I am traveling from San Francisco to Beijing in November, and will only be spending about 60 hours in Beijing. I learned from a friend that as a U.S. citizen flying into Beijing Capital, and then later out of Beijing Capital (to Krabi, Thailand via Kuala Lumpur) I could get a 72-hour transit visa upon arrival in Beijing. To do this I know I need to show Chinese immigration proof of onward journey out of China within 72-hours, which is fine since I already have that ticket.

What I can't figure out is if I need to tell my carrier from SFO -> PEK, Philippine Air, anything special. I know many airlines check to make sure you have a valid visa before allowing you on international flights. I called the Philippine Air office and the woman I talked with assured me that since I have a "roundtrip" ticket (SFO -> PEK, BKK -> SFO) that I had nothing to worry about when I get to the airport in San Francisco.

Is she correct?