Doing Business in China For Dummies®

Making Flight and Hotel Arrangements

Getting to and from China is a lot easier than most people think. Because China has such a large land mass, you can choose from multiple points of entry. Not only can you fly internationally on many foreign airlines or Chinese airlines, but you can also take advantage of the incredible number of domestic flights to and from Hong Kong, which serves as a gateway to the rest of China. (For info on domestic flights within China, see “Taking flight in the Middle Kingdom,” later in this chapter.)

In a booming travel market like China, full airline cabins and overbooked flights can be a problem. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you make your flight arrangements about a month in advance of your departure date.

Airport fees and fuel surcharges apply. The airport tax for international travelers into China is 90 RMB, and it’s included in the ticket price.

If you’re coming from North America, you’ll arrive in China the day after your departure date because you’ll cross the International Date Line. Therefore, you need to build this change into your busy schedule. Many businesspeople who travel to China arrive on a Sunday to allow time to get over jet lag. If your schedule allows, consider departing for China on Saturday.

Flying directly into mainland ...