China Flight FAQs, Tips on Air Ticket Booking, Payment

China Flight FAQs

Before booking

Can I book the Chinese domestic discount air tickets online from abroad?: Yes, of course. www.travelchinaguide.com offers both real time flight schedule and ticket booking service with favored discount and quick response. Please feel free to contact us with your inquiries should you need help.

CHINA FLIGHTS: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-flights/
How many destinations can I book with you in China?: We can book flights to about 150 destinations including most provincial capitals and other major cities in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Mainly, we help you book the discount air tickets of Chinese domestic flights. If your planned destinations are not in our list, please send an email with your specific requirements to us at flight@travelchinaguide.com, and we will reply you with details as soon as possible.
Can I book flights to international destinations from Mainland China?: Yes, but we only book the international tickets to some closer Asia countries currently.
Can I book flights to Mainland China from international destinations?: Usually, we suggest our clients book the far distance international tickets in local agency since they can get better discounts.
Is there any special requirement for flying to Tibet?: Yes. Since Tibet Travel Permit is required by Tibet Tourism Bureau to visit Lhasa and surrounding cities, if you book a flight to Tibet, please be sure that you have applied for the Travel Permit and got it before departure.
What types of identification are acceptable?: Valid ID's include: People's Republic of China Resident ID for Chinese or passports for foreigners. If buying the tickets at the children or infants price, a valid certificate with the children/infants' birth date is necessary when you boarding the plane.

About E-tickets

What is an electronic ticket?: An electronic ticket, shortened as e-ticket, is an electronic record of the traditional paper ticket which is now offered by most of the major airlines. Or rather, an e-ticket memorizes the information of both flights and passengers from the internet and stores it in the ticket-reservation system. They allow you to travel without a paper ticket, eliminating the worry of leaving behind your tickets. An e-ticket proves your airline ticket purchases instead of a paper record; the only record of a ticket sale is in the electronic record in the airline's computer system. For passengers, e-tickets are used in the same way as paper tickets.
How do I use an electronic ticket?: Passengers holding e-ticket receipts can check in the same way as passengers holding paper tickets. The passengers only need to show their passports to check in at the Business Service Counter at the airport. After the passenger is identified by the airline, the staff will print out the boarding pass and baggage tags. Kind suggestion: Please inform the staff at the business service counter with your Passenger Name Record shown on the E-tickets, so they can find your records in the airline's computer system quickly.
What is an e-ticket receipt?: An e-ticket receipt functions as a voucher for e-ticket payment and reimbursement of China domestic air passengers; it is not a voucher for boarding the plane;

The receipt is permitted to be printed once, one piece for each passenger (If lost, it cannot be reprinted.);

The receipt cannot be arbitrarily altered; passengers should check the items listed on the receipt, such as names and certificate numbers.

E-ticket receipts are needed when passengers want to reroute or refund their e-tickets; passengers should send their application to the ticket agency with the original receipt.
How to reroute E-ticket?: For China domestic air passengers who want to reroute their e-tickets, there are two kinds of circumstances.

a. If the receipt has not been printed out:

Passengers can notify the ticket agency directly (e.g. by phone) if they want to reroute to a ticket of the same class standard (ticket at the same discount); they must confirm the completion of rerouting before they take their flights. If the price of the rerouted ticket is higher than that of the original one, passengers should go to the airport e-ticket counter or the ticket agency where they have their e-ticket receipt printed and pay the fare difference.

If the receipt has been printed out:

Passengers who want to reroute to a ticket of the same class standard (ticket at the same discount) should notify the ticket agency first and reroute their ticket under the help of the ticket agency staff. If the price of the rerouted ticket is higher than that of the original one, passengers should go to the airport e-ticket counter or the ticket agency with the e-ticket receipt and pay the fare difference there.

Reservation

How can I make a booking with TravelChinaGuide?: Our webpage designer devises a Flight Booking Form for you. When you select a flight, you will see the booking form, in which please complete several items for your booking information. Apart from this, you can contact us by email at flight@travelchinaguide.com as well with your specified requests. We offer both real time flight schedule and ticket booking service with favored discount and quick response. Please feel free to contact us with your inquiries should you need help.
How can I cancel or change my order?: To change or cancel your confirmed booking, you should send an email to us at flight@travelchinaguide.com, or fax to us through +86-29-8539-7349/ 8526 1922. We calculate your refund on the day when we receive the written cancellation by Beijing Time.
What's your change or cancellation policy?: Before we issue the tickets, the client may enjoy our free change options. If you have made the payment to us, any cancellation required by you after issuing the tickets, the service charge of USD6.00 net per ticket will be levied accordingly. After the flight tickets are issued, any change required by guests on confirmed flight date, time or airline companies must be notified us by written, mail or fax. The change terms are subject to the airline Change & Cancellation policy. We will calculate the change and cancellation fee from the day we receive the cancellation notice by Beijing Time. And the service charge of USD6.00 net is nonrefundable for any cancellation or No Show.
Does the price shown on your website include all the taxes and fees?: Yes. The domestic airfare lists on our website includes the airport construction fee and the fuel surcharge. But the service charge is not included, as well as the insurance. The total accurate charge you need to pay will be calculated for you in our replied email.
Are there any discounts for infant or children's tickets?: Yes. Usually, many airline companies offer discounted airfare for infants and children. Normally, children between 2 and 12 years old at time of traveling will enjoy the children's tickets which are 50% of the full price, while the infants between 0 and 2 years old at time of traveling will take the infants' tickets which are 10% of the full price.
Why does the child ticket cost more than the adult ticket on some flights?: Sometimes, the discounts for adults is better and the special price is even less than 50%, but the Children's discount is fixed, on this occasions, special deals for adult tickets will be lower than Children's tickets.
How much is the Fuel Surcharge and Airport Construction Fees for domestic flights?: The National Development and Reform Commission of China and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC for short) announced that as of Nov.14, 2009, the fuel surcharges on China domestic flights which have been suspended for ten months will be reinstated. And the fuel surcharges will be levied as below:
CNY20.00 for the flight route less than 800 km;
CNY50.00 for the flight route of and more than 800 km.
The Airport Construction Fees for Chinese domestic flights is CNY50.00 net.
Do children need to pay the Airport Construction Fees?: For domestic flights, neither children nor infants are subject to pay the Airport Construction Fees.

Payment

How can I make the payment when I buy the ticket from abroad?: We can accept your payment by three ways, namely Western Union, Paypal and Wire Transfer.

1. Western Union --- swift and safe way of payment
2. Paypal --- instant online payment
3. Wire Transfer --- if dislike using above payment methods;

You will be guided further after receiving your booking request with us.
Can I make the payment by credit card?: You are suggested make the payment by credit card through Paypal, which is more safe and convenient. Please check more details about Paypal by browsing www.paypal.com.
When will you issue the tickets after my reservation?: According to the working time of the airline company, we can issue the tickets between 08:00 and 21:00 (Beijing Time). If you failed to make the payment and send the Authorization Form to us all together within this period, we would not take the responsibility of missing the best discount tickets. Thanks for your understanding.
How can I get my tickets after payment?: If we issue the E-tickets for you, your records will be input to the airways' computer system, and we will scan the copies of the receipt to you as proof. So, you only need to take your passport/ ID card and show it to the staff of the Business Service Counter at the airport, they will find your record quickly and change the boarding pass for you. If we issue the paper tickets for you, we will deliver the paper tickets to you in advance, but the mailing charge is on your side. If you do not get any response from us after payment within 24 hours, please contact us by calling at 800-840-9555 (Available in China) or +86-29-8523-6688 ext 555 immediately, or you can email us to flight@travelchinaguide.com.
Do I need to print the receipt out and use it to change the boarding pass?: Actually, the receipt is an invoice only and there is no need for you to print it out. In order that your records can be found easily, we suggest you offer the PNR (Passenger Name Record), the exclusive code of each of your trip, and your passport/ ID card to the staff of the Business Service Counter.

Post-Booking

What should I do if my reservation cannot be found or it shows “Cancelled” while changing the boarding pass?: If you made payment to TravelChinaGuide and got the receipt of the e-tickets, your record should be input into the computer system of the airways and confirmed. Usually, different airways have their own service counter at the airport; please make sure you check in at the correct one. You should check in with your passport and the PNR listed in the email we sent to you. If your booking is still unavailable, please call us at 800-840-9555 (Available in China) or +86-29-8523-6688 ext 555 immediately. We will try our best to contact with the airline company solving the problem for you.
When should I reach the airport?: Passengers taking China domestic flights should arrive at the airport within the time limit set by the airlines. Most of the Chinese airlines stop the check-in procedures 30 minutes before departing. In some large international airport, the procedures are stopped 45 minutes or one hour before the departure. So passengers are suggested to reach the airport at least 1.5 hours in advance.

While the check-in procedures for international departure are usually stopped 3 hours before departing. In addition, passengers taking international flights are required to produce some relative certificates, such as health certificate, entry or exit documents; passengers are responsible for any consequence caused by their violation of relative regulation.
How long should I leave for the flight connection?: If you need to connect another flight, you are suggested keep 2-3 hours between the connection, in order that the previous flight postponed.
What should I do if my flight is cancelled or changed by the airline company?: TravelChinaGuide will inform you any change or cancellation made by the airline company in time, please check your mailbox frequently to get the latest news. In order that there is an emergency, please leave us your mobile phone available in China, so that we can contact you smoothly. Each airline has its own policy to handle the disruption, if you would like to change to another flight or postpone your departure date, please contact us immediately wherever and whenever, we will seek a solution for you. Please call us at 800-840-9555 (Available in China) or +86-29-8523-6688 ext 555 immediately should you need any help.
How do I handle the ticket refunding?: If flights are cancelled, advanced, delayed, rerouted or cannot provide the seat ordered due to the reason of airline companies, passengers are entitled to refund their ticket free of charge at the departing airport, or they can get their refund for the unused section free of charge at the midway airport; for ill passengers (including companion) who want to refund tickets, the refunding procedure follows the above expect that a medical certificate is required; for passengers who want to refund their tickets of their own accord, they should provide their ticket or e-ticket receipt as well as their identity certificates. The specific refunding policies of major China domestic airlines vary and passengers are advised to consult the service counter or the ticket agencies.
What should I do if I miss or mistake a flight?: If passengers miss a flight due to their own fault, they can choose to take the follow-up flight or refund their tickets (refunding fee will be charged), which can be dealt with either at the departing airport or at the original booking site. If it is airlines' fault, passengers can also choose to take the following flight or have their tickets refunded free of charge.

If passengers mistake a flight at their own fault, passengers can catch the earliest flight to their destination with airlines help; however, their tickets cannot be refunded. If it is airlines' fault, passengers will also be arranged to catch the earliest flight to get their destination; if passengers want to have their tickets refunded, no other fee will be charged.
Do we need to reconfirm the flight tickets with you before departure?: Yes. Due to the bad weather or some other unforeseeable reasons of the airline companies, there might be some changes before your departure. In order to smooth your trip, we suggest you check your mailbox from time to time to get the latest information of your flight.

About Luggage

What is luggage defined by CAAC?: According to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), air passengers' luggage can be divided into three categories, namely checked luggage, hand luggage and cabin luggage.

a. Checked luggage: luggage consigned by the airlines; passengers turn it over to the airlines before departing and fetch it with their luggage tag after arriving.

b. Hand luggage: luggage that can be put on the luggage-rack or under the seat, with the dimension and the weight not exceeding airlines' limits.

c. Cabin luggage: luggage with its weight included in the total weight of the checked luggage but is consign in passengers' cabin, in the care of passengers themselves.

The luggage defined by CAAC excludes state prohibited and restricted goods, hazardous materials, smelly articles or goods that may contaminate aircrafts.
What is the free luggage allowance for China domestic flights?: Any passenger holding a first class adult ticket or a half-price ticket is entitled to bear the luggage of 40 kg (about 88 pounds) free of charge (checked and carry-on luggage); Any passenger holding a business class adult ticket or a half-price ticket is entitled to bear the luggage of 30 kg (about 66 pounds) free of charge (checked and carry-on luggage); Any passenger holding an economy class adult ticket or a half-price ticket is entitled to bear the luggage of 20 kg (about 44 pounds) free of charge (checked and carry-on luggage); No free luggage allowance for people who hold infant tickets.
What is carry-on luggage for China domestic flights?: Each first-class passenger is entitled to have two pieces of carry-on luggage; Each business-class and economy-class passenger is entitled to have one piece of carry-on luggage; The size of each carry-on luggage should be smaller than 20 X 40 X 55 centimeter (7.8 X 15.7 X 21.6 inches) and total weight should be less than 5 kg (11 pounds). Otherwise, the luggage should be checked together with your other luggage. For luggage in excess of the free luggage allowance in piece, or the sum of the length, width and height of each piece exceeding the prescribed limits, an excess luggage charge should be paid. We recommend for efficient travel that each passenger travel with only one suitcase and one carry-on bag. Excessive number, size, or weight of luggage may result in your inconvenience and/or surcharge.
What about the charge for overweighted luggage?: The charging rate of the overweighted luggage for China domestic flights is 1.5% per kilogram, multiplied by the economy class ticket price the charging fee. Each Chinese airline company has a different method and rate to charge the overweighted luggage to which passengers should pay attention.
How to consign my luggage?: Passengers should consign their luggage with valid flight ticket on the day of the departure. After the consignment, passengers are given a luggage tag, by which they can fetch their luggage. After being approved by the airlines, a part of checked luggage can be taken with passengers as cabin luggage, but it should be weighed together with checked luggage. The checked luggage should meet the following requirements; otherwise, the airlines can refuse to accept for consignment:

a. Suitcases, traveling bags or hand bags should be locked;
b. Two or more pieces of luggage should not be bundled together;
c. No extra articles are allowed to be attached to the luggage;
d. Baskets, net slings, hay ropes or straw bags could not be the shipping package;
e. Passengers' personal information including their name, address and phone number should be written clearly on the luggage.

Additionally, there are four categories of articles should not be consigned as checked luggage:

a. Small and precious articles, such as cash, securities, drafts, credit cards, jewelry and camera;
b. Articles in urgent need, such as medicines, keys, passports, traveler's checks and business files;
c. Irreplaceable articles, such as manuscripts and heirlooms;
d. Fragile articles, such as eyeglasses, glass containers and liquids.

All these articles are suggested to be accompanied with passengers. Otherwise, if lost or damaged, all these articles will be reimbursed according to the common carrier's payment.
What about declared value?: The CAAC stipulates that if the value of the checked luggage exceeds CNY 100 per kilogram, passengers can claim a declared value for their luggage. But the declared value should not be in excess of the real value. The upper limit of the declared value for each passenger is CNY 8,000. In particular, each Chinese airline has its own standard for declared values, to which passengers should pay attention.

Security Check

Who cannot pass the security check?: Before departure, passengers along with their luggage must receive the security check. For special passengers such as unaccompanied children, disabled, pregnant women, the blind and deaf as well as criminals, only should they meet the airlines' regulations or be approved by the airlines can they pass the security check. Patients with infectious diseases, psychopaths or individuals whose physical condition may do harm to other passengers cannot pass the security check.
What are hazardous materials by CAAC?: Carrying hazardous materials can be very dangerous. The CAAC states that hazardous materials mainly include the following categories: aerated solids like polishes, paraffin wax or detergents; corrosive substances like acids, cleaning agents or wet button batteries; combustible materials like paint, thinners, flammable liquids, lighter, adhesion and portable stoves; explosive materials like fireworks, flare bombs, announciators, loaded firearms and gunpowder; radioactive substances like β-ray telescope, radioactive Pharmacy or to-be-transplanted pacemaker; compressed gases like tear gas, protected pressurized spray, air tank or gasoline tank (unless it is empty); infectious materials like vaccines or animal viruses; toxic substances like rat poison.

If passengers have to take those articles with them, they may confer with the airline's freight department.
Is there any specific provisions for hand luggage?: Yes. The following are articles that cannot be taken with passengers as hand luggage.

a. Firearms and equipments for military or police use
i. military or police guns: pistols, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns and baton guns
ii. Civilian guns: air guns, shotguns, sporting guns, anesthetic injection guns and starting guns
iii. Other military or police weapons: batons, daggers and bayonets
iv. State prohibited guns or weapons: steel ball guns, tear gas guns and electric guns
v. Imitation of firearms mentioned above: gun samples or guns used as properties
b. Explosives
i. ammunition: bombs, grenades, flare bombs, fire bombs, smoke shells, tear bombs, gas bombs and bullets including blank cartridges, testing missiles and practice ammunition
ii. blasting equipment: blasting explosive, blasting fuse, detonating cords, non-electric detonating system and blasting agents
iii. Pyrotechnic products: fireworks and firecrackers
iv. Imitation of explosives mentioned above
c. State controlled cutting tools: daggers, three-square tools, backsword or double-edged sword that longer than dagger
d. Explosive and Flammable materials: cylinders containing liquefied or compressed gases such as hydrogen, oxygen and butane; white phosphorus, yellow phosphorus, nitrocellulose (including film), oilpaper and their products which may cause spontaneous combustion; potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium carbide, Mg-Al powder that will react with water; Gasoline, kerosene, diesel, benzene, ethanol (alcohol), paint, thinner, retinol and other flammable liquids; flashlight powder, solid alcohol, celluloid and other flammable solids; sodium peroxide, potassium peroxide, lead peroxide, acetyhydroperoxide and other organic oxides
e. Toxic materials: Cyanide, highly toxic pesticides and other toxic materials
f. Corrosive substances: sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, electrolytic batteries, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide
g. Radioactive substances like radioisotopes
h. Other materials that may harm the flight's safety, such as materials with strong irritating smell and strong magnetic articles that may interfere the normal working of aircraft's instruments.

Others

Do the airlines provide special services for disabled passengers?: Of course. Disabled passengers who need special services should apply to the airline in advance. The special services provided by the airlines usually include assistance with those passengers when they board, transfer and get off the plane

Passengers with wheelchairs should consign their wheelchairs as checked luggage. The blind and deaf passengers can board the plane with their guide dogs or they can consign them free of charge. If passengers want to take their dogs into the cabin, they must have them well muzzled, firmly strapped and not occupying any seat; if passengers want to cosign them in the cargo hold, their guide dogs must accord with the requirements for pets shipping.
May I take my pets?: Pets here refer to the homebred animals such as cats and dogs (Wild animals, dangerous animals or animals with monstrous appearance are excluded). Passengers flying with pets should apply to airlines with a quarantine certificate when they book their tickets. After airlines' approval, passengers could consign their pets at the appointed time on the departure day at the airport.

Containers for pets shipping should meet requirements as follows:
a. firm enough to prevent pets from escaping or stretching out to harm other passengers or their luggage;
b. must be kept airy for pets to take in enough oxygen;
c. that can prevent pets' excrement from leaking lest the aircraft, equipments or other items are polluted;

Still, passengers should know that pets cannot be transported in the cabin, except with the airlines' concession; the consignment fee will be charged as the overweighted luggage, on the basis of both pets' and containers' weight; airlines are not responsible for pets' injury, disease, lose or death that caused by refusal of entry or passing.

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China Flight FAQs

Before booking:

About E-tickets

Reservation:

Payment:

Post-Booking:

About Luggage

Security Check

Others

Before booking

About E-tickets

Reservation

Payment

Post-Booking

About Luggage

Security Check

Others