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TRAVEL DATES
Most families travel approximately
two months from their referral date. The date
depends on the
time CHI receives the Travel Approval from the CCAA. Appointments cannot be requested at
the American Consulate without a copy of your Travel Approval from
the CCAA. CHI
will request appointments at the American Consulate in Guangzhou
immediately upon receiving the Travel Approvals. With
confirmed appointments in hand, CHI can finalize / confirm all your travel
dates.
Families will be notified immediately by email of the travel time and asked to make their
international flight arrangements.
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It is common that the confirmed travel date may not
be known until about two weeks prior to leaving. You may
research all options before then but not finalize arrangements.
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Families will be notified
when appointments are confirmed with the American Consulate and
the China arrival and departure dates are set up by our Beijing
Office Staff.
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CHI cannot make arrangements for
Inside China Travel until every person in the travel group has
booked their international flights,
so it is very important to
confirm your flights quickly.
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS - From U.S.
to China
The CHI Travel Coordinator will
contact you when it is time to make the international
reservations and will give you suggestions regarding those flights.
You are free to use the travel agency of your choice for the US
domestic and International flights or to make your own arrangements
directly with the airlines of your choice. You can do it.
We can help.
Things to know when booking your
international flights:
Your choice of international
departure city depends on where you live:
East coast
- New
York or Newark:
Midwest - Chicago
or Detroit
West coast - Los
Angeles or San Francisco
Do not book a flight
returning to the US with any layover in Canada (such as Cathay
Pacific). Your child will not be able to board that airplane even
if you won't be getting off the plane in Canada.
When arranging your
US flights to the city of departure, please allow enough time
(a minimum of 2-3 hours) to catch your international flight.
If need be, you should fly the night before and spend the night in
order to catch your international flight.
A return international ticket for
your child in his/her Chinese Name is required even if your child
is under the age of two.
You do not have to purchase a seat ticket, but a lap ticket is
required, and the cost is a percentage of your adult ticket.
The ticket must be in your child?s Chinese Name,
because that is the name that will appear on his/her Chinese
passport.
In China, the last name is always listed first, the next one or two
names is considered to be your child's first name.
All names on tickets must match the names on the passports.
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The ports of entry
into China are determined by the location of
your child?s orphanage.
Most groups will arrive in Beijing, but
if your child is located in the Guangdong Province, the group will enter China
through Guangzhou. Some families may elect to enter via
Beijing and sightsee in Beijing with other CHI groups before
traveling to Guangdong. CHI will
arrange flights for families to meet their group in Guangzhou at the proper time.
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It is sometimes very difficult to
use frequent flyer mileage due to the short notice of the
confirmed travel dates.
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Please
click here: for a list of resources / travel agencies that can assist you in
booking your international tickets.
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CHI will need to know your specific international airline flight
information with carrier name, flight numbers, arrival date/time
and departure date/time. Please send by E-mail a copy of
your complete travel itinerary from the airlines to CHI:
Attn:
Karolyn@ChildrensHopeInt.org
INSIDE CHINA TRAVEL
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Our China Travel Team will
coordinate the schedules, so all travel can flow together with
arrangements and appointments in China
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If you go early or stay late, CHI will book extra nights at the hotels in order to accommodate
your stay in China.
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CHI will automatically arrange airport/hotel transfers
when arriving
or departing China during hours (6:00 am - 11:30 pm).
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If you need an additional flight inside China, please talk to the
CHI Travel Coordinator. You may have to purchase this ticket
from your travel agency, since our tickets are booked in China,
and we would not be able to get the ticket to you.
INSIDE
CHINA FLIGHTS, HOTELS, SIGHTSEEING, GROUND TRANSPORTATION
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All families must be with the
group to begin and complete all of the adoption process.
Children's Hope International will make all the inside China hotel
arrangements. Families cannot make their own arrangements or
stay at different hotels.
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CHI will coordinate flights,
hotels (breakfasts are included at each hotel), sightseeing,
ground transportation, airport/hotel transfers, and CHI
coordinator expense. Tip money (local guides and drivers) will
also be included in the invoice for GROUPS containing 5 or
more families.
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CHI will email
or fax your Summary of
Adoption Travel Fees for the Inside China Travel costs just prior
to travel along with your inside China Travel Itinerary. CHI does not accept credit cards and
requests that you pay this fee by a certified check or bank
check which must be received before you travel.
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CHI books the
same type of rooms (usually standard or deluxe) for all families. Please inform
the China travel coordinator if this will not work for your
family.
Standard/Deluxe room arrangements: Most hotels have 2 twin beds and we will request a crib for a
child under the age of two. For children over the age of 2 (either
adopted children or children accompanying their parents from the US)
a rollaway bed and breakfasts will be included. Only one rollaway
bed will fit in a room. Please talk to your in-China CHI travel coordinator
about the room arrangements, if two children are on the trip.
Adjoining rooms can be requested, but it will depend on the
availability at each hotel.
Westin Hotel in
Guangzhou
Click here
for the 4 floor plans
available to CHI at a reduced cost for our families. If you have
any questions on the costs, please call Karolyn Tucker at
314-812-1785 when we start making your travel arrangements.
After
travel approvals are received and appointments are confirmed with the
American Consulate, CHI will send the following package to you to help
in the preparation for gathering all documents for the adoption
process. This package will include:
Your
Summary of Adoption Travel Fees along with your Inside China Travel
Itinerary will be emailed or faxed to you just prior to you traveling.
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