China Eastern, China Southern & Air China Questions and Advice Sought.

[DrewM]

From the U.S. it seems like China Eastern, Air China and China Southern often come up at least a few hundred dollars less than anyone else flying to BKK. Does anybody have any experience with these Chinese carriers they would care to share?  My biggest concern is the layover in China.  Do you still have to go through immigration, pick up your luggage , check back in and then go through security again to board your flight to BKK? If so how long does the process take?  

 

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by DrewM

[Dalef65]

If you're on a *connecting flight why would you need to go through immigration, pick up your luggage and check back in...?

It's called transit. You get off the first flight, go through a security check in the transit area, and then get on to your connecting flight.  

You don't see your luggage till your final destination. In this regard the  Chinese airlines you mentioned are no different than other global carriers

As for layovers, I don't know about flying from the USA, but from London to BKK they do have flights with short-ish layovers

*Note, I said connecting flight.

One thing I should say is the legroom was significantly less when I flew with one of them.(Can't remember exactly which one).

Edited January 24, 2020 by Dalef65

[DrewM]

Some of the mainstream travel boards have posts like this one.

We had a tight transit,so went stright through, this is a bit of a hassle, as you go to the transit desk, they check your passport and Boarding pass for the onward trip, then to security , which is met by a security staff memeber at a desk, they check passport and boarding pass again, then you go through the xray section and they go through your bags etc thourghly. We both had power banks and this was not a problem going through, but on the return journey I had the powerbank taken off me, without explanation, so I was pretty annoyed at that. We then had to run to the gate, as they were boarding, we were put on a bus and transfered back around to a plane that was close to the aircraft that we had just gotten off, so it was a bit a wierd experiance

 

 

[Dalef65]

Just to add... Nothing like that happened to me.

My transit experience was as good (or as bad) as any other airline I've been on

[wadman]

18 minutes ago, DrewM said:

From the U.S. it seems like China Eastern, Air China and China Southern often come up at least a few hundred dollars less than anyone else flying to BKK. Does anybody have any experience with these Chinese carriers they would care to share?  My biggest concern is the layover in China.  Do you still have to go through immigration, pick up your luggage , check back in and then go through security again to board your flight to BKK? If so how long does the process take?  

 

 

I have flown shenzhen-Beijing-Toronto (Hainan airlines) and shenzhen-Shanghai-Toronto (China eastern + Air Canada). Both times I had to go through immigration, and pick up and re-check in luggage. 

The walk inside the airport in Shanghai was also a very long one, a good 15 minutes and I was walking fast. 

The security check in Beijing was idiotically tight. They made me take out every piece in my laptop bag that had metal in it (coins, pens, USB drives, etc), which required the bag to go through the xray machine several times. 

[millard_filmore]

42 minutes ago, DrewM said:

From the U.S. it seems like China Eastern, Air China and China Southern often come up at least a few hundred dollars less than anyone else flying to BKK. Does anybody have any experience with these Chinese carriers they would care to share?  My biggest concern is the layover in China. 

My memory of Air China's connection through Beijing was a normal transit stop, but that was back when they had the Olympics.  Not so different from transit in Japan or Korea.  Transfers through other hub cities, after getting thorough the arrival customs you had "free" access to the country.  You could take off into the interior in any direction if you had a mind to.  The luggage was always sent on to the next airplane without my intervention.  Each hub city will have their own check-in counter style.  Shanghai's counter was the main departure checkin area, open to the general public.  Xaimen had a special transit counter after you went back through a customs line.  It was easy for me because, even as a tourist trip, my passport has a 10 year multiple entry work visa from my former employer.  I did see a lady in front of me getting a hard time at one of the customs counters as it appeared she was travelling in a very thin budget.  At my departure city the counter people gave me a special paper explaining I was a connecting passenger.  No Chinese official ever looked at it, but that may be from my work visa.

(at Xaimen, on the return trip, I counted the number of lines needed to change planes, starting with the line to get off the plane to the line inside the next plane to reach your seat)

As for the airplane, since you are sensitive to price, after 12 or 14 hours, all airplane seats look alike.  The long haul seats are "normal".  On the short hop seats to BKK, expect the seat backs to have the cushions remove so they can squeeze in more rows.  Take a few layers of cushy sweaters to put back there to rest your spine on.

I am a rather timid traveler ... I suggest if you do not know the country or have not done this before, do a same ticket connecting flight.  Don't try a super cheap multiple air company trip.

Do you still have to go through immigration, pick up your luggage , check back in and then go through security again to board your flight to BKK? If so how long does the process take?  

TL;DR.
"through immigration" ... yes
"pick up luggage" ... no [edit: others are saying "yes".  you should go with what they say]
"check back in" ... yes
"security again" ... yes, same as for ALL connecting flights in ALL hubs I have been through
This might take up to an hour of walking and waiting from line to line.

I do not clearly remember how porous the transit customs border was at Beijing (Air China) or Guangzhou (China Southern).  All other cities, if you have permission to continue to your connecting flight, you have actually entered the country.

 

Quote

China Eastern & China Southern Questions And Advice Sought.

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by millard_filmore
update

[QuotaMan]

As I discuss in my trip report, I have flown China Eastern (CE) the past four years or so.

I personally have not had issues with them and found the service pleasant overall, and will continue to use them. My only dilemma is whether to keep logging those miles into my Delta Skymiles account, or start logging them with China Eastern in the future since I use them so much.

I always fly out of Los Angeles LAX and the stopover has always been Pudong airport in Shanghai. Unless you are staying in Shanghai for a few days, your luggage should be ticketed to go all the way to Bangkok so you don't need to go through customs and pick up your luggage.

I don't know if it's always the case, but they really improved the transfer process for international connecting flights at Pudong the past few years I've used them.

When I first started flying CE years ago, the whole transit process was a pain in the arse. After your plane landed in Pudong, it would stop on the tarmac far away from any terminals. You'd have to get off the plane down the steps and get on buses that would take you to a terminal. At that terminal you'd then have to take a tram to another terminal for your connecting flight. And then board buses again to your connecting flight to Bangkok.

The past few years though the plane docked to the terminal directly. You walk to the immigration/customs area but just head to the international transfer area (there are signs in English directing you to a counter, so you just have to watch for those, not too confusing). Then go through the usual X-ray screening and then your connecting flight is in the same terminal, very streamlined.

The airport itself is ok, spacious, sterile, and clean. Nothing special. It can get pretty chilly inside the airport though at least it was for me in December. If you can get access to the CE lounge I highly recommend it.

[mr21]

I have flown China Southern 3 times from LAX to SE Asia (2 times BKK, 1 time MNL). I prefer EVA but will not hesitate to fly China Southern if it's considerably cheaper.

I like the red-eye departure with a late morning arrival at your destination. Guangzhou airport (CAN) is straight-forward to transit and you don't go through immigration or pick up your luggage. Just watch out for the $15 coffees haha.

Pro tip: China Southern flies A380 between LAX and CAN; if you fly economy choose a seat in the upper level that is mostly 1st class and business. It's much more pleasant in every way than being in the lower level with 300+ mainland Chinese. The back row (window or aisle window) are the best because the seats still recline and are only two across. The window seat will also have a large storage compartment in the bulkhead.

[JINROP]

I will never connect in China again.  It's so much easier to connect in other places and if you work in tech/medicine/finance etc there is always a chance they will take your phone and computer etc and download your data.  It happens more often than you would think and many companies don't let execs above a certain level transit china anymore because of it.

 

Ive transited china 5 times and been taken for additional questioning twice and asked about "my work" as I guess I am flagged in their system because of who i work for.

Edited January 24, 2020 by JINROP

[Tom345]

1 hour ago, DrewM said:

Some of the mainstream travel boards have posts like this one.

We had a tight transit,so went stright through, this is a bit of a hassle, as you go to the transit desk, they check your passport and Boarding pass for the onward trip, then to security , which is met by a security staff memeber at a desk, they check passport and boarding pass again, then you go through the xray section and they go through your bags etc thourghly. We both had power banks and this was not a problem going through, but on the return journey I had the powerbank taken off me, without explanation, so I was pretty annoyed at that. We then had to run to the gate, as they were boarding, we were put on a bus and transfered back around to a plane that was close to the aircraft that we had just gotten off, so it was a bit a wierd experiance

 

 

I'm probably wrong, but I think this post is about the different security protocols you encounter at different airports/countries which can be annoying. For example, in some cases you only go through the security screeing when you first get into the airport. In other cases, it feels like you go through the process 2-3 times before boarding. 

[The Blue-Eyed Sheikh]

In my limited experience, while it’s nothing like Changi, Narita, Incheon, HK, or Taipei, which are practically painless to transit, it’s not a real issue, and if you’re not on an overly tight connection, the process shouldn’t worry you. 
 

TB-ES

Edited January 24, 2020 by The Blue-Eyed Sheikh
Added Incheon

[hioctane]

If you're on a *connecting flight why would you need to go through immigration, pick up your luggage and check back in...?
It's called transit. You get off the first flight, go through a security check in the transit area, and then get on to your connecting flight.  
You don't see your luggage till your final destination. In this regard the  Chinese airlines you mentioned are no different than other global carriers
As for layovers, I don't know about flying from the USA, but from London to BKK they do have flights with short-ish layovers
*Note, I said connecting flight.
One thing I should say is the legroom was significantly less when I flew with one of them.(Can't remember exactly which one).

Connecting in the US, you need to pick up your bag and recheck it.

I recall, you needed to do that in China in the past, but not any more. It is more streamlined now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DrewM]

20 minutes ago, hioctane said:

 

Connecting in the US, you need to pick up your bag and recheck it.

I recall, you needed to do that in China in the past, but not any more. It is more streamlined now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

That is what I was getting at. There seems to be some inconsistency on the travel boards. Some people say they had no problems and got the streamlined process while others report having to go through it all over again picking their luggage up and rechecking it.  Some people report the process is a nightmare and takes 2-3 hours to get through.  I don't really care if the airline food is bad or the airline staff is crusty. A seat is a seat and I'd rather have an extra $200-$300 once I hit the ground. 

It isn't necessarily a matter of being cheap at least not like most of you think. I have to book a separate  domestic flight to LAX or ORD from my regional airport so saving $200-$300 on the International flight pays for the domestic flight. 

Edited January 25, 2020 by DrewM

[Luv2Phuket]

Lets' try to keep this thread on track -- it's an inquiry as to the named Chinese air carriers, not a request for opinions on the coronavirus.  There already is a thread to discuss it, as well as one for funny remarks/takes on it.

[javasumatra]

Missus and I flew BKK-WUH-SFO in biz on China Southern in September and back SFO-WUH-BKK in November. 

The long flights were on a 787 in flat beds and the WUH<>BKK sectors were on a 737-800. The flat beds on the 787 were great, the food was OK and plenty of drinks. We paid $1800 each which I thought was cracking value.

We had >5 hr layovers in Wuhan in both directions and we were not allowed to stay in the terminal, We had to go through immigration collect our bags and were given a hotel for the few hours.

China Southern are no QR, EY, EK, CX, SQ but I didn't mind it at all and would fly again with them if the price was right which is more than I can say for US based carriers.

Interesting China Southern thread here >> 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2020 by javasumatra

[Luv2Phuket]

I have flown China Southern twice, but it was before the new airport opened (both times through Guangzhou, CAN).  Take my experience with a grain of salt, as things could have changed at the new facility.

Once I flew into Bangkok; once into mainland China.  The Bangkok connections went off without a hitch.  The connection going into mainland China was easy, but coming out, I had to go through immigration and it was a BITCH!  We had almost a 4-hour layover and barely made our flight (it was boarding when we got to the gate).

I did not have to collect and re-check my bags on either trip.

I was in business class on the A380, and had no complaints.  Now they are in a codeshare with American, I was thinking of looking into them again, possibly for trips next year.

[joe_momma]

Flew China Eastern once and will never use them again - the trip was OK, but at 6'2" (188cm for those who've not yet switched to the imperial system ) - I could not fit in the economy seat - my legs were so cramped I no position would permit me to actually sit in the seat and not sprawl into the aisle or seat adjacent.

Since all three make heavy use of Wuhan as a hub your plans may be mooted for a bit.

China Airlines has a good reputation - perhaps consider them?

[wadman]

57 minutes ago, DrewM said:

That is what I was getting at. There seems to be some inconsistency on the travel boards. Some people say they had no problems and got the streamlined process while others report having to go through it all over again picking their luggage up and rechecking it.  Some people report the process is a nightmare and takes 2-3 hours to get through.  I don't really care if the airline food is bad or the airline staff is crusty. A seat is a seat and I'd rather have an extra $200-$300 once I hit the ground. 

It isn't necessarily a matter of being cheap at least not like most of you think. I have to book a separate  domestic flight to LAX or ORD from my regional airport so saving $200-$300 on the International flight pays for the domestic flight. 

To be sure, you could just take carry on luggage. 1 small case that fits into the overhead bin (make sure it's under 10 kg), plus another smallish personal bag. 

[QuotaMan]

Unless you actually plan on going outside of the airport between flights (which requires a transit VISA as the lady below describes), there's no reason why anyone who is simply connecting to another international flight at Pudong should have to pick up their checked in luggage and re-check them for the connecting flight. I don't think this part is confusing at all, it's very clear in fact.

Every time I've checked into my flight at LAX, the ticket agent told me that my bags would be going directly to BKK (even when I had a 13 hour layover in Pudong). If the agent doesn't say anything then it's up to you to verify that your bags will be going straight to BKK.

People's experiences may vary but for me the transfer has always been relatively smooth. My flights with China Eastern were in December/January the past several years.

It's pretty much as the lady below describes. Now that she mentions it, after exiting the plane and going to the transit counter, you have your carry on bags x-rayed and then go through customs/immigration. I don't think I've had to go through customs at any other airport for international transfers, maybe it's a new thing or specific to China? Wasn't a big deal for me though didn't have any crazy waits or anything.

 

 

 

[Survo1000]

I flew china south in December of 2018 I had a 6 hour layover in a China airport. I did not have to go through imagination just another security check. The lay over was 6 hours which was bad. I would recommend an eye cover for sleeping because when they would make announcements the lights would come on. I would fly them again. From US I can find same price flights sometimes from american airlines.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[dnaliaht]

China eastern isn't bad if you can transit in Pudong terminal 1. Terminal 2 is a dump. The restrooms are a disaster. They even have a damn squat toilet in one. Food is even worse.  I've used both terminals and there never seems to be any rhyme or reason as to which terminal they use at any given time or when you get bused to the plane or not. Probably based on load, but I wish they would use terminal 1 more since it's huge, new, and rather nice. The transfer process is pretty straight forward, just follow the signs. Luggage gets forwarded to the connecting flight automatically. The transfer passport machines can be finicky, but they've started to have an attendant there to help out. A 1.5 to 2 hour layover would be optimal, but most I've seen out of LAX vary between 3 and 6 hours. Just part of the low price. The other option for a cheap flight is through Japan and either Narita or Haneda. It's usually only $500 for the flight where you have to switch airports. Sucks, but if you have the time you might be able to see a little of Tokyo as well. 

Edited January 25, 2020 by dnaliaht

[Ziplee]

I flew China southern twice. Once economy and once premium economy. I would pay more to fly another airline then fly with them again. The old folks were rude as hell to me, but the young folks were cordial to me.

 The flights from the USA are long as fuck. My flights were in the 15 to  16 hr range. The premium economy seats were clamshell type seats that slid up and down, not recline. They were no better than cattle car seats.

I don't know about the checked luggage, I only have carry on for my trips. You do go through another security check in China. No lighters if I remember right.

I only fly premium economy now so the first thing I do is remove China Southern from my search list when looking for flights.

That's my  

Edited January 25, 2020 by Ziplee

[usexpat46]

The last 2 times that I flew R/T thru Shanghai ( March 2019 & Sep 2018) I got off my flight, pass thru immigration to get a visa stamp good for 24 hours, collect my luggage, pass thru customs, go to my airline counter to recheck my luggage, back thru immigration and security and then to the gate.  The first time it took me about 3 hours the 2nd time a little over 2 hours as I was familiar with the process.  

[Dalef65]

5 hours ago, Survo1000 said:

I flew china south in December of 2018 I had a 6 hour layover in a China airport. I did not have to go through imagination just another security check. The lay over was 6 hours which was bad. I would recommend an eye cover for sleeping because when they would make announcements the lights would come on. I would fly them again. From US I can find same price flights sometimes from american airlines.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
 

 

Is there something wrong with this post, or is it just my imagination running away with me......

[markland1510a]

I have flown all three from LAX to BKK. Each time, i checked my bag all the way to BKK, checked it at LAX, did not see it again until BKK. 

I was given my boarding pass from China to BKK  while at LAX. I did not have to check in again. I did have to go through security again, and an some kind of shortened immigration check. Just a quick check of my boarding pass and passport and I was through. They have started using automated kiosks for this task. Scan your passport and boarding pass at the kiosk, gate opens and you are through. 

Chinese airports seems similar to me, I don't remember exact details of each one, sometimes a long walk gate-to-gate. Some long lines but they still seem to process you though fast enough. 

I have taken about 8 or 9 flights transferring through Chinese airports. Transfer times gate-to-gate. 20 miniutes to 1 hour.

Chinese security is super strict about device batteries and power banks.  Even if small in size if the power ratting is not clearly marked and below set limits they will confiscate it. 

I would not take a Chinese airline right now due to the current health scare. Not until a full, clear, green light it is over.

Edited January 25, 2020 by markland1510a