China Flights?

Bendihorse

Flying from Ireland to Beijing next weekend on a business trip and wondered if anyone had any recommendations as to whos the best carrier to go with? Would like relatively new/modern plane with in seat entertainment if at all possible... Iv looked up prices, BA, Air France, KLM and Air China seem to be flying on that route, anyone got any experience of these?

BuffyBot

BA/Air France would probably be ok - KLM can vary. Get a new plane and you'll be ok, an old plane and it can be a bit..well crap, frankly. Either way they first two will be probably be a better all round.

Air China might be ok, it might not - like KLM it depends on the plane, and crew that you get. The have some very new A340's, but also some quite tatty 747's with crap IFE etc.

There are a couple of airline review sites listed in the "Useful sites.." sticky at the top of the forum. Might be worth you having a read

Davidth88

My advise

STAY AWAY FROM AIR CHINA !!

I have been to China a few times now , went with them once ( on a LH codeshare ) , it was horrible

Food was simply in-edible
Service , OMG.... they stopped the film 10 mins before the end and ordered us to excerise ( and I mean ordered us, as in stood in front of me an screamed at me , I just laughed at him )

The aeroplane was a really old tatty 747-400 ( Combi )

Never been KLM , I try to use Virgin now ( new aeroplanes , great IFE ... downside is the food is rubbish )

How Strange

I second that about Air China. They are supposed to be awful and they don't open their safety records for international inspection which would lead people to think that they don't abide by the international standards.

Google them and you will find lots of dubious things written about them.

No comments on the others, I'd say its hit or miss the same as the other major airlines.

Obviously mean hit or miss in the new plane-good ife/old plane-bad ife sort of way!

bernard0368

Air China avoid with a brge pole really the worst I have ever flown with. Watch Air france as they use them sometimes on the rturn legs.

Virgin I have flown with three time excellent.
Klm I have been once It was excellent as well.

Bendihorse

I dont think Virgin Fly to China, looked up their website and didn't see it listed as a destination anyway... Think ill end up going with Air France as they are cheapest after Air China (ill go scatty if they return us on an air china flight!) Would like to use BA but their prices are sly high, only 1st class seats remaining on one leg of the journey so they are up on 5k each...

Davidth88

errrrr

Virgin go to Pudong ... as in Shanghai.. so not to Beijing no

Eoin

There's a difference between Air China and China Airlines. I was going to say that it's China Airlines with the poor safety record, but it looks like Air China aren't too far off either.

We used China Airlines to go to Bangkok, and I really didn't think much of the service. The passenger comfort & safety technicians (or whatever the latest PC term for flight attendants is) weren't as unfriendly as the ones we get on short haul budget flights, but not much else good could be said about it. The excess baggage fees were absolutely extortionate - way over what most carriers would charge - think it was close to €30 per kilo.

@bernard0368 - I think that China Airlines are a partner of KLM, so you could end up with them if you book through KLM (or at least, that's my understanding of it).

miles teg

Recently flew to beijing with Malev via Budapest (hainan airlines was the actual carrier from Budapest to Beijing) and I thought it was very good. The planes were new and had screens in each seat.