Stepped In It Big Time

[oregonknl]

Jim: (and ps... Happy B-day)

 

RMark: Forgetaboutit!!

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

A quick update so far. The drama continues.

 

I got the fax from the bank and it looks good. I didn't get the fax from work. I found out that my boss faxed it, but I never got it. I've tried to get in touch with her, but can only leave voice mail and work e-mail. So, we'll go to the interview without it. If the VO needs it, I'm sure it'll be on the way Friday. It just hit me, with the change in procedure at the Consulate, we could still get the fax before she has to see the VO. Hooray for little victories.

 

Anyway, this has become the least of our worries. I booked 2 round trip tickets from Cheap Tickets for this trip, expecting to take my wife home on the second leg of the trip. ShuPing had some concerns about using her married name for the ticket when her maiden name is on her passport. So I sent an e-mail to Cheap Tickets to ask if this would be a problem.

 

Today I checked the e-mail and was informed that since she didn't check-in in Denver, her ticket was "suspended" (what they really meant is cancelled). I've lost the money I paid for the ticket and she has no ticket to come back with me. I'm currently trying to get clarification from them about why - I'll post the series of e-mails when the smoke clears.

 

I'm pretty sure I can borrow the money to get her a ticket, though it probably won't be with me or on the same day. Now I can see how they can sell tickets so cheap (not the cheapest though), they screw the people who don't bother to read the fine print on their contract.

 

So now I'm hoping I can book a fligh fo her leaving the same day as I am. Any suggestions? Comments? Mild reprimands?

[oregonknl]

No repremands RMark,

 

.... because I have been as guilty asyou in trolling for cheap tickets to China in the past...

 

..... Since NWA began service out of Portland, they have been my main source --- always cheapest ... and several here at the Candle, in the mid-west and even the east (Boston) have posted similar ...

 

Suggest you contact them in GZ, and sing a sad story about "Cheap Tickets" ( you have a valid one....)

 

..... explain your situation completely, including the part about how you plan to return to Çhina for family matters every few months, and if NWA will discount (given your dire situration) --- getting ShuPing to America -- you will be a life-long customer!! --- they are trying to build their China business, so this just might work....

 

(plus, they really do have a great mileage program ---- I expect to cash in on several free flight to China in the near future based on my miles with NWA..)

 

Good Luck RMark ~!

[Dan R]

Best of luck Mark. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I'm sure everything will go fine.

[lele]

A quick update so far.  The drama continues.

 

I got the fax from the bank and it looks good.  I didn't get the fax from work.  I found out that my boss faxed it, but I never got it.  I've tried to get in touch with her, but can only leave voice mail and work e-mail.  So, we'll go to the interview without it.  If the VO needs it, I'm sure it'll be on the way Friday.  It just hit me, with the change in procedure at the Consulate, we could still get the fax before she has to see the VO.  Hooray for little victories.

 

Anyway, this has become the least of our worries.  I booked 2 round trip tickets from Cheap Tickets for this trip, expecting to take my wife home on the second leg of the trip.  ShuPing had some concerns about using her married name for the ticket when her maiden name is on her passport.  So I sent an e-mail to Cheap Tickets to ask if this would be a problem.

 

Today I checked the e-mail and was informed that since she didn't check-in in Denver, her ticket was "suspended" (what they really meant is cancelled).  I've lost the money I paid for the ticket and she has no ticket to come back with me.  I'm currently trying to get clarification from them about why - I'll post the series of e-mails when the smoke clears.

 

I'm pretty sure I can borrow the money to get her a ticket, though it probably won't be with me or on the same day.  Now I can see how they can sell tickets so cheap (not the cheapest though), they screw the people who don't bother to read the fine print on their contract.

 

So now I'm hoping I can book a fligh fo her leaving the same day as I am.  Any suggestions?  Comments? Mild reprimands?

Two different suggestions:

 

1. talk with my darling!! She knows the Chinese contact for the broker that I use to always get me my incredibly cheap flights. They will send her the ticket that I am paying for here, today. Talk with her! See what can happen. I bet that if I talked to my broker on this side (or you did) and then they went via Beijing, you could fly out together. The only thing though is you must fly from Beijing to get the tickets. However, trains are really cheap inside of China. You could likely get the entire flight (for one way) for under 500$US/person (to the East Coast) and under 400$/person to the West coast.

 

2. go directly to the local university. there are many students who "work" part time for airline companies. They can usually get you a 20-30% discount. If you are not sure how this works, find my darling today when she comes out with what I hope is a visa! She can help you out with this (or at least telling you how to do it).

 

Good Luck

[hypoclear]

check out North West Airlines. They are running a $650.00 RT ticket to JFK right now and they have a ticket office in GZ right off a subway exit at the Canton Fair area.

 

unit no. 509

c block china hotel

liu hua road

res tel. 40081-40081

www.nwa.com.cn

 

best of luck

 

mark and bea and elizabeth

[hypoclear]

No repremands RMark,

 

.... because I have been as guilty asyou in trolling for cheap tickets to China in the past...

 

.....  Since NWA began service out of Portland, they have been my main source --- always cheapest ... and several here at the Candle, in the mid-west and even the east (Boston) have posted similar ... 

 

Suggest you contact them in GZ, and sing a sad story about "Cheap Tickets"  ( you  have a valid one....) 

 

.....  explain your situation completely, including the part about how you plan to return to Çhina for family matters every few months, and if NWA will discount (given your dire situration) --- getting ShuPing to America -- you will be a life-long customer!!  --- they are trying to build their China business, so this just might work....

 

(plus, they really do have a great mileage program ---- I expect to cash in on several free flight to China in the near future based on my miles with NWA..)

 

Good Luck RMark ~!

geez Kim!

 

Great minds think a like..

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

 

p.s. WE ONLY PICKED UP 15K MILES AS THE LAST LEG FROM nARITA TO gz WAS WITH cHINA sOUTHERN..

 

I know I know.. I ain't going to fix those darn caps.. heheh

[oregonknl]

WHAT ~?!?!?

 

LMARK AND RMARK POSSIBLY ON THE SAME PAGE ON A SUBJECT ????

 

IMPOSSIBLE !!!

[hypoclear]

WHAT  ~?!?!?

 

LMARK AND RMARK POSSIBLY ON THE SAME PAGE ON A SUBJECT ????

 

IMPOSSIBLE !!!

Naw Kim..

 

I'm figuring.. if he takes advice from a L... the guilt from it..will eat him alive..

 

Just doing my part... heheh

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

[Trigg]

WHAT  ~?!?!?

 

LMARK AND RMARK POSSIBLY ON THE SAME PAGE ON A SUBJECT ????

 

IMPOSSIBLE !!!

Say it ain't so Kim, Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!!!!

[frank1538]

Today I checked the e-mail and was informed that since she didn't check-in in Denver, her ticket was "suspended" (what they really meant is cancelled).  I've lost the money I paid for the ticket and she has no ticket to come back with me.  I'm currently trying to get clarification from them about why - I'll post the series of e-mails when the smoke clears.

This seems to be fairly common practice among the airline industry. It forces you to buy a one way ticket. I had booked round trip tickets for Jingwen and the kids (originating in the US) when I was getting ready to go to GZ for the interview, read about the cancellation policy if the first leg isn't used, and ended up changing them to one way from China.

 

Don't worry about this glitch. I'll work out. Stay focused on the interview. Good luck.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Mild reprimand # 2

 

Geez Mark, everybody knows that a RT ticket gets cancelled if the first leg isn't used. Well ... it's been discussed ad nauseam on CFL anyway, for those of us paying attention

 

You have a very good chance of getting a "cheap" one-way ticket from one of the Chinese travel agencies found anyhwere in China, most especially Guangzhou.

 

Or, if you would prefer, give us your preferred departure details (time/date/location, etc) and I'm sure many of us cheap ticket sleuths (myself included) will direct you to one of the cheapest tickets found on the internet

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try to contact United to see what they can offer me by way of consolation, but we also met a girl in line this morning (more in a sec) who can maybe get us tickets from ShangHai for $550.

 

I'm sitting in Blenz at the moment, waiting for ShuPing. We were up at 4 AM, well, she was awake, I soon became so. We left at 5:15 and took the jet taxi express to Shamian. We were in line by 5:30, first by far. About 6:30 there were 25 people in line, by 7:00, 30 -35.

 

The only other American there was a kid from Colorado, hmmmm. We talked for a few minutes and found that his girlfriend had connections to get tickets cheap. They hadn't bought theirs yet, so I have some hope.

 

I've still got a few things to check out, namely United and Lele's connection, but I think I have time to burn here.

 

I'll keep everyone informed about what's going on.

 

Thanks again Jim. I know I've read about the round trip thing before, but it was one of my ADD moments.

[tonymasiello]

Good Luck Mark and ShuPing! We will be waiting for some good news!

[corvette]

Thanks everyone.  I'm going to try to contact United to see what they can offer me by way of consolation, but we also met a girl in line this morning (more in a sec) who can maybe get us tickets from ShangHai for $550.

 

I'm sitting in Blenz at the moment, waiting for ShuPing.  We were up at 4 AM, well, she was awake, I soon became so.  We left at 5:15 and took the jet taxi express to Shamian.  We were in line by 5:30, first by far.  About 6:30 there were 25 people in line, by 7:00, 30 -35.

 

The only other American there was a kid from Colorado, hmmmm.  We talked for a few minutes and found that his girlfriend had connections to get tickets cheap.  They hadn't bought theirs yet, so I have some hope.

 

I've still got a few things to check out, namely United and Lele's connection, but I think I have time to burn here.

 

I'll keep everyone informed about what's going on.

 

Thanks again Jim.  I know I've read about the round trip thing before, but it was one of my ADD moments.

Good luck! so when's the get-together?