Hainan Airlines is having cheap flights to China departing from Los Angeles.  In fact, I took advantage of a similar sale last year and it cost me under $400 when I used Rakuten Rewards cashback.

Travel Tip: You need a valid Chinese visa to travel to China from the United States. A 72-hour visa for Beijing or a 144-hour visa for Shanghai doesn’t qualify on round-trip flights from the United States. You will be denied boarding.

Flight Availability

If you want to take advantage of a 3-day weekend like I did last year. The best time to fly is during labor day weekend but the whole month of September seems pretty wide open if you choose other dates.

Hainan LAX to PEK

Flight Availability from LAX to Beijing

 

Hainan LAX to PVG

Flight Availability from LAX to Shanghai

 

IS Hainan Airlines even good?

The answer is yes! I was skeptical about flying Hainan Airlines last year because their fares were too cheap. In fact, Hainan Airlines is 5-star Skytrax airline and got ranked 11th in 2018 for World’s Best Economy Class. I was surprised by how good their service.

How to Book?

You can search date availability and compare airlines prices with other OTA using Skyscanner.

Final Thoughts

If you have a Chinese visa and live in the Greater Los Angeles area, this is a great opportunity to visit China for a few days. While other airlines offer non-stop flights to both Shanghai and Beijing, you can’t beat a trans-pacific flight for under $380 round-trip.