A Comprehensive Comparison of China’s Domestic Airlines

China’s big, and you’re probably going to end up flying between cities at least once when you get here. The buses and trains are great, but sometimes in the interest of time and a soft hotel bed, flying is the only option for long hauls. Also, especially with gas prices plummeting (at lest when I wrote this), there are some great deals. Unlike trains, plane tickets are often not sold out even on the day of departure, except for major tourist destinations on holidays (and even then I’ve gotten lucky). In fact, unlike the US system I am accustomed to, the Chinese air ticket reservation process almost seems to encourage last-minute buying, but maybe I have just gotten lucky. Then again, holiday weeks are the perfect time to plan on doing some flying, because the buses and trains will be too packed to be worth it.

First, a bit about China’s airlines in general: They’re all safe. Some people I have talked to seem to think that the airline industry is operated like the dairy industry, but in fact China’s airlines actually have a very good safety record. The technology and planes are the same as what we use in other developed countries. There may be a few safety issues among passengers themselves simply because flying is a relatively newer phenomenon in China and thus there are often more novice flyers. I remember once on a delayed flight out of Kunming, many of the passengers got off the plane to have a cigarette on the tarmac, something that I figured would not possibly happen in my home country. However, that was 5 years ago already and even in that short time air travel has already developed significantly. I still expect people to be on their cell phones and have their seatbelts unbuckled right as the wheel’s touch the ground when flying here, though.

Now for my in-depth analysis comparing all of China’s major airlines: they’re all pretty much the same. That’s it. I’ve had a mixture of experiences flying domestically but have found that these are not airline related. I like Hainan Airlines because the stewardesses wear cool blue outfits. But seriously, just take the airline that has the cheapest price.

Actually, it is worth noting that budget airlines are starting to crop up all over the place in China now and these are worth looking for. Shanghai’s Spring Airlines is a good example (if they are still around). I remember taking them to Xiamen once and the fare was very cheap. They did not provide food and beverages, but that’s why they’re a budget airline. Speaking of the food— it’s not bad (regardless of airline). As even Americans know, Chinese food is often convenient to transport and reheat, making it the ideal airline food. Have a good flight!

Posted at 02:18PM Dec 12, 2008 by admin in China Travel  |  Comments[3]