Planning trip to China and need advice, please!

[christinam]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on travelling with my partner to China in September from Melbourne. Current (tentative) itinerary seems to be to fly from Melbourne to Beijing (via Hong Kong), spend 6 nights in Beijing, then take the new high speed bullet train to Shanghai. Transfer to the airport and fly from Beijing to Xian (assume we would have taken the high speed train back to Beijing?) and spend a couple of days here. Then to the airport and onto Guilin, where we'll spend 4 days exploring the Yangshuo area. Leave Guilin on a flight for Hong Kong, where we'll spend 4 days, then back to Melbourne.

I want to fly Qantas or a Qantas partner and it appears Cathay Pacific is the best carrier for this type of flight. I would like to buy a Business Class seat for myself and use points for my partner in the same class. I just got a shock when I checked out economy class rates for September - the Cathay Pacific website is quoting $7,500??? WTF???!!

Any thoughts on best deals on a Business Class airfare? I want a lie flat bed, as it seems most flights leave Melbourne about midnight and I want to sleep on the way over.

Thanks for your help!

Christina

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I thought CX had regular specials in the 4500-5000 range? Maybe closer to the time. I would book the reward seat now, that can always be cancelled for 5000 points if you decide on something else. Then just hang out for a CX special... after all - at 7500 it's probably not going to go up!

 

[christinam]

I thought CX had regular specials in the 4500-5000 range? Maybe closer to the time. I would book the reward seat now, that can always be cancelled for 5000 points if you decide on something else. Then just hang out for a CX special... after all - at 7500 it's probably not going to go up!

I don't know, but even $5,000 in economy class sounds horrendously expensive. I mean, you can go to London for less than half than that!

Why so expensive??

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't know, but even $5,000 in economy class sounds horrendously expensive. I mean, you can go to London for less than half than that!

Why so expensive??

sorry - I meant business class specials for 4500-5000!

if the economymfares are 7500 I would give Cathay a quick call and ask them to price the itinerary... if they come back with the same price ask them if there are social events or something pushing up the price. at least then you'll know that if there is something on that the prices may not drop...

there is china eastern airlines business class... it is a cradle seat... but only $2300 return from Melbourne to shanghai. you could then buy add ons to hong kong and back. not the same as lie flat business, but at that price it's pretty good.

 

[christinam]

sorry - I meant business class specials for 4500-5000!

if the economymfares are 7500 I would give Cathay a quick call and ask them to price the itinerary... if they come back with the same price ask them if there are social events or something pushing up the price. at least then you'll know that if there is something on that the prices may not drop...

there is china eastern airlines business class... it is a cradle seat... but only $2300 return from Melbourne to shanghai. you could then buy add ons to hong kong and back. not the same as lie flat business, but at that price it's pretty good.

Ok, got it. I'll give Cathay a call in the new year and find out what the deal is, thanks for the pointer. I know to avoid China in early October as there is some local festival on. The travel agent mentioned we'd want to be back home before the end of September, to make sure we missed the local event.

Not sure about China Air.....I don't think they have the greatest safety record.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ok, got it. I'll give Cathay a call in the new year and find out what the deal is, thanks for the pointer. I know to avoid China in early October as there is some local festival on. The travel agent mentioned we'd want to be back home before the end of September, to make sure we missed the local event.

Not sure about China Air.....I don't think they have the greatest safety record.

that event is called golden week I think... celebrates the anniversary of china.

there is a thread on AFF about china eastern... with lots of photos and the menus etc etc. their safety is perfectly fine . Chinese airlines (combined - and they really are all essentially the same airline, just different operating units) have probably the biggest fleet in the world... they're not dropping out of the skies (compared with air France... and not to be confused with china airlines from Taiwan... that is a completely different airline).

 

[Limewood]

Yes CX fares are usually 1/3 cheaper approx a month or two before departure, why they do this is anyones guess. Also if you go further its cheaper on CX via your real destination city, take SYD/HKG/BKK/HKG its $5.7K in J, look up SYD/HKG/SYD its 7.7K in J.

I use CX in J CNS/HKG twice a year direct flight just 6.45 hours, book either a month before or go the BKK shopping (with wife) 1st then stop over in HKG on business on return. Check out their Special Offers from time to time.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]

I want to fly Qantas or a Qantas partner and it appears Cathay Pacific is the best carrier for this type of flight. I would like to buy a Business Class seat for myself and use points for my partner in the same class.

Christina you have lots of time on your side and you're going to have lots of opportunities on various carriers to achieve your end goal.

Firstly is QF or a OW carrier an absolute imperative?

I understand the points redemption therefore answer is probably YES - but maybe a better alternative is going to appear for you.

As mentioned below - go ahead and secure your redemption booking and play it by ear down the track. I small cancellation fee if you do decide to cancel later ain't gonna cause too much pain.

IMHO we are going to see some fabulous deals with a number of carriers on the Oz-Sino routes in 2012 - you may well see deals that offer 2 return J flights with a carrier you are happy with a price not much more than what CX or QF will offer.

In particular SQ occasionally offer really good deals and have 3 flights a day out of MEL and all with good connections to PEK - and as has already been suggested the Chinese carriers also offer some really good deals. You are already contemplating a number of dom flts in China - you will be flying the same carriers who fly MEL-PVG / PEK / CAN so whether its dom or intl my tip is they will get you there in 1 pc.

High speed train BJ-SH is fabulous one way - downright boring 2 ways - you can fly Chinese F at same price train ticket nowadays - so consider that.

Whichever way you proceed keep us informed - never too much info even for those of us who travel these routes regularly.
[/FONT]

 

[Cruiser Elite]

J return Sept 2012 MEL-PEK / HKG-MEL:

China Eastern $2,600
China Southern $4,100
Philippine Airlines $4,100
Malaysian Airlines $4,800
Singapore Airlines $4,900

Christina seek and ye shall find - above rates all off bestflights.com.au

 

[munitalP]

Hi

not looking at flight prices just yet, your order of trip seems disjointed. I would:

1. MEL/SYD/PVG (Shanghai)
2. Do the Shanghai stuff
3. Train to Guilin, Guangxi
4. Train to Xian, Shaanxi (goes via Changsha, Hunan)
5. Train to Beijing
6. Fly PEK/HKG

That way there is no back tracking to speak of, and you only need visit each destination once.

Trains are great in China (I love them and they are so relaxing), but air travel is also quite cheap if you purchase your flights in China. Xi'an to Beijing would be a good excuse for a flight. You will also find due to the greater volume of flights from Beijing to Hong Kong, your flights will be cheaper than Guilin to Hong Kong.

If particularly wanting to stick to one world - why not buy Y flights and use your points for upgrades?

[LEFT][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana][TABLE="class: full, width: 765"]
[TR]
[TH][I]Flight 1[/I][/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"]From[/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"]To[/TH]
[TH]Flight[/TH]
[TH]Duration[/TH]
[TH]Departure
Terminal[/TH]
[TH]Fare Type[/TH]
[TH="class: lastcol"]Baggage[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tr_first"]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Mon 3 Sep 12[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][B]06:45[/B][/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Melbourne[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]08:10[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Sydney[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Qantas flight[IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/airlinesicons/QF.gif[/IMG]QF406[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter alignmiddle, bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]13h 30m[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter, bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Red e-Deal[/TD]
[TD="class: baggage, bgcolor: transparent"]Checked:
23kg[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]09:15[/TD]
[TD]Sydney[/TD]
[TD][B]18:15[/B][/TD]
[TD]Shanghai (Pudong International)[/TD]
[TD]Qantas flight[IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/airlinesicons/QF.gif[/IMG]QF129[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="class: baggage"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH][I]Flight 2[/I][/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"][/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH="class: lastcol"][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tr_first"]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Wed 26 Sep 12[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][B]10:00[/B][/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Beijing (Capital Airport)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][B]13:35[/B][/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Hong Kong[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Cathay Pacific flight[IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/airlinesicons/CX.gif[/IMG]CX347[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter, bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]3h 35m[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter, bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Red e-Deal[/TD]
[TD="class: baggage, bgcolor: transparent"]Checked:
20kg[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 10"]
[LIST]
[*][IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/airlinesicons/cx.gif[/IMG] = Flight Operated by Cathay Pacific
[/LIST][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH][I]Flight 3[/I][/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"][/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[TH="class: lastcol"][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tr_first"]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Fri 28 Sep 12[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][B]18:55[/B][/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Hong Kong[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][B]06:05[/B]
(Sat)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Melbourne[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Qantas flight[IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/airlinesicons/QF.gif[/IMG]QF30[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter, bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]9h 10m[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter, bgcolor: transparent, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Red e-Deal[/TD]
[TD="class: baggage, bgcolor: transparent"]Checked:
23kg[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[RIGHT][/RIGHT]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana][B]Key:[/B][IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/i_tail_red.gif[/IMG] = Qantas flight[IMG]http://book.qantas.com.au/pl/QFOnline/wds/qf_online1.1_208B_141211/img/airlinesicons/cx.gif[/IMG] = Flight Operated by Cathay Pacific[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana][B]Note:[/B]Qantas flights [B]QF1-QF399[/B] depart from international terminals. All other Qantas flights depart from domestic terminals.[/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]

This flight structure all on One World and $1730 per person

Have fun anyway, planning can be stressful or can be a joy - make it a joy by asking lots of questions

munitalP