China Is The Cheapest Country In The World To Fly Internationally

On September 20, 2016

On By Monica Guan

By Monica Guan In General No Comments

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If you’re looking to start an East Asia adventure, China is the best place to begin! Did you know that China is the cheapest country in the world to fly internationally? A recent study by kiwi.com looked at the average ticket cost per 100/km of travel from 75 of the world’s most frequently visited countries shows that China is the cheapest for low-cost and full-service international flights! Costing only $1.22 USD per 100 km, compared to the most expensive which is Canada costing $43.70 per 100 km.

Since flying from China to other countries worldwide is the cheapest, starting your Asia tour in China can save you tons of money. This is partly because China’s major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong are international transit hubs, and hundreds of planes connect through here daily to cities worldwide.

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Many people chose international work or teaching positions in China because of the low cost of living in comparison to other East Asian countries, and now it’s been proven to be the cheapest East Asia country to fly internationally.

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Although it’s the cheapest country to fly internationally, it is not the cheapest country to fly domestically. Currently, India holds the spot for low-cost and full-service domestic flights at $2.27 per 100km.

China is not far behind at #35 out of 75 countries.

But, this doesn’t mean that it’s not cheap to travel domestically in China. Flights domestically may be expensive in comparison to other countries, but you must consider the many other forms of transportation available. China has some of the fastest trains in the world, connecting all the major cities in China. If you’re on a budget, there are slower sleeper trains that you can take at a fraction of the cost. This will also be saving you on a night at a hotel. Many cities are also connected by the numerous bus lines, so there are more than enough options to get around. Flights may be faster, but after factoring getting to the airport and arriving 2 hours before the flight, there is little difference sometimes.

How to book the cheapest flights in China

Although China is the cheapest place to fly, how can you make sure you’re booking the cheapest flights? Here are some tips to help you save even more when booking flights from China.

Tip #1 Look at Chinese flight booking sites

Many international travel sites may not include discount airlines like Spring Airline and Air Asia in their search engine, so searching through domestic travel sites like Ctrip will help you find the best deal. For example, I looked for a round trip from Shanghai, China to Bangkok, Thailand and through cheapoair.com the cheapest ticket is for $215.04.

But if you search on Ctrip for the same location during the same time period you will find the same nonstop flight that is almost $50 cheaper at $170.

Another example for a flight from Shanghai to Singapore at the same time can be found for $303.79 on CheapOair versus $251 found on Ctrip.

Tip #2 Timing

Avoid popular vacation times like during school holidays, international holidays, Chinese holidays and holidays of the country you’re traveling to. Some Chinese holidays to note are October 1-7 which is National day, new years, Chinese new years, Labor day, and the mid-autumn festival. A lot of these holidays are based on the lunar calendar, so the dates change yearly. Make sure you do your research before you book!

Also, consider booking tickets that leave and arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday as that’s when plane tickets are the cheapest. Many business trips and holiday travelers book tickets from Friday-Monday, so they’re the most expensive.

With this new knowledge are you ready to book your trip to China and start an adventure?

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