Besides the cost of tickets, what else should you concern about China Flights? According to my own international travel experience, there are at least three more things need to be confirmed before your China Tours.
1. Documents for International Travels. Because China DO NOT has bilateral agreements on VISA exemptions with most western countries, I assume that you need a Chinese VISA (not the credit card visa) and your passport with the 
validity of at least 6 months when boarding. Although the multiple-entry VISA cost a little bit more money, I highly recommend this rather than single-entry ones. This is essential if you plan to visit Macau or Hong Kong and re-enter the mainland. Generally speaking, if you only travel through China and the destination is a different country, the Chinese VISA is not required unless you stay more than 24 hours and go outside of the airport. Moreover, some regions in China, like Tibet and other remote areas, ask for specific travel permit for tourists. For example, the TTB permit is valid when you only travel to Lhasa. For other areas in Tibet, you must hold the PSB permit. The best way to secure these appropriate permits is to join a local travel agency. The consequence of not holding these permits and entering restricted areas is severe. You could be taken into custody or even deported because of illegal entry. So remember to apply for these documents before you leave.
2.Be Aware of the Check-in Time. Do not confuse the check-in time for domestic flights with the international ones. Usually, you just need to arrive at the airport 30 to 45 minutes if travelling 
within the country. But for international airlines, the time doubles. Plus, the waiting line for check-in to China is quite long. You may think of using self-service machine or even online service, however, sometimes they do not recognize your entry VISA. This happened to me once when I was holding Chinese passport with US VISA and travelling to Florida from Toronto. Therefore, I had to go to the counter and showed them my VISA to get the boarding card. The cut-off time for different airlines varies. It is usually between 1 and 1.5 hour prior to the departure time. My own suggestion is to double the time on road in case that the traffic to the airport is bad. Well, it is true most of the time.
3.Regulations Regarding Luggage. Do not forget to confirm the limits of luggage with your airlines. For different airlines and destinations, the limits may be different as well. For instance, most US airlines allow passengers who are travelling to 
Asia to have only one bag of 20 kg or below to be checked, while the limits for travelling to North America are two bags of 32kg for each. Taking British Airway to China, there is no limit of pieces but the weight of all checked luggage should be within 23kg. Furthermore, if you are students, they allow you to have one piece of luggage (30kg) to be checked and two pieces of carry-on bags, including one laptop bag. Most Chinese airlines have benefits for travelers from Canada and US. Take China Eastern Airlines as an example. If you are travelling from these two countries, you can have two pieces of luggage with 32 kg for each to be checked. Moreover, if you are taking connecting flights operating by different airlines, ask them whether they have the luggage agreement so that you do not need to check in your luggage when you are transferring between airlines. The last thing to mention about carry-on bags is that the liquid has been forbidden in every domestic airline within China since 2008. So do not bring any liquids in your carry-on bags, otherwise, they will be emptied or thrown away by these security officers.
International flights are always troublesome, especially when it is your first china travel. But do more “research” before you get on the airplane, it will make your journey more comfortable and convenient!
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