lax-xiamen-tokyo

Question

Hi. I am a mexican Citizen and i'm thinking of purchasing a round trip LAX-XIAMEN-NARITA with XiamenAir. If i buy it, my departure would be on October 31st from LAX (11:50 pm) to Xiamen (05:30 am on November 2nd), and my Layover would be only for 3h 40m and then, i have to take a flight to NARITA at 09:10 am, also on November 2nd) And my return would be on November 9th from Narita (02:55 pm) to Xiamen with a 2:30 hours of layover, and then, take a flight to LAX at 09:50 (pm)  Am I eligible for the free transit in Xiamen with this itinerary and holding a mexican passport? And also, checking in Xiamenair Website, The LAX-XIAMEN-NRT Roundtrip is not available, and only by purchasing separately LAX-XIAMEN and XIAMEN-NRT. Do i have to make double check in in LAX and in Xiamen, or the airline connects it automaticaly? And if not, in Xiamen Airport, how do i leave the free 72 hour transit zone and make my check in again? Thanks a lot!

Grace · Answer

Hi, you are eligible for the 24 hour direct transit in Xiamen in both directions. Your separate tickets of LAX-XIAMEN and XIAMEN-NRT will be okay for that. If you want to leave the airport, you need to apply for a free temporary stay permit when you arrive at the Xiamen airport, then you can leave there to explore the city.

ANDRES · Answer

Hi Grace thanks a lot for the answer. Whats the difference between the 72 free transit and the 24 hour direct Xiamen transit? And what about the separated flights, do i have to make check in again in Xiamen Airport?

leo · Answer

Don't even think about booking that on two separate tickets, especially with quite short connections. If you can't book it on the Xiamen website then book it with a travel agent. This will make everything easier for you and eliminate the potential for serious problems if flights are delayed and/or cancelled.

ANDRES · Answer

Hi Leo. Thanks a lot for your advice. I don't know why in XiamenAir website, when you search those dates, the round trip doesn't appear but separated routes. I also checked in a travel agency and they do have the round trip. So i am quite intrigued about that. Anyway, do you know anything about the 24 hrs Xiamen transit? What's the difference with the 72 hrs free transit? Again, thanks a lot.

John Doe · Answer

Technically speaking, a 24-hour entry permit allows the bearer to travel through all regions of China, while a 72-hour entry permit confines you to the specified region (in your case, the city of Xiamen). There is not really a difference given your short layover. For separate flights booked through one airline, you may have to double check with Xiamen Airlines about their check-in policy.

LAX-XIAMEN-TOKYO