate that... but they were sorted out within a few hours and on their way. Worse things happen at sea.

I've never booked such an itin but usually when booking things involving international travel the booking site will absolutely note about documents required and the like. I'd love to know if the QF website did indicate in any way regarding the transit in Xian. Probably not but if they did the pax would have no leg to stand on imo. It's still a bit rich to blame QF in this situation but hey this is probably the sort of person who would probably book a SYD-NRT/HND-FRA journy, not notice then blame QF for the different airports....

 

[moa999]

thought I had a valid 72 hour ‘transit’ visa for Beijing, but apparently it’s only valid If you’re flying out of Beijing to a different city to that from which you arrived. I did not know this and apparently neither did Qantas. I was denied entry and returned to Australia on the same aircraft and in the same seat no less. Worst 24 hours of my life!

Who had you booked the ticket through?

Surprised QF didn't thoroughly check this. Particularly in SYD where they are used to flights to PEK and PVG and do check visas given most need a visa, APEC card or TWOV eligibility to fly.
Certainly in 2018 when I flew SYD-PVG, HGH-HKG-SYD I had my itinerary thoroughly checked at SYD checkin (was on a 140hr stop in China) to ensure it was valid (don't think many use Hangzhou Airport - its within the Shanghai zone)
But I had the Timatic Rules printed out, and had read much of the very detailed Flyertalk thread on China TWOVs.
(note that as far as China is concerned I was travelling SYD-HKG just with a 6-day transit in the Shanghai area, even though my HKG transit was only a few hours)

In my case I had booked it all online through QF website (and was confident I was correct). However wasn't able to get any Qantas callcentre staff to confirm I was eligible to use TWOV, even though ultimately the supervisor at SYD does make that call.

There is certainly an argument that where QF is effectively the travel agent (as for website or FF bookings) they should be providing additional advice in advance for customers traveling through countries that are known to have complex visa/ transit rules such as China.

 

[Melburnian1]

Quite pathetic that these people have no clue at all.

I read that letter last Friday on the 'Traveller' site and immediately thought the same. Even those who are not aviation nerds must know to look up visa/transit requirements. One isn't just travelling in one's own nation.