Flying to China now costs 10 times more than pre-pandemic level: Report

In response to growing labour and fuel costs, as well as the resurgence of global travel demand as pandemic restrictions get lifted, airlines are raising their prices all around the world. Even if demand somewhat rises as a result of China’s rigorous entrance restrictions, Beijing’s persistent adherence to zero-Covid policy has kept flight availability low.

One-way economy tickets from San Francisco to Shanghai with a stopover in South Korea were recently found to cost $4,000 or more on the website of United Airlines Holdings Inc. The cost does not include the necessary quarantine at the hotel, which might cost several hundred dollars or more. While still expensive, flights out of China tend to be less expensive, and Chinese travellers still face severe restrictions.

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In comparison to 2019, the cost of economy-class airfare from San Francisco International Airport to China in 2022 will be ten times higher. The price of flights from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to China between 2019 and 2021 was six times higher than it was in 2018.

Airlines have drastically decreased service as a result of the rules. Beijing has set flying frequency restrictions and passenger capacity ceilings for planes as part of its aviation regulations. Quarantine regulations apply to both crew and passengers, which makes it more difficult to increase flights.

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Foreign executives are reconsidering once-desired assignments to China due to the high cost of flights and other pandemic regulations. Additionally, they make it challenging for Chinese nationals living abroad to come home. Beijing claims that its “zero-tolerance” approach to Covid has protected its citizens, but it has also increased China’s isolation at a time when the rest of the world is becoming more open. Economists have reduced their growth projections for the second-largest economy in the world as a result of the policies.