As the National Day holiday came to an end, the travel peak subsided, and airfare prices took a sharp dive.

Departing from major source cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, the base fares on many routes have dropped to just two or three hundred yuan. Online travel platforms reported that after the holiday, domestic airfare prices fell noticeably. Data monitoring shows that from October 9 to 31, the average paid price for domestic tickets was more than 30% lower than during the National Day holiday.

Specifically, departing from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong, and other major source cities, the base fares on many popular routes have entered the two-to-three-hundred-yuan range: Beijing to Lanzhou in Gansu is as low as 200 yuan, Shanghai to Lijiang is likewise as low as 200 yuan, Beijing to Urumqi in Xinjiang is at least 300 yuan, and Guangzhou to Chengdu in Sichuan is at least 309 yuan. Even after adding airport construction and fuel surcharges, such prices still offer good value.

One traveler told reporters that during the National Day holiday, they had checked round-trip tickets from Beijing to Urumqi, and at that time the price was as high as over 4,000 yuan. Considering the ticket price, they moved their travel plans to after the holiday and eventually bought tickets departing on October 13 and returning on October 20. Even including airport construction and fuel surcharges, the total round-trip cost was only about 1,000 yuan.

Fuel surcharges to rise starting from the 10th

Recently, several airlines announced that starting October 10, domestic route fuel surcharges will be raised: 90 yuan per passenger for segments over 800 kilometers, and 50 yuan for segments of 800 kilometers or less, increases of 20 yuan and 10 yuan respectively. Tickets issued on or before October 9 will still be charged at the original standard. In other words, passengers who buy tickets on October 9 can still save another 10 to 20 yuan per ticket.

Autumn break takes over, family travel bookings rise

In November, primary and secondary school students in many parts of China will have their autumn break, and family travel is heating up again. Many travelers have already begun locking in low-priced post-holiday tickets in advance. Data shows that bookings for forward-dated tickets departing from cities such as Chengdu in Sichuan, Nanjing in Jiangsu, Beijing, and Shanghai for October 15 to November 15 increased by 40% month-on-month.