A Teacher’s Return Journey from the USA to Beijing
A Teacher’s Return Journey from the USA to Beijing
Whether it’s a roundtrip back to China or your first time coming to China getting here is not as hard as you think.
Finally, after 3 LONG years, I bit the bullet and went back to New York (NY) this summer. Let me be very blunt, it was expensive, by expensive it cost me 16,000 USD for roundtrip airfare, hotel, and COVID tests (that’s for 1 person). In the end, it was worth it because being able to see your family again is something you can’t put a price on.
I left Beijing on 9.7.22 and returned on.7 8.22 to Shanghai. Getting out of China was and is easy. Just book a flight and have your COVID test within 48 hours and you are good to go. Flights were between 1-5K USD depending on your route. I went business class via Hong Kong it was around 5,000 USD but worth it for the lounge and bed since it took over 28 hours with layovers to get to NY.
Getting in or back in has been getting easier and better. Quarantine went from 21 days down to 7+3 and four COVID tests down to two. However, it is still a challenge but it is doable.
To sum it up you have two options. The cheap option (harder option) or the expensive (easy option). A cheap option is just to find the cheapest flight to the mainland and then book a flight from your departure city. However, you will still need to do two COVID tests in your departure city, and send them to the consulate. Then two more tests in your transit city plus maybe stay in a hotel and send to that consulate. New Zealand now was the cheapest option from the states it was around 3-4K USD for everything including tests and hotel to China. Taiwan and Hong Kong are options too but getting to the mainland is booked out for months.
More expensive was going direct from the US. I did this option it was 9,000 USD one-way premium economy from Detroit to Shanghai with Delta. Plus two covid tests (225 USD) and a hotel (100-150 USD a night). This route was the closest to my home and the cheapest. You could get the bottom-of-the-barrel economy seats for around 6,000 USD. However, those put you in the back of the plane, which means you will potentially get the worst hotel for your 7-10 days of quarantine. Note you can do one test in your home city and then do one test at DTW airport for 175 USD. Of course, you will need to manage your luggage and it’s a more expensive test but could be cheaper since you don’t need to pay for the hotel in DTW or even be in Detroit for a few extra tests. If you do fly from Detroit, then Biogenetics was the best lab, they were awesome and super-fast and helpful.
Once you get to your China destination get to the front of the line ASAP. The faster you get to the front the better your hotel quarantine option will be. I was going to Beijing and was in the first (non-shanghai group). We got the JW Marriot, others in the back of the plane got some really nasty apartment that was dirty and full of bugs. It’s the luck of the draw but trust me the better hotel is worth it for your prison term. NOTE: once you get off the plane it’s going to take 6 hours for you to get to the hotel. Be ready and use the toilet before you get your baggage.
Since the hotels vary, I was prepared for the worst. I honestly grabbed as many bottles of water, and snacks from the plane as I could. (Load up, you will need it because the food goes from acceptable to terrible and they don’t allow delivery). Make sure you bring a bunch of snacks, MREs (Mountain House is really good), and veggie drinks (Amazing Grass is excellent, a lot of vitamins). Ration your snacks and make a list of what you will eat each day. Bring a power bank and movies. If you have a TV, bring the HDMI cable, renew, or buy a VPN (trust me YouTube was a lifesaver, and they have a lot of free movies). If you can get a Chinese sim card, get one you will need for WeChat. Bring a jump rope or yoga mat, it’s a lot of time to exercise. I did ten days, and it was doable, even with the bad food. I would also make a daily schedule that will keep you busy and entertained.
Overall, despite the price, it was worth every penny being able to go home. Don’t let COVID or quarantine scare you. It might be frustrating but it’s not that bad if you go in with a positive attitude and know what to expect. In addition, there are several WeChat groups for those going to China. They are extremely helpful and full of great advice. Get in one and then get in one for your flight. Try not to get COVID because you need to be COVID-free to board the flight. Also, if flights get cancelled book a refundable ticket, it’s worth the extra 500 bucks to be able to get your money back and book a new flight if you need one.
At the end of the day, China is a great country and it’s a fun place to live. I’ve been here 11 years now, COVID shouldn’t last forever. Things will get better!
Safe Travels!
Preston Thomas