If you’ve always wanted to see the Terracotta Army, here’s a quick way to get there: Chinese 5-star carrier Hainan Airlines offers incredibly cheap nonstop roundtrips from Los Angeles to Xi’an in China, home of the world famous sight. Fares start at $385 for a roundtrip and include Hainan Airlines’ excellent board service and two checked bags up to 23kg.
A Hainan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will host you on your transpacific flight. Flight times are longer than twelve hours in each direction.
Search & Book
Flights at such high value are generally hard to find – a bit of trickery and a bit of luck is necessary. While Google Flights gives you clues on how to find these connections, it will usually display prices around $540. Still, it is the best way to search suiting travel dates (instructions). Afterwards, you can enter these dates in our flight search and directly with Hainan Airlines. Not every flight from Google will translate into the $385, but some will do.
To narrow your search, fare rules state that these prices only show up for flights within the following travel period:
- August 26 through December 13, 2019
- December 23, 2019 through May 8, 2020
Your minimum stay has to be at least three days long, while maximum stays are restricted to six months.
Mileage
Hainan Airlines issues these tickets in booking class Q. While this is an discounted economy fare, the sheer length of the trip will generate at least a little bit of award mileage:
- 4,088 Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 4,088 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines is China’s largest privately owned airline. It derives its name from the Island of Hainan, but has developed a large network on mainland China as well. It operates over 200 modern, exclusevily Western manifactured aircraft and is one of only ten airlines worldwide to carry the prestigous title of “Skytrax 5-Star Airline”.
Information & Tips for China
China is the most populous and the third largest country in the world, so naturally, there is a lot to see. The most touristically important cities are the capital of China, Beijing and the financial and trade center Shanghai.
Best Time to Travel
Since the country is vast and extends over several climate zones, there is no best travel time for China. China is connected to Europe through numerous direct flights and the travel time is about 11-13 hours. Flights to China can be found for less than 400€ throughout the year, and there are also often excellent Business Class fares.
A general advice is that travel should be avoided during the Chinese national holidays, which span over the first two weeks of October. During these time tourist destinations are overcrowded with Chinese tourists on their domestic vacation.
Visa for China
Most European citizens will need a visa to enter China.
You can apply for a tourist visa at a Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in your country. There you’ll hand in your visa application personally and can pick it up again after a few days. There is no faster and cheaper way.
Alternatively, you can apply for a visa by mail. The processing time will be up to two weeks, and you’ll have to pay for extra for shipping.
There are also so-called Visa services available that sometimes offer a faster (and maybe even cheaper) way to get your Visa. Check local sites to find out more.
→ All Dealz for China
Information & Tips for Xi’An
No city has been China’s capital for a longer time than Xi’an – or its predecessor Chang’an. Beginning with the first emperor Qin Shihuang, over a thousand years China has been governed from this secure place in the midst of a mountain range. Said first emperor gave the city its greatest attraction, the marvelous Terracotta Army. But Xi’an has a lot more to offer than soldiers made of clay. It is one of the culturally most diverse cities in the country, being home to many Hui, an ethnicy of Chinese Muslims.
Best time to travel
Xi’an is subject to extreme climate conditions. The summers are usually hot and humid, while winters can get unpleasently cold. In April, May, September and October, temperatures are pleasant and percepation is low. Please be awara that during the Chinese National Holidays (usually the first two weeks of October) the city is overcrowded with Chinese tourists. If possible, you should avoid the city during this time frame.
From the airport to the city
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport lies 41 km outside of Xi’an’s city centre. It has yet to receive a metro connection to the city. Until then, a large number of buses operate services to different parts of the city. A oneway ticket costs 25 RMB (around €3) and trips can take up to 2 hours, but are usually 60 minutes or shorter, depending on your destination. A taxiride downtown will take about 45 minutes. The fare should be around 120 RMB (approx. €15).
→ All Dealz for Xi’An
Cover Picture: Thanks to pixabay user artemtation