Yes, Spring Airlines is a budget carrier in the plain sense: the base fare pays for the seat and one cabin bag, and most other things cost extra. Its own pages say it has one cabin class, gives no free meals (except SpringPlus on some flights), and sells checked baggage, preferred seats and meals separately. 9 Air, West Air and China United have different baggage limits, included allowances and fees, as the table below shows. The biggest surprises for visitors are the small carry-on box (20×30×40 cm at Spring, 9 Air and West Air's ordinary fare), a gate fee of RMB 300 per piece at Spring if your cabin bag is too big, and Spring's change fees of 20%–90% and refund fees of 30%–100%, with the highest fees applying after departure. Every figure below comes from the airlines' own pages or the CAAC regulation. Lucky Air and Ruili Airlines are left out because no baggage, change or refund rules from their own sites could be confirmed for this guide; check each airline's site or app before booking.
What the base fare includes and what is sold separately
| Airline | Carry-on on the basic fare | Free checked bag | Sold separately |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Airlines | 1 piece, 7 kg, 20×30×40 cm (measured without wheels, pull rod and handle) | None on SpringSaver or on SpringFlexi without a baggage package. SpringFlexi with a baggage package: 20 kg. SpringPlus: 20 kg (tickets sold from March 29, 2026; earlier SpringPlus sales list 30 kg) | Checked baggage, meals, preferred seats |
| 9 Air | 1 piece, 7 kg, 20×30×40 cm (without wheels); "high-end economy" (高端经济舱): 20×40×55 cm | Its baggage notice says checked bags have no free allowance; its fee page says some lower-priced fares include none | Checked baggage by the kilo |
| West Air | 1 piece, 7 kg, 20×30×40 cm on ordinary fares; 20×40×55 cm on "delight economy"; business class 2 pieces. For Shenzhen departures, the page lists 20×40×55 cm | Listed by booking class: 0 kg for V, N, A, U, T; 20 kg for Y, H, K, L, M, X, W, R; 30 kg for C, D, Z. For Shenzhen departures, tickets without free checked baggage receive 20 kg | Extra checked baggage |
| China United | Economy and "super economy": 1 piece, 8 kg, 20×40×55 cm; business class 2 pieces | Its notice on "one-step" (一步到位) fares lists six economy price tiers on China United-operated domestic routes: the lowest tier adds nothing; the second adds 5 kg of checked baggage, the third 10 kg, the fourth (E class) 15 kg, and the fifth (M class) and sixth (B or Y class) 20 kg. Premium economy (W class) comes with 20 kg | Checked baggage above the ticket's allowance, meals |
Sources for the table: Spring's general terms (effective September 30, 2026), 9 Air's baggage notice and fee page, West Air's baggage page and China United's domestic passenger notice. Spring's tables sit in its terms, and its English baggage page lists the same 7 kg and 10 kg carry-on limits.
The sales pitch behind this is written on the pages. 9 Air's fee page says that, unlike traditional airlines, it is a low-cost carrier with differentiated service, so some cheaper tickets carry no free checked baggage. China United's notice says its tickets carry no free meals or drinks unless the fare includes them or you buy them, a rule it dates from March 29, 2015. Spring's fare prices also leave out the Civil Aviation Development Fund, fuel surcharges and government taxes and fees.
The official pages cited here contain no baggage or meal rules for the big full-service carriers, so this guide does not compare against them.
Carry-on and checked limits, and what happens at check-in or the gate
Only one cabin bag is free on the basic fares. Spring's page states the SpringPlus limit as 10 kg and 20×40×55 cm. Spring also sells a carry-on upgrade after purchase, to a limited number of passengers: its English baggage page lists RMB 160 on domestic flights, while its Passenger Guidelines give the upgraded limit as 7 kg and 20×40×55 cm. Its terms effective September 30, 2026 instead give upgraded carry-on products a 10 kg limit at that size; the pages disagree. West Air sells a similar cabin baggage upgrade at the gate (7 kg, 20×40×55 cm).
Checked bags: Spring's terms allow up to 50 kg per piece on domestic routes, normally within 40×60×100 cm including wheels. If a side exceeds that size, the three sides together must not exceed 203 cm and the longest side must not exceed 160 cm; for sports equipment such as skis and surfboards, the longest side must not exceed 180 cm. West Air's page gives 50 kg and 40×60×100 cm. China United gives 50 kg per piece and 40×60×100 cm, with a 5×15×20 cm minimum. 9 Air's two pages disagree: its baggage notice says 32 kg per piece, while its fee page says 50 kg on domestic routes and 32 kg on international routes. China United also lets you take one small personal item (about 35×32×18 cm) under the seat on top of the cabin bag.
If your cabin bag is over the limit:
- Spring, at check-in: the excess is treated as checked baggage and charged by 5 kg steps.
- Spring, at the gate: staff inspect cabin bags there, and Spring asks you to be at the gate 30 to 45 minutes early. Spring's English baggage page says a non-conforming piece is charged RMB 300 on domestic flights (per piece, each up to 10 kg), paid in local currency and cash, and goes into the hold. Its terms effective September 30, 2026 instead describe a maximum cabin size of 20×40×55 cm for oversized baggage paid for at the gate; the pages differ on whether it can stay in the cabin. Baggage allowance you bought or that came with your ticket can only be used at the check-in counter, so a gate fee is not offset by it. A 10 kg piece at the counter is two 5 kg steps: RMB 120 to RMB 210 depending on distance, against RMB 300 at the gate.
- 9 Air: a bag over the weight, piece or size limit goes as checked baggage. Its baggage notice says checked bags have no free allowance, while its fee page says some lower-priced tickets include none; the pages differ, so check the allowance on your ticket before calculating the per-kilo fee.
- China United: bags are measured at check-in, security and the waiting area. Over-limit bags, or bags that cannot be stowed, must be checked.
- West Air: the page lists the RMB 240 flat gate fee for its cabin baggage upgrade when no scale is at the gate, and says charges follow actual weight when a scale is available. It gives no per-kilo rate for that case.
Spring accepts baggage only on the day of departure, and says online check-in passengers with bags should reach its counter 60 minutes before departure. China United says its check-in closes 40 minutes before departure unless the airport sets another time.
What extra baggage costs, and whether online is cheaper
| Airline | At the airport counter | Bought online in advance | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | RMB 60 / 75 / 90 / 105 per 5 kg for 0–999 / 1,000–1,999 / 2,000–2,999 / 3,000+ km | "Exclusive discounts", shown at purchase; one online purchase per passenger, until 1 hour before planned departure; refunds: see the note below | RMB 300 per piece up to 10 kg |
| 9 Air | RMB 12 / 15 / 18 per kg for 0–799 / 800–1,999 / 2,000+ km | RMB 48 / 60 / 72 per 5 kg in the same bands (10 kg: 96 / 120 / 144) | Not listed |
| West Air | RMB 15 / 20 / 25 per kg for under 800 / 800 to under 1,600 / 1,600+ km, described as promotional rates; the total is rounded down to the nearest RMB 10 | Page says online is less expensive; prices come from its calculator, not shown in the page text | Cabin baggage upgrade: RMB 240 per item if no scale is available; charges follow actual weight if a scale is available |
| China United | 1.5% of the highest adult economy one-way direct published fare that day, per kg | Discounted price shown at purchase, up to 20 kg online; sales stop 180 minutes before departure | Not listed |
Spring's terms and baggage page list the counter and gate figures. The two disagree on refunds of baggage bought in advance: the terms (effective September 30, 2026) say you may apply for a refund within the specified time and buy again, while the baggage page says a prepaid allowance cannot be refunded or changed separately, only together with the ticket, with no service fee. Treat a prepaid allowance as tied to the ticket unless your order page offers a refund. The baggage page adds that unused prepaid allowance is not returned and that overpayment is not refunded. 9 Air's fee page has both counter and online figures, so the comparison is clean there: on the 0–799 km band, 5 kg costs RMB 48 online and RMB 60 at the counter (5 × RMB 12). It also says online purchase is its best price. Online baggage can be bought until two hours before flight cut-off, and up to 60 kg online (counter purchase cap: 64 kg; up to 4 checked pieces per passenger). Buy too much and the extra is not refunded; buy too little and you pay the balance at counter rates. Online baggage is refunded only together with the ticket, with no fee.
West Air's page requires online orders at least 1 hour before departure and refunds unused pre-orders in full before check-in, in 7 working days. Unused kilos are never turned into money. China United lets you request a paid-baggage refund through the original purchase channel while the ticket is unused. If the ticket has been used but the paid baggage allowance has not, contact its customer service centre within 7 days after the flight actually arrives. After online check-in, paid baggage cannot be refunded or changed until you cancel the check-in.
The official pages cited here do not give Spring's online prices, West Air's online prices or China United's online prices, so only 9 Air's saving can be quantified here.
Seats, meals and higher fare classes
Spring: its terms list "preferred seats" among the paid extras. The pages cited here give no seat-fee amount. They also say seat requests are not guaranteed and that Spring can reassign seats, even after boarding. SpringPlus adds a 10 kg carry-on (20×40×55 cm), a 20 kg free checked bag on tickets sold from March 29, 2026, and free meals on certain flights. It is not sold to passengers travelling with children under 3. The page does not state a SpringPlus price.
China United: self-service seat selection and check-in on its website, app and mini-program are free. Under its one-step fares, tiers two to six also come with advance seat selection, for direct flights departing more than 48 hours later; the notice says this works in the app, mobile site, official WeChat account and mini-program, not on the desktop website. Babies, unaccompanied children and some other passengers cannot use online seat selection.
9 Air and West Air: the pages cited here do not mention seat-selection fees.
Change and refund rules
Spring is the only one of the four whose voluntary fee percentages appear on the official pages cited here. Its domestic table applies to tickets sold on or after June 4, 2026. Tickets sold from July 15, 2024 to June 3, 2026 fall under an older version that Spring lists separately; it is not covered here. A ticket issued earlier but changed on or after June 4, 2026 follows the new table for later changes and refunds. The fee is a percentage of the fare, not counting taxes and fuel surcharges.
| Time of request | Change fee | Refund fee |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days or more before departure | 20% | 30% |
| 14 days to under 30 days before departure | 30% | 40% |
| 7 days to under 14 days before departure | 40% | 50% |
| 3 days to under 7 days before departure | 50% | 60% |
| 24 hours to under 3 days before departure | 60% | 70% |
| 2 hours to under 24 hours before departure | 70% | 80% |
| Less than 2 hours before departure | 80% | 90% |
| After departure | 90% | 100% |
Rules under Spring's ticket usage conditions: the table covers booking classes Y, W, S, H, V, K, L, M, N, Q, T, X, U, E, R1–R4, P and P1–P5. Classes I, O, D, J, B and G follow the terms agreed at purchase. A change is for date and time only, into the same class or a higher one, with the fare difference paid. You cannot change the route, carrier or passenger name. Unused airport construction fee and fuel surcharge come back with a refund. Refunds go to the original payment method and currency within 7 working days of a valid application, not counting bank processing. For tickets paid by international credit card, Spring's terms say to apply for a refund within 180 days after purchasing the ticket, or it cannot refund in the original currency.
The other three do not print percentages on the official pages cited here. 9 Air says voluntary changes and refunds follow its multi-class fare rules and product rules, which are not covered here. China United points to its domestic fare conditions page, also not covered here. West Air's baggage page has no ticket rules. Read the fare rules on the booking page before paying.
Involuntary changes and refunds are free at Spring and 9 Air. A cancellation, a route change, a flight brought forward, or a scheduled departure or arrival postponed by 15 minutes or more counts. Spring offers one free change onto a flight within 10 days around the original date. 9 Air offers one free change within 7 days either side. 9 Air's domestic conditions and China United's notice also put refund processing at 7 working days, not counting bank time.
China United's wrong-purchase and name-correction rules, as shown on its notice, apply to tickets issued before February 10, 2026. Tickets issued from that date follow a newer rule that is not covered here. Under the older wrong-purchase rule, both tickets must be on China United-operated flights with 822 ticket numbers, with matching passenger details, route and travel date, and bought at least a week before departure. Only the first ticket may be used; one later-issued duplicate can receive an involuntary refund if the request is made less than 24 hours after purchase and gives the refund reason and correct ticket number.
Booking with a foreign passport
- Spring: its general conditions list passports among valid ID for purchase and check-in, next to Chinese ID cards. The ID you show at check-in must be the one used at booking, and you are responsible for the accuracy of the personal data you enter.
- West Air: its baggage page says passport holders must put a slash between surname and given name. Its example: passport name LIYI is entered as LI/YI.
- China United: names, ID numbers and validity dates must match the travel document. For tickets issued before February 10, 2026, its notice allows one free correction for an eligible name error (up to three letters, or up to three Chinese characters with the specified sound or shape similarities), an ID-number typo of up to three characters, or a swap from an old passport number to a new one, with the correct name unchanged. If both the name and ID number are wrong, the voluntary refund rules apply. A second correction is treated as a voluntary refund. Unusual Chinese characters can be entered in pinyin.
- 9 Air: its conditions let it refuse carriage when the ID shown at check-in differs from the ID used at purchase. Its domestic conditions page does not list which documents count.
The CAAC regulation says the same at the national level: a carrier must refuse a passenger whose check-in ID does not match the ID used at ticket purchase (Article 31).
The airlines' pages in this guide do not say whether each booking site accepts foreign bank cards, whether there is an English booking flow, or whether a Chinese phone number is needed. That was not verified here. Spring's terms do assume some tickets are paid by international credit card: carry that card to check-in, as staff can refuse check-in if card verification fails. 9 Air's site header offers English and USD as selectable options, but its baggage-fee and conditions pages cited here are Chinese only.
Delays, cancellations and overbooking
Delay or cancellation at Spring. Spring's Passenger Guidelines say a full refund is the only compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight. On top of that, when the cause is the airline's own (maintenance, crew, flight reallocation), Spring provides meals or accommodation. At the point of departure, when the cause is weather, air traffic control or security, Spring helps arrange them, at your cost. For a domestic flight delayed or cancelled at a stopover, or diverted to an alternate airport, Spring provides meals or accommodation regardless of the cause. It issues a delay or cancellation certificate on request.
Overbooking at Spring. The terms effective September 30, 2026 set these payments: RMB 200 if you cancel, with no cancellation fee. If you take a later Spring flight, RMB 200 for a wait under 2 hours, RMB 400 for 2 to under 4 hours, RMB 600 for 4 hours or more. If you learn of the overbooking after arriving at the airport, Spring provides free accommodation and airport transfers when the replacement flight's scheduled departure is more than 4 hours after the original flight's actual departure, or when the replacement flight is the next day. If accommodation cannot be arranged locally, it provides RMB 200 per passenger. Without enough volunteers, Spring denies boarding to later check-ins first, except passengers eligible for priority boarding.
Other airlines. 9 Air's domestic conditions refer to articles on meals and accommodation after delays, which are not covered here. West Air's page has nothing on delays. China United's domestic passenger notice provides meals or accommodation for delays or cancellations at departure caused by the airline; for other causes, it helps arrange them at the passenger's expense. At a stopover or after a diversion, it provides meals or accommodation regardless of the cause. It provides no financial compensation for delays or cancellations. For cancellation or a delay of 15 minutes or more, passengers can change free to an available later China United flight or request an involuntary refund, and can request a written certificate. China United's notice says passengers denied travel because of overbooking receive reasonable compensation and, at their request, a suitable flight or a refund. If there are not enough volunteers, it may deny boarding under its priority boarding rules.
What CAAC requires. The CAAC's English translation of its passenger-service regulation, marked "for reference only", makes airlines publish general conditions of carriage. Those must include refund and change rules, baggage rules, oversold-flight provisions and a complaint email and phone number. When tickets are sold online, the airline must show the fare conditions (including refund and change rules), meals and baggage allowance, and make you read the general conditions before you buy. Involuntary changes for airline reasons are free and involuntary refunds carry no fee. Refunds must be completed within 7 working days of a valid request, not counting bank processing. The regulation itself carries no airline-specific figures.
Which should you choose
- Cabin bag only: check the box size first. Spring, 9 Air and West Air's ordinary fares allow 20×30×40 cm; West Air's page lists 20×40×55 cm for Shenzhen departures. China United's economy allows 20×40×55 cm and 8 kg, and SpringPlus, 9 Air's high-end economy and West Air's delight economy also list 20×40×55 cm.
- One checked bag: buy it online in advance. 9 Air is the only one whose online and counter prices both appear on the official pages cited here, and online is lower. West Air says online is cheaper. Spring says online has discounts. China United sells up to 20 kg online, and its higher one-step fare tiers already include 5 to 20 kg. Do not rely on the gate: at Spring it is RMB 300 a piece.
- Heavy luggage: watch the online caps. 9 Air sells up to 60 kg online, China United 20 kg online, then the counter.
- Plans may change: only Spring's percentages are on the official pages cited here, and they rise with every step toward departure. For the others, read the fare rules on the booking page before paying.
- Want free seat selection: China United lists it as free. Spring lists preferred seats as paid without an amount.
- Meals: Spring gives no free meals apart from SpringPlus on some flights. China United excludes free meals and drinks unless the ticket product includes them. 9 Air's domestic conditions say it provides no free food or drinks on board; you can pre-order them for a fee when you book on its website, or buy them on board. The West Air page cited here does not say whether meals are included.
- Passport name worries: West Air spells out the slash format, and China United sets out its name-correction rules for tickets issued before February 10, 2026.
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