if we get QUARANTINE?

[smores]

do they allow us to have our luggage...ie change of clothes, etc. or are we isolated without our bags? leaving for china friday and trying to plan ahead...

 

[figmentfan2009]

What flight are you on?

 

[smores]

we fly on friday...from chicago to new york (continental) and then on to beijing....just worried about quarantine since i will be traveling alone with my children ages 12 and 5.

 

[figmentfan2009]

New York, or Newark?

We are going here to newark to beijing.

 

[smores]

yep...same flight...friday right? just hoping for no quarantine....

are you also leaving from chicago?

 

[figmentfan2009]

Nope, Houston.

I'm counting on not being anywhere near anyone who may have ever SEEN a pig let alone have flu-like symptoms of a fever or even a hang nail....

 

[monydave]

Our family leaves from Newark at around noon on Friday. Is that the same as you both? Sounds like if the plane gets quanantined then ABD will lose half their tour.

 

[figmentfan2009]

Yep, same flight.

hoping so many on the flight will mean good luck.

 

[smores]

advil for all! and lots of good luck!

 

[2GirlsMama]

As I have previously mentioned, our family was quarantined in China. We did not get quarantined right off the plane, but had started the tour and were removed from the China World Hotel. We flew from Chicago to Beijing. No one in our family had a fever or any H1N1 symptoms. We were quarantined because someone on our plane had either symptoms or the actual flu (not sure) and we were sitting within three rows of that passenger.

If you are quarantined you get to stay together as a family. You get to take all of your luggage. We had Internet access. You must stay in quarantine for seven days after your flight lands in Beijing.

I highly recommend you look into Skype because that is how we stayed in contact with our family back home.

Quarantine is a very real threat. It is a very unpleasant experience. There is nothing the U.S. Embassy can do to assist you. You have to follow China's rules. ABD was FANTASTIC throughout the entire experience.

I am sending you all good wishes to avoid quarantine. I'll be glad to try to answer other questions you may have.

I hope you get Brian and Daisy as your guides. They are wonderful. Have a great time and enjoy China!!!!!

 

[Tozzie]

As I have previously mentioned, our family was quarantined in China. We did not get quarantined right off the plane, but had started the tour and were removed from the China World Hotel. We flew from Chicago to Beijing. No one in our family had a fever or any H1N1 symptoms. We were quarantined because someone on our plane had either symptoms or the actual flu (not sure) and we were sitting within three rows of that passenger.

If you are quarantined you get to stay together as a family. You get to take all of your luggage. We had Internet access. You must stay in quarantine for seven days after your flight lands in Beijing.

I highly recommend you look into Skype because that is how we stayed in contact with our family back home.

Quarantine is a very real threat. It is a very unpleasant experience. There is nothing the U.S. Embassy can do to assist you. You have to follow China's rules. ABD was FANTASTIC throughout the entire experience.

I am sending you all good wishes to avoid quarantine. I'll be glad to try to answer other questions you may have.

I hope you get Brian and Daisy as your guides. They are wonderful. Have a great time and enjoy China!!!!!

Are you going to be able to recoup anything from the trip insurance you had? Last you posted about it you were waiting for calls from people, I do hope you can get some of your money back.

 

[2GirlsMama]

We are very hopeful that we will get money back. Our travel agent and ABD both feel that our claim is valid and we should get money back. We had to complete a bunch of paperwork (my DH did all the paperwork) including a narrative of what happened and a timeline. ABD has called and submitted paperwork on our behalf.

We should hear something by the middle of next week.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

We are very hopeful that we will get money back. Our travel agent and ABD both feel that our claim is valid and we should get money back. We had to complete a bunch of paperwork (my DH did all the paperwork) including a narrative of what happened and a timeline. ABD has called and submitted paperwork on our behalf.

We should hear something by the middle of next week.

Would you be getting your money back because of trip insurance or another reason? I am trying to decide if I wish to purchase trip insurance for our trip to China in October (not with ABD).

Our flight will include a group of 150 people traveling together, flying from JFK to Beijing. I only mention this because I noticed a lot of people asking what airlines, etc. everyone was flying, but I guess that was just to find out if they were traveling together.

 

[LukenDC]

There is an article about the flu quarantine in China in today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/health/28flu.html?_r=1&ref=us

It describes the ordeal of an American teen who was quarantined during a trip.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Oh my, that sure gives me a lot to think about. I don't want to panic, but I don't want to take this too lightly either.

 

[2GirlsMama]

The quarantine experience was very serious. It is a very real possibility for anyone traveling to China. It was a very unpleasant time.

It is possible we will get money back because we purchased the trip insurance. It is a tricky thing because there is a clause concerning a pandemic not being covered. However, there is also a section concerning quarantine being covered. We were quarantined because of fear of a pandemic; it could get interesting. We don't have a response back from the insurance company.

We are amazed at how many stories are in the news concerning quarantine since we came back home. I don't know if that means it is happening more often, or I am just noticing it more.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

It doesn't sound to me as if there is anything that anyone traveling to China can do to help avoid possibly getting quarantined. Sounds as if all of it is totally out of anyone's control, or do you have any suggestions.

 

[2GirlsMama]

You are exactly right, there is nothing you can do to avoid it. We heard stories of the officials removing someone from a boardroom during a presentation. We heard about a person being removed from the golf course. When we went to China we thought that once we cleared the airport that we were free from the threat of quarantine. This was not the case. We were removed from the hotel after being in China for a few days.

After we got home and had some time to heal we thought of writing rather sloppy on the quarantine form that you have to complete on the airplane. I completed the form. My husband said that if he had completed it they wouldn't have known where to find us because his handwriting is so messy!

Really, I don't think there is a way to avoid it. I think it is just a reality of traveling to China right now. It doesn't sound like anyone has been quarantined on the past two China trips since our trip. I know a family got quarantined on the trip before our trip and obviously on our trip. I also know an ABD guide got quarantined before we arrived in China.