Changes to pricing for Explore China trips

Flight tickets will not be included in the prices for Explore China trips, starting January 2022.

We’ve always included flight tickets in the prices for the Explore China trips.

We’ve also always had problems figuring out how to budget for flight ticket costs for those trips, because the airlines keep changing the prices.

If we make the budget too high, then your trip is more expensive than it should be. (And if we don’t make it too high, more expensive tickets cut into the money we’d allocated to other parts of the trip, which should be the actual focus of the trip.)

It makes more sense for us to concentrate on the trip itinerary, and to leave flight ticket pricing to the more adequately-funded departments of the airline companies.

Here’s how we’ll organise the Explore China trips, starting in January 2022

  • Our trip prices will not include the cost of your flight tickets.
  • You’ll buy your own flights when we let you know the trip is confirmed.
  • We’ll let you know when and where to meet up at the start of the trip. (Maybe at the airport, maybe at the hotel.)
  • If you’re joining from Beijing, we’ll suggest a flight that suits. (Beijing-based Beijing Hikers guides will likely be on this flight.)
  • If you are joining from elsewhere, you’ll meet the group and guides at the meeting point on the first day of the trip.

Maybe it’s a good thing that we won’t include flights anymore?

  • If you are joining the trip from outside of Beijing you won’t need to wait for us to do price checks on the costs of flights from other locations.
  • If your employer offers travel benefits (e.g. flight ticket allowances or reimbursement) you can use those directly instead of waiting for us adjust the trip price for you.
  • If you would like to extend your stay in the area of the trip you won’t need to wait for us to figure out if a price adjustment is required.
  • If you have certain preferences for airlines, airports, or stopovers you are no longer limited by our preferred arrangements.
  • You’ll be able to make a more direct comparison of our trips to those offered by other companies. (We’re not aware of other companies that include flight tickets in their trip costs.)

We’re still happy to assist with flight bookings if you need help.

We welcome your comments. Please contact us any time.

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