How Much Are China Airfares?
| Domestic or International?
Once you are in China, you can travel in China fairly much without
exception on your Chinese visa. You still need to take your passport on
domestic flights though. Getting to China and back from your home
country is what we'll deal with first. First and foremost, you will likely need a visa. In order to get a visa for a UK citizen, you will either need to visit the London Chinese Embassy or the Manchester Chinese Embassy. You can do this in person (make sure you check the times of opening and don't be late!) or sometimes you can send your passport in and get it sent back. |
 |
Obviously, going in person will
get the job done quicker. We'll cover the detail in another article on
obtaining a Chinese visa. For now, just know that it will cost you more
money generally if you need the visa on the same day, but a same-day
service is available, at least in Manchester anyway.
When booking your flight ton China it is worth shopping around online and also calling companies individually about their offers. Sometimes the people working the lines can find better seats, deals and offers than is available even at their own website, so it is always worth trying to negotiate with the company if time is not a considerable pressure.
China airfares from the UK and the US tend to vary seasonally. Summer vacations are high season as well as Christmas holidays, although to a lesser degree. The price of a UK return ticket, in standard economy class can literally vary from £300 inclusive of taxes right the way up to £650 and further upwards of that. US prices, you're looking anywhere between $600 to $1500+ for a return flight from San Fransisco for example.
The problem with booking too early in advance is that you can miss offers that come along later, however, leave it too late and you will be scrambling for seats, even if your dates are flexible. So if you are a scrupulous saver like me, its a bit of a catch 22 situation. I would say I've got my best China flights at around six weeks prior. Three months prior is a good time to safely book, but you may miss some of the bargains that come along later.
Domestic flights are easier to book generally, if, and its a big if, you know someone Chinese who is able to help you to negotiate. A flight from Nanjing to Beijing for example should cost around £40 ($60-80). Flying is obviously faster than ground travel, but taking an overnight train can mean that you fall asleep in your bunk (if you are lucky) and wake up the next morning at your destination. This can be easier said than done though, however, without meaning to put you off, Chinese domestic flights can be as rough and ready as you get!
When booking your flight ton China it is worth shopping around online and also calling companies individually about their offers. Sometimes the people working the lines can find better seats, deals and offers than is available even at their own website, so it is always worth trying to negotiate with the company if time is not a considerable pressure.
China airfares from the UK and the US tend to vary seasonally. Summer vacations are high season as well as Christmas holidays, although to a lesser degree. The price of a UK return ticket, in standard economy class can literally vary from £300 inclusive of taxes right the way up to £650 and further upwards of that. US prices, you're looking anywhere between $600 to $1500+ for a return flight from San Fransisco for example.
The problem with booking too early in advance is that you can miss offers that come along later, however, leave it too late and you will be scrambling for seats, even if your dates are flexible. So if you are a scrupulous saver like me, its a bit of a catch 22 situation. I would say I've got my best China flights at around six weeks prior. Three months prior is a good time to safely book, but you may miss some of the bargains that come along later.
Domestic flights are easier to book generally, if, and its a big if, you know someone Chinese who is able to help you to negotiate. A flight from Nanjing to Beijing for example should cost around £40 ($60-80). Flying is obviously faster than ground travel, but taking an overnight train can mean that you fall asleep in your bunk (if you are lucky) and wake up the next morning at your destination. This can be easier said than done though, however, without meaning to put you off, Chinese domestic flights can be as rough and ready as you get!
