I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for a place to buy tickets for flights within China. I am in the United States. I'm not looking for a "good deal" here, since all the airlines seem to have exactly the same prices. I'm just looking for a reputable place to issue the tickets and mail them to me. (I assume that's safer than e-tickets, if they're available.)

Thanks!

In this thread Flying in China (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=525451) moondog suggests/highly recommends buying your intra china tickets after you get to China.

In this thread Flying in China (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=525451) moondog suggests/highly recommends buying your intra china tickets after you get to China.


Moondogs' advice is still valid, but since the time he posted, I think there is another option: ctrip.com

It appears that they now offer online e-ticket purchase of domestic China flights with deep discounts on certain flights as would be available from a TA in China. However, the site is quirky and difficult to use. The usual online TA's like Expedia only sell the tickets at full fare.

1. Even though ctrip has an English button. It helps to load the Chinese character set into your computers operating system

2. For destinations, you can't use 3-letter airport codes, but have to spell out the City name correctly; Guangzhou instead of CAN for instance.

3. For reasons I can't understand, you have to specify a "Sales City". "Los Angeles" seem to work.

4. Error messages are hard to interpret and the site is randomly not avaiable for maintenance.

Bowgie

The advice to buy on arrival in China is still the best advice. The best use of sites like Ctrip is to get an idea of what kind of discount you may get in China, although the chances are you'll still do better for yourself. Also the site has no more than a very limited selection of the actual flights available. China has over a dozen domestic airlines only a few of which are represented, and there vastly more routes than are shown. Much of the hotel coverage on Ctrip is dishonest, and it's on hotels that the company claims to make about 80% of its profits. I don't think this site deserves your business, even if it happens to have the flights you want.

Peter N-H

Much of the hotel coverage on Ctrip is dishonest, and it's on hotels that the company claims to make about 80% of its profits. I don't think this site deserves your business, even if it happens to have the flights

while i agree ctrip is no corporate saint, i think it is wrong to lump its hotel and airline businesses into the same bundle. for air routes that they cover, they generally nail complete schedules, offer best available prices, and are easy to deal with. if there's a physical ta in your hotel, then go with them; otherwise ctrip is pretty solid. (yes, i know that fares quoted aren't always available, but this has more to do with batch processing than fraud.)

What kind of discount can one expect to get when buying intra-China tickets after arriving in China? I'll need to buy 4 one-way PEK-XIY tickets and Ctrip is showing some discount Y tickets for Y840, but the times are not very good. There are flights with better times that offer full-fare Y seats for Y1050. Then there are full-fare F tickets for Y1580. Is the F seat and service worth the small premium (it's either the full-fare Y or full-fare F since we would like to take an early flight)? All flights are narrowbody aircraft. Are we likely to find less expensive tickets once we arrive in PEK?

Do these flights ever sell out, or is it pretty safe to wait until we get to China?

Thanks.

Do these flights ever sell out, or is it pretty safe to wait until we get to China?


flights often seem very full, but i've never once been shut out. those numbers you were tossing around were uninspiring; no point locking them in (kind of like being dealt a pair of 3s).

flights often seem very full, but i've never once been shut out. those numbers you were tossing around were uninspiring; no point locking them in (kind of like being dealt a pair of 3s).

Thank you for the fast reply moondog.

Are discount J and F fares usually available once in China?

Are discount J and F fares usually available once in China?

i've never seen discount j/f

Starting to panic now...

I'm arriving into Beijing on April 11th at 9:30pm. I want to fly to Shenzhen the next morning (9am china southern flight would be great)

My question is - should I book my PEK-SZX ticket online now on ctrip or elong (for around 1150 rmb) or should I wait until I get to PEK?

If I should wait until I get there, where should I buy my ticket in Beijing (remember that I arrive at 9:30pm at night and am trying to fly the next morning. I will fly the next afternoon if I can save some $$$ though)
I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Lido.

Thank you!

Sheel

Starting to panic now...

I'm arriving into Beijing on April 11th at 9:30pm. I want to fly to Shenzhen the next morning (9am china southern flight would be great)

My question is - should I book my PEK-SZX ticket online now on ctrip or elong (for around 1150 rmb) or should I wait until I get to PEK?

If I should wait until I get there, where should I buy my ticket in Beijing (remember that I arrive at 9:30pm at night and am trying to fly the next morning. I will fly the next afternoon if I can save some $$$ though)
I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Lido.

Thank you!

Sheel
I would book it now, since discounts normally fade out towards the travel day. Tomorrows flights e.G. are all 1400+90. (I have bought a ticket Shenzhen to Shanghai 2 days ago for 420+90 for tonight. Now it is 1400+90, no more dicounts available)

You can book now for 1050 + 90 (tax, insurance and construction fee) and later flights that day are not cheaper.


Because of the Guangzhou fair starting in mid April, flights might be even full.

In the other direction tickets are only 700+ on that day.

)
I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Lido.


The Lido has a nice travel agency that: 1) takes credit cards; 2) has a robust HSBC atm right outside.

Booking tickets in advance of your arrival will be a pain. The one exception I can think of would be to purchase from ctrip and pick up (pay) at their airport counter in PEK, assuming they are open. But, the Lido idea is a better one, even if it ends up costing you an extra $20.

http://www.travelsky.com

They have English version, and sell discounted E-Tickets. However, I don't know whether they take credit cards.

http://www.airchina.com.cn

Air China also sells discounted domestic E-Tickets online, and they do accept Visa card with "Verified by Visa" (I tried once and it worked), but I don't think they have English version for the reservation system.

It's confirmed that you can purchase E-Tickets for Chinese domestic flights at http://english.yoee.com with major int'l credit cards.