Canada-China Direct Flights: 32 Weekly Flights From YVR

Vancouver will have 32 direct flights a week to mainland China in November 2026, up from 23 in November 2025. Canada-China direct flights are picking up again: Air China, China Southern and Xiamen Airlines add frequencies between late September and late October, and Beijing Capital Airlines returns to YVR on October 2, 2026.

Air Canada follows on May 4, 2027 with a new Vancouver-Guangzhou route, its third destination in mainland China. More flights mean more dates to choose from, and sometimes more award seats. Here is what changes, route by route, and which program to use to book with points.

What changes in Vancouver this fall

In November 2026, you will have 8 airlines and 9 routes to choose from between YVR and 7 cities in mainland China. The network is still well short of the 55 weekly flights it had before the pandemic, but capacity is up almost 40 per cent year over year.

The increase follows the April 2026 agreement between Canada and China that lets airlines gradually add passenger flights between the two countries.

The four changes to know:

Air China: Vancouver-Beijing goes from 3 to 5 weekly flights starting September 29, 2026
Beijing Capital Airlines: returns to YVR on October 2, 2026, with 1 weekly flight to Qingdao that continues to Hangzhou
China Southern: Vancouver-Guangzhou goes from 2 to 4 weekly flights starting October 25, 2026
Xiamen Airlines: Vancouver-Xiamen goes from 2 to 3 weekly flights starting October 29, 2026

Air Canada is back to a daily flight to Beijing, up from 4 a week in November 2025, and keeps its daily Shanghai flight. To plan your trip through the airport, see our guide to Vancouver International Airport.

Weekly direct flights between Vancouver (YVR) and mainland China, November 2026
Destination	Airline	November 2026	November 2025	Change
Beijing	Air Canada	7	4	+3
Shanghai	Air Canada	7	7	=
Beijing	Air China	5	3	+2
Guangzhou	China Southern	4	2	+2
Xiamen	Xiamen Airlines	3	2	+1
Chengdu	Sichuan Airlines	2	2	=
Shanghai	China Eastern	2	2	=
Shenzhen	Hainan Airlines	1	1	=
Qingdao	Beijing Capital Airlines	1	New route	+1
Total	8 airlines	32	23	+9

Vancouver-Guangzhou on Air Canada from May 4, 2027

Air Canada will launch year-round service between Vancouver and Guangzhou on May 4, 2027, with 3 weekly flights on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Flight AC 77 leaves YVR at 00:35 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and lands in Guangzhou at 05:00 the next day. The return leaves Guangzhou at 09:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Air Canada Signature Class seats on board a Boeing 787-10 — Air Canada Signature Class on a Boeing 787. The Vancouver-Guangzhou route will be flown with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Air Canada will become the only North American airline serving Guangzhou, where it will compete with China Southern on its home turf. The route remains subject to government approvals. We covered it in detail in our article on new Air Canada destinations for summer 2027.

Flying out of Toronto? You also get direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou there. On top of that, Air Canada will move to a daily Toronto-Shanghai flight in summer 2027.

Which program to book these flights with points

These airlines do not all belong to the same alliance, so you pick your program based on who operates the flight.

Aeroplan for Air Canada and Air China

Aeroplan is the obvious first stop for Air Canada flights to Beijing, Shanghai and soon Guangzhou. On Air Canada, award prices move with date and demand, and business class climbs fast on a direct long-haul flight in peak season. Compare several days before you book.

Air China, a Star Alliance member, is also an Aeroplan partner. You book its flights at the fixed rate of the partner award chart, based on distance. Business class seats from North America rarely open up, so check often.

FeaturedCompare

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card

TD Aeroplan First-Year Annual Fee Rebate

Annual feeNo annual fee the first year: $0 $139
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $1,139
Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months: Up to 50,000 points

With this offer for the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 50,000 Aeroplan points^† as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year^†.

Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first Purchase with your new Card^†
Earn 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of Account opening^†.
Plus, earn a one-time anniversary bonus of 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of Account opening^†

This card also allows you to enjoy travel benefits, such as a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation^†, as well as a rebate on the NEXUS program application fee (up to $100 CAD per eligible cardholder) every 48 months^†.

With the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 1.5 points^† per $1 spent on:

Grocery purchases
Gas and electric vehicle charging purchases
Purchases made directly with Air Canada^® (including Air Canada Vacations^®)

You also earn 1 point^† per dollar on all other eligible purchases made with your card.

Legal

^†Terms and conditions apply.

Annual fee

Primary card$139

Additional card$75

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

1.5xGas & EV
1.5xGroceries
1.5xAir Canada flights
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,714

2nd Year Value$425

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $2,000,000 / 4 days

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000

Lost BaggageUp to $1,000

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Flying Blue for China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines

China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines are SkyTeam members. Book them with Flying Blue miles, which you can top up by transferring American Express Membership Rewards points. Flying Blue prices dynamically, partners included. Keep an eye on the monthly Flying Blue Promo Rewards, which sometimes cut the cost of certain routes.

The other airlines

Heading to Shenzhen? Hainan Airlines flies there from Vancouver and partners with Alaska Airlines' Atmos Rewards program. However, China Southern, Sichuan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines are not in any of the three major alliances, so you will mostly pay cash for their flights.

Taking a connection

If no direct flight opens up as an award, a stop gives you more options. Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong, booked with Asia Miles, is worth comparing from Vancouver. You can top up that program by transferring RBC Avion points at 1:1, or American Express Membership Rewards points. Hong Kong is then a short train ride from Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

FeaturedCompare

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

RBC RBC Avion Rewards - Elite

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,190Total$1,190Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $1,190
Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in 6 months: Up to 70,000 points; Ends Nov 25, 2026

For a limited time, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Avion points, worth up to $1,500 in travel.

35,000 points upon approval of your application
20,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your account within the first six months
15,000 points on the first anniversary of your account

You can redeem your Avion points for flights with more than 500 airlines, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions, or transfer them to partner programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards.

The card earns you 1.25 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all your other eligible purchases. It also includes extensive insurance coverage: emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, collision coverage for rental vehicles, and mobile devices.

The annual fee is $120.

Legal

Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions

^† Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 35,000 Avion points for one round-trip long-haul flight to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States with a maximum ticket price of $750, you will need a minimum of 70,000 Avion Points for two round-trips long-haul flights to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States, exclusive of Hawaii and Alaska. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveler. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

^ Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 15,000 Avion points for a round trip within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State with a maximum ticket price of $350. You will need a minimum of 60,000 Avion Points for four round-trips within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveller. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, please visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

1 This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC Avion Visa Infinite or RBC Avion Visa Platinum credit card (each, an “Eligible Credit Card”) received between “August 13, 2026” and “November 25, 2026” (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”) subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the Eligible Credit Card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account transferring to an Eligible Credit Card account during the Offer Period, are not eligible for the offer.

35,000 welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after your application has been approved, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Welcome points are credited to your account, “good standing” meaning that your Eligible Credit Card account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive credit card account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status.

You will receive 20,000 bonus Avion points (“Bonus Points”) if a total of $5,000 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your Eligible Credit Card account within the first six (6) months from your Eligible Credit Card account opening date (“Period”). The Bonus Points will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty days (60) after you reach $5,000 in Qualifying Transactions, provided your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Bonus Points are credited to your account.

Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees. Credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Eligible Credit Card account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period.

15,000 additional Avion points (“Anniversary Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within twelve (12) to sixteen (16) weeks after the one- year anniversary of your account opening, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Anniversary Points are credited to your account.

If you close or change your Eligible Credit Card Account for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome Points, the Bonus Points and/or the Anniversary Points have been credited to your account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank in its sole discretion. For complete terms and conditions that apply to the Avion Rewards Program, please visit www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800-769-2512.

^Point redemptions for flights under the Air Travel Redemption Schedule start at 7,500 points for a short-haul one-way Economy Class flight priced at no more than $175 (and start at 15,000 points for a short-haul round-trip Economy Class flight priced at no more than $350). The traveller is responsible for all applicable taxes, administration fees and surcharges. To learn more, including guidelines regarding redeeming points for a Business Class flight, visit www.avionrewards.com/fr/travel/.

2 Avion points are earned on qualifying net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant) interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the points earned by the amounts originally charged.

4 To participate in this offer, you must have an RBC debit card or a credit card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC business clients will only be able to link up to two (2) RBC business credit cards and one (1) RBC business debit card to a Petro-Points card.

You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app in order to link your RBC Card to your Petro-Points card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before savings and bonus points can be applied to purchases. A linked RBC Card means an RBC Card linked to a Petro-Points Account. Your linked RBC Card acts as your Petro-Points card. You will automatically earn Petro-Points when you pay for qualifying purchases with your linked RBC Card at Petro-Canada locations and you do not need to swipe your Petro-Points card before you pay. You can redeem your Petro-Points at Petro-Canada using your linked RBC Card. Each time you use your linked RBC Card to purchase any grade of gasoline, or diesel, at a Petro-Canada location, you will save three cents ($0.03) per litre at the time of the transaction.

6 Each time you use your linked Eligible Avion Rewards Credit Card to pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada Location, you will earn a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Avion points than you normally earn for every $1 in purchases in accordance with the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions. Please allow up to ninety (90) days from the date the transaction is posted on your credit card statement for the bonus points to be deposited into Avion Rewards account. Authorized Users are excluded from earning Avion points bonus.

6 Each time you use your eligible linked Avion Rewards credit card to pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada location, you will receive a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Avion points than you would normally receive for each dollar of purchase, in accordance with the terms of the Avion Rewards program. Please allow up to ninety (90) days from the date the transaction is posted to your credit card statement for your bonus points to be deposited into your Avion Rewards account. Authorized users cannot earn bonus Avion points.

7 Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada. Please refer to the insurance certificate for complete details. rbc-visa-infinite-avion-certificate-of-insurance.pdf

9 Under 65 years of age, 15 days of coverage. For age 65 and over, 3 days of coverage. Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada.

12 You will earn 1.25 Avion points for every dollar spent when you use your RBC Avion Visa Infinite card to pay for travel-related purchases made at merchants classified by Visa’s “Merchant Category Code” (“MCC”) as “travel”, which may include: airlines, accommodations, tour operators, cruise lines, travel agencies and car rental companies. Even though some merchants may sell travel products/services, purchases made at these locations may not necessarily qualify for the 1.25 Avion points per dollar if the merchant is not classified with a “travel” MCC. Also, merchants that are not classified by a “travel” MCC may be located on the premises of merchants that are classified with a “travel” MCC, and purchases made at these locations may not qualify for this added benefit. For more details, please refer to the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions at: https://www.avionrewards.com/terms-and-conditions/index.html

14 The term “redeem” means using your Be Well points to pay, or partially pay, for eligible purchases using your Be Well card at participating Rexall locations according to the instructions provided by the cashier, the point-of-sale terminal or any other payment processing device. You can redeem the Be Well points you earn for eligible purchases—see section 5 of the Be Well terms (available at https://www.letsbewell.ca/terms-conditions)—or for another purpose that we may provide from time to time.

You must have joined the Be Well program and registered your Be Well card, or otherwise called customer service, to redeem Be Well points. Any Be Well points earned on a Be Well card will remain the property of the Be Well administrator until the enrollment and registration process is complete.

You must redeem a minimum of 25,000 Be Well points at any time, which are worth $10. Be Well points can be redeemed in $10 increments, up to a maximum of $200 (500,000 Be Well points) in a single transaction. A maximum of 500,000 Be Well points can be redeemed within a 24-hour period.

In Ontario and British Columbia, Be Well points cannot be redeemed for prescription drugs. As the laws of each province and territory may change from time to time, you are encouraged to consult your pharmacist for more information in this regard.

Be Well points you earn when you make a purchase cannot be redeemed immediately for that same purchase. They can only be redeemed for a future eligible purchase that must be made at least 12 hours after earning those Be Well points.

16 To receive a complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants when you pay with your Eligible RBC Credit Card, you must subscribe to DashPass by adding an Eligible RBC Credit Card, accept the DoorDash terms and conditions, and activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” before November 16, 2028 (“Offer Period”). If you are an existing DashPass subscriber and have already added an Eligible RBC Credit Card to your account you must activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” during the Offer Period. If you have been charged for DashPass you will receive a refund to the method of original payment, in the amount of the monthly subscription fee for the month you activate your complimentary subscription. For all clients, by clicking on “Activate Free DashPass” you agree to the DoorDash terms and conditions which can be found at https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/terms-and-conditions .

Eligible RBC Credit cardholders include primary cardholders, co-applicants, authorized users, primary business cardholders and secondary business cardholders on an Eligible RBC Credit Card account.

The DashPass monthly subscription fee will be waived (“Complimentary DashPass Subscription”) and you will receive either a 6 months or 12 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription based on the Eligible RBC Credit Card you use to subscribe to DashPass.

DashPass subscriptions purchased through third parties, including third-party payment accounts, or online or mobile digital wallets (like Apply Pay and Google Pay) are not eligible for the Complimentary DashPass Subscription.

Eligible RBC Credit Cards: Your Eligible RBC Credit Card may only be used with one DoorDash account to receive a Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Once you have received a Complimentary DashPass Subscription you cannot use the same eligible RBC Credit Card to obtain a Complimentary DashPass Subscription with another DoorDash account.

You are only eligible for one 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription and one 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription during the Offer Period. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription commences on the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. For example, if you subscribe to a 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription in on the last day of your second month of a 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription you will receive a total of 14 months of Complimentary DashPass Subscription. In order to validate your credit card as an Eligible RBC Credit Card, Royal Bank may need to administer a $0.50 charge to validate your card enrollment. This charge will be reversed in 3 to 5 days once your account has been validated.

12 Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an RBC Avion Visa Platinum, RBC Avion Visa Infinite , RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, RBC Rewards Visa Preferred, RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, More Rewards RBC Visa Infinite, RBC British Airways Visa Infinite, RBC Avion Visa Business, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business (Elite Benefit cards) cardholder.

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 12 months from the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

6 Months Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an Rewards+TM Visa‡, Signature^® RBC Rewards^® Visa‡, RBC^® Visa‡ Platinum, RBC^® Visa‡ Cash Back, RBC^® Cash Back Mastercard‡, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic Low Rate Option, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic, RBC^® Student Visa‡ Classic, RBC^® Visa‡ Classic II Student, RBC^® Visa‡ Gold, RBC^® U.S. Dollar Visa‡ Gold, RBC Rewards Visa‡ Gold, RBC RateAdvantage^® Visa‡, WestJet RBC^® Mastercard‡, RBC ION Visa, RBC ION+ Visa, More Rewards RBC Visa, RBC Staff VISA Classic Expense, RBC Staff VISA Gold Expense, RBC^® Visa‡ Business, RBC^® Visa‡ Business Gold, RBC^® Visa‡ CreditLine for Small BusinessTM, or RBC^® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡, WestJet RBC^® World Elite Mastercard‡ (Premium Benefit Cards).

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 6 months from the date you subscribed to the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

DoorDash not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for (i) services and products provided through DoorDash; (ii) DashPass, including the DashPass Benefits, the administration of DashPass and (iii) the DoorDash terms and conditions. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription offer may be amended or withdrawn at any time. To learn more about DashPass, visit www.doordash.com/dashpass (opens to external site). For full DashPass for RBC Program Terms and Conditions, visit rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/documentation/pdf/full-doordash-tcs-en.pdf

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

1.25xTravel
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,567

2nd Year Value$271

Transfer partners

American Airlines AAdvantageAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
WestJet RewardsAirline

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included

Travel medical (55-64)Included

Travel medical (65+)Included

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 1 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Visa-free entry to China

Good news for your itinerary: you can enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days if you are a Canadian citizen with an ordinary passport. The measure covers tourism, business, family visits and transit from February 17 to December 31, 2026, according to the Chinese Embassy in Canada's notice. Check the current conditions before you book.

Bottom Line

Vancouver remains Canada's gateway to China, with 32 direct flights a week from November 2026. To book with points, start with Aeroplan on Air Canada and Air China, move to Flying Blue for China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines, and keep Asia Miles in reserve if you are fine with a stop in Hong Kong.

Aiming for Vancouver-Guangzhou on Air Canada from May 2027? Start earning Aeroplan points now: our ranking of the best credit cards in Canada will help you choose. To keep up with new routes and award deals, sign up for our newsletter.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
FeaturedTD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$139 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months Up to 50,000 points After $12,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
FeaturedRBC Avion Visa Infinite Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in 6 months Up to 70,000 pointsEnds Nov 25, 2026 After $5,000 in 6 months	Apply NowCompare
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to 15,000 points Get 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare

Canada-China Direct Flights - Frequently Asked Questions

How many direct flights link Vancouver and China in November 2026?

You can choose from 32 direct flights a week, on 9 routes operated by 8 airlines. That is 9 more than in November 2025, but still well short of the 55 weekly flights YVR had before the pandemic.

Is the Air Canada Vancouver-Guangzhou flight already on sale?

Yes. Flight AC 77 is on sale for departures from May 4, 2027, so you can already look for Aeroplan award seats on the route. It remains subject to government approvals.

Can you book Air China flights with Aeroplan points?

Yes. Air China is a Star Alliance member and an Aeroplan partner, so you pay the fixed partner chart rate, based on distance. Business class seats from North America rarely open up, so check often.

Which program should you use for China Eastern or Xiamen Airlines?

Both airlines are SkyTeam members, so Flying Blue is the first program to check. You can top up your account by transferring American Express Membership Rewards points. Prices are dynamic, partners included.

How do you earn Asia Miles in Canada?

Two credit card programs transfer to Asia Miles: RBC Avion, at 1 point for 1 mile, and American Express Membership Rewards. Asia Miles gets you on Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong, a short train ride from Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Can you pay for a Hainan Airlines flight with points?

Hainan Airlines, which flies Vancouver to Shenzhen, partners with Alaska Airlines' Atmos Rewards program. That is the option to check if you already collect those points. Hainan is not in any major alliance, so Aeroplan and Flying Blue do not cover it.

Are there direct flights to China from Toronto?

Yes. You can fly nonstop from Toronto Pearson to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou with Air China, Hainan Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern and Air Canada. Air Canada will go daily on Toronto-Shanghai in summer 2027.

Do Canadians need a visa to visit China?

Not for stays of up to 30 days. From February 17 to December 31, 2026, Canadian citizens with an ordinary passport can enter China visa-free for tourism, business, family visits or transit. Check the current conditions with the Chinese Embassy before you leave.

What changes in Vancouver this fall

The increase follows the April 2026 agreement between Canada and China that lets airlines gradually add passenger flights between the two countries.

The four changes to know:

Air China: Vancouver-Beijing goes from 3 to 5 weekly flights starting September 29, 2026
Beijing Capital Airlines: returns to YVR on October 2, 2026, with 1 weekly flight to Qingdao that continues to Hangzhou
China Southern: Vancouver-Guangzhou goes from 2 to 4 weekly flights starting October 25, 2026
Xiamen Airlines: Vancouver-Xiamen goes from 2 to 3 weekly flights starting October 29, 2026

Weekly direct flights between Vancouver (YVR) and mainland China, November 2026
Destination	Airline	November 2026	November 2025	Change
Beijing	Air Canada	7	4	+3
Shanghai	Air Canada	7	7	=
Beijing	Air China	5	3	+2
Guangzhou	China Southern	4	2	+2
Xiamen	Xiamen Airlines	3	2	+1
Chengdu	Sichuan Airlines	2	2	=
Shanghai	China Eastern	2	2	=
Shenzhen	Hainan Airlines	1	1	=
Qingdao	Beijing Capital Airlines	1	New route	+1
Total	8 airlines	32	23	+9

Vancouver-Guangzhou on Air Canada from May 4, 2027

Flying out of Toronto? You also get direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou there. On top of that, Air Canada will move to a daily Toronto-Shanghai flight in summer 2027.