Domestic Flights in China: Booking, Passports and Airport Checks

For a domestic flight in mainland China, book with the correct traveller and travel-document details, confirm the exact airport and terminal, and follow your operating airline's check-in and baggage instructions. Bring the original valid document used for the booking.

Compare the whole journey with a train before choosing: hotel transfers, baggage, airport procedures and the arrival location matter as well as the flight time. Journeys involving Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan require their own document and entry checks; do not apply a mainland-domestic checklist without reviewing the full route.

City names can cover multiple airports. In Beijing, Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX) are separate airports. In Shanghai, Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) are separate airports. Check both directions independently.

An airline code on a ticket may differ from the company operating the aircraft. Find the operating carrier and use its airport, check-in and baggage information for the booked service.

Before paying, review:

• Passenger names, document type and document number.
• Local travel date, airports, terminal information and any connection.
• Cabin and checked baggage included in this fare.
• Change, refund and missed-flight terms.
• Total price, currency and any intermediary charges.

Keep the issued booking reference and know who will service the order. A platform's payment or request confirmation is not necessarily the final airline ticket status.

Illustrative flight preparation: match the ticket to the exact airport, terminal and document before travelling there.

Online check-in and mobile boarding passes depend on the airline, route, account and document. A foreign passport or a required document check may mean you need assistance at an airport counter.

If the app will not accept your document, check the operator's instructions and use its staffed process. Repeatedly creating inconsistent traveller records does not fix a passport mismatch.

Have the original passport and booking details ready. If your passport has changed, contact the airline or issuing provider before departure to establish the accepted amendment and document procedure.

Check-in, baggage acceptance and gate closure are different deadlines, and they can vary by airport and service. The scheduled departure time is not the last moment you can arrive at the terminal.

Plan backwards from the applicable cutoff, adding time for the counter, security and the walk to the gate. Add more for a first visit, holidays, assistance or a difficult local transfer. A short boarding-time promotion for a selected route is not a safe rule for every domestic flight.

If you checked in online but have a suitcase to check, the bag-drop deadline still matters. Keep essential medication, documents and valuables with you rather than assuming checked baggage will always arrive when you do.

Schematic flight deadlines: check-in, bag drop and the boarding gate each have their own cutoff. Completing check-in does not remove the other deadlines.

Mainland domestic flights have a specific CAAC restriction on power banks lacking a clear CCC marking or belonging to a recalled model or batch. A device accepted on your flight into China may still fail the domestic-flight check.

Power banks and spare lithium batteries belong in permitted cabin baggage, not checked baggage. Capacity, quantity and operator requirements also apply. International power-bank rules changed in March 2026, so use current information rather than an old packing list.

See the packing and luggage guide for the distinction between air and railway rules. Check medical items and special equipment with the airline in advance.

Confirm the flight on the departure board, complete any counter or baggage process, pass security and go to the assigned gate. Recheck the current display after eating or shopping because the gate can change.

For a document or boarding-pass problem, use airline or airport staff. A screenshot may help explain the booking but does not establish that it is a valid boarding credential for your gate.

On arrival, check the baggage screen, collect any checked bags and report a missing or damaged bag through the airline's service route before leaving the reclaim area where possible. Keep the baggage tag and report.

Confirm the actual flight status with the operating airline. Ask about its rebooking, refund and assistance arrangements for the disruption. Do not assume a meal, hotel or compensation applies without checking the relevant conditions.

Before buying an alternative, identify what will happen to the original ticket and baggage. Separately booked trains, flights and hotels may need separate changes. Contact your insurer if the situation may fall within the policy.

If you miss a flight through your own delay, ask the provider about the fare's available options promptly. Do not assume a later service is included.

Sources

• China Eastern: passenger identity, airport deadlines and carriage conditions.
• China Southern: online check-in and baggage-drop requirements.
• CAAC: domestic-flight CCC and recalled power-bank restrictions.
• ICAO: March 2026 power-bank changes.