China Southern Airlines- Any experiences?
Feb 21st, 2008, 02:45 AM
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China Southern Airlines- Any experiences?
Has anyone flown with China Southern Airlines? Has anyone purchased tickets using their website? For that matter is it better to purchase directly from the airline or use a website like elong or ctrip?
Thanks!
TracyLynn
Thanks!
TracyLynn
Feb 21st, 2008, 03:48 AM
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I wouldn't fly China Southern again as I noted in my trip report from 2006.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...fag&fid=27
I've never purchased via a Chinese airline's website. I primarily use my travel agent in Shanghai because the flight cost is equal to that on elong and I don't have to pay the additional fees like ticketing and some extra percent for paying via credit card. Look at the website to consider those extra fees before you purchase.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...fag&fid=27
I've never purchased via a Chinese airline's website. I primarily use my travel agent in Shanghai because the flight cost is equal to that on elong and I don't have to pay the additional fees like ticketing and some extra percent for paying via credit card. Look at the website to consider those extra fees before you purchase.
Feb 21st, 2008, 03:49 PM
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China Southern regularly comes top of polls for best airline within China. To be honest the Chinese domestic airlines are much of a muchness, and although I've flown China Southern many times, I haven't made much of a distinction between them and Air China, China Eastern, China Shenzhen, China Hainan, China Shanghai, and others I've flown.
Flights are only usually a couple of hours, much of the equipment is brand new, the food is universally poor, the service intermittently enthusiastic but not highly competent, and the main characteristic is the fairly common selfish and obnoxious behaviour of other passengers. All-in-all it's just a way of getting from A to B and not worth worrying about.
If you absolutely insist on booking in advance and from abroad you'll pay much more than you need to, but still the better rates are likely to be elong or ctrip or 9588 or similar, although these are not usually to be recommended, and you won't see the best prices if you are booking well in advance, but only the standard rate which no one else ever pays. There are often problems with credit card payments which can involve some fuss, reports of difficulties with obtaining refunds when flights are cancelled, and with sudden changes of mind about selling you a ticket at the agreed price.
By far the best option is to purchase yourself on a walk-in basis, not from any foreigner-targeting agent, not automatically one you've used before without double-checking prices first, but simply any travel agent you see away from expensive hotels or expat areas, and do so a few days before you fly.
Peter N-H
Flights are only usually a couple of hours, much of the equipment is brand new, the food is universally poor, the service intermittently enthusiastic but not highly competent, and the main characteristic is the fairly common selfish and obnoxious behaviour of other passengers. All-in-all it's just a way of getting from A to B and not worth worrying about.
If you absolutely insist on booking in advance and from abroad you'll pay much more than you need to, but still the better rates are likely to be elong or ctrip or 9588 or similar, although these are not usually to be recommended, and you won't see the best prices if you are booking well in advance, but only the standard rate which no one else ever pays. There are often problems with credit card payments which can involve some fuss, reports of difficulties with obtaining refunds when flights are cancelled, and with sudden changes of mind about selling you a ticket at the agreed price.
By far the best option is to purchase yourself on a walk-in basis, not from any foreigner-targeting agent, not automatically one you've used before without double-checking prices first, but simply any travel agent you see away from expensive hotels or expat areas, and do so a few days before you fly.
Peter N-H
Feb 22nd, 2008, 09:34 AM
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PeterN and rkkwan:
Thank you so much for the info. My husband would greatly appreciate the cute FAs
I also logged on to airlinequality.com and China Southern got a 3 of 5 stars. Maybe nagiffag just had one of those bad experiences that are common with any airline.
Your posts and another one I read on another thread gets me to my next question: We will be in Beijing for the Olympics. Two days after the closing ceremonies we will be leaving Beijing for Xian-Chengdu-Hong Kong-possibly Shanghai-Beijing. My thought is that the trains and planes will be tremendously crowded so I should get our plane tickets well in advance. I understand that train tickets are only available 10-20 days in advance or something like that.Am I being 'too Western' about this- ie planning too far in advance?
Thanks
TracyLynn
Thank you so much for the info. My husband would greatly appreciate the cute FAs
I also logged on to airlinequality.com and China Southern got a 3 of 5 stars. Maybe nagiffag just had one of those bad experiences that are common with any airline.Your posts and another one I read on another thread gets me to my next question: We will be in Beijing for the Olympics. Two days after the closing ceremonies we will be leaving Beijing for Xian-Chengdu-Hong Kong-possibly Shanghai-Beijing. My thought is that the trains and planes will be tremendously crowded so I should get our plane tickets well in advance. I understand that train tickets are only available 10-20 days in advance or something like that.Am I being 'too Western' about this- ie planning too far in advance?
Thanks
TracyLynn
Feb 22nd, 2008, 08:42 PM
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TracyLynn: There's nothing "eastern" or "western" about wanting to have booked seats either by air or by train.
Booking in China would be cheaper, but you 'll have to wait until you got to China to do this. So, if you want the safety of an assured seat prior to arrival, you'll have to book while still away from China. That's the choice you're facing.
The only time to worry about not obtaining a ticket is durign the seasonal periods when the Chinese go on travel themselves. I don't believe the Olympics will occur during such a period, but someone more knowledgeable can correct me on this.
As for China Southern, I like them better than any of the Chinese Airlines - although the food on any of the domestic China airlines is nothing to write home about!
Have a great trip!
Booking in China would be cheaper, but you 'll have to wait until you got to China to do this. So, if you want the safety of an assured seat prior to arrival, you'll have to book while still away from China. That's the choice you're facing.
The only time to worry about not obtaining a ticket is durign the seasonal periods when the Chinese go on travel themselves. I don't believe the Olympics will occur during such a period, but someone more knowledgeable can correct me on this.
As for China Southern, I like them better than any of the Chinese Airlines - although the food on any of the domestic China airlines is nothing to write home about!
Have a great trip!
Feb 22nd, 2008, 10:14 PM
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Beijing will in many ways be entirely unrecognisable during the Olympics, and any reply can only be highly speculative.
Yes, train tickets are normally available only ten days in advance but that may well arbitrarily change during the Olympics.
At first sight, with so many visitors forecast for the Olympics it would seem wise to err on the side of caution, but then only a relatively small number will have access to the closing ceremony, and most should have left town well before this. Also it seems that many who would otherwise have visited Beijing this year are avoiding the country altogether.
But it's certainly true that everyone in the travel and hospitality industry is doing their best to scare foreign visitors into accepting stratospheric room rates and all other kinds of services at hugely premium prices on the grounds that things will just be worse for those who wait. Many commentators think it will be the other way round, and that there will be horrendous but slightly more acceptable prices nearer the time of the opening.
But certainly the only leg even considering booking well in advance for would be the initial Beijing to Xi'an leg by air. The rest should be entirely unaffected, and in Chinese terms it's low season for all those destinations. Booking in advance would be un-Chinese and unnecessary.
Note with the route given that you'll need a double-entry visa. Entering Hong Kong, which has its own visa system still, is treated as exiting the PRC.
Peter N-H
Yes, train tickets are normally available only ten days in advance but that may well arbitrarily change during the Olympics.
At first sight, with so many visitors forecast for the Olympics it would seem wise to err on the side of caution, but then only a relatively small number will have access to the closing ceremony, and most should have left town well before this. Also it seems that many who would otherwise have visited Beijing this year are avoiding the country altogether.
But it's certainly true that everyone in the travel and hospitality industry is doing their best to scare foreign visitors into accepting stratospheric room rates and all other kinds of services at hugely premium prices on the grounds that things will just be worse for those who wait. Many commentators think it will be the other way round, and that there will be horrendous but slightly more acceptable prices nearer the time of the opening.
But certainly the only leg even considering booking well in advance for would be the initial Beijing to Xi'an leg by air. The rest should be entirely unaffected, and in Chinese terms it's low season for all those destinations. Booking in advance would be un-Chinese and unnecessary.
Note with the route given that you'll need a double-entry visa. Entering Hong Kong, which has its own visa system still, is treated as exiting the PRC.
Peter N-H
Feb 24th, 2008, 08:26 AM
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Thank you so much for the info and advice!
I have noticed the hotel and hostel prices going steadily up over the past couple of months. This is mostly happening in Beijing and Xi'an. A hostel that normally would be $15US per person per night is now $65US pp/pn in Xi'an. I can't blame them, though. Cash in while you can.
That being said...it may be more cost-effective for us to do our trip the reverse of what we were planning since the prices in Xi'an have gone up so much for the month of August. It seems that the typical travel route is Beijing to Xi'an..we'll check out Beijing- Shanghai (we added Shanghai last night per my husband's request)-Hong Kong-Chengdu-Xi'an-Beijing. With this schedule, we will probably be flying rather than taking a train...but my husband wanted to add Shanghai, and I really want to hold a panda at the breeding station or the preserve.
Thanks again!
TracyLynn
I have noticed the hotel and hostel prices going steadily up over the past couple of months. This is mostly happening in Beijing and Xi'an. A hostel that normally would be $15US per person per night is now $65US pp/pn in Xi'an. I can't blame them, though. Cash in while you can.
That being said...it may be more cost-effective for us to do our trip the reverse of what we were planning since the prices in Xi'an have gone up so much for the month of August. It seems that the typical travel route is Beijing to Xi'an..we'll check out Beijing- Shanghai (we added Shanghai last night per my husband's request)-Hong Kong-Chengdu-Xi'an-Beijing. With this schedule, we will probably be flying rather than taking a train...but my husband wanted to add Shanghai, and I really want to hold a panda at the breeding station or the preserve.
Thanks again!
TracyLynn
Feb 24th, 2008, 11:03 AM
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I also want to thank PeterN_H, rkkwan, nagiffag, ET and anyone else who contributes their expertize. We are going to the Olympics with three kids and I can't begin to tell you how helpful your comments are.
We have from August 23 to the 30th after our Games tickets and accomodation end. From what I have read we may just wait until we are in Beijing (the 13th through the 22nd) to organize this last week. This is a bit easier for us as we are pretty open as to what to do. Of course it may turn out to be a disastrous decision as well.
Thanks again.
We have from August 23 to the 30th after our Games tickets and accomodation end. From what I have read we may just wait until we are in Beijing (the 13th through the 22nd) to organize this last week. This is a bit easier for us as we are pretty open as to what to do. Of course it may turn out to be a disastrous decision as well.
Thanks again.
