- Flight
- about 11 to 11.5 hours westbound
- Departs
- Beijing Capital International
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 7 to 8 hours behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Beijing to London is about eleven hours westbound, which makes it the fastest East Asian approach to London by a long way. London is seven or eight hours behind Beijing.
Why this one is quick
Every airline still flying Beijing to London crosses Russian airspace, which is the direct line. The carriers that would route around it have left: British Airways stopped flying Heathrow to Beijing in late 2024 because the detour did not pay. What remains is Air China and China Southern, and both take the short way.
The practical result is that Beijing to London is three hours quicker than Tokyo to London, despite being a similar distance.
Two airports at each end
Air China flies from Beijing Capital, China Southern from Daxing, and both reach Heathrow, with Air China also serving Gatwick. Capital and Daxing are a long way apart and so are Heathrow and Gatwick, so read the ticket carefully before booking anything at either end.
The visa comes first
A Chinese passport needs a Standard Visitor visa for the United Kingdom. That is a real application with a fee and a wait, not a form you fill in the week before. Settle it before you book flights.
Arranging anything
Your evening is the middle of London’s working day, which is the easiest time to be writing. Everything here is arranged in advance, in writing, with the rate agreed before anyone meets. The booking guide explains how a first message usually goes.
The flight home
The flight home is the quicker one. Heading east you have the jet stream behind you rather than against you, which is worth about an hour on a route this long, so London back to Beijing is shorter than the flight you took to get here. Pleasant, and easy to forget when you are working out how much of the day the return will eat.
Before you book
Most visitors travelling on a Chinese passport need a Standard Visitor visa before they fly. Applications take time and carry a fee, so settle it before you buy a ticket you cannot change. The official check if you need a UK visa service tells you what applies to your passport.
When to get in touch
London runs 8 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 7pm and 7am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Feltham, Hayes, Hounslow, Southall.
Other cities in East Asia
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Beijing to London?
The flight from Beijing Capital International takes about 11 to 11.5 hours westbound. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Beijing and London?
London is 7 to 8 hours behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Beijing?
London runs 8 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 7pm and 7am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Beijing land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need a visa to fly from Beijing to London?
Most visitors travelling on a Chinese passport need a Standard Visitor visa. Use the official GOV.UK check if you need a UK visa service for your own passport, and apply well before you book flights you cannot change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.