First, decide whether you even need to fly. Trips under about 1,200 km — say Beijing to Shanghai, Shanghai to Nanjing, Chengdu to Chongqing — are usually better by high-speed rail: city centre to city centre, no two-hour check-in, similar door-to-door time. Reach for a domestic flight when the map is long: Beijing to Chengdu or Guangzhou, Shanghai to Urumqi or Sanya, anywhere the train would eat up half a day.
【中文】先决定要不要飞。1200公里以内——比如京沪、沪宁、成渝——通常高铁更好：市中心到市中心、不用提前两小时到机场、门到门时间差不多。地图拉远了再坐飞机：北京到成都或广州、上海到乌鲁木齐或三亚，这些坐火车要耗掉半天的线路。1. Where to actually buy the ticket
Three channels work for foreigners. Trip.com (international Ctrip) has the cleanest English flow and takes foreign cards — it is where I start. The airline's own app (Air China, China Eastern, China Southern) sometimes posts the lowest fare and bundles seat selection, but is Chinese-language-heavy. General OTAs like the local Meituan app occasionally undercut by a few yuan, though payment needs a Chinese wallet. My habit: search Trip.com, then cross-check the airline's official price for the same flight.
【中文】外国人有三条渠道。Trip.com（国际版携程）英文最顺、收外卡——我从这里开始。航司自己的App（国航、东航、南航）有时票价最低、还能选座，但中文界面很重。本地美团偶尔便宜几块，但要绑中国钱包。我的习惯：先在Trip.com搜，再去航司官网比同一班。Pro tip for comparing: use a whole-month fare view on Trip.com. Domestic fares swing ¥300+ between a Tuesday morning and a Saturday evening in the same week; if your dates are loose, shifting by one day can pay for a hotel night. Set a fare alert and watch for a few days before committing — the system nudges you when the price drops.
【中文】比价小技巧：在Trip.com上用整月视图。同一周里周二早班和周六晚班能差¥300以上；日期灵活的话，挪一天就能省出一晚酒店钱。设个降价提醒、观察几天再下手——价格一降它会推给你。One timing nuance: Chinese domestic airlines open sale ~360 days out, but the cheapest fares appear roughly 30–60 days ahead. Book much earlier and you pay a premium "early bird" fare that is rarely worth it; book inside 14 days and you pay the walk-up rate. The sweet spot for most routes is the 30-day window, especially on midweek departures.
【中文】一个时间细节：国内航司约提前360天放票，但最便宜的票一般在提前30–60天出现。太早订付的是"早鸟价"，往往并不值；14天内订就是临时候车价。多数线路的甜点窗口是提前30天，尤其是工作日出发。And remember: the ¥600 Shanghai–Chengdu fare you see on a Tuesday is a different product from the ¥1,400 Saturday-evening fare — both are "Shanghai to Chengdu", but one is a midweek bargain and the other is the weekend peak. Search in English, compare the whole week, and you will rarely overpay.
【中文】记住：周二¥600的上海成都和周六晚¥1400的"上海成都"是两种产品——都是"上海到成都"，一个是工作日捡漏，一个是周末高峰。用英文搜、比整周，基本不会买贵。2. How to actually pay less
The fare game inside China is predictable. Book 15–30 days ahead outside holidays — travellers who buy a week out typically pay 10–20% more. Avoid the golden weeks (late January–early February for Spring Festival, and 1–7 October National Day) when fares triple and sell out fast. Midweek flights (Tuesday/Wednesday departures) and early-morning or late-evening departures are the cheapest business days. Same-day walk-up fares are almost never a deal.
【中文】国内机票的价格规律是有套路的：非节假日提前15–30天买，比提前一周便宜10–20%。避开黄金周（春节和国庆10月1–7日），票价翻三倍还秒光。工作日里周二、周三出发，早班或晚班最便宜。当天到柜台买票基本从不便宜。Watch which airport you actually book into. Beijing has two completely separate airports 70 km apart — Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX); Shanghai has Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA). A ¥500 "Beijing" flight into Daxing when your hotel is near the Forbidden City means an extra hour and ¥60 of rail each way. Always read the airport code on your ticket, not just the city name.
【中文】看清你到底订进哪个机场。北京有两个相隔70公里的机场——首都(PEK)和大兴(PKX)；上海有浦东(PVG)和虹桥(SHA)。¥500的"北京"航班落到大兴，而你酒店在故宫附近，意味着两头各多花一小时和¥60轨道费。看票上的机场代码，别只看城市名。
| Route 【中文】航线 | Off-peak one-way 【淡季单程】 | When flying wins vs rail 【何时比高铁值】 |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing – Shanghai 【京沪】 | ¥500–1,000 【$70–140】 | Rail 4.5 h — fly only if cheap 【高铁4.5h，便宜才飞】 |
| Shanghai – Chengdu 【沪蓉】 | ¥600–1,200 【$85–170】 | Rail ~11 h — flying usually wins 【高铁约11h，通常飞】 |
| Guangzhou – Sanya 【穗三亚】 | ¥400–900 【$55–125】 | Island route, fly 【海岛线，飞】 |
| Beijing – Xi'an 【京西】 | ¥400–800 【$55–110】 | Rail 4.5 h — rail usually wins 【高铁4.5h，通常坐火车】 |
3. The luggage rules — read this, avoid the fee shock
On the full-service airlines (Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan), economy class on domestic routes almost always includes 20–23 kg of checked baggage plus a 5–7 kg carry-on. That is generous by world standards — the trans-Pacific 23 kg rule applies here too. The trap is the low-cost carriers: Spring Airlines (9C), Lucky Air, 9 Air and similar sell a cheap seat that often includes no free checked bag — paying at the airport for a 20 kg bag can add ¥200–500, wiping out the fare saving. Always check "baggage allowance" on the booking page before you click pay.
【中文】全服务航司（国航、东航、南航、海航）国内经济舱几乎都含20–23公斤托运加5–7公斤手提，比国际标准还大方。坑在廉航：春秋、祥鹏、九元这些，便宜票常常不含免费托运行李——到机场补20公斤行李要¥200–500，把票价省的全吐回去。付款前一定看一眼"行李额"。If you do overshoot the weight, the overweight surcharge is roughly ¥15–30 per extra kilo on full-service airlines — a 25 kg bag on a 20 kg allowance costs maybe ¥75 extra, painful but not catastrophic. Where it bites is the low-cost carriers: pre-buying a 20 kg bag online at booking time costs about half what it costs at the airport counter. So on a Spring flight, add the bag when you book, not at check-in.
【中文】真超重了怎么办？全服务航司超重费约每公斤¥15–30——25公斤的包超5公斤，多付约¥75，肉痛但不致命。真坑在廉航：订票时网上买20公斤行李额，比到机场柜台便宜一半。所以坐春秋，买行李额要在订票时加，别等值机。Two carry-on rules foreigners always trip on. Power banks (充电宝) must go in your hand luggage, never checked, and must be under 100 Wh (typical 10,000–20,000 mAh phone banks are fine). Liquids in hand luggage follow the 100 ml rule like everywhere else. Show up with a big bottle of water and it goes in the bin.
【中文】两个外国人常踩的随身行李规则：充电宝必须随身带、不能托运，且能量在100Wh以内（常见1万–2万毫安的充电宝都没问题）；随身液体和国际一样100毫升。带大瓶水过安检？直接扔垃圾桶。4. Getting through the airport with a foreign passport
You cannot use a national ID card — your passport is your boarding document, and keep the small white entry-exit stamp slip you got on arrival; some airports ask to see it for domestic connections. Check in online or at the counter with the passport number you booked under, drop the bag at the foreign-passport counter if asked, and go through security. Arrive 90 minutes early for domestic flights — less than international, but Chinese airport security lines move slower than you expect.
【中文】你不能用身份证——护照就是你的登机证件，入境时那张小白边检条留好，转国内航班有时要查。用订票时的护照号在线或柜台值机，有外国护照专用柜台就去那托运行李，然后安检。国内航班提前90分钟到——比国际短，但中国安检队比你想象的慢。In the security line, expect a thorough check: laptops out, jackets off, the power bank in the tray. Sharp items, large liquids and any alcohol bought airside cannot come back on board a connecting domestic flight. On the plane itself, domestic flights under three hours usually serve only a small bottle of water and a biscuit — grab a proper meal in the terminal lounge rather than expecting catering. On longer routes a hot box meal appears.
【中文】安检队伍里会查得细：电脑拿出来、外套脱了、充电宝放筐里。尖锐物品、大瓶液体、以及禁区买的酒都不能带上后续国内航班。三小时以内的国内航班通常只发一小瓶水和一块饼干——正经饭在候机楼里吃好，别指望机上供餐。更长的航线会发一份热盒饭。Announcements on domestic flights come in Mandarin first, then English — you will hear both. Seating is assigned and legroom is comparable to economy anywhere; the middle seat on a Chinese domestic plane feels the same as the middle seat at home. Wi-Fi on board is rare and usually paid, so download shows and maps before you go. If you fly a lot within one trip, note that the three big alliances (SkyTeam, Star Alliance, oneworld) do accrue miles on Air China, China Eastern and China Southern respectively — worth linking your frequent-flyer number when you book.
【中文】国内航班广播先中文后英文——两种都听得到。座位是指定的，腿部空间和经济舱差不多；中间座和你老家飞机上一样挤。机上Wi-Fi少见还常收费，出发前把剧和地图下好。一程里飞多段的话注意：国航属星空联盟、东航属天合、南航属寰宇——订票时把常旅客号填上，里程能攒。
Ad slot — Media.net / Google AdSense
【中文】广告位：流量起来后这里投放海外广告（Media.net/AdSense），与正文明显区分
5. When things go wrong: delays and cancellations
Chinese domestic airlines are punctual on average, but summer thunderstorms and winter fog cause real delays. Know your basics: for a delay of 2+ hours due to airline-side reasons, you are entitled to free meals and hotel vouchers on the ground. Refunds for delays/cancellations are processed back to the original payment card in 7–15 days. Buy travel insurance that covers missed connections before you fly — it is cheap and useful when a thunderstorm hits Guangzhou in July.
【中文】国内航司平均准点，但夏季雷暴、冬季大雾真会延误。记住基本权利：航司原因延误2小时以上，地面应提供免费餐食和住宿。延误/取消的退款7–15天原路退回。出发前买一份保误机的旅行险——很便宜，7月广州遇雷暴时就知道香了。After booking, take a screenshot of the confirmation with your flight number and departure terminal, and save it offline. Chinese airports use Chinese-character signs heavily, and on arrival a screen showing "MU5117 → 25" means little to you — your English confirmation lets the taxi driver or hotel help you quickly. Re-check in the airline app the night before: gates change, and a morning fog can move your flight an hour.
【中文】订完票把确认单（航班号、出发航站楼）截图存离线。中国机场中文标识很多，到了现场屏幕上"MU5117→25"你根本看不懂——有英文确认单，司机或酒店才能快速帮你。前一晚在航司App里再确认一遍：登机口会变，早上一场雾就能让你的航班挪一小时。If your China trip involves connecting an international flight with a domestic one, double-check the airport codes on both ends. It is surprisingly common to land at Beijing Capital (PEK) and need to fly out of Daxing (PKX) — that is 70 km and 90 minutes apart, not a "connection" at all. Build in at least half a day between such flights, or rebook both flights through the same airport. Same applies to Shanghai: Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) are a one-hour metro ride apart.
【中文】如果你的中国行程是国际航班接国内航班，两头机场代码再核对一遍。落在首都(PEK)、却要从大兴(PKX)飞走的情况出奇常见——两地相隔70公里、90分钟，根本不算"转机"。这样的航班之间至少留半天，或者干脆把两段都订同一个机场。上海同理：浦东(PVG)和虹桥(SHA)坐地铁也要一小时。
Bottom line
Fly long, ride rail short. Book 15–30 days out on Trip.com, dodge the golden weeks, double-check the baggage allowance (especially on Spring-type low-cost carriers), carry your passport and power bank in hand luggage, and arrive 90 minutes early. Done that way, domestic flights in China are cheap, reliable and — baggage rules understood — completely painless.
【中文】长线飞、短线坐火车。提前15–30天在Trip.com订，躲开黄金周，付款前看清行李额（尤其春秋这类廉航），护照和充电宝随身带，提前90分钟到。做到这些，国内机票又便宜又稳，行李规则搞懂后完全不折腾。