Baggage Allowance for Flights to Tibet

 

It's necessary to know the baggage allowance and limitations in advance if you plan to take a flight to Tibet. In this article, you'll find the detailed information on the baggage regulations and some travel tips for Tibet flights.

Basic info about international and domestic flights into Tibet

International flights into Tibet: Currently, the only direct flight into Tibet from a foreign country is the one connecting Kathmandu, Nepal and Lhasa, Tibet. It is run on a daily basis by Air China or Sichuan Airlines, and has a duration of 1 hour 15 minutes.

Domestic flights into Tibet: Aside from flying to Tibet from Nepal, the remaining flight options to Tibet are flying to gateway cities of inland China first, and then transferring to Tibet. These cities include: Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Xining, Lanzhou, Kunming, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The cities within the shortest air travel distance from Tibet are Kathmandu, Nepal (1 hour 20 minutes); Xining (2 hours 15 minutes); Lanzhou (2 hours 25 minutes); Chengdu (2 hours 30 minutes).

The rest direct domestic flights are from Chongqing (2 hours 55 minutes); Kunming and Xi'an (both 3 hours 5 minutes); Beijing (4 hours 35 minutes); Guangzhou (6 hours 5 minutes, a stopover at Chongqing); Shanghai (7 hours 25 minutes, a stopover at Chengdu or Xi'an).

General info of the baggage allowance of flights into Tibet

What the free baggage allowance is depends on the regulations of the specific airline you're flying with and the class of your ticket.

But as a norm of weight limit to the carry-on luggage, they should be up to 5kg, 7kg, or 10kg. The passenger can have one or two pieces of checked-in baggage with one ticket, each of which should not exceed 20kg, 23kg, 30kg or 40kg.

Regarding to the volume of the baggage, normally, the sum of length, width, and height of each carry-on piece should not exceed 115cm; and the dimension of a checked-in baggage should not exceed 100cm, 60cm and 40cm for most domestic flights.

Certainly, after you've decided on your travel dates and times, and narrowed down the flight options, you can have the precise information about baggage allowance on the official website of the specific flights you're about to take.

 
Prohibited items for carry-on luggage

Airlines with flights to Tibet

In total, there are about 20 airlines in China operating flights into and out of Tibet. Most of them permit each passenger one piece of carry-on baggage within the weight of 5kg and one piece of check-in baggage not exceeding 20kg, as the standard for an economic class ticket. But for budget airlines, such as West Air (which operates flights from Chongqing to Lhasa), there is less and even no free check-in baggage allowed, and carry-on baggage up to 5kg is allowed on board.

List of the airlines:
Departing from Kathmandu: Air China, Sichuan Airlines
Departing from inland China: Air China, Tibet Airlines, Eastern Airlines, Southern Airlines, Loong Air, Sichuan Airlines, Chengdu Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Lucky Air, Xiamen Airlines, China Express, West Air, Hainan Airlines, Hebei Airlines, Juneyao Air, Spring Airlines, Capital Airlines.

Baggage tips to know before flying into or out of Tibet

Weigh your baggage at home with a digital luggage scale. If they exceed the permissible weight or volume, try to take out some of the less important stuff until it meets the free baggage allowance.

1. Purchase the extra baggage that exceeds the free baggage allowance of your ticket online. Because paying for them at the airport counter is usually much more expensive.
2. Read carefully the baggage policy of the airline you're flying with to know the deadline for purchasing checked baggage. It varies depending on factors: whether it is a domestic or international flight; which region or country you're flying to; and more.
3. To have a worry-free travel, having a travel insurance is a good idea. When it comes to baggage delay or damage, your loss can either be made up for or mitigated.

 
Lighter is not allowed to bring on the flight

Important note on any flight into Tibet for foreign travelers

Foreign travelers are only allowed to embark a plane (or a train) to Tibet with a Tibet Travel Permit (issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau). The only way to have this permit is through a licensed travel agency who's authorized to apply for it on your behalf. Normally, the permit will be granted to you one week prior to your travel date.

However, to book a flight into Tibet just a week prior to departure date, leads to expensive airfare most time of the year, except in low season. Most of our former foreign guests were able to purchase a plane ticket into Tibet before having the Tibet Travel Permit. But some did have problem buying the ticket without the permit. This seems to depend on your country and the airline you intend to travel with.

Our suggestion is that you search for flight information three months in advance and make sure you know whether or not you can book the flight before the permit is issued to you.