The long National Day holiday in mainland China has come to an end, and as a result, airfare prices have seen a significant drop, with tickets on multiple routes cheaper than high-speed rail.
According to data from online travel platforms on October 7th, from October 9th to October 31st, the average price of air tickets has decreased by more than 30% compared to the National Day holiday period.
A search revealed that within the past week, departing from Beijing, the bare ticket prices to Lanzhou were as low as 200 yuan, to Quanzhou 230 yuan, and to Urumqi 300 yuan. And from Shanghai, tickets to Lijiang were 200 yuan, and to Shenyang 300 yuan. Departing from Guangzhou, flights to Qingdao were 259 yuan, and to Chengdu 309 yuan, with the addition of airport taxes and fuel surcharges, the prices are still lower than high-speed rail.
The average tax-inclusive price of tickets from Shanghai to Hulunbuir has dropped by approximately 76% compared to the long holiday period, and the price to Xishuangbanna has decreased by around 65%.
It is worth noting that fuel surcharges are set to increase, making October 7th to 9th the best window for purchasing low-priced tickets in the near future.
Starting from October 10th, fuel surcharges will be raised, with 90 yuan surcharge for routes over 800 kilometers per passenger and 50 yuan for routes of 800 kilometers or less, an increase of 20 yuan and 10 yuan respectively compared to previous rates.
The prices of outbound travel tickets have also significantly decreased. In the past week, flights from Beijing to Seoul were as low as 518 yuan, from Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh City 460 yuan, from Chengdu to Bangkok 286 yuan, and from Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur 329 yuan.
Weibo influencer “TechTing Ting” remarked that post-National Day holiday airfare prices are the cheapest of the year, with prices during the holiday period unreasonably high. After the holiday, there is a cliff-like drop in travel demand, and airlines need to fly their planes even with empty seats resulting in losses. As a result, major airlines have collectively reduced prices, offering tickets at more than half the price during the holiday, with some routes even at a discount of 50-90%.
Some netizens pointed out that some ultra-low bare ticket prices do not include free checked baggage allowance and have strict rules for changes and refunds. For short trips within 500 kilometers, when factoring in value-added services, security checks, and time spent traveling to and from the airport, high-speed rail often has the advantage of time certainty.
Another Weibo user, “DoDoGao”, commented that while the ticket prices appear low, when proceeding to the payment page, it becomes clear that these prices are for bare tickets only. On top of that, with airport construction fees and fuel surcharges, the additional fees alone can be more expensive than the ticket itself for a long-distance trip. Moreover, fuel costs are set to rise soon. For a family of three taking a round trip flight, just the additional fees could add up to a couple of hundred yuan. Factoring in hidden costs such as arriving at the airport two hours in advance, round-trip taxi fares from the city to the airport could cost tens to hundreds of yuan. Paying extra for overweight checked baggage, seat selection, results in the total cost sometimes being only a couple of hundred yuan less than taking the high-speed rail. The claim that air tickets are “cheaper than high-speed rail” is only valid for specific times and routes, and for travel within 800 kilometers, high-speed rail remains the preferred choice.
Some internet users stated that it is practically impossible to find these tickets that are cheaper than high-speed rail.