GWCA Travel Cost Information 8/2013 Great Wall China Adoption @ 248 Addie Roy Rd. #A102 Austin, Texas 78746 Toll Free 1.888.GW.FAMILY Headquarters 512.323.9595 Fax line 512.323.9599 Copyright Great Wall China Adoption 1996-2011
Table of Contents 1 Introduction... 3 2 Accomodations and Transportation... 3 3 Intra China Flights... 5 4 Standard Fees... 5 5 Additional Expenses... 7 1.888.GW. FAMILY 512.323.9595 Page 2 of 7
1 Introduction Great Wall s Travel Cost Information for Intra-China Arrangements The following is a general breakdown for your reference. All prices are subject to change due to special circumstances, without prior notice. The prices quoted here are valid only at the time of your travel. When looking at pricing for adults, 12 years of age and older is considered an adult for the intra-china flights, trains, hotel rooms, etc. in China. Please note that families are responsible for purchasing their international flights. This means that families are responsible for booking flights to and from China. Families must book flights to arrive in Beijing, Hong Kong or Shanghai, or child s province if you are skipping tours in Beijing. If families are skipping touring in Beijing you are required to fly directly into your province. If you are doing the Beijing tour Great Wall China will book the flight from Beijing to your child s province. Delight Travel arranges most of arranges most of our families international flights. Please allow our Travel Advisor to review all your flights before purchase, as we want to ensure you arrive in a timely manner to make all adoption appointments 2 Accommodations and Transportation Once room and airline tickets have been reserved, cancellations or changes of the reservations are subject to hotel and airline restrictions and service charges by the travel service provider in China. A $100 per change fee will apply if a family asks for changes after billing has been sent. If family changes hotel bookings after receiving invoice, family will be required to pay 50% of contracted hotels total billing. While in China if families make changes and/or cancel flights or rooms no refunds are applicable. Please note if your flight into Beijing or your port of entry is on a different day than other families you re traveling with, you will also be charged a transfer fee of $16 from the airport to your hotel. If the arrival time is different than other families but on the same day, you will be charged a transfer fee of $16. Beijing - these prices are for rooms within our contracted hotels. Standard Rooms are $110 per night and can have 2 double beds or king bed, with up to 2 breakfast buffets. Deluxe Rooms are $162 per night and can have 2 double beds or king bed, with up to 2 breakfast buffets. Regular Suites are $215 per night. These rooms have one king bed with an additional sitting area with loveseat. There are no double beds available for the suite. Executive Suites are $275 per night. These rooms have one king bed with up to 2 breakfasts served in your suite or on your floor. This room has a living area with a separate bedroom, much like a one bedroom apartment. 1.888.GW. FAMILY 512.323.9595 Page 3 of 7
Provincial Cities - these prices are for rooms within our contracted hotels. Rates vary depending on the provincial city. Not all levels of rooms are available in the provinces. The only constant is the standard room. Let your Travel Advisor know if you want more information regarding the other types of rooms in your provincial city. Standard Rooms range from $110-$180 per night. These rooms have 2 double beds or a king bed with up to 2 breakfast buffets. Deluxe Rooms are $162-$245 per night and can have 2 double beds or king bed, with up to 2 breakfast buffets. Regular Suites are $215-$380 per night. These rooms can have one king bed or 2 double beds, with up to 2-breakfast buffets. Some provincial cities who offer suites only have suites with a king bed and not 2 double beds. Please talk to your Travel Advisor for more information. Executive Suites are $275-$500 per night. These rooms have one king bed with up to 2 breakfasts served in your suite or on your floor. This room has a living area with separate bedroom, much like a one bedroom apartment. Guangzhou - PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WHITE SWAN has closed down for renovations as of September 1, 2011. GWCA has contracted with the China Hotel Marriott in Guangzhou until further notice. We have received wonderful feedback from families who have stayed at the China Hotel Marriott. Standard rooms are $165 per night. These rooms have 2 double beds and 2 breakfast buffets (The double beds are a little larger than our twin beds). Deluxe Rooms are $194 per night and can have 2 double beds or king bed, with up to 2 breakfast buffets. Regular Suites are $265 per night. These rooms have one king bed and no 2 double beds, and up to 2 breakfast buffets. These rooms have an additional sitting area and 2 full sized couches with no fold out beds. Executive Suites are $310 per night. These rooms have one king bed with up to 2 breakfasts served in your suite or on your floor. This room has a living area with a separate bedroom, much like a one bedroom apartment. Additional Information Regarding Hotels All GWCA prices are for adults in rooms, include 2 breakfasts per day, and include all hotel taxes and service charges for up to 13 days. Families are responsible for all other meals. Please be aware that prices for the rooms may be less on the hotel websites, but our prices reflect a contracted package. We have contracts with hotels that provide standard price all year long, regardless of time of year or holidays. The only exception is in Guangzhou during the Guangzhou Trade Show. Pricing for hotel will increase during this time. We guarantee the booking of your rooms and are responsible for any problems that you may encounter. When families have booked on their own many have discovered that 1.888.GW. FAMILY 512.323.9595 Page 4 of 7
the rooms they book online are not available upon their arrival in China, or that the pricing isn t what they originally thought. If you are booking more than one room, please let your Travel Advisor know if you want adjoining rooms or rooms next door (side by side). Not all hotels offer adjoining rooms. Suites are not located on the same floors as standard rooms. This information is important if you are booking more than one room and want all rooms to be located next to each other. Please note that all rooms will be requested as non-smoking, unless you indicate otherwise to your Travel Advisor. You should also be aware that smoking is common in China and even a non-smoking room or floor in a hotel may smell smoky. A third adult staying in a room will be charged an additional fee per night. These rates vary depending on hotel. This fee includes one adult breakfast. If a 3rd adult is traveling with the family, the hotels require a cot/bed in the room. Please refer to the cost of the cots/beds below. Additional beds/cots cost $32-$48 per night and vary depending on hotel. All rooms have cribs at no additional charge for families. 3 Intra-China Flights The flight from Beijing to the provincial city ranges from $225-$375 per person. The flight from the provincial city to Guangzhou ranges from $225-$375 per person. When leaving Guangzhou, most families take the train to Hong Kong and then fly out of Hong Kong. If you choose to fly from Guangzhou to Beijing and then fly to the US, expect to pay $306 per person and $57 for an infant lap seat. Generally, children under 2 are free of charge for most flights and trains. Travelers age 2 and up are the same price per person. If you are interested in flying first- or business-class, please let your Travel Advisor know immediately upon receipt of Travel Approval. GWCA will contact you with pricing as we are made aware of seat availability. It is important to note, however, that first- or business-class seating may not be available for some flights. 4 Standard Fees The standard fees are part of an all-inclusive package and are non-refundable and nonnegotiable. Adult (18 and up) Standard Fee $1268/person flat rate Young Adult (12-17) Standard Fee $1010/person flat rate Single Parent or One Spouse Traveling Standard Fee $1695/person flat rate 1.888.GW. FAMILY 512.323.9595 Page 5 of 7
Children (2-11 years) Standard Fee $285/per person flat rate Baby (Under 2 years) Standard Fee $156 per person flat rate Families will pay $189 per day for each day over 13 days. This rate is per family, not per person. GWCA is charged $189 per day for every day over 13 days by our guide service in China. For those individuals choosing not to travel to Beijing, $26 will be deducted from the standard adult fee only. These standard fees are a package and cannot be changed or refunded due to missing a flight, schedule changes, non-participation in group activities, or traveling outside the group. This fee is not negotiable and applies to all travelers. The following services are included in Great Wall s Standard Fees: Transportation from airport to hotel and hotel to airport in all cities Ground transportation in all cities to and from contracted hotels through GWCA International and domestic airport departure fees Entrance admission fees for tours and sight-seeing Booking, ticketing, and arranging hotels and airfares Coordinating and making all the travel arrangements Working with various travel agencies Reviewing itineraries and bookings Providing travel advice and consultation Communicating with our China service provider and guides on all travel details to ensure all details are finalized and confirmed Communicating to set up appointments with the American Consulate in Guangzhou Contacting and coordinating with the provincial Civil Affairs offices, notary offices, and police bureaus to find out the adoption paperwork requirement of each province, its special rules and policies, and to book all the appointments Communicating with various provincial government offices in China regarding adoptive families and child information to civil affairs office, notary office, and police bureau Ensuring the adoption certificate and other legal documents are prepared and translated and the adoption paperwork is ready for the family to sign Working with welfare homes to arrange delivery of child and to verify the child s information prior to welfare home bringing the child to the family Taking families to visit Chinese doctors, if needed Escorting the families throughout the trip to adoption meetings, adoptive child s medical checkup, Consulate and Civil Affairs meetings On call 24 hours a day Interpreting between the adoptive families and officials, welfare homes, older adopted children, hotel staff and any other interpretation or translation, as needed. Reviewing and checking Chinese government and USCIS adoption paperwork In the event of disruption, guides will work with welfare home, provincial government and the China Centre for Children s Welfare and Adoption to advocate for your family 1.888.GW. FAMILY 512.323.9595 Page 6 of 7
4 Additional Expenses Orphanage visits are subject to approval from the province Civil Affairs or Orphanage. If an orphanage visit is allowed, additional expenses will apply. Please check with your Travel Advisor to see if an orphanage visit can be arranged prior to booking your travel In some provinces, the family must travel to the provincial police station or notary office to apply for their child s passport. Our guide and a private driver will take the family to this appointment, and the family will incur additional fees for this transportation. This transportation charge will vary depending on province, and how distant from the provincial capital. The passport requirements are determined by the provincial Civil Affairs, and you will be notified prior to your travel to China as your itinerary is finalized if this is necessary. If the child s passport needs to be expressed delivered from the child s province to Guangzhou, the cost will be $165 and added to your travel billing prior to travel. Sometimes this may become necessary in China due to unanticipated delays due to Civil Affairs offices being behind schedule. You will be notified by your guide, and required to sign a change order form for $165. This fee is NOT part of the inclusions in Great Wall s standard fees Adding the English Name to the child s passport is available in 1 province at this time. Jiangxi is the only province currently offering this service, and is an additional service fee of $70 per child Individual transfers from the hotel to the airport and the airport to the hotel will be $16 per adult, 12 years and older, each way for families arriving or leaving at a different time than the group. If the family is traveling alone, these transfers fee do not apply, unless family is not using our group hotels. If you are interested in additional tours during your trip, please contact your Travel Advisor for further information at time of Travel Approval. Note that traveling to cities other than Beijing, your provincial city and Guangzhou isn t allowed. If you want to arrive in China early to visit a different city or spend more time in your provincial city or in Beijing, that is acceptable. Otherwise, plan to schedule any non-related adoption trips prior to or after the adoption journey is completed. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have questions! 1.888.GW. FAMILY 512.323.9595 Page 7 of 7