RANT: AIRLINES AND CHINA

[M1IRONMIKE]

My son left to go back to Korea Friday which was hard for us but not as hard as it was for him. He left at 8am to drive to St. Louis to catch a flight from there to chicago and then from chicago to Beijing China then from there to Korea. He made it to China where he was stopped and told they wont accept his military ID and orders. He was there several hours as the US Embassy was called and then ultimately sent back to chicago where he landed this morning 48 hours later. The airline then set him up to fly from Chicage to Toyko Japan then to Korea. An hour or 2 after that was set up his flight was cancelled because of something with the plane. So now he just boarded a plane to go to Los Angeles and then will catch a plane to korea from there. It will be Jan 6th Korea time when he arrives after leaving here January 2nd. What a frigging nitemare.
Why in the hell would he be given a airline ticket to china if they wont accept his Military ID and orders?

[ghostrunner]

Wow. That sucks. You'd think they'd have those processes down by now.

[Freed Roger]

I agree, with as many people we station in Korea, crazy that it is an issue. Why does he go thru China? Didnt he fly west?

[jim]

Wow. Does he have to pay for that extra flight? Is he going to be in trouble for not getting back on time? I can't imagine that. I've been an airplane for 8 hours and that's about much as I can take.

[Gashouse]

Does he get to keep all the miles?

[M1IRONMIKE]

He was able to contact his unit to tell them the problem so he faces no trouble from them. The airline took care of the extra flights so all it cost him was time and frustration. He made it back at about 6 am Tuesday Korean time. He was in transit a total of 80 hours from the time he left home until he arrived in korea.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Your son was Mongo in the geo-political game of life.

[jim]

That's the worst airline story I"ve ever heard.

[lukethedrifter]

I once took a 14 hour bus ride across Newfoundland to catch an 8 hour ferry to Nova Scotia, connected on a 29 hour train journey to Toronto where I got on a bus for 6 hour bus ride to Detroit. The Detroit Greyhound station was where a bag lady offered me $5 (1989). From Detroit it was on to Chicago- another 6 or 7 hours. Finally, one last 6 hour bus ride home to St Louis. My entire body was a cramp. Then the bus broke down and I was ready to start killing people.

Your son's trip sounds worse.

[Arthur Dent]

Did the military book the tickets through China? I'd be curious what the background was. Does China routinely block transit of U.S. military personnel, or do they just do it randomly, or when there is some kind of diplomatic tension? It would be strange if the military office that arranges soldier transit would not know China's policy on this.