A second chance for Tianjin’s airport

Tianjin Binhai International Airport

When was the last time you looked at airfares, to or from China? I personally have been guilty of using Beijing as the single airport for all of my international flight searches. It just made sense that BJS, being the large international airport, was the default option.

Perhaps it was my ride on the overcrowded and uncomfortable bus leaving from Nanjing Lu, or my leaving far sooner in advance than needed due to concern over traffic, but the drawbacks of flying in or out of Beijing made me want to avoid the experience all together.

Let's be honest, give or take some variation in weather or traffic congestion, the journey between Tianjin and Beijing airport is generally a long and miserable three plus hours of our lives that we will never get back. For me, after sitting on a plane for twelve hours and dragging myself through customs, having to spend several additional hours getting back to my Tianjin apartment is like rubbing dirt in an open wound. Yes, it's that bad.

The good news, however, is the pile of dirt we know as the Beijing airport commute is sometimes completely avoidable. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the Tianjin airport! With its far closer proximity to all places in Tianjin, going to or from the airport is easy and effortless.

Previously, finding results for sensible routes paired with reasonable prices for Tianjin's international flights was very limited. The overwhelming majority were too long or too expensive, and it was only worth considering Tianjin's airport for domestic travel. I challenge you however to revisit the various airfare search engines and take a second look just as I did. If the international flight exists from Tianjin, chances are the rates are competitive with those of Beijing and the flight durations are similar as well. This is particularly the case if you account for the travel time between your door in Tianjin and Beijing's airport.

If you plan to fly somewhere in Asia especially, the Tianjin airport is a great option. In a recent search I was able to find round trip tickets to Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh for $260 and $270 dollars respectively. Additionally, trips to Korea and Japan regularly have attractive pricing for flights out of Tianjin. The good news doesn't just end there. Even with my journey back to California, Tianjin airport has surprised me with new possibilities. A total 16 hour flight with a stop-over in Korea via Asiana Airlines is no different in price than other flights departing from Beijing (and the flight time isn't much different either). Suddenly the close comparability of flight options has made Tianjin's airport competitive, and I won't miss going to Beijing. I can't guarantee this is going to work out the same for everyone's trip back home, but the chance to avoid a Beijing commute makes it worth giving Tianjin's airport a second chance.