Cheap flights to Hong Kong in 2023/24 
from US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia

Hong Kong: The gateway to China

Geologically and culturally speaking, Hong Kong is a key gateway to Mainland China. With many English speakers and familiar standards of life, it’s a good city to “acclimatize” to China.

Hong Kong is well-connected with the Chinese mainland. Its international airport has regular flights to over 40 cities, including Beijing (3 hours 20 minutes flight time), Shanghai (2 hrs 30 min), Guangzhou (1 hr), Chengdu (2 hrs 40 min), and Xiamen (1 hr 25 min).

Many key cities in the Chinese mainland have a 144-hour visa–free transit policy, which allows anyone to enjoy a longer stay (up 6 days) in China without a visa — a great opportunity to take an extension tour while transiting through the country. Please note that you will be required to present an onward ticket departing the Chinese mainland within 144 hours.

The cheapest time to fly to Hong Kong

The cheapest time to fly to Hong Kong is between June and September. This is a low tourist season and the monsoon season – the weather is rather hot and humid, and there’s a lot of rainfall. As there are not many tourists visiting the city, this is the best time to look for deals on flights and hotels.

Months between June and September are a good time to fly to Hong Kong if you want to experience its nightlife or visit its high-end malls and local markets around Kowloon (like the Jade Market or Temple Street Night Market) for great shopping opportunities. For those interested in culture, the ancient Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng Festival) happens in June – with spectacular boat races and amazing parties thrown around the harbor.

When planning your visit to Hong Kong, try to avoid Chinese national holidays and large conventions, when flight and hotel prices soar (even during the off-peak season). Check out the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s events calendar for updated information.

Travel cheaper to and from the airport

Hong Kong’s taxis are great and readily available. But you can save a few dollars if you take the Airport Express instead – part of Hong Kong’s fantastic MTR network. It costs HK$100 (~US$13/A$19/€12) to get to Kowloon Station from the airport.

You can save even more by taking the bus from the airport: Citybus A21 to Kowloon or A11 to Hong Kong Island cost less than half the train. You will travel in a comfortable, double-decker bus with air-conditioning and large luggage racks to store your luggage. The bus stop is situated outside the Arrival Hall on the right side (look for the Ground Transportation Centre sign).

In-Town Check-in

Sometimes, your hotel check-out time is hours before your flight departure time. In that case, go straight to In-Town Check-In office located at the Kowloon MTR station, drop off your luggage, check in for your flight, and collect your boarding pass. You’ve just got a few extra hours to enjoy Hong Kong city!

In-Twon Check-In is available as early as one day in advance or as late as 120 minutes ahead of your flight departure time. Among the airlines that accept Day Before Check-In are Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Air, Hong Kong Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.

Please note that Airport Express fare to the airport will be charged when you enter the In-Town Check-In area (you can reuse the ticket at any time on the same day).

Store your baggage at the airport

If you want to explore the airport (check the largest IMAX screen in Hong Kong!) or head into the city during your layover, use the convenient baggage storage located on Level 5 of Terminal 1.

The price for one piece of luggage is just HK$12 (~$1.5/A$2.3/€1.4) per hour or HK$140 (~$18/A$26/€17) per day.

Know your time zone

When checking flights and airport transfer times, ensure you know the local time zones. The departure/arrival times on your plane ticket and boarding pass are based on the time zone of the departure/arrival airport – this also applies to the connecting (layover) airports.

Hong Kong has only one time zone all year round – HKT (Hong Kong Time) which is UTC+8. It is 13 hours ahead of New York, 8 hours ahead of London, and 3 hours behind Sydney. Among other countries that observe the same UTC+8 time zone are China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines.

Unlike western countries, Hong Kong does not have an associated daylight saving time.

Get a VPN before traveling to Hong Kong

In 1997 Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. As democracy in Hong Kong is slowly being eroded by growing interference from Beijing, its internet freedom status has slipped to a “partly free” (ranking by advocacy body Freedom House). The internet in Hong Kong isn’t as heavily censored as in mainland China (yet), however, it is monitored – and if you’re a traveler, you should be concerned.

For this reason, we recommend installing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) app on your phone and laptop before visiting the city. It will not only encrypt your internet traffic but also protects you from any future censorship introduced in Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party.

Using a VPN in Hong Kong is still legal, so you will not break any local laws.

Download My HKG app for real-time updates and notifications

If you are traveling through Hong Kong Airport, make sure to download the official app to receive real-time updates on your flight status, gate changes, baggage arrival, etc, or to navigate the terminals with interactive maps and wayfinding assistant. The app will also help you to find and connect to the airport Wi-Fi via its Auto Wi-Fi function, and the integrated helpful chatbot will answer your inquiries about HKIA.

You can download the My HKG app for your Android or iOS phone.

Check different departure airports

Consider neighboring cities when choosing the departure airport – especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines.

For example, if you live in West Europe, check prices for flights departing from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, or Vienna. In 9 out of 10 cases, the cheapest flight to Hong Kong will depart from one of these hubs, and it may be €500 less or more than your first choice. Yes, you may have to fly a few hundred kilometers to this hub, but low-cost airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, or WizzAir will happily take you there for €50 – €100.

Use a similar tactic if you depart from the US or another region. It’s one of the best ways to save hundreds on trips.

Last-minute flights to Hong Kong. The real cost of convenience.

Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Hong Kong almost always never works out. The convenience of being able to book a flight on the fly is a dangerous game of chance, and you will most likely end up paying significantly higher than booking in advance.

The common perception may be that airlines decrease ticket prices to fill empty seats as the departure date approaches. However, the truth is that airfares depend on demand. Based on years of research and current customer data, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. They are also well aware that people are willing to pay a premium for flights they need to take immediately. To make the most money, the airline will sell its cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of business travelers and others who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.

Occasionally, airlines can put some seats on sale to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates around peak travel times tend to sell out quickly.

Planning ahead is key to securing a good deal on your flight. Last-minute flight deals are hard to come by, so as soon as you have a tentative travel timeline, book your flight. The earlier you book, the more likely you are to save money. If you are looking for a good deal, the best time to book your flight to Hong Kong is around 60-90 days before the departure date.

“Hot seats” on long-haul flights

Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service – seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight to Hong Kong, those “hot seats” are worth considering – expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.

If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.

Lost baggage prevention

Avoid lost luggage nightmares by removing old tags on your suitcases. Tags are printed with a barcode for identification and tracking, so the old tags can confuse baggage handlers and the conveyor belt scanners. They are one of the reasons so many bags miss their flight or get misrouted.

“Book Flights Now, Pay Later” — is it worth it?

Booking a flight and paying for it later has recently become a popular trend in the travel industry, with many airlines offering delayed payment plans. They will allow you to make flight reservation to Hong Kong now and then pay the bill in installments. But should you take advantage?

Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans are essentially short-term personal loans. By partnering with financial companies such as Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal Credit, Postpay, and Uplift, airlines can offer their loan services on the checkout page. When you book the flight with the BNPL option, the company pays the airline, and you repay the loan in installments over a set period (usually up to 24 months), with a set interest rate.

BNPL providers have varying terms and fees. Some may offer interest-free loans but have fees for late payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR). There may also be transaction fees, down payment requirements, and many companies even run a credit check on the traveler.

Among the airlines that offer a “fly now, pay later” option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.

Is BNPL financing worth it? If paid off on time, interest-free delayed payment on your flight ticket to Hong Kong can be a great way to free up your cash flow. However, there may be safer alternatives available – such as taking advantage of an introductory 0% interest offer on a credit card or using flight price “freezing” services like Hopper.

Hidden-city ticketing hack

Hidden-city ticketing is a less-known money-saving tactic where you buy a plane ticket with a layover, with the intention to get off at the layover rather than the final destination. For example, a flight from New York to Tokyo might be $600, but a similar flight from New York to Singapore with a layover in Tokyo might be only $350. Choosing the latter and ending the trip in Tokyo would save you $250.

It seems counterintuitive that a fare from A to C via B could possibly be cheaper than a simple fare on a shorter route from A to B. However, airlines use dynamic, computer-driven price models calculated with little human intervention, and such deals happen quite often.

Booking a hidden city ticket isn’t as easy as booking a standard itinerary. There are some things to be aware of: (1) don’t check baggage — bring only hand luggage that can fit under the seat or an overhead compartment; a large checked bag will end up in the final destination C; (2) don’t use it for return flights — airlines often void any subsequent tickets if any segment of the first ticket is missed; (3) Do not overuse this tactic with the same airline — hidden-city ticketing is legal but airlines don’t like it and may try to punish you; (4) Don’t associate your frequent flyer account — the airline might invalidate any miles you’ve accrued with them.

How to find hidden-city tickets? The easiest way is to use Skiplagged website, which was designed for unearthing hidden-city deals — give them a try for your flight to Hong Kong.

Get cheaper business class by bidding on airline upgrades

A growing number of airlines are auctioning upgrades to their business class seats. Once you book your economy ticket to Hong Kong, you can offer to pay a bit more in an attempt to get a premium seat. 2-3 days before your flight, an airline will send you an email with a link to their website where you can place a “blind” bid. There’s usually a minimum bid amount. If you win the auction, you’ll be informed, and your seat will be upgraded.

How to choose the right bid amount? Just check the airline website for the regular cost of a business class seat to Hong Kong, then subtract what you paid for the economy fare. Place your bid for around 10% to 30% of that price. The alternative strategy is to bid slightly above the competition. If, for example, the minimum bid is $500, try to bid $550-$600, as most people will offer the baseline amount required.

The more available business class seats the airline has on your flight, the lower bid can be successfully used. Check the airline’s daily schedule for flights to Hong Kong – if there is more than one flight on your chosen route (more available seats), you can safely bid close to the minimum required amount.

Among the airlines that allow bidding for seat upgrades are: Air Canada (AC Bid), Air New Zealand (OneUp™), Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Fiji Airways (Bula Bid), Garuda Indonesia (BidUpgrade), Qantas, Singapore Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, and Virgin Australia (UpgradeMe).

Fly early in the morning

Early morning flights (6 am or earlier) are usually cheaper than other day schedules. It’s because of lower demand – most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Use it to your advantage.

Moreover, airports are also less crowded, and there tend to be fewer delays if you fly early in the morning. Due to increasing air traffic, delays get worse throughout the day – starting around 8-10 am and reaching a peak at 4-6 pm. If you are flying to Hong Kong with a connecting flight, arriving on time at your layover airport may be critical to catching your next flight!

Take advantage of loyalty programs

Choose an airline that suits you the best, then stick to it. By becoming a ‘regular’, you will be able to use its loyalty program and earn “miles” (or points) – not only for flying but also for everyday expenses (if your card is affiliated with an airline).

Points earned this way often add up over time and are extremely helpful in flying at reduced fares. Airlines offer not only ticket discounts for their frequent flyers, but also special travel perks such as cabin class upgrades, increased checked baggage allowance, or access to their airport lounges so you can relax during long layovers.

If you often fly with Emirates, opt for Skywards, with Qantas – for Qantas Frequent Flyer, with Singapore Airlines – for KrisFlyer, etc.

Proof of onward travel – a simple hack

Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from China to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.

The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of China and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.

How to book a superdeal to Hong Kong?

Every superdeal you receive from Air Traveler Club includes a link you can use to book a flight. It always directs you to the website that offers the lowest price. Sometimes it’s an airline website; in other cases, Google Flights or a similar flight booking platform.

This video explains how to use Google Flights to book a plane ticket.

Dealing with the jet lag

Jet lag affects people differently depending on age, physical fitness, and genetics. The most accepted rule suggests that you should allow one full day to recover from jet lag for every time zone (hour gained) you traveled east and a number of days equal to half the time zones crossed when you traveled west.

The most effective natural jet lag remedy is to force your body into its new routine. You can begin before getting off the plane: set your watch to the time in Hong Kong, then do your best to sleep and eat based on the new time zone. Close the window shade when it’s time to simulate darkness. During your first day on the ground in China, get outdoors, stay physically active during the day, and absorb sunlight.