China’s three largest carriers – Air China, China Eastern and China Southern – have waived change and cancellation fees on all flights to Japan until 28 March 2026 after a sharp fall in bookings triggered by political tensions. Data compiled on 12 December show more than 1,900 China–Japan flights cancelled in December alone, with capacity on some leisure routes down 40 %.
The slump follows Beijing’s 14 November advisory urging citizens to ‘reconsider travel’ to Japan after remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan. Travel-platform Umetrip reports search traffic for Osaka and Sapporo has halved, while queries for Russia’s Far East and domestic ski resorts such as Changbai Mountain are up strongly.
Amid this shift in demand, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/china/) can simplify the sudden scramble for alternative itineraries by providing up-to-date entry-requirement intelligence and expedited visa processing for destinations from Southeast Asia to the Caucasus. Corporate travel managers can upload bulk passport data, track each employee’s application status in real time and arrange courier pickups, while individual leisure travellers benefit from clear checklists and digital form-filling that cuts embassy visits when plans change at short notice.
![Chinese Airlines Waive Change Fees as Japan-Bound Demand Plunges]()
For corporate mobility planners the disruption is twofold: employee trips to Japanese clients may need rerouting, and supply-chain teams reliant on just-in-time components from Japan face longer lead times. Some firms are moving meetings to neutral hubs like Seoul and Singapore, which retain strong China connectivity.
Airlines’ generous refund policies buy time for passengers but also indicate carriers do not expect a quick rebound. Insurers have tightened policy language on ‘known events’, meaning future advisories could limit claim eligibility. HR teams should advise travellers to keep screenshots of refund confirmations and rebook through GDS platforms that recognise the waiver codes.
Tour operators and MICE planners may pivot incentive trips to alternatives offering visa-waiver programmes for Chinese groups – Malaysia, Thailand and Türkiye have all rolled out facilitations that can be processed in under three days.
The slump follows Beijing’s 14 November advisory urging citizens to ‘reconsider travel’ to Japan after remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan. Travel-platform Umetrip reports search traffic for Osaka and Sapporo has halved, while queries for Russia’s Far East and domestic ski resorts such as Changbai Mountain are up strongly.
Amid this shift in demand, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/china/) can simplify the sudden scramble for alternative itineraries by providing up-to-date entry-requirement intelligence and expedited visa processing for destinations from Southeast Asia to the Caucasus. Corporate travel managers can upload bulk passport data, track each employee’s application status in real time and arrange courier pickups, while individual leisure travellers benefit from clear checklists and digital form-filling that cuts embassy visits when plans change at short notice.
For corporate mobility planners the disruption is twofold: employee trips to Japanese clients may need rerouting, and supply-chain teams reliant on just-in-time components from Japan face longer lead times. Some firms are moving meetings to neutral hubs like Seoul and Singapore, which retain strong China connectivity.
Airlines’ generous refund policies buy time for passengers but also indicate carriers do not expect a quick rebound. Insurers have tightened policy language on ‘known events’, meaning future advisories could limit claim eligibility. HR teams should advise travellers to keep screenshots of refund confirmations and rebook through GDS platforms that recognise the waiver codes.
Tour operators and MICE planners may pivot incentive trips to alternatives offering visa-waiver programmes for Chinese groups – Malaysia, Thailand and Türkiye have all rolled out facilitations that can be processed in under three days.
