possible to buy Air China ticket on China site?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 529
possible to buy Air China ticket on China site?
I found a Y450 ($66) OW fare PEK-PVG on Air China if I go into the China site vs $167 from the U.S. site. I got all the way to payment. Screen stated they only accept Visa if issued outside of China. When I clicked on it to pay with Visa, a message in Chinese came up. Am I to assume that only local residents are eligible for the discounted fare? Has anyone tried to book on the China website?
Should I wait til I get to Beijing to buy it? I hear it's is cheaper than buying it the U.S. anyway. Thanks.
Should I wait til I get to Beijing to buy it? I hear it's is cheaper than buying it the U.S. anyway. Thanks.
#4
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AC Elite
Posts: 95
A few days ago in January, CA announced on its Chinese website that it would temporarily suspend accepting Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards online.
Anyway, CA's website has always been useless. Just go look for a good local travel agency, such as Ctrip.
Anyway, CA's website has always been useless. Just go look for a good local travel agency, such as Ctrip.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: China
Programs: UA,DL,CZ
Posts: 860
This website is a good one for you to check the low fare. But it is in Chinese. If you have friends who can pay for you, it is better.
http://www.kuxun.cn
This website can search the fare provided by all sorts of channels and give you the fare from the lowest to the highest.
http://www.kuxun.cn
This website can search the fare provided by all sorts of channels and give you the fare from the lowest to the highest.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Delta DM CO PE OZ GE AMTRAK
Posts: 524
you should try ctrip.com, they have an english version, and should be able to accept payment by credit card (US based). They are like orbitz of US, have air fares from a variety of chinese airlines, and they also have some contract fares negotiated directly with the airlines.
Kuxun.com (or kooxoo.com, same site), on the other hand, is like Kayak.com, so it compares fares from a variety of website, but do not sell you tickets directly. I don't think they have an english page yet.
Kuxun.com (or kooxoo.com, same site), on the other hand, is like Kayak.com, so it compares fares from a variety of website, but do not sell you tickets directly. I don't think they have an english page yet.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 91
I've been using their website for about 4 years, and it has always worked fine. If it was down earlier this month, it must've not been long, because I recently bought several tickets traveling between Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Beijing for an upcoming trip in Feb.
As for making payments on their website, you won't get the payment window loaded properly if you do not have a Chinese-language software installed (it's sufficient to enable the Chinese add-on in Windows.) You won't need to understand Chinese to proceed once your payment window is properly loaded. You can use either VISA or AMEX (I have never used an MC) to check out.
CTRIP is better if you want to search across different Chinese airlines, and they even have a 1-800 number in case you have questions. But they will charge you an online booking fee.
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,690
Ctrip doesn't charge any booking fees, but like (almost) all other travel agents in China, they hit you up for a foreign CC fee (3 or 4%). Of course, this doesn't apply if you pay cash or use a UnionPay card.
#9
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 91
Answering questions is only the tip of the iceberg insofar as what they can do is concerned; when you show up at the airport and learn that your CA airplane is sick, they can book another ticket for you behind the scenes and direct you to the new airline's ticket counter
Ctrip doesn't charge any booking fees, but like (almost) all other travel agents in China, they hit you up for a foreign CC fee (3 or 4%). Of course, this doesn't apply if you pay cash or use a UnionPay card.
CA984 Y230 (Air China) Y340 (Ctrip)
CA986 Y230 (Air China) Y340 (Ctrip)
You are right they will charge you an extra 3% for using a CC issued outside of China.
Last edited by JimAtl; Jan 25, 2009 at 12:47 am
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,690
If you we're a PEK-XIY (pick another city pair) commuter, you'd quickly learn that CA is terrible with regard to problem at hand, whereas ctrip is decent. I'm speaking from lots of experience.
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,690
#12
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: CLT
Programs: US CP, HH DIA, IC AMB
Posts: 326
CTRIP booking
Yesterday I have tried to book on ctrip with a MC and they wanted me to fax them copies of the card front and back, my passport, and a signed payment slip. Anyone else know another way to get a trip PEK/CGO return booked? Thanks
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,690
Zhengzhou is one destination I wouldn't lose any sleep over (i.e. just wait until you're in China to book it, even at the airport is fine).
#15
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AC Elite
Posts: 95
I've been using their website for about 4 years, and it has always worked fine. If it was down earlier this month, it must've not been long, because I recently bought several tickets traveling between Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Beijing for an upcoming trip in Feb.
As for making payments on their website, you won't get the payment window loaded properly if you do not have a Chinese-language software installed (it's sufficient to enable the Chinese add-on in Windows.) You won't need to understand Chinese to proceed once your payment window is properly loaded. You can use either VISA or AMEX (I have never used an MC) to check out.
CTRIP is better if you want to search across different Chinese airlines, and they even have a 1-800 number in case you have questions. But they will charge you an online booking fee.
As for making payments on their website, you won't get the payment window loaded properly if you do not have a Chinese-language software installed (it's sufficient to enable the Chinese add-on in Windows.) You won't need to understand Chinese to proceed once your payment window is properly loaded. You can use either VISA or AMEX (I have never used an MC) to check out.
CTRIP is better if you want to search across different Chinese airlines, and they even have a 1-800 number in case you have questions. But they will charge you an online booking fee.
CA's website sometimes offers deeper discounts (e.g. Z class) on domestic flights than any other agents can possibly provide. What I am complaining about is the constantly ongoing changing of its online payment system, which makes it seem quite "fragile" and unreliable.