Entering the destination
Entering the country
Airports & airlines
The best direct ticket deals are available from China’s international carriers, such as China Eastern. Air China, China’s national flag carrier, has a good safety record, and to date it has only had one fatal crash (in 2002). Air China should not be confused with China Airlines, the crash-prone Taiwan carrier.
Airlines flying to and from China:
Aeroflot Russian Airlines (SU; www.aeroflot.org) Běijīng (010-6500 2412); Shànghǎi (021-6279 8033)
AirAsia (FD; www.airasia.com) Macau (853-2886 1388)
Air Astana (KC; www.airastana.com) Běijīng (010-64566970)
Air Canada (AC; www.aircanada.ca) Běijīng (010-6468 2001); Shànghǎi (021-6279 2999)
Air China (CA; www.airchina.com.cn) Běijīng (800 810 1111); Shànghǎi (021-5239 7227)
Air France (AF; www.airfrance.com) Běijīng (4008 808 808); Shànghǎi (4008 808 808)
Air Macau (NX; www.airmacau.com.mo) Běijīng (010-6515 8988); Shànghǎi (021-6248 1110)
Air New Zealand (NZ; www.airnz.com) Hong Kong (852-2862 8988)
All Nippon Airways (NH, ANA; www.ana.co.jp) Běijīng (800 820 1122); Shànghǎi (021-5696 2525)
Asiana Airlines (OZ; www.us.flyasiana.com) Běijīng (010-6468 4000); Shànghǎi (021-6219 4000)
Austrian Airlines (OS; www.aua.com) Běijīng (010-6462 2161); Shànghǎi (021-6340 3411)
British Airways (BA; www.british-airways.com) Běijīng (010-8511 5599); Shànghǎi (021-6375 8866)
Cathay Pacific (CX; www.cathaypacific.com) Běijīng (010-8486 8532); Hong Kong (852-2747 5000)
China Eastern Airlines (MU; www.ce-air.com) Běijīng (010-6464 1166); Shànghǎi (021-95108)
China Southern Airlines (CZ; www.cs-air.com) Běijīng (010-950 333); Shànghǎi (021-950 333); Guǎngzhōu (020-950333)
Dragonair (KA; www.dragonair.com) Běijīng (010-6518 2533); Shànghǎi (021-6375 6375)
El Al Israel Airlines (LY; www.elal.co.il) Běijīng (010-6597 4512)
EVA Airways (BR; www.evaair.com) Macau (853-2872 6866)
Garuda Indonesia (GA; www.garuda-indonesia.com) Běijīng (010-6505 2901)
Iran Air (IR; www.iranair.com) Běijīng (010-6512 4945)
Japan Airlines (JL, JAL; www.jal.com) Běijīng (010-6513 0888); Shànghǎi (4008 880 808)
KLM (KL; www.klm.nl) Běijīng (010-6505 3505); Shànghǎi (021-6884 6884)
Korean Air (KE; 4006 588 888; www.koreanair.com) Běijīng (010-8453 8137); Shànghǎi (021-6275 2000)
Koryo Air Běijīng (JS; 010-6501 1557)
Lao Airlines (QV; www.laoairlines.com) Kūnmíng (0871-312 5748)
Lufthansa Airlines (LH; www.lufthansa.com) Běijīng (010-6468 8838); Shànghǎi (021-5352 4999)
Malaysia Airlines (MH; www.malaysia-airlines.com.my) Běijīng (010-6505 2681); Shànghǎi (021-6279 8607)
MIAT Mongolian Airlines (OM; www.miat.com) Běijīng (010-6507 9297)
Nepal Airlines (TG; www.royalnepal-airlines.com) Běijīng (010-6505 5071); Shànghǎi (021-6270 8352)
Northwest Airlines (NW; www.nwa.com) Běijīng (010-6505 3505); Shànghǎi (021-6884 6884)
Pakistan International Airlines (PK, PIA; www.piac.com.pk) Běijīng (010-6505 1681)
Qantas Airways (QF; www.qantas.com.au) Běijīng (010-6567 9006); Shànghǎi (021-6145 0188)
Scandinavian Airlines (SK, SAS; www.sas.dk) Běijīng (010-8527 6100); Shànghǎi (021-5228 5001)
Shanghai Airlines (www.shanghai-air.com); Shànghǎi (021-6255 0550, 800 620 8888)
Singapore Airlines (SQ; www.singaporeair.com) Běijīng (010-6505 2233); Shànghǎi (021-6289 1000)
Thai Airways International (TG; www.thaiairways.com) Běijīng (010-6460 8899); Shànghǎi (021-5298 5555); Kūnmíng (0871-351 1515)
Tiger Airways (TR; www.tigerairways.com)
Trans Asia Airways (GE; www.tna.com.tw) Macau (853-2870 3438, 853-2870 1777)
United Airlines (UA: www.ual.com) Běijīng (010-6463 1111); Shànghǎi (021-3311 4567)
Uzbekistan Airways (HY; www.uzbekistan-airways.com) Běijīng (010-6500 6442); Shànghǎi (021-6307 1896)
Virgin Atlantic (VS; www.virgin-atlantic.com) Shànghǎi (021-5353 4600)
Viva Macau (ZG; www.flyvivamacau.com)
Australia
STA Travel (1300 733 035; www.statravel.com.au) has offices in all major cities and on many university campuses. Flight Centre (133 133; www.flightcentre.com.au) has offices throughout Australia.From Australia, Hong Kong is a popular destination and is also the closest entry point into China. Although it’s a shorter flight, fares from Australia to Hong Kong are generally not that much cheaper than fares to Běijīng or Shànghǎi. Low-season return fares to Shànghǎi or Běijīng from the east coast of Australia start at around A$1000, with fares to Hong Kong starting from A$910.
Cambodia
China Southern Airlines has a daily flight from Phnom Penh to Guǎngzhōu (one way/return US$280/400). Shanghai Airlines flies three times weekly to Phnom Penh (one way/return US$290/390).Canada
Canadian discount air ticket sellers are also known as consolidators and their air fares tend to be about 10% higher than those sold in the USA. Check out travel agents in your local Chinatown for some real deals and browse agency ads in the Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, the Montreal Gazette and the Vancouver Sun. Travel CUTS (1866 246 9762; www.travelcuts.com) is Canada’s national student travel agency and has offices in all major cities. For online bookings try Expedia (www.expedia.ca) and Travelocity (www.travelocity.ca).From Canada, fares to Hong Kong are often higher than those to Běijīng. Air Canada has daily flights to Běijīng and Shànghǎi from Vancouver. Air Canada, Air China and China Eastern Airlines sometimes run super cheap fares. Return low-season fares between Vancouver and Běijīng start at around US$700.
Continental Europe
Generally there is not much variation in air fare prices from the main European cities. The major airlines and travel agents usually have a number of deals on offer, so shop around. STA Travel (www.statravel.com) and Nouvelles Frontières (www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr) have branches throughout Europe.Return fares to Běijīng from major Western European cities start at around €900 with Lufthansa, Air France and KLM. Flights to Hong Kong are slightly more expensive, with return fares starting from around €1000 to €1100.
France
France has a network of student travel agencies that can supply discount tickets to travellers of all ages.Recommended agencies:
Anyway (0892 302 301; www.anyway.fr)
Lastminute (0899 785 000; www.fr.lastminute.com)
Nouvelles Frontières (0825 000 747; www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr)
OTU Voyages (0155 823 232; www.otu.fr) This agency specialises in student and youth travellers.
Voyageurs du Monde (01 40 15 11 15; www.vdm.com)
Germany
Recommended agencies:Expedia (www.expedia.de)
Just Travel (089-747 3330; www.justtravel.de) An English-language travel agency.
Lastminute (01805-284 366; www.lastminute.de)
STA Travel (0697-4303 292; www.statravel.de) For travellers under the age of 26; branches in major cities.
Italy
A good agent, specialising in student and youth travel, is CTS Viaggi (06-462 0431; www.cts.it).Netherlands
A recommended agency is Airfair (0900 -7717 717; www.airfair.nl).Spain
Recommended agencies include Barcelo Viajes (902 200 400; www.barceloviajes.com) and Nouvelles Frontières (902 124 212).Hong Kong
Dragonair has 11 flights daily from Běijīng to Hong Kong (one way Y2530) and 15 flights from Hong Kong to Shànghǎi (one way Y1780). It’s cheaper to fly to Guǎngzhōu or Shēnzhèn and then take the train or bus to Hong Kong.Iran
Iran Air has twice-weekly flights from Tehran to Běijīng (one way/return US$620/900).Israel
El Al Israel Airlines has twice-weekly flights between Běijīng and Tel Aviv (one way US$630).Japan
There are daily flights operating between Tokyo and Běijīng, with one-way fares starting at around US$775. There are also regular flights between Osaka and Běijīng, with one-way fares at around US$600. Daily flights link Shànghǎi to Tokyo and Osaka, and there are also flights from Japan to other major cities in China, including Dàlián and Qīngdǎo.Reliable travel agencies used to dealing with foreigners:
No1 Travel (03-3205 6073; www.no1-travel.com)
STA Travel (www.statravel.co.jp) Tokyo (03-5391 2922); Osaka (06-262 7066)
Kazakhstan
China Southern Airlines has four flights weekly between Ürümqi and Almaty (one way US$290). There are three flights weekly between Běijīng and Almaty with Kazakhstan Airlines (one way US$390).Kyrgyzstan
There are flights from Ürümqi to Bishkek and Osh.Laos
Laos Airlines has two flights weekly from Vientiane to Kūnmíng. China Eastern Airlines has three flights weekly between the two cities (one way/return US$140/260)Macau
Air Macau has daily flights between Běijīng and Macau (return US$510) and several flights daily between Shànghǎi and Macau (return US$360).Malaysia
Malaysia Airlines operates four flights weekly between Běijīng and Kuala Lumpur (return US$630) and two flights daily between Shànghǎi and Kuala Lumpur (return US$480).Mongolia
MIAT Mongolian Airlines has five flights weekly between Běijīng and Ulaanbaatar (return US$410). Air China also flies between Běijīng and Ulaanbaatar. It can sometimes take a week to get a ticket and schedules are reduced in winter.Myanmar (Burma)
Air China has two flights weekly from Yangon to Běijīng, with a stopover in Kūnmíng (one way US$694). There are two flights weekly from Kūnmíng to Yangon (Y1630, Wednesday and Sunday) and three flights from Kūnmíng to Mandalay (Y1450, Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Air tickets and visas are available from the Myanmar consulate in Kūnmíng.Nepal
Royal Nepal Airlines operates two flights weekly between Kathmandu and Shànghǎi (one way/return US$200/400) and three flights weekly between Hong Kong (one way/return US$200/400) and Kathmandu. There are also two or three flights weekly from Lhasa to Kathmandu (Y2511).New Zealand
Both Flight Centre (0800 243 544; www.flightcentre.co.nz) and STA Travel (0508 782 872; www.statravel.co.nz) have branches throughout the country.International airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways International and Air New Zealand have return fares from Auckland to Shànghǎi for around NZ$1380 during the low season. Return low-season fares to Běijīng start at around NZ$1560.
North Korea
There are four flights weekly between Běijīng and Pyongyang with Koryo Air and China Northern Airlines (one way/return US$160/300).Pakistan
Pakistan International Airlines operates two flights weekly from Karachi to Běijīng (one way/return US$510/950). Air China has a weekly flight to Karachi from Běijīng. There is one weekly flight between Ürümqi and Islamabad on Xinjiang Airlines (one way US$280). A flight to Lahore from Ürümqi is a possible new route in the future.Russia
Aeroflot has daily direct flights connecting Běijīng and Moscow (one way US$510), and China Eastern Airlines has three flights weekly between Shànghǎi and Moscow (one way US$560). Moscow and Novosibirsk are also connected to Ürümqi by air.Singapore
STA Travel (head office 6737 7188; www.statravel.com.sg) has three offices in Singapore. Singapore, like Bangkok, has hundreds of travel agents offering competitive discount fares for Asian destinations and beyond. Chinatown Point Shopping Centre on New Bridge Rd has a good selection of travel agents.Fares to Běijīng are about US$550 return, while fares to Hong Kong start at US$350 return; there are also daily flights to Shànghǎi for US$500 return.
South Korea
Discount travel agencies in Seoul include Xanadu Travel (02-795 7771; fax 797 7667; www.xanadu.co.kr).Air China, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air have daily flights between Běijīng and Seoul (return US$510). Flights to Shànghǎi with China Eastern Airlines and Asiana Airlines are similar (return US$490). Seoul is also connected by air to Hong Kong, Tiānjīn, Shěnyáng, Qīngdǎo and Guǎngzhōu.
Thailand
Khao San Rd in Bangkok is the budget travellers headquarters. Bangkok has a number of excellent travel agents but there are also some suspect ones; ask the advice of other travellers before handing over your cash. STA Travel (02-236 0262; www.statravel.co.th; Room 1406, 14th fl, Wall Street Tower, 33/70 Surawong Rd) is a good and reliable place to start.One-way fares from Bangkok to Běijīng with Thai Airways or Air China are around US$300 or US$470 return. Other one-way fares from Bangkok include Hong Kong for around US$200, Chéngdū for US$230, Kūnmíng for US$190 and Shànghǎi for US$300. There are two flights weekly between Kūnmíng and Chiang Mai (Y1344, Thursday and Sunday).
UK & Ireland
Discount air travel is big business in London. Advertisements for many travel agencies appear in the travel pages of the weekend broadsheet newspapers, in Time Out, the Evening Standard and in the free magazine TNT.Travel agents in London’s Chinatown that deal with flights to China include Jade Travel (0870-898 8928; www.jadetravel.co.uk; 5 Newport Place, London), Sagitta Travel Agency (0207 484 8900; fax 0207 839 5066; www.sagitta-tvl.com; 11A Charing Cross Rd, London) and Reliance Tours Ltd (0800-018 0503; www.reliance-tours.co.uk; 12-13 Little Newport St, London).
For further agents, look at Chinatown Online (www.chinatown-online.co.uk), which also includes a list of travel agents outside London that specialise in tickets to China.
From the UK, the cheapest low-season return fares to Běijīng start at around UK£350 with British Airways; flights to Hong Kong are a little bit pricier.
Recommended travel agencies:
Flightbookers (0870-814 4001; www.ebookers.com)
Flight Centre (0870-499 0040; www.flightcentre.co.uk)
North-South Travel (01245-608 291; www.northsouthtravel.co.uk) Donates part of its profit to projects in the developing world.
Omega Travel (0870-027 8668; www.omegatravel.ltd.uk)
Quest Travel (0871-423 0135; www.questtravel.co.uk)
STA Travel (0870-163 0026; www.statravel.co.uk) For travellers under 26 years.
Trailfinders (0845-058 5858; www.trailfinders.co.uk)
Travel Bag (0800-082 5000; www.travelbag.co.uk)
USA
Discount travel agents in the USA are known as consolidators. San Francisco is the ticket-consolidator capital of America, although some good deals can also be found in Los Angeles, New York and other big cities. Consolidators can be found through the Yellow Pages or the travel sections of major daily newspapers.From the US west coast, low-season return fares to Hong Kong or Běijīng start at around US$850. Fares increase dramatically during summer and the Chinese New Year. From New York to Běijīng or Hong Kong, low-season return fares start at around US$890.
STA Travel (800-781-4040; www.sta-travel.com) has offices in most major US cities.
The following agencies and websites are recommended for online bookings:
www.cheaptickets.com
www.expedia.com
www.flychina.com
www.itn.net
www.lowestfare.com
www.orbitz.com
www.sta.com
www.travelocity.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment