You may want to look at flying to Seoul, South Korea or Shanghai. To get from these cities, you will be able to find a seat on a bus, train or flight or if you are adventerous a ferry across from South Korea. I have travelled by train in China and enjoyed the experience. You see more of the scenery this way. Using this method it will take more time to reach Beijing, however going by train or bus will save you some money and this will reward the additional effort involved. You also enhance your travel experience as you see other locations you may have missed.
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
Something else to consider when trying to find a cheap flight to Beijing is to search for flights that go through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bankgok. These major asian hub cities have many flights that continue to Beijing. Use this option as an alternative to flying directly to Beijing. Due to the large number of flight options this results in good competition from these cities on cheap flight airlines. The end result is that you more than likely save some money compared with flying without a stop on the way to Beijing. It is a good option to stopover in one of the hub cities. I have used Singapore as my stopover city in the past. It is a good destination as the locals speak english and there are many interesting attractions you may visit. I stayed for three nights. Another advantage of doing this is that the time zone is the same as Beijing.
Another thing to check is a flight on the less well known airlines. China Northern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines are the coutries national airlines. Several other airlines including British Airways, Qantas, LTU also can be used to go to Beijing. I have traveled on some of the Chinese national airlines for domestic flights and have felt safe in doing so. The only problem I encountered was that the airlines are not strict at enforcing carry on luggage policies and you may find the overhead lockers are overloaded.
The worst time to find and book cheap flights to Beijing are during the main Chinese holiday travel times, including the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). You also need to know about national events (Chineses National Day is 1 October) or festivals, which are likely to make ticket prices increase. Chinese New Year also known as Spring Festival is the peak travel time for Chinese. Millions of people are travelling either within China or from overseas to visit relatives at this time. It can be very hard to book a flight to Beijing at this time.
Tips for Finding Budget Flights into Beijing:
- Fly during the middle of the week
- Consider going via Hong Kong or Shanghai and traveling from there to Beijing via train
- Plan your vacation and book during the off-peak season
- Do a search for flights that transit major cities, flying into Seoul, Bangkok or Singapore, and enjoy a stopover
- Look for carriers other than the national airline - others may position their price below the big name competition
Times to travel to Beijing to find a cheap flight:
Winter Season: Jan. 1 - Mar. 31 (Cheapest) watch for Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) here
Spring Season: Apr. 1 - Jun. 15 (Cheap)
Summer Season: Jun. 16 - Aug. 31 (Expensive)
Fall Season: Sep..1 - Oct. 31 (Cheap) watch for National Day during this time
Winter Season: Nov 1 - Dec 15 (Cheapest)
Christmas Season: Dec. 16 - Dec. 31 (Expensive)
Busy Season:
The busy local travel periods, when the locals travel, include Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), Labour Day, and Chinese National Day. The Spring Festival occurs in January / February. The Labor Day and National Day are 1 May and 1 October. Even with the heat and high humidity, summer is the high season for Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Chinese New Year in 2007 is on February 18. It will be the year of the pig. The Chinese will have a seven day holiday at this time. A very large percentage of the Chinese population travels during the Chinese New Year. It can be almost impossible to travel by train during this time. Many Chinese that have settled overseas also travel back to China to spend time with relatives.
Off Season:
When Winter falls in Beijing and Shanghai it is the quite season. At this time of year hotels offer large discounts. Based on my experience of having lived in Beijing I think the most pleasant time of year for a visit is fall/autumn. This is when the weather is more appealing and there will be a lot less tourists. You can also visit nearby Beijing attractions such as Fragrant Hills and enjoy the spectacle of the changing color of the leaves in autumn or see the blossoms in full bloom if you visit in spring. Going at these times is probably your best chance to find a flight to Beijing that is reasonably priced.
Please note that the advice in this article is not conclusive. It is only to be used as a guide. I have found airfares can vary from day to day and what is traditionally the cheaper day may change. The main thing to remember when searching for a flight to Beijing is to have a good look around at different booking sites and also maybe call a travel agent. When using a travel agent make sure you ask for the lowest price. I have experience with agents who do not give you the lowest price unless you ask.
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