China Air safety?
Jun 8th, 2006 | 07:37 PM
#1
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Joined: May 2005
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China Air safety?
Friends:
Would you take your family on a substantial trip on China Air? What is their safety record like these days? Have they made progress since 2002?
We would like to go back to Asia this summer for the third summer in a row but our travel agent says that the best prices for our complicated routing (b/c of my husband's work) involve us going on China Air. We have previously used other mainline carriers. Please advise. We would be taking our two minor children so feel responsible. Our departure point is Boston.
This message board is a treasure so thank you in advance. Many of you have shaped our travel plans in the past without even knowing how extraordinarily helpful you are. Thank you, Bob, Kathie, Guenmai, Karen, Cicerone, and all you highly knowledgeable travelers.
Thank you.
Jun 8th, 2006 | 07:41 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
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mary...i live outside boston too...
china air gets good and bad reviews...recently i think i have seen mostly good reviews....they do not fly from boston however....
one very good flight we had was continental from newark...direct...
china air is usually the cheapest however...
join us for the fodors GTG in cambridge on oct 7 if you can...lots of asia buffs there...let me know and i will put you on the e mail list:
[email protected]
bob
china air gets good and bad reviews...recently i think i have seen mostly good reviews....they do not fly from boston however....
one very good flight we had was continental from newark...direct...
china air is usually the cheapest however...
join us for the fodors GTG in cambridge on oct 7 if you can...lots of asia buffs there...let me know and i will put you on the e mail list:
[email protected]
bob
Jun 8th, 2006 | 07:49 PM
#3
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
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There is China Airlines of Taiwan, and there's Air China of Mainland China. You need to be very careful with names here! I believe you're talking about Air China.
They use pretty new 747-400 for their US routes, and they haven't had a major crash for years. I don't think you need to worry about safety on it.
BTW, I don't understand about the children part. You should be more concerned about safety if they're not going, right?
They use pretty new 747-400 for their US routes, and they haven't had a major crash for years. I don't think you need to worry about safety on it.
BTW, I don't understand about the children part. You should be more concerned about safety if they're not going, right?
Jun 9th, 2006 | 07:12 AM
#4
Joined: Aug 2004
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I fly China Air (Taiwan) all the time. The flights are fine, service is good. Food service is Chinese cuisine. There were questions about safety many years ago, involving their short-haul flights. I remember reading in some internet forum that about ten years ago they weeded out the old fighter pilots and brought in international professional pilots.
Jun 9th, 2006 | 01:44 PM
#5
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Hello again and thanks for your thoughts.
I do mean China Air and do know the difference between Taiwan-based CA and AC. We have flown Air China before and are happy to do so but I am haunted by old stories about China Air. If they haven't had a major incident since 2002, they may be fine but I just don't know. I thought that someone here might be knowldegeable about their fleet maintenance and pilot training practices. How do they undercut the other airlines on which I have previously flown to Asia?
Your question about risk assesment on behalf of my children, rkkwan, makes me realize that I didn't explain properly. They and I will either go on this trip or not go depending upon whether we are satisfied with the airline safety record. I have only taken them to Asia on major carriers because that's a risk I am willing to take on their behalf. Does CA meet the standards of say, United and Continental and Nipon Air? I would never determine that a carrier was safe enough for me but not for them thus leading me to take the trip on a questionable carrier without them -- that would be fairly addled thinking.
Yes, the Continental flt from Newark to Beijing was quite alright. We took it on it's 5th run last year so the crew was still excited over the newness of it.
I would love to attend the Boston G2G on October 7. I am not in league with the rest of you on this subject but it sounds like fun.
I do mean China Air and do know the difference between Taiwan-based CA and AC. We have flown Air China before and are happy to do so but I am haunted by old stories about China Air. If they haven't had a major incident since 2002, they may be fine but I just don't know. I thought that someone here might be knowldegeable about their fleet maintenance and pilot training practices. How do they undercut the other airlines on which I have previously flown to Asia?
Your question about risk assesment on behalf of my children, rkkwan, makes me realize that I didn't explain properly. They and I will either go on this trip or not go depending upon whether we are satisfied with the airline safety record. I have only taken them to Asia on major carriers because that's a risk I am willing to take on their behalf. Does CA meet the standards of say, United and Continental and Nipon Air? I would never determine that a carrier was safe enough for me but not for them thus leading me to take the trip on a questionable carrier without them -- that would be fairly addled thinking.
Yes, the Continental flt from Newark to Beijing was quite alright. We took it on it's 5th run last year so the crew was still excited over the newness of it.
I would love to attend the Boston G2G on October 7. I am not in league with the rest of you on this subject but it sounds like fun.
Jun 9th, 2006 | 03:54 PM
#6
Joined: Feb 2004
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marya -
Not trying to be an ass, but there's no such thing is "China Air".
The Taiwanese airlines based in Taipei that you're talking about is called <b>China Airlines</b>. Its IATA code is <b>CI</b>, not CA. CA is the IATA code for Air China of Beijing, China.
So, please please please refer to the airline you're talking about as China Airlines, CI, or I'll even take CAL. But please please please please no "China Air" or "CA" when refering to China Airlines of Taiwan. Thanks.
About the thing with your children, well, I really shouldn't say anything as it's a private and personal matter. You don't have to agree with me. But basically, I think that what worries most parents with <b>young</b> children is that they'll become orphaned. That's why many families will go on the same plane all together, but if just the parents are traveling, they go on separate flights. I have no kids, so I can't say what I'll do personally, but I wouldn't worry if the whole family perish together. I'd worry if my young kid get orphaned. But again, that's just me. Everybody's free to have their own opinion, and I respect that.
As for the safety of China Airlines, I have written about it quite a few times on this board. Let's just say I won't have problem getting on their flight today, or booking my parents or my sister on it. Two main reasons:
1) Their culture has changed, mostly because of competition from EVA. It's no longer a parking spot for retired Taiwanese Air Force pilots. Now, it's mostly a commercial entity to compete against other airlines. Safety becomes much more important in this situation;
2) They have very new planes. All of their ancient birds, like the one that broke up mid-air over the Taiwan Straights, have been retired.
Not trying to be an ass, but there's no such thing is "China Air".
The Taiwanese airlines based in Taipei that you're talking about is called <b>China Airlines</b>. Its IATA code is <b>CI</b>, not CA. CA is the IATA code for Air China of Beijing, China.
So, please please please refer to the airline you're talking about as China Airlines, CI, or I'll even take CAL. But please please please please no "China Air" or "CA" when refering to China Airlines of Taiwan. Thanks.
About the thing with your children, well, I really shouldn't say anything as it's a private and personal matter. You don't have to agree with me. But basically, I think that what worries most parents with <b>young</b> children is that they'll become orphaned. That's why many families will go on the same plane all together, but if just the parents are traveling, they go on separate flights. I have no kids, so I can't say what I'll do personally, but I wouldn't worry if the whole family perish together. I'd worry if my young kid get orphaned. But again, that's just me. Everybody's free to have their own opinion, and I respect that.
As for the safety of China Airlines, I have written about it quite a few times on this board. Let's just say I won't have problem getting on their flight today, or booking my parents or my sister on it. Two main reasons:
1) Their culture has changed, mostly because of competition from EVA. It's no longer a parking spot for retired Taiwanese Air Force pilots. Now, it's mostly a commercial entity to compete against other airlines. Safety becomes much more important in this situation;
2) They have very new planes. All of their ancient birds, like the one that broke up mid-air over the Taiwan Straights, have been retired.
Jun 15th, 2006 | 08:06 PM
#7
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Joined: May 2005
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Hello and thank you, All:
Sorry for the sloppy IATA code reference -- you are, of course, right that it's China Airlines/CI not CA as wrongly noted. I particularly appreciated rkkwan's helpful comment.
After taking everyone's opinion into account,we booked on Continental for our trans-pacific flight. Thanks for being here when we needed you!
Regards,
Marya
Sorry for the sloppy IATA code reference -- you are, of course, right that it's China Airlines/CI not CA as wrongly noted. I particularly appreciated rkkwan's helpful comment.
After taking everyone's opinion into account,we booked on Continental for our trans-pacific flight. Thanks for being here when we needed you!
Regards,
Marya
