Returning to China in the fall: when to book international flights for the best price?

Hi everyone,

We’re planning to return to China next fall. Destination: Shanghai, followed by a trip through Gansu and then Hunan. I’ll admit that international flights are leaving me a bit puzzled—I’m wondering how far in advance I should book to get the best deals. For most other international destinations, I usually book 6 to 9 months ahead, but for China, it’s a whole different story... For example, when I look at flight comparisons, the best prices are around 500 € or even less for departures within the next 3 months with Chinese airlines (Air China, China Southern, etc.). Not the most practical timing for planning a trip... Those same tickets jump to over 1,000 € for departures around October 20th. 🏴‍☠️ There are also flights in October at very reasonable prices with Finnair + Juneyao Airlines. Has anyone heard of them? I’m worried that if the first flight (Finnair) is delayed, it might be impossible to get rebooked on the next Juneyao flight... Anyway, if you have any recent experiences to share... 😇 Thanks in advance! !

Hello,

School holidays start around 10/20. Do you *have* to travel on those exact dates, or can you shift them? Is this specific to Shanghai and China? I booked Air China tickets in January for a November trip to Taiwan at rock-bottom prices.

Thanks Jérôme for your feedback!

We can shift things a bit. But I’m wondering because when I checked flights last August for a trip in October-November 2024, the fares were under 500 € with Chinese airlines. Same thing now for a departure in June 2025. However, it’s more than double for this fall. Should we wait, then? I still feel like the lowest fares show up at most 4 months before departure...

Hi Anne Claire,

Yeah, that *is* weird. I just checked out of curiosity on Google Flights, and for your dates, you can find some for under 930 €. For example, from October 13 to 30 with BA;



Booking directly on BA’s site shows this price and avoids those shady resale sites. Though Google Flights doesn’t automatically switch you over to BA’s site.





Up to you to play around with it ;)

Hi Jérôme,

Well, I think we’ll wait a bit before booking—preferably with a Chinese airline like China Southern. BA doesn’t include baggage, and the flight time is longer anyway. I’m dropping the Finnair-Juneyao Airlines combo. Unfortunately, the good deals with Chinese airlines only seem to pop up 3 or 4 months max before departure. All that’s left is to be patient and keep an eye out every now and then...

Hi,

I’m dropping the Finnair-Juneyao Airlines combo.

Why? They’re code-shares, and Juneyao has good, recent planes.

Michel

Hi Michel,

Because these two flights only appear on booking sites. And since they’re not with the same airlines—even if there’s an alliance between them—I’m worried we might run into trouble if the first flight is delayed. We’d miss the second flight, and what happens then? It’s happened to us several times before, but since it was always with the same airline, we were put up at the airport and rebooked on the next day’s flight. But this time, I’m not so sure...🤪

Anyway, glad to be chatting again! 🙂 I’m looking at the discussions in the "reflections" section, but I’m lacking the motivation to jump in...

Hi Anne Claire,

Hopefully the low fares around 500 € will come through for you. You can set up alerts to stay informed. In terms of flight time, China Southern goes via Guangzhou, while China Eastern is direct to Shanghai.

Good evening Anne Claire,

Because these 2 flights only appear on booking sites. And since they’re not with the same airlines, even if there’s an alliance between them, I’m worried we might run into a problem if the first flight is delayed.

Yes, yes, the flights are for sale on Finnair’s website, with Finnair tickets. There’s nothing to worry about.

Otherwise, happy to chat again 🙂 I’m looking at the discussions in the "thoughts" section, but I’m lacking the motivation to jump in...

Same here sometimes, to be honest... 🙂

Michel

Hi there,

I’m currently in China. I bought my tickets on February 10th for a departure on March 20th: CDG/CHONGQING and return OSAKA/CDG for 480 €. I’m flying with Xiamen Airlines—great airline, good service. For flights to China, booking between 3 months and 1 month in advance works well.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. That’s really nice 🙂 Patrick’s experience makes me think I should wait then...

hi, we’re planning a similar trip—would you be interested in joining us?