Air China the flight from hell

[sirineou]

Is it possible that Air China is the worst airline or was this an isolated case?

My wife flew from NYC to BKK via Beijing with China Air, a few weeks ago. Even though there were less expensive itineraries available we paid an extra $200 usd to have a trip with a shorter return layover in Beijing.

The flight to china was uneventful except that on the bus that take them from the airplane to the terminal in Beijing the bus driver charged everyone $5.00 . I have never heard of such a thing, but that guess that was not an Air China problem but an airport problem.

On the return trip , my wife called me as she was entering her plain in BKK, I wished her a good trip and told her I will see her at the airport in NYC. Next day I waited for her flight at the airport, her flight arrived on time, and after customs , every one started coming out the gate, I waited until everyone exited and my wife was not one of them, I waited an additional 15 min in case she was delayed at customs. at the same time I started getting very nervouse, as she had not called me on her cell phone when the plane landed as she usually does, but I thought that maybe her phone was dead.

I tried to call the Air China office but they were closed for the weekend. and their kiosk at the airport was not maned.

So I wen to the departing terminal to the place where Air china passengers check in for departure, made my self to the front of the line, and explained the situation to an Air China agent. He checked his computer, and said my wife was not on that flight. I asked where was my wife, he said he did not know , I asked him to check the BKK t Beijing leg flight to see if she was on it, as my wife said when she called me before she took off from BKK, and he said he could not do that as he did not have that info in his system. I asked who had this info, he said the main office, but they were closed and I would have to wait until Monday

Can you believe this, my wife was missing, in what country, I dont know, and this jerk wants me to wait two days until their office opens.

At this point I blew my stuck, and called airport security. Airport security was very understanding and concern also, they called US customs to see where my wife was, US customs told be that my wife had transit in Beijing but for some reason had being put on a later flight. and would be arriving at JFK 4 hrs later.That was the flight that I had paid $200 extra so that my wife would not have to wait for 5 hrs in Beijing.

Still I was a little perplexed, as to why my wife had not called me from Beijing to inform me of the change,

Four Hrs later my wife arrived, even more pissed than me if that could be possible.

as it turned out her BKK to Beijing flight was diverted to some other airport, no one told them why, where they spend 3.5 hrs waiting in the plane before they took off for Beijing again, Then they were rushed to the next flight, that;s why she did not have time to find a wifi area and call me.

they never told her that she had to get a different ticket, so she almost missed that flight also. were very rude,

Then they were packed on a plane totally packed fro the additional passengers from her flight. Her seat assignment was not available, she had to sit in the middle. and she is mildly claustrophobic.there was a crying baby right behind her. and the food was terrible.

I understand that thing like this happen, But how Air China handle it was rude and unprofessional. needless to say we would not be flying with the ever again.

[ClutchClark]

Yes, that most definitely qualifies as a nightmare flight.

[Bung]

As a rule I avoid anything with China or Chinese in the text when I need to do something or get something done.

[KittenKong]

I've been to some dodgy airports in my time but have never heard of being charged for the bus trip from the terminal to the plane, and even if it was chargeable surely a few cents would cover it? This must be a scam.

For less than 5USD I get the air-con bus from BKK airport all the way back to Jomtien, which takes over 1.5 hrs.

[craigt3365]

I can imagine your situation. I was in Beijing and got a ticket for my wife to fly back to Bangkok. I got the ticket on Air India as one leg was actually Thai Air, and it was almost 1/2 the price of other options. Luckily, I only flew one way and that was with Thai Air.

On the way back, the place had massive decompression at altitude. The plane literally dropped out of the sky, oxygen masks deployed and it did an emergency landing in Hong Kong. Where they spent the night in a 4 star hotel!

But! Her friend was at Swampy and when she never arrived, went to try and find out what was going on. The plane was actually listed on the board, but nobody had any idea of where it was. I was on the computer in Beijing trying to call Air India and nobody was answering at Swampy. Air India's main call center told me the plane had landed. I spent an hour trying to tell them it hadn't. Incredibly frustrating and I was scared out of my wits. I didn't find out what was going on for well over 12 hours.

One big problem with China now is delayed flights. Do a Google search on this "delayed flights china". It's amazing at what pops up, like this:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-23/chinas-horrible-flight-delays-are-about-to-get-worse

Last year a report by industry researcher FlightStats found airports in Beijing and Shanghai the worst in the world for on-time departures. Only two out of every 11 flights (18 percent) from Beijing Capital International Airport took off at the time scheduled, with roughly three out of 11 (29 percent) doing so at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

[sirineou]

I've been to some dodgy airports in my time but have never heard of being charged for the bus trip from the terminal to the plane, and even if it was chargeable surely a few cents would cover it? This must be a scam.

For less than 5USD I get the air-con bus from BKK airport all the way back to Jomtien, which takes over 1.5 hrs.

Oh it was definitely a scam run by the bus driver, I have also traveled all over the world, and I have never heard of anything like this before.

[loppylugs1]

You want to try ChinaEastern for flights from hell,including the baggage. SFO to BKK via Shanghai total crap,baggage thieved etc.

Thought I would give it a spin in the county court in UK,even if it had nothing to do with them,only the credit card booking was UK linked,they paid up pronto

[blueyeshk]

Well Lesson learnt I guess. Everything related to china is really not a guarantee to let things run smoothly

[dddave]

Can the OP clarify which airline he is writing about? He refers to both Air China and China Air in his post...they are 2 separate airlines; one Mainland Chinese, one based in Taiwan.

[stevenl]

Can the OP clarify which airline he is writing about? He refers to both Air China and China Air in his post...they are 2 separate airlines; one Mainland Chinese, one based in Taiwan.

With a stopover in Bejing it is obviously not China Airlines.

[thehelmsman]

China Airlines stop is Taipai. Emerates Airlines would be a better choice next time.

[aarn]

Sounds like the OP's wife was Jetstar-ed. My previous - and last ever - Jestar flight was cancelled (probably coz it didn't have 80%+ seat occupancy), and I was texted at 0230 with the flight due out at 0600. Options offered - 'full refund' (but get stung twice for credit card fees) or departure 48hr later, no meals/accom etc.

Arrive in Sydney, only transport option from domestic to international terminal (3km, can be walked but not with luggage) was 'Jetbus' - $5 thanks.

The food on the flight was - who knows, the menu was way overpriced.

Don't worry about 'China' being anywhere in your itinerary, this is the Asian century. I'd be more worried about anything associated with flying kangaroos or managerial elements named Joyce. AA

[calbts2]

Yes I fully agree - Air China is the worst along with that Nazi-like security at Beijing Airport. Lesson learned - never take any Chinese airline again and never transit through any China airport.

Here is my recent nightmare:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/746814-air-china-any-recent-reviews-from-bkk-to-usa/#entry8167423

[thrilled]

After reading all of this I will not fly these airlines.I will spend the extra money.I don't need all the BS

[Fab5BKK]

... What's about Cathay Pacific (CX)?

It's one of the best airlines in the world.

Just my 2 cents

PS: BTW, Cathay means China

As a rule I avoid anything with China or Chinese in the text when I need to do something or get something done.

[Jay Sata]

Can the OP clarify which airline he is writing about? He refers to both Air China and China Air in his post...they are 2 separate airlines; one Mainland Chinese, one based in Taiwan.

Correct and good point.

China Airlines are based in Taiwan and have a superb service.

Air China and China Southern are Chinese mainland airlines.

China Southern hub out of Guangzou which in my opinion ranks alongside Mumbai as one of the worlds worst airports.

[NamKAheng]

What happened to the 200$?

[sirineou]

What happened to the 200$?

when I was looking for airfare I had the option for the flight she came in at $200 less but she would have to wait 5 hrs in Beijing so I opted for the option with only 1 hr layover for $ 200 more.in the end she ended coming on the $ 200 less flight anyway. The $200 is adios amigos

I think China is not as much of a threat ,economically as many people seem to feel,

To maintain their growth, at some point, they will have to make a switch from a low wage economy to a quality product economy, and IMO they are getting a very bad reputation, with everything they produce.

A bad reputation is easy to get but hard to get rid of.

[Fab5BKK]

As a general rule, you get what you paid for.

There are very good chinese products / services (airlines, smartphones, laptops, cameras, lenses, etc.) and there are very bad chinese products / services. Like almost everywhere.

Just my 2 cents.

[baboon]

Can the OP clarify which airline he is writing about? He refers to both Air China and China Air in his post...they are 2 separate airlines; one Mainland Chinese, one based in Taiwan.

Correct and good point.

China Airlines are based in Taiwan and have a superb service.

Air China and China Southern are Chinese mainland airlines.

China Southern hub out of Guangzou which in my opinion ranks alongside Mumbai as one of the worlds worst airports.

Really? Never had the pleasure of using Mumbai, but I thought Guangzhou was O.K. Nothing special, but alright. (Transit.) Why did you dislike it so?

[mesquite]

Next time fly EVA.

[KED]

Can the OP clarify which airline he is writing about? He refers to both Air China and China Air in his post...they are 2 separate airlines; one Mainland Chinese, one based in Taiwan.

Correct and good point.

China Airlines are based in Taiwan and have a superb service.

Air China and China Southern are Chinese mainland airlines.

China Southern hub out of Guangzou which in my opinion ranks alongside Mumbai as one of the worlds worst airports.

Really? Never had the pleasure of using Mumbai, but I thought Guangzhou was O.K. Nothing special, but alright. (Transit.) Why did you dislike it so?

I agree witth Baboon - Guangzhou airport is like being in the 1970's but it is not overly crowded and signage is clear - nothing horrible just boring.

[Ricardo]

Can the OP clarify which airline he is writing about? He refers to both Air China and China Air in his post...they are 2 separate airlines; one Mainland Chinese, one based in Taiwan.

Correct and good point.

China Airlines are based in Taiwan and have a superb service.

Air China and China Southern are Chinese mainland airlines.

China Southern hub out of Guangzou which in my opinion ranks alongside Mumbai as one of the worlds worst airports.

"which in my opinion ranks alongside Mumbai as one of the worlds worst airports."

Just to point out that, since February this year, Mumbai's new international-terminal is now open, which is fully up to normal standards.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Ricardo

[baboon]

^^

Aye, there's no mistaking the place for Las Vegas is there?

[siam2007]

Air China is the best mainland Chinese Airline by a margin. if you ever had the pleasure to fly China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Air, Shanghai Airlines, then you know what I am talking about.

Flight diverted ? well, that can happen -> SMOG me thinks ? no visibility ? this has happened at other airports and with other Airlines too.

Miserable and hapless customer services when sh*t happens ? Well, this may easily happen even at Alliance-members.

This journey for sure was very unpleasant, but could have happened with many other Airlines too. In the case of China, the language problem adds to the problem. So even if the Chinese pax are being informed, that doesn't necessarily mean the non-Chinese pax will get the same Info due to non-existing language skills (sometimes even in Business class).

As has been mentioned: If you can, avoid the Chinese Airlines altogether.

I am flying domestically in China once in a while, and have been happy using the many smaller Airlines, as they usually perform much better.

[paulchiangmai]

I've been to some dodgy airports in my time but have never heard of being charged for the bus trip from the terminal to the plane, and even if it was chargeable surely a few cents would cover it? This must be a scam.

For less than 5USD I get the air-con bus from BKK airport all the way back to Jomtien, which takes over 1.5 hrs.

Oh it was definitely a scam run by the bus driver, I have also traveled all over the world, and I have never heard of anything like this before.

The last time I flew into Sydney from Brisbane I had to pay $5 for the bus to the international section.

[KittenKong]

I've been to some dodgy airports in my time but have never heard of being charged for the bus trip from the terminal to the plane, and even if it was chargeable surely a few cents would cover it? This must be a scam.

For less than 5USD I get the air-con bus from BKK airport all the way back to Jomtien, which takes over 1.5 hrs.

Oh it was definitely a scam run by the bus driver, I have also traveled all over the world, and I have never heard of anything like this before.

The last time I flew into Sydney from Brisbane I had to pay $5 for the bus to the international section.

There's a big difference between a bus that you optionally use to change terminals or to get to the airport in the first place and an obligatory bus that the airline puts you on to get from your terminal to your plane. That latter bus is like the jet bridge, and I dont expect to pay to use that either.

[paulchiangmai]

I've been to some dodgy airports in my time but have never heard of being charged for the bus trip from the terminal to the plane, and even if it was chargeable surely a few cents would cover it? This must be a scam.

For less than 5USD I get the air-con bus from BKK airport all the way back to Jomtien, which takes over 1.5 hrs.

Oh it was definitely a scam run by the bus driver, I have also traveled all over the world, and I have never heard of anything like this before.

The last time I flew into Sydney from Brisbane I had to pay $5 for the bus to the international section.

There's a big difference between a bus that you optionally use to change terminals or to get to the airport in the first place and an obligatory bus that the airline puts you on to get from your terminal to your plane. That latter bus is like the jet bridge, and I dont expect to pay to use that either.

When you book a flight from Brisbane to Bangkok and for whatever reason you need to transfer to a different plane with the same airline, and you are charged $5 to get to that terminal then I fail to see how that is optional. I must have flown in to a million airports in my life and have never been to any other where I have had to do this.

[cruisemonkey]

I live in China and fly mostly on China Southern. Cancellations, changes and delays are more the norm than the exception. Every time I go to Thailand (at least once a year) my flights are changed... and usually end up bearing no resemblance to what I booked. Last trip, China Southern changed my flights THREE times: Zhengzhou (CGO) - Phuket (HKT) was changed from 7hr 20min total travel time with one change of planes to 14hr 10min with two changes of planes; and my return HKT - CGO went from departing HKT at 3:20PM to 2:25 AM (and had 2hrs. added to the total travel time). The worst flight I have ever been on (out of many hundreds) was on Air China from Rome to Beijing.

Mainland Chinese airlines are to be avoided at all costs (unless you're masochistic).

[Albertnobgammer]

Some Chinese Airlines are pretty much OK, I have flown China Eastern, Dragonair, China Southern, China Northern, Spring Airlines, Jun Yao (they have no movies or anything else, very basic and terrible legroom) without any sort of problem.

The only ones I had an issue with was Hainan Air, they got everyone on this rather small plane (maybe 20 seats from Haikou to Sanya) and had to abort take off, instead of going back to the terminal they brought some engineers on board with laptops, opened the cockpit doors and tried for 30 minutes to rev up the engines which set every alarm off on the flight deck.

They did this for half an hour, cancelling the alarms each time and then said no problem, go for it. A few passengers got off in fear but I stayed put, it was quite frightening.

The only other one I recall was Air China, which I believe is from Taiwan, I remember flying out of Hong Kong with one of their planes upside down just off the tarmac. Other than that I have never had an issue with China flights

Edited October 16, 2014 by Albertnobgammer