After the end of the “Golden Week” holiday in China, air ticket prices have seen a significant drop. Starting from October 9, the ticket price for a flight from Beijing to Urumqi has dropped to as low as 300 yuan (RMB), with some routes even lower than high-speed rail fares. The lowest quoted price for a flight from Chengdu to Bangkok has also decreased to over 300 yuan.
According to data from the online travel platform “Qunar” in mainland China, from October 9 to 31, the average price paid for domestic flights has decreased by over 30% compared to the “Golden Week” holiday period.
An article from “Cai Wen” on October 10 reported that the lowest quoted prices were over 300 yuan for flights from Chengdu to Bangkok, Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur, and over 500 yuan for flights from Beijing to Seoul.
In terms of domestic flights, the lowest ticket prices were 200 yuan for flights from Beijing to Lanzhou, 230 yuan to Quanzhou, and 300 yuan to Urumqi; while for flights from Shanghai to Lijiang it was 200 yuan, and to Shenyang it was 300 yuan.
Even with additional fees factored in, some flight prices remain lower than those of high-speed rail. According to “City Express” on October 9, the ticket price from Hangzhou to Shijiazhuang was 200 yuan, with an additional 120 yuan for airport construction and fuel surcharges, totaling around 320 yuan; in comparison, a second-class high-speed rail ticket for the same route costs between 500 to 670 yuan.
Hotel prices have also seen a decline, with the average prices of hotels in some popular destinations dropping by around 20% compared to the holiday period. In regions such as Xinjiang’s Altai and Tibet’s Shigatse, the average prices for mid to high-end hotels have fallen to around 300 yuan.
According to “Daily Business News,” interviewed staff members mentioned that following the decline in concentrated passenger flow during the holiday, there has been a decrease in demand for air tickets. However, airlines are finding it difficult to significantly reduce capacity in the short term, leading them to introduce special discount tickets to increase flight occupancy rates.
The topic of “airfare dropping drastically and cheaper than high-speed rail” has become a hot trending topic on Weibo, sparking discussions among netizens. One Weibo user commented, “Now the air tickets are too cheap.” Another netizen expressed envy, mentioning that they had worked an extra day during the holiday and now have to return to work, saying, “I envy those who can just take off for a trip whenever they want.”