The four airlines' pages describe three ways to move from economy to business: a paid upgrade, miles or points, and an upgrade coupon. China Eastern's pages cover miles and coupons only. No bidding product appears on these pages, and none of them promises a seat: the airlines' own words are "opportunity product", "limited seats" and "first come, first served". These are the airlines' own rules and they can change; the miles and fees printed on each page apply only to the mileage program or product named there.
Is there bidding?
The nearest thing to a bid is China Southern's "flash" upgrade (Chinese label qianggou). Its discounted-upgrade notice says it opens 150 minutes before departure for checked-in passengers and orders requests by payment completion time, first come first served. That is a race to pay, not a bid.
Paid upgrades: where and when
| Product | Where | When | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air China gate upgrade | Air China app or WeChat mini program after check-in, or the SMS link; pass security first | 100 to 55 minutes before departure (domestic); 100 to 65 minutes (international and regional) | Within 4 minutes of the order |
| China Southern at the airport | Ground staff, or airport staff under an upgrade agency agreement | Not stated | Online or miles |
| China Southern "instant" | App, mini program or touch-screen site; not checked in | After ticketing until 6 hours (to Sky Pearl Economy) or 24 hours (to business) before departure | Within 10 minutes |
| China Southern "reservation" | Same channels; checked in | From 10 days to 90 minutes before departure (some flights to 55) | Password-free or miles payment; nothing is held until success |
| China Southern "flash" | Same channels; checked-in only | From 150 minutes before departure | Within 5 minutes |
| China Southern standby | Same channels; ticket number starts 784; checked in | Order until 90 minutes before; processed 150 to 90 minutes before | Charged on success |
| China Southern onboard scan | In flight; some domestic routes and direct international flights | Not stated | Within 10 minutes |
| Hainan reservation (26 December 2025 to 31 December 2026) | Hainan app or mobile site | Until more than 150 minutes before departure; check in more than 150 minutes before; processed 150 to 135 minutes before | In the app |
| Hainan onboard (1 January to 31 December 2026) | Ask the cabin crew after boarding | Requests handled in the order made | Before takeoff, Alipay or WeChat scan preferred; after takeoff, cash (domestic) or POS card (international) |
| Hainan international check-in counter | At the counter; direct flights only | Not stated | Keep the receipt |
China Southern's four notices and Hainan's three pages print no fee. China Southern points to the final price it shows; Hainan's app shows the reservation price and the crew quote the onboard price.
Air China gate upgrade
- Tickets: numbers starting 999 on Air China-operated flights; economy in Q class or higher (domestic) or T class or higher (international), though the page says classes can change with promotions. Infants, children, adults travelling with them, special passengers, passengers requesting special services and standby passengers are excluded.
- Price: Air China's gate upgrade page (undated; footer shows 2022) lists economy to business from CNY 299 (domestic) and CNY 990 (international), and economy to premium economy from CNY 99 and CNY 500. It says routes and the actual price are shown in the Air China app.
- Not guaranteed: the page calls it a "random + flash-sale" opportunity product; the quota is not guaranteed and offers go to passengers at random. If you pay but seats run out, the system automatically submits a refund request. At most 2 successful upgrades to business per calendar month (same cap for premium economy).
China Southern and Hainan paid upgrades
China Southern's notices call each of its six paid products an "opportunity product" with limited seats. At the airport, domestic cabins are Sky Pearl Economy (W/S) and business (O/J), international also first (F), depending on the airport. Instant, reservation and flash are its three "discounted upgrade" types; reservation and flash need a checked-in ticket.
Hainan's reservation upgrade is for domestic flights operated by Hainan, first come, first served by payment order, with a refund if the quota is full. Adults and children can buy; infants, adults carrying infants and passengers with special services cannot. Changing your seat within 150 minutes of departure makes it unavailable.
Miles and points
Air China PhoenixMiles
Air China's PhoenixMiles Member's Guide (English, effective as of November 25, 2023) says:
- Upgrades go to the next class up only: economy (premium economy included) to business, business to first. On a flight with only first and economy, economy to first costs the sum of the two steps.
- Award tickets cannot be upgraded. The issuing airline, flight code and operating airline must be the same carrier. Seats are limited.
- Miles depend on distance, in 4 domestic zones and 12 international zones.
- Accrual follows the class paid before the upgrade. Mileage used is not refundable.
For Star Alliance flights the guide adds: redeem on the PhoenixMiles website; time limits follow the operating airline (flights departing in less than 24 hours or 7 days are generally excluded); no waitlist; not issued for group discount, award or AD/ID tickets.
China Eastern Eastern Miles
China Eastern's Eastern Miles air-redemption page covers direct flights marketed and operated by China Eastern (MU, FM); SPA interline tickets and group tickets not paid through China Eastern's UATP cannot be upgraded with points. Upgrades go one step only: economy or super economy to business (O), business to first (A). Super economy and premium business are not target cabins. Fare codes not in the tables cannot be upgraded with points; whether your ticket qualifies, and whether other fees apply, follows the original ticket. The figures are in thousand points, one way: 4 means 4,000.
Mainland routes:
| Distance | W/P and Y/B/M/E to business | K/L/N to business | R/S/Z to business | J/C/D/Q/I to first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-600 km | 4 | 6 | 10 | 3 |
| 601-1,200 km | 6 | 9 | 15 | 5 |
| 1,201-1,800 km | 7 | 11 | 18 | 7 |
| 1,801-2,400 km | 9 | 14 | 21 | 9 |
| 2,401 km and above | 11 | 19 | 26 | 11 |
International and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan routes to or from the mainland:
| Region | W/P and Y/B/M/E to business | H/K/L/N to business | R/S/Z to business | J/C/D/Q/I to first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan | 10 | 18 | 25 | 16 |
| Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia | 10 | 18 | 28 | 18 |
| South Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, North Africa | 13 | 24 | 34 | 22 |
| Europe, South Pacific, Hawaii | 30 | 50 | 70 | 40 |
| North America, South Africa, South America | 33 | 55 | 77 | 44 |
China Southern Sky Pearl Club
Book by calling 95539. China Southern's Sky Pearl award upgrade page (English) and its Sky Pearl Club Membership Guide (Chinese, February 2024 edition) set these rules:
- Only CZ flights marketed and operated by China Southern (no codeshare or charter). Group, travel-trade or other special-discount tickets, free tickets and tickets marked "non-change" cannot be upgraded.
- Tickets bought with miles: the Chinese guide (4.4.2) and the Chinese FAQ say paid tickets and tickets bought with miles can both be upgraded. The English award-upgrade rules page (4.4.2) lists redeemed ticket awards as eligible and, in the next sentence, lists redeemed tickets and awarded tickets among those with no upgrade award.
- Successive upgrades are allowed, so economy to first is possible one step at a time. An upgrade changes only the cabin on the same flight and date, with no change fee. The Chinese guide (4.1.2) and the FAQ say seats are limited and can be fewer in the Spring Festival and summer peaks.
The English page labels its tables "Unit: km" while its text says they list the mileage required; the figures below are read as miles, one way. Mainland routes (not Hong Kong or Taiwan) have four distance bands: A 1-800 km, B 801-1,700, C 1,701-3,000, D 3,001-5,000. The Chinese guide gives the same figures but lists V/Z/T, without N, in the last economy row.
| Band | Y/P/B/M/H/K (and Sky Pearl Economy W) to business | U/A/L/E/Q/X (and S) to business | V/Z/T/N to business | Business J/C/D/I/O to first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4,000 | 6,000 | 8,000 | 3,000 |
| B | 8,000 | 12,000 | 17,000 | 6,000 |
| C | 11,000 | 15,000 | 21,000 | 8,000 |
| D | 18,000 | 25,000 | 35,000 | 13,000 |
Hong Kong, Taiwan and international routes have seven bands, from A (1-800 km) to G (10,001-15,000 km). The first four are shown here; the page lists all seven, and economy to Sky Pearl Economy (premium economy) figures too.
| Band | Y/P/B/M/H/K (and W) to business | U/A/L/E/Q/X (and S) to business | V/Z/T/N to business | Business J/C/D/I/O to first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A (1-800 km) | 9,000 | 15,000 | 21,000 | 10,000 |
| B (801-1,700) | 11,000 | 19,000 | 27,000 | 12,000 |
| C (1,701-3,000) | 13,000 | 21,000 | 29,000 | 14,000 |
| D (3,001-5,000) | 14,000 | 23,000 | 32,000 | 15,000 |
Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club
Hainan's English "Points Redemption Rules" page and Chinese reward notice cover award upgrades:
- Only flights operated by the listed Hainan group carriers (HU, CN, JD, GS, 8L, PN, GX, FU, UQ, Y8, HX), not charters or codeshares, and only flights with open business-class J award seats. Seats are limited.
- Children and infants pay the same points as adults. Fortune Classic Award tickets cannot be upgraded with points or cash; Fortune Flex Award tickets can.
- Redeem through the 95339-8 hotline (the English page also lists the Hainan app and WeChat mini program) at least 2 hours before departure on domestic flights and 4 hours on international flights; 24 hours for international flights with segments operated by other airlines, and for Hong Kong Airlines (HX) award upgrades.
What the pages do not print
Air China's PhoenixMiles Member's Guide prints no mileage figures, and Hainan's English points page and Chinese reward notice link to an upgrade points table without printing it. For Air China, check the PhoenixMiles website or call 95583 (the guide says the website prevails over it). For Hainan, ask Fortune Wings Club or call 95339-8. No China Eastern page listed here describes a paid upgrade; its seat-selection page gives the service hotline 95530.
Upgrade coupons
Air China e-upgrade coupons
Air China's e-upgrade coupon page says coupons can be bought until 31 December 2026, for domestic CA flights operated by Air China.
| Coupon | Price | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Premium all-day | CNY 1,199 | All such flights |
| Premium early/late | CNY 699 | Departures before 08:30 or after 20:00 Beijing time |
| Special all-day | CNY 899 | All except Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Sanya and routes involving Lhasa, Daocheng, Qamdo, Nyingchi, Aba or Jiuzhaigou |
| Special early/late | CNY 399 | Early/late departures, same exclusions plus Beijing-Urumqi |
- Who and how: adults buy in the Air China app, mobile site or mini programs. The coupon is valid 30 days from purchase, for the account holder or the person it is transferred to.
- Tickets: 999-prefix, one-way, single-segment domestic tickets operated by Air China, in W/V/Q/H/U/M/B/Y/G (special coupons) or V/Q/H/U/M/B/Y/G (premium coupons), with an economy seat booked. Request in the same channels no later than 24 hours before departure. Child and infant tickets (and adults carrying them), tickets that cannot be changed and tickets with special services are not eligible. A ticket upgraded with a coupon cannot also get a PhoenixMiles mileage award upgrade.
- Quota: you sit in R class after the upgrade. When R class is open for sale, at most 3 passengers per flight on a wide-body and 2 on a narrow-body, first come first served; it can sell out.
Air China elite vouchers and requests
The PhoenixMiles Elite Member's Guide (effective November 25, 2023) lets Silver members request award upgrades, subject to availability: within 48 hours of departure on Air China domestic, Japan and Korea, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Middle East and South Asia routes, and up to 72 hours on Europe, North America, Australia and Africa routes. Annual Premium Lifetime Platinum members also get 2 first class upgrade vouchers per year for international or regional flights and 2 for domestic flights, which are not an economy-to-business route; apply on 95583 or at an Air China sales office within three days (international) or two days (domestic) before departure.
China Eastern Platinum coupons
Two China Eastern notices (2025 edition, effective 28 November 2025) cover Platinum members.
- Domestic coupons: 20 free coupons during the Platinum validity period; economy or super economy to business costs 1 coupon, business to first 4 (premium business class U cannot be upgraded to first). Only 781 tickets on domestic direct flights marketed and operated by China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines qualify, and tickets with an original fare code of X or O cannot be upgraded. Request in the China Eastern app, website or mini program (not at airport counters) from ticket issue up to 10 minutes before check-in closes; the request takes effect only once you have checked in.
- International and Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan coupons: 4 personal coupons, on 781 tickets (original fare codes X and O excluded) for flights operated by China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines. If the flight has an O or A seat available, apply on the website or app (the original ticket must be paid in renminbi), or through the Platinum hotline. If not, requests run from 30 days to 3 hours before departure: from 7 days to 3 hours, the flight must have business or first class seats that can be sold; from 30 days to 8 days, the same, and fewer than 2 seats in O or A cabin occupied.
China Eastern's seat-selection page adds: if you bought a paid seat reservation and upgrade before boarding, tell the staff to cancel your original seat assignment, and cancel the paid seat reservation through the channel where you bought it. If you cannot check in online, the activation of upgrade products such as Platinum Card upgrades is affected.
Hainan Airlines coupons
Hainan's "Application Rules for Upgrade Coupons" page covers coupons redeemed with points. It does not say who is issued free coupons or how many; members and their designated beneficiaries can use them, one coupon for one person and one segment. Apply through 95339-8 (elite line 95339-3), at least 2 hours before departure on domestic flights, 4 hours on international flights or flights mixing domestic and international segments, and 24 hours when the flight includes segments with other airlines. For Hainan Airlines (HU), the page lists the classes that can be upgraded to J: W/Y/Q/E/H/K/L/M/X on domestic flights and Y/B/H/K/L/M on international flights (processing date October 25, 2024).
Hainan's international upgrade coupons are on sale from 1 September to 22 November 2026, for travel from 11 October to 9 December 2026, and are valid 60 days after purchase; buy and apply on Hainan's website or app.
| Region | Price |
|---|---|
| Asia (including Vladivostok) | CNY 1,500 |
| Cairo and Jeddah | CNY 4,000 |
| Europe | CNY 7,500 |
| Mexico City and Tijuana | CNY 14,000 |
- Tickets: economy classes Y/B/H/K/L/M/X, direct one-way tickets only, on eligible international and regional routes operated by Hainan. Tickets issued by Hainan's overseas website, overseas agents or overseas offices, child and infant tickets (and adults travelling with them), and tickets with paid seats, meals or other special services are excluded.
- Timing and quota: usable from the third day, counting the purchase day; apply at least 30 days before departure (intercontinental) or 15 days (short Asian routes); both limits must be met. When I or R class is open for sale, at most 4 passengers per flight on a wide-body and 2 on a narrow-body, first come first served; it may sell out. Unused coupons are refunded in full.
After the upgrade: what you keep, and changes and refunds
| Product | What you keep | Change or refund |
|---|---|---|
| Air China gate upgrade | Economy baggage, miles and segments; no business lounge, meal or amenity kit | Fee refundable (voluntary change or refund, involuntary downgrade) |
| Air China e-coupon | Economy baggage; miles at the upgraded class; airport service at business standard; business-class meals | Economy rules; no voluntary endorsement to another airline. Coupon refundable (fee zero) if unused, after a ticket refund, after a change with the new seat confirmed, or after an involuntary downgrade |
| Air China mileage upgrade | Miles at the class paid before; Star Alliance: lounge, check-in and baggage follow the upgraded class | Rebooking at the new class; mileage not refunded. After a disruption or downgrade, request a mileage refund through the original channel with proof (not for Star Alliance upgrades: contact the operating airline; mileage is returned after an airline-caused involuntary change or downgrade) |
| China Eastern points | Points on the original ticket | Change: upgraded cabin's change fee. Endorsement: pre-upgrade rules, points not returned. Refund: for upgrades redeemed from 1 January 2025 the voluntary-refund rule applies to the points part and the cash part follows the original cabin; earlier ones get no points back. Involuntary downgrade or illness: points returned |
| China Eastern domestic coupon | Original cabin's baggage; business or first-class meals and amenities not guaranteed | Change: upgraded cabin's change fee, seat confirmed. Refund: pre-upgrade fare rules. A successful upgrade counts as using the coupon, even if you cancel check-in or refund. Involuntary refund: coupon returned |
| China Eastern international coupon | Target cabin's baggage; points on the original ticket | Change: upgraded cabin's change fee if the seat is confirmed. Voluntary refund or downgrade counts as using the coupon; endorsement uses the original cabin and the coupon is not returned. Involuntary refund, downgrade or endorsement: coupon returned |
| China Southern miles | Miles at the original paid cabin | Flight or date change: upgraded cabin if possible, otherwise a lower cabin; miles not refunded. Refund or change of carrier: original ticket rules, miles not refunded. The Chinese guide returns the miles for the price difference after an involuntary downgrade |
| China Southern reservation, flash, standby | Meals, miles and baggage as before; no lounge, Wi-Fi or new-cabin service items (standby: only on international flights and upgrades to Sky Pearl Economy) | Voluntary change or refund: fee or miles not refunded. Involuntary: fee or miles for unused segments returned |
| China Southern instant | Baggage and miles as before; the new cabin's ground and air services, with business or first lounge access | Fee refundable, possibly with a handling fee; refund it before changing, refunding, endorsing or renaming the ticket; no handling fee if involuntary |
| Hainan points | Points on the original ticket | Change: upgraded cabin if possible, otherwise a lower cabin; CNY 100 per person (domestic), CNY 200 (international and regional; Hong Kong Airlines HX flights have separate fees); points not refunded. Cancellation: points not refunded. Involuntary: can be free; points returned if claimed within validity |
| Hainan points coupon | Points on the pre-upgrade ticket | Voluntary change or refund follows the original ticket and voids the coupon; endorsement is not allowed. Involuntary: coupon returned |
| Hainan international coupon | Economy baggage; ground and air service at business standard; flight points as before | Economy rules; coupon reissued after a refund or a change with the new seat confirmed; no voluntary endorsement. Involuntary: ticket back to economy, coupon reissued |
| Hainan reservation | Baggage and ground service as the original cabin; business meal not guaranteed; flight points as before | No voluntary refund after success; no voluntary change or endorsement. Fee refunded in full if an irregular flight stops you flying the upgraded seat |
China Southern's at-airport and onboard scan upgrades have the same change and refund terms as reservation and flash; the onboard scan is seat service only. Hainan's onboard and counter upgrades keep baggage, miles and ground service at the original cabin; onboard meals follow the original cabin and service items are not promised, and the counter fee earns no points.
Domestic versus international
The pages differ in these places, among others: the Air China gate cut-off (55 versus 65 minutes before departure), Hainan's points deadline (2 versus 4 hours) and rebooking fee (CNY 100 versus 200 per person), Air China's elite-voucher window (two versus three days), the separate China Eastern and China Southern mileage tables, China Eastern's Platinum coupon baggage rule (original cabin versus target cabin), and Hainan's coupon class lists. As above, no page promises the upgrade.
Which should you choose
- Air China domestic: at the airport, the gate upgrade (999 ticket in Q class or higher; if you receive the offer, 100 to 55 minutes before departure). To request no later than 24 hours before departure, an e-upgrade coupon (one-way, single-segment 999 ticket in the classes listed above; sold until 31 December 2026).
- You have miles, or China Eastern Platinum status: use the China Eastern and China Southern tables above, after checking that your ticket qualifies (China Southern "non-change" tickets and China Eastern fare codes not in the tables cannot be upgraded), or the Platinum coupons (domestic ones from the app, website or mini program, not at the airport).
- China Southern: not yet checked in, the "instant" upgrade; checked in, "reservation" until 90 minutes before or "flash" from 150 minutes before; ticket number starting 784, standby.
- Hainan: domestic, the reservation upgrade in the app, or ask the crew onboard; international between 11 October and 9 December 2026, an international coupon bought by 22 November 2026 and applied for at least 30 days (intercontinental) or 15 days (short Asian routes) before departure.
- Travelling with a child or infant: Air China's gate upgrade and e-coupon, and China Southern's reservation and flash upgrades, exclude infants, children and adults carrying them. Hainan's reservation takes adults and children but not infants or adults carrying infants. China Southern's "instant" upgrade lets children and infants buy only together with an accompanying adult.
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