Buying Domestic Flight Tickets for traveling in China around Spring Festival time?

[httuner 10]

Dear Visa Journey,

This next year I will be visiting my girlfriend again, I will be there around Feb.5 until the 24th, I understand that this time is around the Chinese Spring Festival and I heard many horror stories about attempting to acquire train tickets around this time to travel anywhere within China. We are planning to visit her parents in her hometown (Chongqing), I plan that we will first take a flight to her hometown from Beijing. I really hate riding trains, my last experience with riding a train in China just wasn't good. Too pack full of people and having someone stand around me within my personal space was just ruining my whole experience.

My question is when is the best time to usually purchase domestic flights for China? Right now the cost is about 500-580USD for the both of us for a one way ticket from Beijing to Chongqing. Double that cost if we were to make it a roundtrip flight. I was thinking perhaps we should just purchase train tickets back from Chongqing to Beijing instead of flying since it would keep my travel cost down. Now forsay I arrive in Beijing on the 5th or 6th of Feb, can I make it in time to purchase train tickets for us to return from Chongqing to Beijing on the 18th of Feb?

The reason I ask is, I do not want a sit down ticket for a 25hour ride and I definitely do not want to stand up. I want a nice sleep ticket on the train, I heard they have pretty nice quarters and you get a reasonable amount of personal space without people standing around you.

Last but least, should I buy my flight tickets now for our trip from Beijing to Chongqing? or should I wait for the cost to drop down? Or will the cost only keep going up during the spring rush?

[Darnell 8,478]

suggest some research on prices over at ctrip.com

[craig5977 58]

ctrip is good, also try elong.com, I have used elong for years

also try flychina.com

[httuner 10]

Okay, so I check those websites and they seem good, now I have another question, My visa to enter expires on Feb.7 of 2013, my flight date is Feb.3rd 2013 and I should arrive in China Feb.5th 2013_ I know my Visa should still allow me to enter since I am still within that enter before date. I realize they will give me 30 days duration to stay, but I will be flying within China from one city to another, will my passport and Visa be valid for these flights?

[bigdog 376]

You have plenty of time get a new visa.

[leishi 11]

if you can read Chinese or (have your fiancée do the reading), I prefer to use www.qunar.com

it's a travel search engine like www.kayak.com

[httuner 10]

Thank you all for the replies, I've booked my flights with ctrip and they seem reasonable. So I suppose I can still use my Visa as long as I don't fly outside of Mainland China while I am in Mainland China.

Reason I didn't felt the need to renew is because I got a 1 year multiple entry tourist Visa and considering I am entering before the expiration date, I should be allow 30days of stay so looks like I'm good on the Visa there. Once again, I appreciate all the answers.

[MuDelphi 159]

trying to get train tickets of anykind during or before new year is literally impossible. The sleeper tickets will get sold out instantly, and if you get any tickets of any kind, they will likely be standing tickets. Hope you like standing for more than a day and using the bathroom where you stand.

[craig5977 58]

I would check with the airline you are flying to China with. They may want you to have a visa with more days in it.The day you fly is not the day to find out they wont let you on the plane.

There is plenty of time to get a new one now and maybe save you some inner country headaches.

Good Luck

[unlockingsky 94]

just do everything in advance... everything in china will be jam pack during that time. good luck on the trip.

[Me&Her 2]

If I were you I would book the ticket later, not because it is still almost two months away. Rather I will check the ticket periodically until I find a good deal. 500-580USD for two one-way tickets from PEK to Chongqing is just too rich for me. If you can read Chinese, visit the Chinese version of the websites cited above (ctrips.com, elong.com and qunar.com), you will mostly likely see a better price.

[httuner 10]

I've decided to reapply for another tourist visa, so I just sent my passport and flight information out today, just don't feel like taking the risk. Yeah my flight ticket from Beijing to Chongqing on Feb. 8th is about 569USD which is a little pricey but its been the cheapest I can find anywhere for 2 people. I am arriving on the 5th of Feb in Beijing, so by then I should be able to get a train ticket for Feb. 17-18 back to Beijing, since I heard tickets don't go on sale for certain dates until 10-12 days before actual travel date. I'm crossing my fingers on this one hoping I can get train tickets if not looks like I'm flying back to Beijing and there is no way I'm standing, lol.

Thanks for all the replies, I have heard traveling around the spring festival is hectic and jam pack full of travelers trying to get home for the holidays. Sounds like I'm going to have a good time going for this spring festival celebration. I'm preparing now, booking hotels, flights and such so I'll be ready for it.

[Pitaya 2,577]

When traveling in China, my then-fiancee and I found it advantageous for her to make the travel arrangements. She was able to find some great deals, and some stuff to avoid.

YMMV

Enjoy your Spring Festival.

[Russell T 3]

I'm making plans to go get my fiance right AFTER the holiday! I'm flying from SF and since she wants to spend two days in HK on the way back I'm thinking about going to Chengdu via HK. I'm gessing it will be easier booking the flight if the round trip is through the same places but really don't know.

I am having her check on getting the return tickets from Chengdu to HK over there because she did what A&B suggested and got all our flights when I was there last Feb. I'll keep you poated on what I find out.

[httuner 10]

I'm making plans to go get my fiance right AFTER the holiday! I'm flying from SF and since she wants to spend two days in HK on the way back I'm thinking about going to Chengdu via HK. I'm gessing it will be easier booking the flight if the round trip is through the same places but really don't know.

I am having her check on getting the return tickets from Chengdu to HK over there because she did what A&B suggested and got all our flights when I was there last Feb. I'll keep you poated on what I find out.

You know, I have used Ctrip on this trip and on my last trip also, since last year I visited my girlfriend and we spent a week in Beijing and a week in Sanya China. Ctrip is great but I hate that they charge me a conversion fee from USD to CNY. Maybe its just each time I went to China, I always went around busy times so flights are always expensive. Now, I have seen flights that cost less than a train ticket! but to my luck its never around the time I'm traveling in China.