China Air: JFK to BKK via PEK

[dddave]

Has anyone taken this route?  

My nephew is visiting me in Bangkok this coming September.  He scored an amazingly low $600 r/t fare: JFK-BKK via PEK on Air China (Flight 982).  Though I have flown a lot I have never flown with Air China nor have I ever transited through mainland China.

I am concerned because his layover in PEK before connecting flight to BKK is only 1hour, 40 minutes...really tight.  I have checked his flight several times on "FlightRadar" and it is consistently behind schedule.

Does anybody know when the next following flight to BKK is should he miss his connection?

Does PEK have freely available wifi so he can contact me?  Am I correct that GMAIL and other Google services do not work there?  Is LINE usable from there? How about Facebook Messenger?

 

Any info regarding PEK or Air China  would be welcome.

Edited August 22, 2017 by dddave

[Ricardo]

http://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/air-china/

 

http://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/beijing-capital-airport/

 

Neither the airline nor the airport get great reviews, it might go OK on your nephew's trip, or it might go horribly wrong, he can only wait and see !  That connection-time does look tight.

 

http://en.bcia.com.cn/guide/transfer_i_i.shtml     may also be helpful ?

Edited August 24, 2017 by Ricardo

[steelepulse]

Would be my last choice of airline if cost isn't the only factor.  Flew this airline one time to New Jersey from Phuket on a last minute flight...........never again.

[Ace of Pop]

Ive used them twice to the US,without Mrs Pop , i go cattle class , and find it fine having a Meet the Lads n Tour attitude.You worry too much, he will be fine, Cabin Crew seem to be from Taiwan with American good English.?[emoji481]


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[Ace of Pop]

Mate just said they are Chins wit US


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[Ace of Pop]

English.[emoji86]


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[dddave]

Thanks Ricardo for the useful links. No mention of WiFi availability so I'll assume there is none. This flight is ontime less than 16% of the time, averaging 58 minutes late so chances are, he'll miss the connection. Looking at online reviews Air China certainly does get slammed...i guess you get what you pay for.

[The Fat Controller]

@Ace of Pop, CHINA AIRLINES are from Taiwan and do not fly through PEK ! 

 

Not sure they would be allowed there, even in an emergency.

 

I think the OP means AIR CHINA, despite his misleading title.

Edited August 24, 2017 by The Fat Controller

[KhunBENQ]

No question. It's about Air China, the national carrier of red China.

Easy to mix up with Taiwan's carrier (China Airlines).

 

I checked the JFK to PEK flights for Aug 21, 22, 23, 24.

8 flights total, 2(!) flights in time (15 min frame).

Others delayed up to 76 min.

I would be concerned.

 

None of the flight #782 was in time:

21 AUG, 47 min delayed
22 AUG, 76 min delayed
23 AUG, 41 min delayed
24 AUG, 49 min delayed

 

[midas]

But surely if the OP's nephew missed the connecting flight with the same company if they were late in arriving, wouldn't it be their responsibility to pay for accommodation costs until the next flight?

I got this with a flight from Shanghai to Bangkok  and because I missed my connection in Guangzhou ( because of their delay taking off from Shanghai) the airline took me to a hotel and paid my accommodation and meals and collected me the next morning for the onward flight. 

 

[dddave]

On 8/25/2017 at 1:39 AM, The Fat Controller said:

I think the OP means AIR CHINA, despite his misleading title.

Yup

My bad.

[dddave]

On 8/25/2017 at 10:58 AM, KhunBENQ said:

No question. It's about Air China, the national carrier of red China.

Easy to mix up with Taiwan's carrier (China Airlines).

 

I checked the JFK to PEK flights for Aug 21, 22, 23, 24.

8 flights total, 2(!) flights in time (15 min frame).

Others delayed up to 76 min.

I would be concerned.

 

None of the flight #782 was in time:

21 AUG, 47 min delayed
22 AUG, 76 min delayed
23 AUG, 41 min delayed
24 AUG, 49 min delayed

 

Yes...not a great on time record...actually on time only 16% (thus late 84%) averaging 56 minutes late.

Since the connection is with the same airline, they will one way or another accommodate him and get him to Bangkok. My real concern is whether or not he will be able to communicate his re-scheduled flight to me so I'll know his arrival date, time and flight number.  I checked the airports website and no mention of wi-fi.

[asanee]

used to be CAAC: nickname for china airls always cancels

Has anyone-now that anyone seems to think s/he can play for travel-agent without any training- thought about the chance that flite 2 is also seriously delayed-it may even be the very same plane going on. As about ANY flite from/to and even more IN China usually is? PLUS that PEK is notorious (among well-trained agents) for certain monthes of the year for enormous pollution-and that very low visibility can play havock to ALL flights for sometimes quite long times? BTW-just like delhi-India is. or chicago/boston for snow storms, etc.

[SheungWan]

I wouldn't dare allow just 1.40 mins in PEK for a connection. On the other hand you might just make it. Should be exciting.

[NickJ]

Maybe with luck the connecting flight will be off time as well. Check the stats on the connecting flight.

[Clamhua]

The airport does have Wi-Fi and it is easier to access it if you have a wechat account (China version of line)

they have quite a few extra security checks so transitting can be slow...if it is a through ticket the airline will sort out the delay...English is spoken but many act like they don't speak it

[dddave]

15 hours ago, Clamhua said:

The airport does have Wi-Fi and it is easier to access it if you have a wechat account (China version of line)

they have quite a few extra security checks so transitting can be slow...if it is a through ticket the airline will sort out the delay...English is spoken but many act like they don't speak it

Thanks, This is helpful.  Do you know if LINE works in China as I had him install that on his phone?  Maybe I'll suggest he install WeChat as well.

Also, do transiting passengers have to go through passport control?

[observer90210]

My fellow posters will forgive for straying a bit off Topic, but what a pity that VietJet Air does not have long haul flights with those bikini clad hottie female flight attendants!!!.......would not hesitate to recruit each by turn for a full week of Long Times!!

Edited August 30, 2017 by observer90210

[Upnotover]

On 8/26/2017 at 11:09 AM, dddave said:

 I checked the airports website and no mention of wi-fi.

According to "Sleeping in Airports";

 

"Free WiFi is available at Beijing Airport. Connect to the “AIRPORT-FREE-WiFi” network. You will need a Chinese mobile phone number in order to receive your User ID and password via SMS, or you can scan your passport information at any information desk in order to receive your User ID and password. Boingo account holders should be able to automatically access Boingo hotspots in the airport. "

[dddave]

15 hours ago, Upnotover said:

According to "Sleeping in Airports";

Thanks for reminding me about that great website...used it many times myself in the past.

[sirineou]

On 8/23/2017 at 9:05 PM, steelepulse said:

Would be my last choice of airline if cost isn't the only factor.  Flew this airline one time to New Jersey from Phuket on a last minute flight...........never again.

I agree

My wife flew with them and it was the flight from hell.

She called me when she departed BKK on the plane so I knew she was on the flight, but when her flight arrived at JFK she was not on it , I waited until the last  passengers had exited then went to their booth, 

They had no idea where she was and could not check with the office because it was the weekend, I was told to wait until monday and call their office

Fat chance!! I called the airport police.

They asked me if my wife had a US passport which she had, a quick check on US customs computer system showed that my wife was still  in China and had not made her connecting flight, told me to wait until next flight . at which time my wife arrived. She told me that, her flight was diverted to some rural airport to pick up some military official, where they stayed for hours.

Also told me that the transfers at the airport are done by bus, and the bus driver demanded  $5 tip.

we can now laugh about it ,

whenever we search for airfare and see  China air.  She always say and rhythm. their motto should be

"China air, you'll never get there" 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2017 by sirineou