Best airline for flying to China?

[AnthroAndStargate]

I'm ordering a ticket to China tonight from LAX to PVG (Shanghai, Pudong) that would depart on the 25th or 26th.

I've flown American -> JAL to China before and it was alright. JAL was awesome but American was well... American (cramped, bad food, depressed staff, etc. etc.)

Anyone have any comments on United, China Eastern, China Southern, Cathay, or Asiana?

Any comments would be appreciated!

 

[Parasitic]

How about China Airlines from LAX to TPE, then Cathay to HK and some other airline from HK to Shanghai?

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
How about China Airlines from LAX to TPE, then Cathay to HK and some other airline from HK to Shanghai?

Yeah I'm willing to switch over. I'd just prefer to keep the travel time within a day (i.e. leave on the 26th in the early morning and get there sometime on the 27th, Shanghai time). Is China Airlines OK? I read the planes were the old ashtray in seat kind.

 

[jagec]

United is pretty decent for long-haul international flights...I was in 777s to and from Tokyo. I've heard good things about Cathay Pacific as well. Singapore Airlines and JAL have very solid reputations for luxury but I'm not sure if they serve that route.

 

[isekii]

Asiana is what I usually fly when I go to Korea.
The flight attendants are usually hot, and the food is above average.

 

[Parasitic]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate

Originally posted by: Parasitic
How about China Airlines from LAX to TPE, then Cathay to HK and some other airline from HK to Shanghai?

Yeah I'm willing to switch over. I'd just prefer to keep the travel time within a day (i.e. leave on the 26th in the early morning and get there sometime on the 27th, Shanghai time). Is China Airlines OK? I read the planes were the old ashtray in seat kind.

China Airlines' main flight route is LAX to TPE. I heard from our travel agent that whenever a new 747-400 is commissioned from Boeing to China Airlines they send it straight over to Los Angeles Int'l Airport.

Of course some of the CAL flight attendants are hot enough in that short miniskirt robe uniform.

 

[richardycc]

cathay pacific, but most likely they are all sold out by now.

 

[George P Burdell]

Asiana has always been good to me. I've never had a bad experience with any of the Chinese airlines.

I flew United once from O'hare to Beijing and back. On the day of the return flight, every outgoing flight was canceled due to inclement weather. EXCEPT mine. However, there was a delay and I reached O'hare two hours after my connecting flight left. I had to raise all hell before United rebooked me onto a flight the same evening.

I flew Cathay once and it sucked.

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
Asiana has always been good to me. I've never had a bad experience with any of the Chinese airlines.

I flew United once from O'hare to Beijing and back. On the day of the return flight, every outgoing flight was canceled due to inclement weather. EXCEPT mine. However, there was a delay and I reached O'hare two hours after my connecting flight left. I had to raise all hell before United rebooked me onto a flight the same evening.

I flew Cathay once and it sucked.

Have you flown China Eastern? What are the planes like?

 

[PhoenixOrion]

From the options you listed.....Cathay :thumbsup:

If its available, you can't go wrong with Singapore....you'll be spoiled once you experience Singapore Air......you'll feel that all other airlines suck.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
Asiana has always been good to me. I've never had a bad experience with any of the Chinese airlines.

I flew United once from O'hare to Beijing and back. On the day of the return flight, every outgoing flight was canceled due to inclement weather. EXCEPT mine. However, there was a delay and I reached O'hare two hours after my connecting flight left. I had to raise all hell before United rebooked me onto a flight the same evening.

I flew Cathay once and it sucked.

Have you flown China Eastern? What are the planes like?

I've flown with China Eastern.

Everyone so far has listed NON Chinese airlines (China Airlines = Taiwanese).

If you want direct flight in, you should go with the Chinese airlines as they are the cheapest. United still has direct flights, and you can probably catch that from LAX or SFO. SFO has limited flights to China as they only have like Air China or something.

Anyways, I've flown China Southern and China Eastern from LAX. China Southern was a little better, and they are the largest airline in China, and if you rank them worldwide, they're up there somewhere too.

Cathay is an awesome airline though, but be prepared to pay. Asiana like all Korean airlines are not that great, but they're better than Korean Air at least.

I don't see why ANYONE would like to connect. Taiwan is 13 hrs from SFO and you wait for a flight to HK which takes 1.5 hours and then another one to Beijing and you're going to waste TONS of time just flying around. A direct flight is about 12-13 hours, so I would rather take that. I already get annoyed when we stop in Japan to go to Taiwan even if that's almost direct.

 

[Juno]

Originally posted by: isekii
Asiana is what I usually fly when I go to Korea.
The flight attendants are usually hot, and the food is above average.

i used korean air to fly to korea but i had to fly either united or continental to alaska before switching to korean air.

alaska is an awesome place.

 

[JC86]

I'd say Cathay is your best bet. I've sworn off ever riding China's carriers, i.e. China Southern, China Eastern etc. Too many horror stories to tell. Note, China Airlines is NOT China's carrier, they're Taiwan's carrier so they don't fly to Shanghai or Beijing, just Taipei. Cathay and Singapore Airlines are consistently ranked amongst the best airlines so if you're looking for LAX to PVG, you could do a lot worse than Cathay.

 

[brtspears2]

China Eastern has a Airbus A340-600 that is nonstop. It is very basic. No frills service (first and business class fliers will be VERY disappointed), poor English, crappy in flight entertainment (not personal), two meals and a snack meal. Only thing is that it is consistently the cheapest option.

 

[ElFenix]

china airlines blows. i flew on them once from LAX to KUL, awful awful awful. will not fly again.

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Everyone so far has listed NON Chinese airlines (China Airlines = Taiwanese).

riiiiiiiight

 

[Freejack2]

When you mention Chinese airlines it reminds me of this urban legend about the seatbelts on the engine...
Chinese aircraft maintenance

 

[Scarpozzi]

The peanut wrappers on Chinese Airlines are marked with lead-based paint.

 

[TheNewbie]

Cathay pacific is the best airline I've ever traveled with. AA is one of the worst, so do the math. As a rule of thumb though, most major eastern airlines are far better than their western counterparts.

 

[dethman]

cathay.

 

[Yossarian]

Cathay is pretty sweet. I fly business class to HK a couple times a year and it's about as good as you can expect for a 14 hour flight.

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Is Korean air bad? I am actually thinking of flying them because of ticket price. Also what about All Nippon Airways?

 

[LongCoolMother]

i will also recommend asiana. hot flight attendants. food is way better than the crap all american airlines serve.

 

[kt]

You can't go wrong with Singapore or Cathay. Although I prefer Singapore over Cathay if I have a choice.

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
Is Korean air bad? I am actually thinking of flying them because of ticket price. Also what about All Nippon Airways?

Korean is OK. They're nothing out of the ordinary, but they're not bad either. Definitely better than United/AA/Continental. With Korean Air, I've always talked my way into the first row in economy, which gives me more leg room and a power outlet.

I forgot to mention in my other post that all my experiences with Chinese airlines have been in the domestic sector, not international.

 

[cirrrocco]

Originally posted by:
Best airline for flying to China?

uhmm..Walmart Air?? They are gonna be filled with money on the way back

..sorry dude..I digressed...but to answer your original question..No answers from my end..All the best for your trip..