How to Book China Flights with Trip.com
- Topic
- Hotels & Travel· Essential
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time needed
- 10-15 minutes
- Last updated
- Aug 5, 2026
Quick answer
- Book on Trip.com — the English version of Ctrip. It sells the same international and domestic flights Chinese travellers buy, and takes foreign credit cards, Apple Pay, and PayPal.
- Check the arrival airport code before you compare prices. Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu each have two airports that can be an hour apart.
- Copy the passenger name off the passport character for character. A mismatch is the most expensive mistake on this page.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1
Install Trip.com
Trip.com is the international arm of Ctrip, China's largest travel platform. It sells the same international and domestic flights Chinese travellers buy, but with an English interface and support for foreign cards. Install it before you leave home, or update it if you already have an older version — older builds hide some of the international payment options.
Step 2
Open the Flights tab
The home screen has four main tabs: Hotels, Flights, Flight + Hotel, and Trains. Tap Flights. The same app will later handle domestic flights between Chinese cities and your high-speed rail tickets, so it is worth getting familiar with this screen.
Step 3
Enter your route, dates, and passengers
Choose One-way, Return, or Multi-city, then fill in your departure city, destination city, and date. Set the passenger count and cabin class below. Leave the Flight + Hotel box unticked if you are booking separately, then tap Search.
Step 4
Check which airport you are actually flying into
Before comparing prices, look at the airport code beside each arrival time. Most large Chinese cities have more than one airport, and they can sit an hour apart in opposite directions. Shanghai has SHA (Hongqiao, closer to downtown) and PVG (Pudong, farther out). Beijing has PEK (Capital) and PKX (Daxing). Chengdu has CTU and TFU.
Step 5
Enter passenger details exactly as on the passport
Fill in nationality, given names, last name, gender, date of birth, ID type (Passport), passport number, and expiry date. Every field must match your passport exactly. A name mismatch is the most common reason a China booking falls apart at the airport, and correcting it after payment usually means cancelling and rebooking at the current price.
Step 6
Pay and wait for confirmation
Pick a payment method: Apple Pay, a new credit or debit card, or PayPal. No Alipay, WeChat Pay, or Chinese bank account is needed. Note the countdown timer at the top, usually around 30 minutes — if it expires the fare is released and you have to search again, sometimes at a higher price. Check the route, date, and passenger name once more, then tap Pay now.
Keep going
Related practical guides
How to Book China Hotels with Trip.com
Book a China hotel on Trip.com that will actually check you in: search by city, confirm the property accepts foreign guests, pay with a foreign card, and arrive with the address in Chinese and your passport in hand.
How to Set Up Alipay as a Foreigner in China
Set up Alipay before you arrive: register, verify your passport, and link a foreign card so you can pay by QR code from your first day in China.
How to Board a High-Speed Train in China
Get from station entrance to your seat: passport identity check, security, reading the departure board, finding your boarding gate, standing at the right carriage position, and storing luggage.
Before you rely on it
Q&A
Do I need a Chinese bank account or Alipay to book a flight?
No. Trip.com accepts foreign credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and PayPal directly. A Chinese account is not required at any point in the flight booking flow.
Is Trip.com the same as Ctrip?
Same company, different products. Trip.com is the international platform with an English interface and foreign card support. Ctrip / 携程 is the mainland platform, built around Chinese ID numbers and mainland payment methods.
Which airport should I choose for Shanghai or Beijing?
For Shanghai, SHA (Hongqiao) sits closer to the centre than PVG (Pudong). For Beijing, PEK (Capital) is closer than PKX (Daxing). Both cities connect their airports by metro or airport express, so it is a question of travel time rather than access.
What if my name was entered wrong after I paid?
Contact Trip.com support immediately. Small spelling corrections are sometimes possible; larger changes usually mean cancelling and rebooking, so the sooner you catch it the less it costs.
Why was my foreign card declined?
Most often the issuing bank flagged an unfamiliar overseas travel merchant. Approve the push notification in your banking app, or use a different card. Repeatedly retrying the same card can trigger a temporary block.
Can I book domestic Chinese flights in the same app?
Yes. Domestic routes between Chinese cities are booked the same way, using the passport you entered. You will show that same passport at the airport check-in desk.
Should I fly or take the high-speed train between Chinese cities?
For journeys under roughly five hours the train is usually faster door to door, since stations sit in the city centre and security takes minutes rather than an hour. Trip.com sells both, so compare the total journey time rather than the ticket price alone.
Do I need to print my ticket?
No, but screenshot the confirmation. You may arrive before your phone has working data, and airport Wi-Fi in China often requires a phone number to register.
Is booking flights and hotels together cheaper?
Sometimes, but bundles are harder to change and a single delay can affect both parts. On a first trip the flexibility is usually worth more than the discount.