At a minimum of 180 yuan (Renminbi, same below), can you fly from China to London? On July 20th, the China International Airlines app displayed ticket prices from several domestic cities in China to London, including Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Harbin, ranging from 180 yuan to 200 yuan. The airline’s customer service later responded to the media, acknowledging the low ticket prices but pointed out that additional fees need to be factored in, and tickets of this kind are non-refundable.
Recently, a netizen posted that the ticket price for a China International Airlines flight from Shenzhen to London on August 18th was 200 yuan, with additional fees such as International Airport Fee of 140 yuan and Fuel Surcharge of 1,500 yuan, resulting in a total one-way price of 1,840 yuan. The netizen mentioned that this price was obtained through the China International Airlines app, has successfully booked and issued tickets, saying, “Return trip for 4,000 yuan, feels quite reasonable for this price during the summer.”
According to Jinri News, on the morning of July 20th, a reporter from the media checked on the China International Airlines app and found that from July to August, flights from multiple domestic cities to London were priced at 180 yuan to 200 yuan. For instance, on July 21st, a flight from Shenzhen Baoan to London Gatwick was priced at 180 yuan, with additional fees of 140 yuan for the airport and 1,500 yuan for fuel surcharge, making a total of 1,820 yuan for a one-way trip; likewise, on the same day, a flight from Jinan Yaoqiang Airport to London Gatwick was also priced at 180 yuan.
It is important to note that these low-priced flights are all connecting flights, in standard economy class (P), including one free checked baggage, with some flights lasting more than 30 hours.
A student who had studied in London mentioned that during July and August, when many students travel to London for summer camps and holidays, direct flights are usually more expensive. Therefore, the around 1,800 yuan price for connecting flights does indeed offer a cheaper alternative.
In response to this, China International Airlines customer service stated that the prices displayed on the app are real and can be purchased and ticketed normally, “The ticket prices are indeed relatively low, but international flights have foreign taxes. When taxes are included (such as in Shenzhen to London flight on July 21st), the cheapest price is 1,820 yuan.”
The customer service representative also added that international flight prices may change at any time and should be verified in real-time. At the same time, they emphasized that this type of ticket can be rescheduled (with applicable fees) but are non-refundable.