Former SkyTeam member and now unbound Chinese carrier China Southern currently sells cheap business class rides from Rome to Shanghai, with tickets available for as little as €1,387. A change of planes in Guangzhou is necessary in both directions to get the cheap tickets. The fare is available to both Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) airport.
From December 2023 through November 2024, citizens of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain may enter China for 15 days without applying for a visa.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Skyscanner with your selected flight dates. While we recommend purchasing tickets directly on China Southern’s website, you have to search for flights on their site manually.
The long-haul flights from Rome to Guangzhou are Boeing 787-9 services. These planes feature Vantage XL lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. The hard product is among the best in the business, and reviews like this one by The Points Guy underline this point.
The domestic flights are operated by a variety of different airplanes, you may even find yourself in another lie-flat onboard a Boeing 777.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, tickets at this price are on sale until March 31, 2024, but may sell out earlier. A minimum stay of six days or one night from Saturday to Sunday is required to score the cheapest tickets. Flights are available from February to April.
Google Flights will show you additional flight dates. Skyscanner offer the cheapest tickets with OTAs, but we recommend spending €30 more and buy them directly from China Southern for various reasons.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
China Southern issues tickets for all flight segments in booking class I. You can earn the following miles and points with a trip to Shanghai:
- 16,736 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 12,874 Award Miles on Flying Blue
- 12,874 Award Miles on American AAdvantage
- 12,874 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 12,874 Award Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 12,874 Award Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 12,874 RDM + 2,576 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 12,874 Avios on British Airways Executive Club