Flights from Hong Kong to Beijing

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jan 23rd, 2003, 07:04 AM

Elginah

Guest

Posts: n/a

Flights from Hong Kong to Beijing

Me again ... can anyone quote airticket prices from Hong Kong to Beijing (one way and return), bought in Hong Kong / Beijing. We've been getting conflicting reports about the cost. Someone even suggested that we cross the border back into China, from Hong Kong and fly from there back to Beijing. Is it really that expensive? Thanks in advance!

Jan 23rd, 2003, 07:51 AM

Nancy

Guest

Posts: n/a

Air fare games are played in the PRC as they are everywhere, so trying to give you an estimate of air fares from Beijing to Hong Kong is very tough. A good carrier with flights between the two is Dragon Air. Their website is Dragonair.com. You could check for prices with them. I would also suggest contacting the American Express travel offices in Hong Kong or Beijing and get quotes from them. If you have already booked a hotel in Beijing or Hong Kong, they may have a travel desk or travel agent; you should contact the hotel now and ask them to put you in touch with their travel desk. As for travel agents, my company has used Swire Travel in Hong Kong for the last 10 years, I cannot vouch that they are the cheapest, but they are very reliable. Contact details are: 6/F, East Wing, Warwick House Taikoo Place 979 King's Road Quarry Bay Hong Kong Phone (852) 2579 6688 Fax (852) 2590 0055 website: swiretravel.com/home/contact/contact.html Going "over the border" from Hong Kong would mean flying into and out of the city of Shenzhen, PRC. You would have to take a train, bus or private car service to Shenzhen, which is about an hour from Hong Kong by car without traffic. Unless the savings are considerable, the time and expense of getting to and from Shenzhen is not worth it. When you are checking prices with the above, ask about flights from Beijing to Shenzhen.

Jan 23rd, 2003, 07:52 AM

Nancy

Guest

Posts: n/a

Jan 23rd, 2003, 08:37 AM

Peter N-H

Guest

Posts: n/a

I'm sorry, but if someone asked me, "What's the most expensive way possible to get by air from Hong Kong to Bejing," I would answer, "Fly with Dragonair--by far the most expensive airline on that route--and try to book through your hotel, or failing that, through American Express." Flights from Hong Kong to Beijing are still treated as international flights, and so are usually a lot more expensive than domestic flights from Shenzhen, and people do indeed pour over the border to make their flights to other Chinese cities. This isn't difficult since there's a jetfoil service from both Kowloon and the Island sides to within minutes of Shenzhen airport, which is met by a shuttle bus. Journey time is one hour and the cost is less than double the airport express rail fare from Hong Kong to Chep Lap Kok Airport, and the difference covered many times over by the savings. Mainland carriers who fly to Beijing from Hong Kong are always cheaper than Dragonair, and occasionally discounted to the point where the difference in price is not too great from the HK-Beijing price. But the place to find these prices is from one of Hong Kong's very highly competitive travel agencies at street level, many of whom hand out flyers in the Nathan Road area, (but better still one further away from tourist areas). Many advertise in the South China Morning Post. Price, as with all other flights, will of course depend on time of year. If i stumble across a note of what I paid on my more recent flight, I'll post it. Peter N-H http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Jan 23rd, 2003, 08:40 AM

Louis

Guest

Posts: n/a

Just looked up at the Chinese version of <ctrip.com>; one way discount fares between Shenzhen (across border from HK) and Beijing are from US$111 to US$142 (US$1 = 8.2 RMB) depending on different airlines and departure time. This website does not list fares between HK and Beijing.

Jan 23rd, 2003, 08:52 AM

Nancy

Guest

Posts: n/a

Peter, please read my post above carefully, I did NOT say anywhere that any of the places I mentioned would be the cheapest. I said to check for prices, I did not say book and buy, I said check prices. You have to shop around a lot, and starting with Amex and Dragon Air is not a bad place. It is bad enough that you constantly advertise your website on which your guidebook on China can be purchased (a cleer vilation of Fodor's rules), but you must at least stop making editorial comments on threads that you obviously have not read carefully.

Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:14 AM

Peter N-H

Guest

Posts: n/a

Sorry, that last paragraph of mine should have read, "not much different from the Shenzhen-Beijing price." Using the prices quote by Louis above as a rough guideline (although time of year will make a considerable difference), expect to save at least 10% to 30% purchasing from an agent in Beijing (but not one inside your hotel) rather than on-line. Peter N-H http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:33 AM

Louis

Guest

Posts: n/a

For dicount air tickets (to be purchased in HK) between HKG and PEK, go to <aerohkg.com> -- Aero International, Ltd in HK. You'll see very good prices! Going to Travelocity website, one way air fare between HKG and PEK (departure 3/1/03) is US$345; r/t is US$640 (Departure 3/1/03. return 3/8/03)

Jan 23rd, 2003, 04:06 PM

Peter N-H

Guest

Posts: n/a

Interesting to note on the Aero site mentioned above both that charges for visas are nearly triple those you can pay to agents in Hong Kong, and that not all the airlines that fly from Hong Kong to Beijing are listed. This isn't very encouraging. I flew China Southern last time because it was offering a special price which plus airport express fee was only a little more than Shenzhen-Beijing plus jetfoil plus mainland departure tax (Y50 domestic). Of all the unlikely places, it was bought in a branch of CITS, albeit one away from the main tourist centres. I cannot put my hands on the ticket, but I have a feeling it cost HK$1600 one way (a little over US$200). Over the counter is really the only way to do this. Of course, if there's time available, and if cost is the issue, the Kowloon to Beijing express leaves every other day for half that price. Going back to the original query, it ought not to be possible to buy HK-Beijing-HK tickets in Beijing, but only Beijing-HK, or Beijing-HK-Beijing. In general a Beijing-HK-Beijing ticket should be cheaper than the other way round, but you won't get decent prices unless you can get someone to go in and buy for you in person, and it anyway seems you want to go the other way. There should be no need whatsoever to pay the kind of prices quoted from Travelocity. For yet another guide price (which you should be able to beat in Hong Kong in person), try emailing Shoestring Travel. Shoestring Travel doesn't have the cheapest prices, but it's cheaper than most of its neighbours. But particularly if you won't be travelling for some time, this may still not be much of a guide: [email protected] Hope that helps. Peter N-H http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html