Increases in the cost of flying from the UK to China

[xianhua]

This may be applicable to other countries too, but I can only speak from my experience, and I have found that the price of flights from the UK to China appear to be spiralling. My last return flight to China (HK) via Finnair (changing in Helsinki) in April 2010 cost around £430. Now, it seems it's difficult to get anything below £550, via any operator, at any time of the year - even by changing planes. Obviously fuel prices have increased, and the pound has weakened, but this is a sharp increase in a short space of time.

The only conclusion I can come to is that flights between now and October (or the few weeks that are left) are classed as 'peak season' and then flight bookings after October have factored in the increases in APD (I've been playing around with dates throughout the year to see if it makes much difference).

Perhaps the days of £400 (even sub-£400 if you were very flexible) are now a thing of the past? I've been thinking about the possibility of flying to a neighbouring European country (where the duty on flying hasn't increased as much) and then booking a completely independent flight from said country via their operator. However, most websites only seem to let you book from your home country, so the booking would have to be done once in the country, which would make matters more complicated.

Have other people found the same?

[putonghua73]

I disagree to an extent re: £550, because I've found flights from LHR [Heathrow] to HKG [Hong Kong] for £454 via both Skyscanner.net and Kayak.co.uk (departing Wed 13th Oct - returning Tue 2nd Nov).

I think you're right about flights for £400 and especially sub-£400. That said, if you wish to go to Hong Kong for a month in March '11, I've found direct flights for £479 on the above sites. When you input your point of origin and your destination, use the calendar option on both sites to look at the cost of fairs for the whole of the month. Then simply click on the next month (and the next month, etc) to get baseline prices for fares.

I remember flying Oasis (low cost carrier which went into liquidation) to HKG sub £300 back in 2007. I flew to HKG last September with Virgin for £350. But as you have pointed out, the market conditions have changed. I booked 8 months and 5 months in advance, respectively.

Try some of the travel agents in your local Chinese area re: Chinatown (if in London), and see what kind of prices you get offered; then compare with prices on the 'net.

Always try to fly-out mid-week, and avoid Christmas, Easter and August.

Cheers!

[abcdefg]

I found a significant increase in fares between the US and China this year as compared with last year. About $700 US to get to China in January of 2009 and almost $1,000 to get home from there last week. Lower return fares might have been available, but I bought on short notice and couldn't shop around too much.

Some of the large web services, such as Kayak, showed inexpensive flights as available when they were actually sold out and no longer really ticktable. One travel agent also told me that my timing was bad, as I was essentially competing for low-cost space with lots of Chinese university students heading to America to start their fall semester near the end of August.