China Domestic Flights Guide 2026: Yes, Your Passport Is Enough2026 中国国内航班指南：是的，护照就够了

1 Yes, your passport is enough 是的，护照就够了

A foreign passport is a valid ID for domestic flights in China. You do not need a Chinese ID card. The valid-ID list for foreign passengers is the passport, the foreign permanent residence permit, and diplomatic identity documents. CAAC, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, publishes this list and the airlines apply it.外国护照就是中国国内航班的有效证件，不需要中国身份证。外国旅客的有效证件清单是：护照、外国人永久居留证、外交身份证明文件。中国民航局（CAAC）公布这份清单，各航空公司照此执行。

Where confusion comes from is the mainland ID card (the green 18-digit card) that Chinese citizens use everywhere. Staff at airline counters know the foreign-passport case well, because they process international arrivals and departures every day. The rule is not new. Just present the original passport, the way you would at the front desk of a hotel.容易让人犯嘀咕的，是中国人日常使用的居民身份证（绿色 18 位那张）。航空公司柜台的工作人员每天都在处理国际进出港旅客，对外宾护照的情况见得多，这条规则也不新。直接出示护照原件就行，和你去酒店前台出示护照是同一件事。

One small but useful point: your passport needs to be valid for the entire trip, including the return or onward flight. Chinese immigration routinely asks, and a near-expired passport will get you pulled aside at check-in. Renew before you fly if you are inside the six-month window.有一个小但实用的点：护照有效期必须覆盖整段行程，包括回程或下一段航程。中国出入境经常会问，临近过期的护照会在办理值机时被叫到一旁。如果已经进入六个月有效期窗口，出行前先把护照续好。

2 Where to book and how to pay 去哪里订、怎么付款

Three channels work for foreign visitors. Airline websites and apps, including their WeChat mini-programs, are the most direct path. Travel platforms, the kind that aggregate multiple airlines, are convenient when you want to compare times across carriers. Third, an in-person booking at the airline ticket counter at the airport works, with cash, WeChat, Alipay, or a bank card depending on the airline.对外国旅客来说，三种渠道都行。航空公司官网和 App（包括微信小程序）是最直接的路径。如果你想跨航司比时间，聚合多个航司的旅行平台更省事。第三种是去机场的航空公司售票柜台现场买，可以用现金、微信、支付宝或银行卡，视航司而定。

Online payment runs through Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay. Travel platforms, and the airlines that operate international flights, also accept international bank cards at their online and offline sales channels. For routes that are domestic only, the smaller carriers are less likely to take a foreign card online, so link a card to an app if you plan to fly with them.线上支付走支付宝、微信支付和银联。旅行平台以及运营国际航班的航空公司，在线上和线下销售渠道也接受国际银行卡。如果是纯国内航线的小航司，线上接受外国卡的可能性较低，计划坐他们的飞机最好先把卡绑到 App。

Book domestic tickets a few days to a couple of weeks ahead if you have fixed dates. Last-minute fares exist, but they are less common than in some countries. Spring Festival, the October Golden Week and the early-summer holiday rush are the dates to lock first, because those are the ones that sell out.如果日期确定，提前几天到一两周订国内票更稳妥。临时票有，但不如某些国家那么常见。春节、十月国庆黄金周、初夏的假期高峰，这几个时段要最先锁，因为最容易售罄。

• Pay from home.出发前付。 Lock the seat on a platform that takes your card before you leave, so the price is in your own currency and the booking is confirmed before you ever reach the airport.
• Compare fares.比价。 Same route, same time, two different airlines. Use a platform search to catch the cheaper fare, then book through our partner site合作站点 if it is the better price.
• Spring Festival & Golden Week.春节与国庆。 Book weeks ahead. Domestic demand spikes hard, and cheap fares disappear early.

3 Check-in: why the kiosk will reject you 值机：自助机为什么拒你

Self-service kiosks at Chinese airports usually cannot read a foreign passport. The scanner expects an ID card format. The kiosk may offer a Chinese-language menu only, with no English toggle, and your passport scan will simply fail. Skip the kiosks entirely and go straight to a staffed check-in counter.中国机场的自助值机机通常读不了外国护照。扫描器默认是身份证格式，菜单常常只有中文、没有英文切换，你的护照扫上去会直接失败。直接跳过自助机，去有人工的值机柜台。

Online check-in opens roughly 24 hours before departure and gives you a mobile boarding pass on the airline app or WeChat mini-program. Use it if you want to pick your seat in advance, but do not treat the mobile pass as final. Passport holders still need to collect a paper boarding pass at the staffed counter, because security checks the physical pass and matches it against your passport.线上值机在起飞前约 24 小时开放，在航司 App 或微信小程序里给你一张电子登机牌。如果你想提前选座，可以用，但不要把电子登机牌当作最终凭证。持护照的旅客仍需在人工柜台领取一张纸质登机牌，因为安检会核对这张纸牌与你的护照。

Aim to be at the airport about 90 minutes before a domestic departure at a major hub. That window covers check-in, security, and the walk to the gate without rushing. Smaller airports can be faster, but the big hubs (Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun, Chengdu Tianfu) need the buffer.国内航班在大型枢纽机场，建议起飞前约 90 分钟到机场。这段时间够办值机、过安检、走到登机口，不慌。小机场可以更快，但北京首都、北京大兴、上海浦东、广州白云、成都天府这些大枢纽需要留这个缓冲。

For the airport-to-city leg on either end, our airport transfer guide机场接送指南 walks the taxi ranks, the DiDi pickup zones and the rail options at every major hub.无论去程还是回程，机场到市区的接驳，请看我们的「机场接送指南」，里面讲了每个大枢纽的出租车排队、滴滴候车区和轨道交通选项。

4 Security, and the power bank rule that catches everyone 安检，以及那条人人都被拦下的充电宝规则

Security treats a foreign-passport holder like any other passenger. Take electronics larger than a phone out of your bag, plus umbrellas, liquids and power banks. An officer checks your face against your passport, scans the boarding pass, and takes a photo. The flow is fast, but the power-bank check is where most first-timers get held up.安检对持外国护照的旅客和其他乘客一视同仁。把比手机大的电子产品、雨伞、液体、充电宝都从包里拿出来。工作人员会比对你的脸和护照、扫描登机牌、再拍一张照。整个流程很快，但「充电宝」这一步是最多新手被卡的地方。

CAAC rules on power banks are strict, and they have tightened over the years. Power banks up to 100Wh are allowed with no approval. Between 100Wh and 160Wh, you need the airline's approval and the cap is two per passenger. Anything over 160Wh is banned outright. Power banks must travel in cabin baggage and are never allowed in checked luggage. The capacity label must be legible: an unlabelled or rubbed-off power bank gets confiscated on the spot.民航局关于充电宝的规定很严，而且这些年一直在收紧。100Wh 及以下，无需航空公司批准可直接携带。100Wh 至 160Wh 之间，需要航空公司批准，且每人最多两块。超过 160Wh 一律禁带。充电宝只能放在手提行李里，禁止托运。容量标签必须清晰可见，标签磨损或看不清的充电宝会被当场没收。

Since June 2025, power banks without a clear 3C certification mark are banned on domestic flights. If your power bank has no 3C mark on the label, do not bring it. The check at security is visual and fast.自2025 年 6 月起，没有清晰的 3C 认证标志的充电宝在国内航班上禁带。如果你的充电宝标签上没有 3C 标志，就别带。安检时这一步是目测，速度很快。

Rough conversions at 3.7V, the voltage most consumer banks run at: 10,000mAh is about 37Wh, 20,000mAh is about 74Wh, 27,000mAh is about 99.9Wh. All three sit under the 100Wh line and travel with no approval. The threshold that catches people is the 100Wh to 160Wh band, mostly higher-end banks with fast-charge silicon. If your bank is over 100Wh, leave it at home or check the airline approval path before you fly.按 3.7V（消费级充电宝最常见的电压）粗算：10000mAh 约37Wh，20000mAh 约 74Wh，27000mAh 约 99.9Wh。这三种都在 100Wh 以下，无需批准就能带。真正容易出事的是 100Wh 到 160Wh 这段，多数是支持快充的高端硅基电池。如果你的充电宝超过 100Wh，要么别带，要么起飞前先走航空公司批准流程。

5 Baggage and the low-cost carriers 行李与廉航

Free baggage allowance is set by the airline, not by the route. Full-service carriers (Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines) include a checked-bag allowance in the base fare, typically one piece at 20kg for domestic economy. Low-cost carriers (Spring Airlines, 9 Air, and a few smaller regional brands) include little or no free allowance and charge per kilogram.免费行李额由航司定，不由航线定。全服务航司（国航、东航、南航、海航）的基础票价含免费托运，国内经济舱通常为一件 20 公斤。廉价航司（春秋航空、九元航空，以及少数区域性小品牌）几乎不含免费托运，按公斤另外计费。

Low-cost carriers are noticeably cheaper on price tags, but the gap shrinks fast once you add a checked bag, seat selection and a snack. For a single carry-on that fits under the seat, they are competitive. For anything more, the full-service fare is usually the better deal once you total the extras.廉航票面明显便宜，但只要再加上托运、选座、一份餐食，价差就迅速缩水。如果只带一个能塞进座椅下方的随身包，廉航仍很有竞争力；凡是需要多一点行李，全服务航司加上附加费后通常更划算。

Weigh your bag at home on a bathroom scale before you leave for the airport. The 20kg limit is enforced at check-in, and overweight fees per kilogram are higher than the cost of shipping the excess ahead of time. Bring a small luggage scale if you travel a lot.去机场前在家用体重秤称一下箱子。20 公斤的限重在值机柜台严格执行，超重按公斤计费比提前寄走更贵。常旅行的人可以带一个小型行李秤。

• Full-service.全服务航司。 Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan. One 20kg checked bag included in the base fare.
• Low-cost.廉航。 Cheaper headline price, but check the baggage and seat fees before you commit.
• Power banks.充电宝。 Carry in cabin baggage only. 100Wh or under needs no approval. Over 100Wh needs airline approval and tops out at two per passenger.

6 Delays, and the rail backup 延误，以及作为备选的高铁

Delays are common and structural, not bad luck. Chinese airspace is heavily restricted and military activity takes priority, so ground holds happen on perfectly clear days. Summer brings typhoons and thunderstorms to the eastern and southern coasts. Winter brings fog and snow in the north. Plan around a buffer rather than a hope.延误是常态，也是结构性的，并非单纯的运气差。中国空域管制严格、军演优先，晴空万里也可能地面等待。夏天东部和南部沿海有台风和雷暴，冬天北方有雾和雪。把行程按留缓冲的方式排，而不是按「应该不会延误」来排。

If you have an international flight to catch on the other end of a domestic leg, do not land a few hours before it. Build in an overnight. International check-in for most carriers closes 60 minutes before departure, and a delayed domestic sector eats that window without warning.如果你有一段国内航班之后还要赶国际航班，千万别只留几个小时。国际航班大多数起飞前 60 分钟就截止办理值机，国内段一延误就把这段窗口吃掉了。中间留一晚最稳。

High-speed rail is the backup, and on many routes the smarter choice. On routes under roughly 800 km, the train is often faster door to door once you count getting to the airport, security and taxi time at the other end. Our high-speed rail guide高铁指南 walks the booking, the seat classes, and the stations. The simple rule: the moment a flight looks like it might collapse, look up the train.高铁是天然备胎，在很多线路上甚至是更聪明的选择。800 公里以下的线路，把两端去机场、过安检、打车时间算进去，列车门到门往往更快。我们的「高铁指南」讲了订票、座位等级和站点。简单规则：航班一有要塌的迹象，立刻查列车。

7 What to do when it collapses 真正塌了怎么办

If a flight is cancelled, the platform you booked on usually offers rebooking or a refund in-app. Most platforms process the change in a few minutes when the airline has confirmed the cancellation. If it happens at the airport, go to the operating airline's service counter. Queues form fast, especially after weather cancellations, so head there as soon as the cancellation is announced.航班一旦取消，订票平台通常在 App 内就给你改签或退票选项。在航司确认取消后，大多数平台几分钟内就能处理。如果是在机场发现被取消，立刻去运营航司的服务柜台。尤其是天气原因批量取消后，队伍会迅速拉长，消息一出来就过去排队。

Rebooking and refunds may carry fees, set by the airline. For weather-caused cancellations, most Chinese carriers waive rebooking fees and offer either a full refund or a free change to a later flight. For airline-caused cancellations, refund or free rebooking is the norm. For no-shows, fees are heavier. Read the fare rules when you book, especially on the low-cost carriers.改签和退票可能会产生手续费，由航司定。天气原因取消，国内大多数航司免除改签费，提供全额退款或免费改到后续航班。航司自身原因取消，退款或免费改签是常态。至于误机（no-show），手续费会高得多。订票时看清票价规则，廉航尤其要看。

If you are stranded overnight at a hub, the airline may issue a meal voucher or a hotel voucher. If you booked on a platform and the airline's policy is unclear, ask the platform's customer service in-app. For weather events, expect vouchers to be honoured broadly. For mechanical or crew issues, negotiate, but be polite: the desk agent did not cancel the flight.如果在枢纽机场滞留过夜，航司可能会发餐券或酒店券。你从平台订的、对航司政策拿不准，就在 App 内问平台客服。天气原因滞留，券通常比较大方；机械故障或机组原因，可以争取，但请保持礼貌，取消航班的不是柜台那位。

Keep your boarding pass and any message screenshots until you reach your final destination. The boarding pass is your evidence that you showed up. If the airline later disputes a refund, the screenshot of the cancellation notice and the platform's chat log are what tip the case in your favour.登机牌和任何相关消息截图保留到抵达最终目的地为止。登机牌是你按时到场的证据。如果航司事后对退票扯皮，取消通知截图和平台聊天记录就是能扭转局面的关键。

Frequently asked questions常见问题