Heathrow's page China routes from Heathrow, dated 8 October 2025, lists 13 destinations in China served by eight airlines; it lists routes from Heathrow and does not list the return direction separately. If your city is not on that list, plan a connection. Most passengers on a single booking do not collect bags at Heathrow, because the airline transfers them. GOV.UK lists China among the nationalities that need a visa to enter or transit the UK, and which visa applies depends on whether your routing takes you through UK border control.
Quick answer by situation
- Beijing: Air China from Beijing Capital (T2, Star Alliance) or China Southern from Beijing Daxing (T4). Choose Air China for Star Alliance miles, or China Southern if you want Daxing; China Southern's timetable PDF, which covers 29 March to 24 October 2026, lists a flight each way every day.
- Shanghai: China Eastern (T4, SkyTeam) or British Airways (T3 and T5, oneworld), both to Pudong; choose by the alliance you collect miles with. A Virgin Atlantic (T3, SkyTeam) page lists Heathrow–Pudong flights for travel from October 2026 to March 2027, but the Heathrow list has no Virgin Atlantic route.
- Guangzhou: China Southern (T4), the only airline listed; the same PDF lists a flight each way every day, which suits flexible dates.
- Chengdu: Air China (T2, Star Alliance), the only airline listed for Chengdu Tianfu; a fit if you collect Star Alliance miles.
- Wuhan: China Southern (T4); the PDF lists two flights a week each way until 21 October 2026, so fix your dates first.
- Shenzhen: Shenzhen Airlines (T2, Star Alliance), the only airline listed; a fit if you collect Star Alliance miles.
- Qingdao: Beijing Capital Airlines (T3), the only airline listed; its Heathrow page names no alliance, so it is a fit if your departure city matters more to you than alliance membership.
- Xi'an: Tianjin Airlines (T3), the only airline listed; a fit if your departure city matters more to you than alliance membership.
- Chongqing: Tianjin Airlines (T3), the only airline listed; a fit if your departure city matters more to you than alliance membership.
- Tianjin: Tianjin Airlines (T3), the only airline listed; the list's footnote says Tianjin is served via Xi'an and Chongqing. A fit if your departure city matters more to you than alliance membership.
- Changsha: Hainan Airlines (T3), the only airline listed; a fit if your departure city matters more to you than alliance membership.
- Haikou: Hainan Airlines (T3), the only airline listed; the footnote says Haikou is served via Changsha. A fit if your departure city matters more to you than alliance membership.
- Any other city: no nonstop flight is on the list, so plan a connection (see below).
The Heathrow list reflects schedules as of 8 October 2025 and says routes and schedules may vary. Before you book, check the airline's own timetable on its website: it, not that list, shows the flights on the dates you fly.
Which terminal and alliance does each airline use at Heathrow?
Heathrow has four terminals. "Best for" and "not for" are editorial judgments.
| Airline | Terminal | Alliance on Heathrow's page | Best for | Not for, or the drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air China | T2 | Star Alliance | Star Alliance miles from Beijing or Chengdu | Travellers who want oneworld or SkyTeam miles |
| China Eastern | T4 | SkyTeam | Shanghai departures with SkyTeam miles | Pudong is its only listed route |
| China Southern | T4 | None named | Guangzhou, Daxing and Wuhan departures | The PDF lists Wuhan flights two days a week |
| British Airways | T3 and T5 | oneworld | oneworld members from Shanghai | Its China page does not say which routes run or on which days |
| Virgin Atlantic | T3 | SkyTeam | SkyTeam members flying to Pudong | Not on the 8 October 2025 Heathrow list |
| Shenzhen Airlines | T2 | Star Alliance | Shenzhen departures | One route only |
| Hainan Airlines | T3 | None listed | Changsha and Haikou departures | No alliance listed; Haikou is via Changsha |
| Beijing Capital Airlines | T3 | None listed | Qingdao departures | No alliance listed |
| Tianjin Airlines | T3 | None listed | Xi'an and Chongqing departures | No alliance listed; Tianjin is via Xi'an and Chongqing |
| Xiamen Airlines | T4 | None named | Not covered | Not on the list; this article names no Xiamen route |
British Airways' China page also lists Beijing; it does not say which routes run, on which days or from which Beijing airport, so check British Airways' timetable for your dates. British Airways' Heathrow page does not say which flights use T3 or T5; your booking and Heathrow's online terminal finder (named on its connecting page) show the terminal. Not sure which alliance matters? Read how Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam elite status compare. Leaving from Beijing or Shanghai? See who gets lounge access at Beijing and Shanghai airports.
Which China Southern flights does the timetable PDF list?
China Southern's timetable PDF covers 29 March to 24 October 2026 and says it is for reference only. Times are local; "+1" means the next day. Later dates are not in the PDF.
| Flight | Route and local times | Days |
|---|---|---|
| CZ303 | Guangzhou 13:40 to Heathrow 19:20 | Every day |
| CZ304 | Heathrow 22:10 to Guangzhou 16:55 +1 | Every day |
| CZ673 | Beijing Daxing 14:15 to Heathrow 18:05 | Every day |
| CZ674 | Heathrow 21:00 to Beijing Daxing 14:15 +1 | Every day |
| CZ607 | Wuhan 11:35 to Heathrow 16:15 | Two days a week, to 21 October 2026 |
| CZ608 | Heathrow 19:15 to Wuhan 13:00 +1 | Two days a week, to 21 October 2026 |
What if your city has no nonstop flight to Heathrow?
Connect on one ticket in China, then fly to Heathrow. This guide covers connections in China and at Heathrow only; for a one-stop route through Istanbul, see connecting through Istanbul with Turkish Airlines.
| Page | What it says | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Air China, Through Check-in (no date) | Two boarding passes, and bags checked to the final destination at the first airport. Via Beijing you do not leave the transit area to claim bags. It covers over 70 airports: more than 40 in Mainland China, 30 international. | Lists "London" but names no London airport. Ask Air China to confirm Heathrow. |
| China Southern, Guangzhou Airport Transit Service Commitments (no date) | Passengers holding the next boarding pass and bag tag contact transit staff after border entry procedures to clear and confirm baggage (international to domestic). Through-ticket international-to-international passengers go straight to the transit gate. Staff also help transfer bags for passengers who received their next boarding pass and bag tag at their departure airport. | Its minimum connection time of 60 minutes is for Guangzhou only, not Heathrow. |
| China Eastern, Airport Link Line announcement (2025-03-28) | Same-day transfer between Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) for passengers on China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines flights. The ticket must start with "781". The page advises at least 3.5 hours between flights. | Only for routes using both Shanghai airports. China Eastern may modify or discontinue it without notice. |
How does a connection at Heathrow work?
Heathrow's connecting-flights page and its guide to connections (23 August 2024) describe a connection as a single booking on which you change flights at the same airport:
- After you leave the aircraft, follow the purple Flight Connection signs.
- Read your departure terminal on the information screens. Gate numbers appear on departure boards after security.
- For another terminal, take the free shuttle bus; Heathrow's connecting page says it runs every 10 minutes. In the same terminal, walk or use the free tram or train where available.
- Go through security, as all connecting passengers do. Large electrical items and liquids up to 2 litres can stay in your cabin bag.
- If your next flight is within the UK, you pass UK immigration before security. For a UK or Republic of Ireland flight, Heathrow takes a face biometric image.
If a delay makes you miss your next flight, go to the airline desk. Heathrow does not recommend leaving the airport on a long wait. You would pass UK immigration, so you need the right to enter the UK, and you must be back three hours before a long-haul departure.
How long does a connection take, and what changes with two separate tickets?
Heathrow's connecting page says the time depends on route, airline, baggage and any terminal change, so there is no single answer. On one booking the airline generally quotes a minimum connection time, and Heathrow's guide says airlines only sell itineraries that meet the airport's minimum. Neither page gives minutes.
Two separate bookings are not a connection. The minimum times do not apply, and Heathrow says to allow plenty of extra time. You go through immigration, collect your bags, check in and drop them again, and go through security again. Heathrow's Travelling between terminals page covers transfers on two separate flights. Passing UK immigration means passing UK border control, the case the visa sections below describe.
Does a Chinese passport need a UK transit visa to change planes at Heathrow?
GOV.UK's UK visa requirements page, updated 3 August 2026, lists China (People's Republic of) among the nationalities that need a visa to enter or transit the UK. Its footnote says diplomatic or service passport holders may transit airside without a visa.
Airside transit means you do not pass UK border control. Landside means you do and leave the UK within a short time, usually 24 hours. Your airline can tell you which applies to your routing.
| Situation | Visa named on GOV.UK | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Changing flights without going through border control | Direct Airside Transit visa | £41.50 |
| Going through border control, for example to check in luggage for a connecting flight, and leaving within 48 hours | Visitor in Transit visa | £74.50 |
| Staying more than 48 hours | Standard Visitor visa | £135 for up to 6 months |
GOV.UK says the two transit fees may change slightly depending on which country you are in. The Home Office fee table dated 8 October 2026 (updated 10 September 2026) shows the same three amounts in both fee columns, so no change from 8 October 2026.
GOV.UK's transit overview says you do not need a transit visa if you hold an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, a Home Office travel document, a Standard Visitor visa or a Marriage Visitor visa. The UK visa requirements page does not list ETA-eligible countries, so it does not say whether a Chinese passport can get an ETA.
The visa requirements page also allows transit without a visa (TWOV) for visa nationals who hold a listed document:
- Airside: arrive and depart by air, hold a confirmed onward flight the same day from the same airport, and hold the correct destination documents. You also need a listed document, such as a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA (whether or not you travel to or from them), a valid common format Category D visa for an EEA state or Switzerland, or a valid Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa when you travel to the country that issued it. The page lists more.
- Landside: arrive and depart by air, hold a confirmed onward flight leaving before 23:59 the following day, the correct destination documents and a listed document. An immigration officer at the UK border decides.
Which case applies depends on your airline's routing and the documents you hold. For Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, GOV.UK says you usually need a Standard Visitor visa unless exempt, and the visa requirements page says you cannot transit airside to the Republic of Ireland or anywhere in the Common Travel Area.
What do you need to enter the UK instead of transiting?
GOV.UK's Standard Visitor page says the visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. You apply online before you travel, and the earliest is 3 months before. Your passport should be valid for the whole stay, and you must show that you will leave the UK, can support yourself, and can pay for the return or onward journey. Passing through to another country is a permitted activity; if transit is your only reason to come, a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50) is the alternative.
GOV.UK's Visa national list, updated 3 August 2026, lists the People's Republic of China. Holders of a Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR passport do not need a visit visa under rule VN 2.2, except for the marriage, civil-partnership and visits-over-6-months cases set out in rule VN 2.3.
Rules to check before you book
How much checked baggage do you get between China and the UK?
| Airline | Fare type | Free checked baggage | Page and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Eastern, flights including Europe | First; Business and Premium Business | 3 pieces; 2 pieces, 32 kg each | Free Baggage Allowance page, no date |
| China Eastern | Premium Economy; Economy Y and B, Flexible and Standard | 2 pieces; 1 piece, 23 kg each | Free Baggage Allowance page, no date |
| China Eastern | Basic Economy | 0 pieces | Free Baggage Allowance page, no date |
| China Southern, Economy, between Europe (except Turkey) and mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan | Full Flex, Flex, Standard | 1 piece, 23 kg | Baggage Rules PDF, Version 2-2024 |
| China Southern | Economy Saver; Economy Light | One piece less than Standard; none | Baggage Rules PDF, Version 2-2024 |
| China Southern | Business | 2 pieces, 32 kg each | Baggage Rules PDF, Version 2-2024 |
| Air China, United Kingdom row | First and Business; Economy brands in the row | 2 pieces, 32 kg each; 1 piece, 23 kg | Piece-concept PDF, 25 September 2024 |
| Air China, economy branded fares | Standard; Flex, Comfort, Latitude | Some Standard routes include none; Flex, Comfort and Latitude: one or two pieces, 23 kg each, by route | Branded fares announcement, no date |
| Hainan Airlines, European region (except Russia) | Business; Economy | 2 pieces, 32 kg each; 1 piece, 23 kg | Checked Baggage page, no date |
| Hainan Airlines, branded fares, Europe–Asia (not via the Middle East) | Light, Basic, Standard, Flexible Economy | None; 1; 1; 2 pieces, 23 kg each | Checked Baggage page, no date |
| Virgin Atlantic | Economy Light; Classic and Delight | No checked bag; 1 bag up to 23 kg (plus a 10 kg hand item on all three) | Economy Class page, no date |
| British Airways, China page | Economy standard (or a Holidays package); business cabin | 1 bag up to 23 kg; 2 bags up to 32 kg each | Flights to China page, no date |
The China Eastern, China Southern and Hainan pages cap the sum of three sides at 158 cm per piece. British Airways also sells hand-baggage-only tickets, and Air China says the ticket shows the final details. This article gives no allowance for Shenzhen Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines or Tianjin Airlines.
What are the change and refund rules?
| Airline and page | What the page says | Page and date |
|---|---|---|
| China Eastern, international flights | Special fares follow their own rules. A refund has two parts, refundable fare and fuel surcharge, and refundable government taxes and fees for unused segments, calculated separately. Each change carries a fee; only the highest applies. A higher new fare means you pay the difference plus the change fee. | Voluntary Changes and Refunds PDF, effective 31 December 2024 |
| Air China, international tickets | Special fares follow their own rules. A refund has two parts, residual fare and fuel surcharge and residual government taxes, calculated separately. Only the highest refund fee applies. A change fee is not refundable if you changed the ticket before the refund. | Voluntary Refund and Change Rules, revised November 2023, effective 1 November 2023 |
| Air China, economy branded fares | Standard: no refunds, rebooking with a fee. Flex: both with a fee. Comfort: refunds with a fee, free rebooking. Latitude: both without fees. | Branded fares announcement, no date |
| Virgin Atlantic | Some tickets are partly or completely non-refundable; some carry a cancellation fee shown during booking. If you do not use all or part of a non-refundable ticket, you can still apply for a refund of taxes, and of fees and charges imposed by a government, other authority or airport operator. | Conditions of Carriage, Article 10, no date |
This article gives no change or refund rules for China Southern, British Airways or Hainan Airlines.
Which public holidays fall around your dates?
| Country and year | Dates |
|---|---|
| England and Wales, 2026 | 25 December (Christmas Day); 28 December (Boxing Day substitute) |
| England and Wales, 2027 | 1 January; 26 March (Good Friday); 29 March (Easter Monday); 3 May; 31 May; 30 August; 27 and 28 December (Christmas Day and Boxing Day substitutes) |
The UK dates come from GOV.UK's bank holidays page, tab for England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate tabs. For China, the General Office of the State Council notice of 4 November 2025 covers 2026 only; its last holiday is National Day, 1–7 October, with 10 October a working day. For 2027, look for the next State Council notice. For how delay compensation works, read how flight-delay compensation rules work.
FAQ
Do Chinese passport holders need a UK transit visa to change planes at Heathrow?
GOV.UK's UK visa requirements page lists China (People's Republic of) among the nationalities that need a visa to enter or transit the UK. It also allows transit without a visa for visa nationals who hold a listed document, such as a valid visa for entry to the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Which case applies depends on whether your airline's routing takes you through UK border control and on the documents you hold.
Can my bags be checked through to Heathrow when I connect in China?
Air China's Through Check-in page says passengers can check bags to their final destination at the first airport, and that those connecting via Beijing do not leave the transit area to claim bags. The page lists London among the international cities but names no London airport.
Is a free checked bag included on every economy fare?
No. The airline pages list economy fares without one: China Eastern Basic Economy, China Southern Economy Light, Hainan Light Economy on Europe–Asia routes not via the Middle East, and Virgin Atlantic Economy Light. Air China says some routes under Economy Standard include none.
Can Chinese passport holders use the UK eGates?
GOV.UK's border-control page lets travellers from outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein use eGates if they have a biometric passport, a valid digital immigration status or record of a digital exemption, and a passport from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the United States; it also sets age and height requirements. China is not on that list. Members of the Registered Traveller Service may also be able to use eGates.
Need a flight quote?
Send us your route and travel dates on our contact page, and we will reply with a quote for your flights.
