Chinese Domestic Airlines

[Cruiser Elite]

Chinese avation is surprisingly efficient in some ways - totally hopeless in other ways.

Both C-Trip and eLOng offer FABULOUS SERVICE - everybody should use them with confidence.

As for individual airlines domestically - wow so hit and miss . But airport staff are FABULOUS with foreigners - I have ALWAYS been treated like a VIP in all domestic Chinese airports.

On several occasions I have had flts delayed etc and when you explain necessity to fly on time quite often they will take you off one carrier and get you on another - and rarely I have had to pay any additional charges. Mind you invariably it has been J seats - but i just find them so accomodating.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Chinese avation is surprisingly efficient in some ways - totally hopeless in other ways.

Both C-Trip and eLOng offer FABULOUS SERVICE - everybody should use them with confidence.

As for individual airlines domestically - wow so hit and miss . But airport staff are FABULOUS with foreigners - I have ALWAYS been treated like a VIP in all domestic Chinese airports.

On several occasions I have had flts delayed etc and when you explain necessity to fly on time quite often they will take you off one carrier and get you on another - and rarely I have had to pay any additional charges. Mind you invariably it has been J seats - but i just find them so accomodating.

indeed. but that is more about how Chinese ticketing works. all pretty much being one giant company (but split into operating units) and all pretty much having the same fares (except in some instances for ultra discount economy fares), you do have almost complete flexibility to endorse tickets between one carrier and another.

agree the service for westerners can be excellent. I haven't had a 'bad' flight yet on a Chinese carrier that has been caused by the crew (food, and premium cabin seating on air china's ancient 772s is outside the crew's control)

 

[Tuddy]

Back from China and wow am I impressed with all that HU offered! They were amazing! They (PEK-XIY, PEK-SHA) offered copious amounts of food, setback entertainment and very friendly crew - and all this on a domestic service. They definitely won me over for future flights. By contrast, MU (XIY-PEK) I found to be very mediocre with disinterested crew and no food provided (only flight on the whole trip where this occurred), although we did arrive at our destination (PEK) 45 minutes EARLY! CA (SHA-PEK) continued to provide OK service on the flights I took providing a nice snack, blankets and pillows for those who wanted to sleep, though I found were slightly inflexible with moving me to an earlier flight (although, I was told by the checkin agent "I didn't know we had this class of airfare. Wow! You only paid that price! Yeh...there's no way we'll be able to move you to the earlier flight free of charge").

Again, CTrip continued to impress. I had to change my PEK-SHA roundtrip to a week later for personal reasons and they were very helpful in ensuring I got all the paperwork through for insurance purposes, that I got a prompt refund and cheap roundtrip (which worked out to be cheaper than my initial booking - and saw me not having to travel on MU again).

Moral of the story following 6 domestic flights in China...book with CTrip and, where possible, fly with HU and friends. Not only is the terminal that they have to themselves at PEK very convenient, pleasant and easy to use, but staff are also very, very accommodating in ensuring that you make your flight (I checked in 20 minutes before departure at PEK for my SHA flight and still made it!).

 

[TheEmu]

The TR nearly ready to post, Tuddy? :mrgreen:

 

[Tuddy]

The TR nearly ready to post, Tuddy? :mrgreen:

there you go...

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ts-and-trip-photos/chinese-voyages-46084.html

 

[Simo]

Will read your TR

 

[seanpodge]

Managed to snag myself a premium economy fare (selling for the same price as regular economy) on China Southern for a PEK-HRB flight on an A319. PE seats look like they are regular economy seats but with a good bit more leg room. I'm around 190cm and was easily able to get my feet under the seat in front to stretch out. It was a late service but a small meal was still provided. Can't really say too much else since I was asleep for most of the flight.