144 Hour Visa - Arriving from Seattle

Hello,

I will be flying from Seattle to Beijing on United. I have an ongoing ticket Beijing to Bali.

I would like to get a 144 hour visa upon arrival in Beijing. A United representative told me the 144 visa was not allowed for direct flights from or to the United States. Can you confirm if this is correct or not? I do not want to encounter visa problems on the day of my flight.

Thank you so much!