That is awesome! Glad to hear you guys were able to pull it off! How was customs in China?

Also, I'm not surprised that the airline staff were difficult to work with. We're taught pretty quickly about the fines that the airlines can incur by the rejecting countries (I think usually ~$5,000USD) if we send somebody that shouldn't be allowed into the country. If that happens, and the airline finds out who allowed them to go, it probably won't be a pleasant experience