Booking our airfare for the China trip is a little different than most other trips. Air China only has a baggage agreement with United Airlines. That means, if we were to fly any other airlines, we wouldn't be able to check our luggage all the way through to Beijing when we check-in in SLC. Instead, we would have to pick our luggage up off the carousel in SFO and re-check it in at the Air China counter in SFO...which is a hassle we want to avoid. I don't know all of the ins & outs of their agreement, but even though we have seats held for our group on Air China, we can't hold seats on United Airlines. So, we have to book seats on United (our SLC-SFO flight) as soon as possible, in order to ensure we actually have seats.
I need the following information for each person traveling, so our travel agent can book our SLC-SFO flights on United ASAP:
1. Your name as it appears on your passport
2. Your birthday
3. Your Passport Number
4. Your passport expiration date
* If you went with us to Mexico in 2011 or Peru in 2009 and you emailed me a copy of your passport, I still have it and can use that info - just let me know that is what you want me to do (I don't want to assume that passport is still valid - you may have lost it, or it may have been destroyed in the washing machine on accident & you have a new passport since then...it's happened before.)
* If you don't have a valid passport yet, please still email me your name & birthday. Hopefully United will go ahead & let us book the ticket without the other info. However, please send in your passport application or renewal form ASAP. Once you have your current passport, please email me your passport number and expiration date.
Passport info:
1. Your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond our travel dates: May 2012
2. You must have at least one blank Visa page available in your passport.
3. The website for more info about obtaining/renewing your passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Payment Deadlines:
1. If you're paying for the entire trip, the amount due, not including the $170/pp for the visa is: $4980
* $500 due immediately
* $2240 due July 22nd
* $2240 due August 15th
However, feel free to pay in full at your earliest convenience.
2. If earned the trip through BPG, the upgrade for 2 people is: $900
* $200 is due immediately
* $350 due July 22nd
* $350 due August 15th
However, feel free to pay in full at your earliest convenience.
We can take credit card payments, however, we will have to add the approximately 3% fee we are charged to process a credit card payment.
Send checks to:
The Business Performance Group
356 East 900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Here's the visa info:
1. I actually need your physical passport. The Chinese Embassy will paste the Visa into your actual passport.
2. The visa application is attached. (each person needs to fill one out)
3. Each person needs a 2x2 passport picture to send in with the application
4. The visa fee is $140 plus the $30 processing fee = $170 Per Person ($340 per couple).
5. Make your check out to Business Performance Group & we'll just send in one check for everyone.
6. NON US CITIZENS: If you are U.S. resident holding a green card, a legal work permit or a valid visa, you must provide a clear copy of your valid visa or both sides of your green card along with your China visa application. If you don't have a valid U.S. visa, our travel agency will not handle your Chinese visa.
* Since Chinese Visa's are only valid for 3 months, I won't be sending in our passports to get Visa's until mid-August. I'll give you an exact date as I find out the status of everyone's passports.
* However, the sooner you get me your passports, visa pictures and $170/person, the better.
* If you will need your passport the last 1/2 of August or first part of September, let me know. I don't want to leave you stranded without a passport. We'll work around when you need your passport.
If you wish to purchase travel insurance, please let me know & I'll forward you additional information. Our travel agent offers a plan for $139 per person. If it is paid for by Friday (July 1st) it can cover pre-existing conditions. If you decide to purchase it at a later date, it won't cover pre-existing conditions. The deadline to purchase travel insurance is September 1st.
It may be a bit soon to think about packing, but our travel agent warned us that the domestic china air regulations for checked baggage are 1 bag that weighs 44 lbs. However, he said if the flights aren't full & depending on how strict they feel like being, they might not charge you if your bag weights more (but you may or may not want to take that chance). He also said that although the carry-on restriction is 11 lbs, they usually don't weigh carry-ons as long as they will easily fit in the overhead compartment or under your seat.
One good thing is that on the way home from Shanghai, we can have 2 bags. I guess that means we need to do most of our shopping in Shanghai.
If you know anyone else that wants to travel to China with us, let me know. As of right now, we still have space. If they will be traveling from a different city, we can take the price of the SLC-SFO flight off and they can purchase their own airfare to SFO (I can help if necessary).
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