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Find cheap flights to China from £251

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the United Kingdom to China departing on 21/5. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
0 bags
Thu 6/6
Thu 13/6

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Best China Flight Deals

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

Shanghai
Shanghai1 stop£406
Beijing
Beijing1 stop£404
Guangzhou
Guangzhou1 stop£404
Fuzhou
Fuzhou2 stops£420
Shenyang
Shenyang2 stops£454
Shenzhen
Shenzhen1 stop£402
Chengdu
Chengdu1 stop£411
Xiamen
Xiamen2 stops£490
Xi'an
Xi'an3 stops£400
Nanning
Nanning1 stop£423
Wuhan
Wuhan1 stop£430
Chongqing
Chongqing1 stop£411
Hangzhou
Hangzhou1 stop£421
Dalian
Dalian1 stop£506
Qingdao
Qingdao1 stop£458
Kunming
Kunming1 stop£581
Changsha
Changshadirect£376
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou1 stop£421
Haikou
Haikou2 stops£705
Nanjing
Nanjing1 stop£428

Good to know - Cheap tickets to China

Low season

December

High season

July

Cheapest flight

£251
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 19% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (35% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Shanghai Pudong Airport

FAQs - booking China flights

  • Are there direct flights to China?

    There are direct flights that you can take from the UK to China. For example, you can catch a flight with Air China from Heathrow Airport and arrive into Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG). Alternatively, if you want to fly from the north of the UK, you could take-off from Manchester Airport (MAN) to fly to Beijing Airport (PEK). This tends to require two transfers along the way, most likely in Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Vienna Airport (VIE).

  • What are popular stopovers on flights from UK to China?

    There are many indirect flights to China. Popular stopovers include Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) on flights with Etihad from Manchester Airport (MAN) to Shanghai. Alternatively, a flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Beijing Airport (PEK) would require a stop at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) if you were to fly with Air France.

  • Can I reduce my carbon emissions when flying?

    You can lower your carbon emissions by choosing an airline that emits less CO2 during the journey. For example, if you fly with Lufthansa from London City Airport (LCY) to Shanghai Pu Dong Airport you could complete the route emitting about 38% less than the industry standard. Rather than releasing 3217 kg CO2 per passenger, this flight emits about 2000 kg CO2 per person.

  • Is there internet on board flights from UK to China?

    Should you want to stay in touch with loved ones on flights to China, you should fly with an airline that provides internet. For example, if you fly with Air China, you will be able to access free Wi-Fi throughout the journey. Alternatively, flights with Air France or Egypt Air provide internet, but this comes at an additional cost.

  • Which UK airports have a fast-track service?

    You can save time and skip the queues when you depart from UK airports. At London Heathrow Airport you can pay around £12.50 for this service. Whilst at Manchester Airport this costs in the region of £5. It’s worth noting that London City Airport does not offer a fast track service, so you should get to this airport in good time to avoid delays.

  • Which airport in China should I fly to for easy access to see the Terracotta Army?

    If you want to visit one of China’s most popular attraction, the Terracotta Army, you would be best flying to Xi’an Airport (XIY), which is around 50 km (31 miles) away from the site. Alternatively, you can also fly to Yuncheng Airport (YCU), which is approximately 180 km (111 miles) away.

  • Which lounges can I use ahead of my flight to China?

    You can relax at airport lounges ahead of your long flight to China. At Heathrow Airport you could use the Plaza Premium Lounge. You can access the Escape Lounge at Manchester Airport. Whilst there is the Club Aspire Lounge at Gatwick Airport (LGW). London City Airport does not have lounge services for passengers to use.

  • Which airports are hubs for airlines that fly to China?

    If you choose to fly with China Air, you will benefit from the fact its hub airport is Beijing Airport (PEK). As a result, you are likely to benefit from more regular and direct flights to this airport from UK airports, such as Heathrow (LHR). Another advantage is that flights should be cheaper to and from a hub airport.

  • How much luggage can you take on board flights to China?

    Airlines have different baggage policies, so you should always ensure you are well-versed with your baggage allowance before travelling. For instance, flights with Air China from Heathrow to Beijing permit one item of cabin baggage and one item of checked luggage on standard tickets. Air France flights on the same route allow one item of cabin baggage, but you need to pay extra for checked luggage, whereas Egypt Air permit one item of cabin baggage and two checked bags on flights from Heathrow to Beijing.

  • Are flights likely to be more expensive around Chinese National Day?

    In spite of the name, celebrations for Chinese National Day in fact span the course of a week around 1st October. As this is an important holiday in China, it’s likely that flight prices will increase. If you aren’t visiting China for this event, you should travel either side for better priced fares.

  • How long is the flight to China?

    An average direct flight from the United Kingdom to China takes 16h 10m, covering a distance of 5581 miles. The most popular route is London - Shanghai with an average flight time of 11h 20m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to China?

    The cheapest ticket to China from the United Kingdom found in the last 72 hours was £256 one-way, and £397 round-trip. The most popular route is London Heathrow to Shanghai Hongqiao Intl and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £415.

  • Which airlines fly to China?

    Air China, China Southern & China Eastern fly the most frequently from the United Kingdom to China.

  • What are the most popular destinations in China?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Shanghai (45% of total searches to China). The next most popular destinations are Beijing (18%) and Guangzhou (7%). Searches for flights to Shenzhen (3%), to Wuhan (3%) and to Fuzhou (3%) are also popular.

  • How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to China

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest China flight deals.
  • If you are a British citizen then you will need to have a visa to enter China. This needs to be obtained in person at a visa application centre. It’s also important that your passport has at least six months left on it from the day you enter the country.
  • As China is a very large country in comparison to most, you might want to fly to a hub airport if you want to travel to various cities. For instance, Beijing Airport (PEK) is a hub for airlines such as Air China, which provides various domestic flight options, such as to Shanghai Airport (SHA).
  • If you’re travelling to China to visit the Snow and Ice Festival, which takes place for a month during the months of January and February, then you should be aware that flights normally cost more during this period. If you don’t plan to visit the country for this reason, then you should look to book alternative dates to save on money.
  • London has many airports, so which one you depart from might depend on where you are travelling from. For example, Stansted Airport (STN) and Luton Airport (LTN) are located to the north of the city, Gatwick Airport (LGW) is located to the south of London, whilst Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London City Airport (LCY) are easy to reach from the city centre.
  • If you are planning on hiring a car when you arrive at a Chinese Airport, then you should be aware of the rules of the road before you depart the airport. For instance, everyone in the car must wear a seat belt. In certain provinces, such as Shanghai, children under four years of age are also required to be in a child seat. However, it is recommended that children should be in a suitable restraint no matter the province that you are driving in.
  • Business Class passengers can make use of the chauffeur services offered by some airlines. For example, if you fly with British Airways, you can use your Business Points to get a chauffeur from your doorstep to the terminal. This service is available for those that live within a 100-mile radius of certain airports, such as Manchester Airport (MAN) or Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
  • For passengers that are flying from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), you can save time travelling through the airport by using the Reserve and Collect service that the airport offers. This means that you can buy your duty free items online before you get to the airport and collect them once you arrive.
  • Flights to China before Chinese New Year are likely to be more expensive than other periods of the year. So, if you don’t need to travel during this time period, you should look to book around these dates.
See more tips

Top 5 airlines flying to China

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United Kingdom to China? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
Hainan AirlinesOverall score based on 103 reviews
7.9Entertainment
7.7Food
7.9Boarding
8.1Comfort
8.4Crew
Airline reviews

They asked how much cash i have . I said no cash they said bring cash from atm . Why they even care about my cash.

6.0 GoodAnonymous, Dec 2023PEK - HKT
Read more about Hainan Airlines reviews

They asked how much cash i have . I said no cash they said bring cash from atm . Why they even care about my cash.

Flight was scheduled to depart at 1210 hrs. It was delayed 1 hour 20 minutes (maybe for air traffic control reasons). The seats were worn out and very uncomfortable. Lunch was typical for airline. Flight free were friendly.

Pros: "Na"
Cons: "Over one and an half hours delay - sitting on the airplane"
Pros: "Lots of movie options, the food was good (had multiple food dish options for each meal)"
Pros: "Good and pleasant service, new plane very clean including regular WC cleanups"
Cons: "Boarding could have been done in groups"
Pros: "I would like to never fly through China again"
Cons: "I had a 9 hour layover in Beijing and they still couldn’t get my bag on the plane to Seattle"
Pros: "Everything was great, service on flight was really nice."
Cons: "Transferring suitcases between 3 flights was not great, with security check etc. Would fly with them again. Anytime, no hesitation."
Pros: "I had a very bad experience on checking in. I went to check in at Beijing Capital airport over 1 hour (about at least 65-70 minutes) earlier than the time of taking off on Nov. 2, However, I wasn’t allowed to check in. The staff said I was late and asked me to spend extra $200 to reschedule my flight. Therefore I had to spend $200 on changing my flight to next day on November 3, which was one day late back to Boston than I expected. That’s too bad and incredible!"
Cons: "There are a couple of things need to be improved. First of all, the food were not fresh, especially the salad dish. In mean dish, the beef cooked with too much dark source and tasted salty. Hope you could improve the food quality near future! Secondly, the luggages came out too late. All passengers had waited for their luggages for more than 1hour, which was really too long. Please consider about the concerns! Thanks!"
Pros: "New aircraft used like their 787-800s"
Cons: "Since Hainan is a Chinese airline, a lot Ig Ygritte move and music choices are Chinese, but I wish they had more non-Chinese content and choices"
Pros: "For the price, Hainan is a good value."
Cons: "I find that hainan just isn’t as “polished” as perhaps other air carriers in Asia are such as Cathay, Thai or Singapore"

We bought the business class tickets. The check-in staff and onboard crew were excellent, providing commendable service throughout. However, it was disappointing to find that China Southern Airlines does not have a lounge at SFO. Instead, passengers were provided with a $35 per person food voucher, which fell short of expectations. Furthermore, the quality of the onboard food left much to be desired, marking a significant decline compared to our previous flight experience in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

Wuhan - Dubai. Old plane: 1. Only USB charger. No power outlet to plug in.. 2. Super narrow seat layout 3. Toilet cover consistently fell down and hit my back when sitting on it.. :( 4. Entertainment system touch screen not sensitive, and need to press hard or use finger tips to hit. Crew were very nice and accommodating though.

No red vine, no whiskey, no vodka. No that I wanted all of them at once but still...

During flight, some passengers perform stomping leg exercises which disturb the comfort (I.e. sleep) of other passengers.

No good but was short flight. Both of our China Southern flights were on time. No surprises.

The flight was okay it was the kayak customer service that was poor, I have been trying to change my name on my flight ticket 3 days before my flight and nothing got done about it even tho I messaged so many times and phoned, all I got in return was that is was being processed and still to this day nothing has been done about it, I think it’s disgusting and un needed stress to the trip.

The food was perfect. The boarding process is a bit long. Given the late boarding time, I felt very tired by the time I was seated.

Quality flight from start to finish. Customer service is evidently very important to this company. The staff really exceeded expectations.

Traveling with the Chinese airlines , their service superior to the US Airlines , they are much more friendly and the seats are comfortable , In the past I flew with United , now ,United Airline will become history for me .

Pros: "Yes, seats were very comfortable and crew members were extremely helpful"
Cons: "Everything was excellent."

For the price we paid, we had a really good flight. The seats and bed (business class) was extremely comfortable. I have no complaints. The crew were very attentive and helpful. They spoke English and there were no misunderstanding although their English wasn’t perfect or fluent. You will never go hungry as there was ample food and drinks but their food for mediocre. The entertainment was limited to older movies and the wifi didn’t allow you to access some Social media. Apart from the above, it was a very pleasant flight. Would highly recommend them.

Cheapest option from Gatwick £400 cheaper than Emirates and Qatar. Entertainment no where near as good as Emirates and Qatar, but saved £400 so all good.

Great staff and food. Seats pretty uncomfortable but plenty of legroom. Entertainment system outdated.

The flight was cancelled without any reason. But the next flight to Shanghai has to be cancelled to pay penalty.

Gatwick London-Shanghai -Bangkok.. Would have liked entertainment screens, but I know these planes are not that new. Cheap flights at the time of booking, Emirates wanted double so you get what you paid for. I would fly again with them, but if Emirates was the same price I would go with them.

We were cutting it close on our connecting flight and notified all staff at departing gate and flight attendants. From the start, we were told to check in with the international transfer desk by everyone, except for one lady who wanted to argue the time difference that was already taken into account. We also asked if we could try to exit the plane first (our family of 4 and 8 others on the same connecting flight). They just told us to check in with international transfers. We landed and had very little time to make our next flight. We were not offered any assistance or communication to the receiving gate. We ran all the way to the international transfers gate only to be turned away. I think we could have made it if we were allowed to exit and a call was made to other check in counter. After that we spent 6 grueling hours with our kids trying to rebook a flight. No food of any type of compensation was offered besides a dirty hotel room. The ladies with China Eastern at the Shanghai International counter were rude an unhelpful. We were directed to 3 different counters and waited before they said they forgot about a hotel. It was a long, miserable day. I believe this could have all been avoided.

The landings were smooth . Being unable to check-in online was terribly stressful and the queue at Haneda exemely long. We paid extra for window seats and did not get them.

Flight was fine, however we were not able to check in online, this adds to travel stress. Luckily check-in at Heathrow was quick, but we did not get the seats we paid extra for. We paid for a window and 2 aisle seats from Shanghai to Tokyo leg, but they changed us to middle seats. Not good :(

You’re in the three parts of my life, the China Eastern air crew remembered and wish me happy birthday. I was given pastries on two different occasions and a complementary drink. The stew is wish me happy birthday and gave me a birthday card. Everything was first class. Thank you.

Again, I was presented with birthday pastries two times as a celebrated my birthday on both legs of my trip. I will keep flying to China using China Eastern airlines. As they made this trip a special one thank you.

The flight was delayed for almost 5 hours, but I understand that it was not up to the company, however how they could handle the situation better, they never apologized for that delay, moreover despite passengers being there for 7 hours only thing they did was to give a bowl of instant noodles, afterwards on the plane tiny snacks, people were there starting from lunch time and we’ve arrived to destination at almost midnight

Flight was delayed for 2 hours for no reason, then we spent almost an hour after boarding because of the weather conditions. If we left on time we could avoid that 😾

Pros: "Friendly crew and helpful staff"
Cons: "Missed connection from PEK to XIY due to delayed arrival and early departure. From XIY to PEK, booked and confirmed 11 departure, changed to 12:30 without notification or explaination. Rushed connections at PEK, pretty much ran from the minute left plan to another terminal, through custom, through all the health check points, security check. Just keep the fights on time and keep the original schedules, not arbitrarily change them."
Pros: "The crew was accommodating during the flight but spoke very little English and could not help with information on connecting flight."
Cons: "We missed our connecting flight due to a delay and the airline would not let us through because we could have made our second flight...."
Cons: "Connecting though Beijing from Taipei to LAX is not recommended if you can avoid it!"
Cons: "Seats are narrow, leg room poor, and food service is minimal."
Pros: "The seats on business were comfy, the service excellent, the movie selection was fair to poor, the food was also fair to good largely because they served a heavy lunch rather than a light breakfast."
Cons: "The food and movie selection."
Pros: "The crew was okay. The seating was great on all except for one leg."
Cons: "On one leg, it must have been an older plane, because the business class seats barely reclined."
Cons: "More TV show choices and more Hollywood movies although I understand it's a Chinese airline not American."
Pros: "Crew was great and was happy to get gluten free food i could eat"
Cons: "Not lose my bags :("

My luggage never arrived to Zurich. They can't confirm when it will arrive

Late again. 3 out of 4 late. One cancelled flight and one lost bag.

Charged an extra 65 pounds for overweight suitcase, Not told how much overweight but had no choice but to pay the price. Compare to Delta Airlines where I flew internationally a few days before with this suitcase and no extra charge by Delta. Comfort was horrible. I am just under 6 feet tall, and good that the flight was only 1 1/2 hours, because my knees were in the seat back in front of me the whole flight. I felt that my knees were part way up to my chest. No reason to have the seats that close. I will say to the positive was the flight crew, very friendly and efficient.

The flight was delayed as they were waiting on catering. Catering. Was eventually delivered but they still had no food. No meals for us in business class - just a bag of nuts.

Our luggage is missing. We are at the Hotel Gran Via in Barcelona

Air hostess delayed providing food and then pulled away the tray before i finished eating

my original flight was cancelled the previous day, and i was rescheduled onto this flight, which left much earlier in the morning, impacting my previous evening and requiring me to get up much earlier in the morning to get to the airport online. This practice happens way way way too much, and it seems on every airline, though AA is probably the worst.

The flight was on time and the crew very professional. Everything went as expected and I will use BA again for this trip.

We paid to have overhead carry-on baggage. When we got to the gate we were told that our carry on bags would need to be checked and go below because the flight was full. Notably we were nowhere near the last people to board and about 30 other passengers also had to check their carry-on bags. Other than that the flight was fine.

Very bad plain although I paid A business class ticket I was stuck in a stiff fixed seat without any entertainment or Wi Fi for 5 hours I will never ever book a flight on British airline.

Book Cheap China Plane Tickets

Cheapest flights to China from the United Kingdom found in 2024

Recent return flight deals

3/6Mon
1 stopHainan Airlines
18h 10mLHR-PEK
10/6Mon
1 stopHainan Airlines
19h 15mPEK-LHR
£404
28/5Tue
1 stopAir China
16h 30mLHR-CAN
6/6Thu
1 stopAir China
16h 30mCAN-LHR
£404
16/9Mon
1 stopChina Southern
16h 20mLHR-SHA
13/10Sun
1 stopChina Southern
27h 15mSHA-LHR
£406
24/10Thu
1 stopChina Southern
31h 50mLHR-PVG
31/10Thu
1 stopChina Southern
32h 20mPVG-LHR
£407
21/10Mon
directVirgin Atlantic
12h 45mLHR-PVG
1/11Fri
directVirgin Atlantic
15h 15mPVG-LHR
£419
30/10Wed
directVirgin Atlantic
12h 50mLHR-PVG
4/12Wed
directVirgin Atlantic
15h 15mPVG-LHR
£427
16/9Mon
directBritish Airways
11h 30mLHR-PKX
6/10Sun
directBritish Airways
13h 20mPKX-LHR
£437
22/10Tue
directBritish Airways
12h 45mLHR-PVG
23/11Sat
directBritish Airways
14h 45mPVG-LHR
£458
4/6Tue
directChina Eastern
11h 20mLGW-PVG
18/6Tue
directChina Eastern
12h 40mPVG-LGW
£509
1/11Fri
directChina Eastern
11h 45mLGW-PVG
30/11Sat
directChina Eastern
13h 05mPVG-LGW
£530

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Recent one-way flight deals

21/5Tue
1 stopChina Southern
30h 05mLGW-PVG
£251
11/5Sat
1 stopChina Southern
30h 05mLGW-PVG
£260
3/6Mon
1 stopHainan Airlines
19h 10mLHR-PEK
£290
7/6Fri
1 stopHainan Airlines
18h 10mLHR-PEK
£290
12/5Sun
1 stopChina Eastern
20h 30mLHR-CAN
£316
16/5Thu
1 stopChina Eastern
20h 30mLHR-CAN
£318
23/10Wed
directAir China
11h 10mLGW-PVG
£333
15/5Wed
directAir China
11h 10mLGW-PVG
£337
15/10Tue
directBritish Airways
11h 30mLHR-PKX
£388
28/8Wed
directBritish Airways
12h 45mLHR-PVG
£419

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Last minute flights to China

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

10/5Fri
multi-stopHainan Airlines
33h 15mLHR-PEK
19/5Sun
multi-stopHainan Airlines
32h 40mPEK-LHR
£404
10/5Fri
multi-stopHainan Airlines
18h 10mLHR-PEK
19/5Sun
multi-stopHainan Airlines
32h 40mPEK-LHR
£404
12/5Sun
multi-stopChina Southern
17h 20mLHR-SHA
19/5Sun
multi-stopChina Southern
27h 15mSHA-LHR
£414
12/5Sun
multi-stopChina Southern
14h 30mLHR-SHA
12/6Wed
multi-stopChina Southern
29h 45mSHA-LHR
£432
7/5Tue
multi-stopAir China
34h 30mLHR-PEK
19/5Sun
directAir China
11h 15mPEK-LHR
£552
12/5Sun
directChina Eastern
11h 20mLGW-PVG
11/6Tue
directChina Eastern
12h 45mPVG-LGW
£565
7/5Tue
multi-stopAir China
31h 25mLHR-PEK
17/5Fri
directAir China
11h 15mPEK-LHR
£575
12/5Sun
directChina Eastern
11h 20mLGW-PVG
18/5Sat
directChina Eastern
12h 45mPVG-LGW
£653
10/5Fri
directBritish Airways
12h 45mLHR-PVG
23/5Thu
directBritish Airways
14h 35mPVG-LHR
£758
11/5Sat
directBritish Airways
12h 45mLHR-PVG
22/5Wed
directBritish Airways
14h 35mPVG-LHR
£762

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Flights to China

Return flight deals:

China - United Kingdom

Cabin classes:

£1,728
£1,351
£734
£330