Thanks, mushez. Yes sorry i do mean CZ - CS was my abbreviation for China Southern. I presume that you find the service OK - seeing as you fly it - obviously there are better airlines about ??
if we assume CZ are a fairly safe/professional airline to fly on, your reply does make things fairly tempting. i am not that concerned about the food - you can always take your own snacks if needed, and i would hope they have a reasonable supply of water on board.
in your opinion, what was there service standard like - were they easy to book with, OK to contact if you needed to change things, were the staff at least reasonably friendly?
in short, was your flight value for money ?
I choose to fly CZ at a last resort, and did so because of price. Plan to write a trip review of my last flight, first two times I had log in issues on the mobile app to do so - Maybe will today........
My Y+ was an operational upgrade on my CAN-BNE leg, did the rest in Y. Not a seat free on the plane - even in J on that leg.
I normally fly EK, BNE-SIN and then MU from SIN-PVG - however price, time, and fact EK direct to SIN is currently not active because or runway works, combined that I needed 46kg of luggage allowance - which CZ was my only cheap solution for that, it had my hands tied.
I have no issues about CZ safety, if anything I find most mainland Chinese Carriers are pedantic about safety these days.
They are value for Money. $780 AUD return BNE-SHA - plus popped my 787 cherry.
My biggest issues flying CZ are:
1- Delays. It is more a Chinese Mainland Airline issue, as the airlines have zero control over it, and it is the Civil Aviation of China dictating what aircraft can get into the sky. If you have less than 2 hours delay from your departure time, you are doing well. This will have you not knowing what your arrival time might be and need to think in 4 hour ranges of possible transport solutions from the airport to where you are heading for or to the hotel. My worst was on a CZ flight earlier this year from BKK-CAN-SHA - 7 hour delay, where our BKK flight at 8am landing fine at 11am fine, and instead of our 1:30pm onwards flight to SHA arriving at SHA at 4:00pm, was delayed until 10pm, arriving SHA at 11:30pm. In my case hotel free shuttles stopped at 10pm, and had to que for a taxi for 45 minutes to get to the hotel - but for someone not accustom to it with plan B & C thought out, they would be high and dry.
Avoiding flying a Mainland Chinese airline will avoid this massive, will happen, but by how much issue of flying with a connecting flight in Mainland China. If you are flying via a mainland China connecting flight - the earlier in the day you can be, the better chance you get to fly on - and not be canceled and do an overnight.
2- Food & Beverages. It is passable if you are hungry, but only just at times. It isn't as easy to get more than the rationed QTY they are wanting to give out during service, but sure if you press they will reluctantly help you out. And there is no ice. Oh for a warm, flatish, coke.
What I love about CZ:
1- Price - but only if they are cheap. There are times they are spendie, so only use when the price is right.
2- 2 x 23 = 46kg Luggage allowance. I wouldn't touch them for ex AU flights otherwise, why my last ex AU flight with them was 2010 when it was 23kg prior to my last flight
3- Customs at CAN - since I fly them to enter or exit China, this is a factor for me. Customs are a non issue, only once - and that was my BKK-CAN-SHA flight earlier this year, that I have had to get my Checked in Bag, walk past customs, and re-check it in for domestic flight. All other times, including last time - it was simply transferred to domestic flight and no need to be pestered by Customs at all. Historically that has not been as much of an issue, but past 12 months Shanghai customs have started to ask me questions about my excessive luggage which at times take the form of cartons. Never have an issue with anything I have when they check it all out, but when you are not held up 30 minutes for them to poke through your stuff, it is a bit of a win.
4- Direct ex BNE flights, soon to have MU as an option from December though. Keeps the pain down a little, and direct to PVG with MU from December will win me over which equalizes the delay issues.