Shanghai to Beijing
May 31, 2006, 11:14 am
#31
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Location: Shanghai
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Originally Posted by PresRDC
Still, I don't know why a foreigner wouldn't buy an F ticket on this route. They are cheap (US$226 one-way) and, you're right, you are treated much better in the event of a problem.
Jun 6, 2006, 7:24 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,809
Is there any reason to take F for the experience ?
I'll be in Beijing for two and a half days in August as part of a CRWSTAR (mostly SQ
). As I've been to Beijing a few times already, I'm thinking about visiting Shanghai for 24 hours.
I've flown MU and HU before - both in coach from Beijing to Kunming and around - and actually enjoyed the very Chinese experience. (I'm Chinese myself so blend in.) One of the HU flights had an auction conducted by the FA's of something although my Chinese wasn't good enough to understand what was on offer and why!
Would I get the same sort of fun experience if I sat in F ? Or is it just a bigger seat and (relatively) better food but nothing more ?
I'll be in Beijing for two and a half days in August as part of a CRWSTAR (mostly SQ
). As I've been to Beijing a few times already, I'm thinking about visiting Shanghai for 24 hours.I've flown MU and HU before - both in coach from Beijing to Kunming and around - and actually enjoyed the very Chinese experience. (I'm Chinese myself so blend in.) One of the HU flights had an auction conducted by the FA's of something although my Chinese wasn't good enough to understand what was on offer and why!
Would I get the same sort of fun experience if I sat in F ? Or is it just a bigger seat and (relatively) better food but nothing more ?
Jun 6, 2006, 9:08 pm
#33
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Originally Posted by jhm
Is there any reason to take F for the experience ?
Jun 8, 2006, 8:41 am
#34
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another mini trip report (including guilty confession)
In the spirit of FT, I want to provide you with as many of my "in the trenches," anectdotes as possible so that you may be better equipped when things go wrong. Unsurprisingly, my rush hour flight today PEK-SHA provided such an opportunity.
This morning I called ctrip and booked athe 630p flight on my favorite airline, FM. The base fare was y680. While there were several other --only- moderately less attractive flights on offer, I went with my preferred flight because I figured there was a good chance my meeting would run long and I would miss it (and have to buy to a higher fare class on my own dime,... seeking reimbursement later).
Anyway, I left for the airport at 530 (I figured, even if the ride took an hour, I'd still get there before the 30-minute cut-off). In fact, there was no traffic at all and I was at the check-in counter with an hour to spare.
When I got there, I was informed that my airplane had never left Shanghai (bad news, off course, but I swear that MU usually fails to convey this simple piece of info at such an early juncture unless you pry it out of their agents).
Next stop was the rebooking desk. When I arrived there, I encountered a swarm of people that were all in the same boat and being accomodated on an 8p departure. The thought of spending 3 hours in PEK made my stomach cringe so I immediately switched into proactive mode. I, then, used the "clueless foreigner" card to get my ticket stamped with a chop that made it --effectively-- full fare.
Two Chinese girls in the crowd were so impressed by my flaunting of the impasse they had presumably been subjected to for ten+ minutes, that they insisted on riding under my wing and asked me to wait while they got their stamps. Unfortunately, they had a much harder time than I did so I spent 5 more minutes waiting (this was tough for me because each passing minute reduced my chances of getting out of Dodge before 8; it also foreshadowed events to come).
The three of us went to CA, MU, HU, and back to CA to inquire. In each case, the initial reception (me) was good, but as soon as they got between myself and the agents, the conversations ended.
So, after the second CA visit, I did something that I feel quite guilty about. I told them to back off. My intention wasn't to leave them to the vultures because I didn't want them to spend any more time in PEK than necessary, but since I was convinced that they were consistently ruining my game, I wanted them to leave the negotiations to me (it didn't help matters that they were Shanghainese; Beijing women don't like Shanghai women).
Unfortunately, they interpretted my cue as a prompt to "get lost," and did so. (Once again, I shall point out that I feel quite bad about this turn of events --doubly so, given that I pride myself on being a helpful road warrior; next time, I promise to conduct myself in a manner that is more representative of the FT spirit, even if it means potentially spending 2 extra hours in a place that I hate).
Once I was solo again, I decided to walk back over to CA because they had the nicest agent and the biggest plane (777), which I had previously learned was on-time (615p departure). Econonomy was sold out, which is why they had turned me away in the first place, but they had no problem giving me a seat in F (1 out of 6 available).
So, I flew, and I ended up getting to SH earlier than I was supposed to in the first place. The remaining 5 seats were never filled. I don't have much to say about the flight itself, except for the fact that I stand by my "F is usually a waste of money," claim. (The seats on the 2-class 777 are nothing to write home about and the food wasn't any better than the slop they serve at the Chinese restaurant across the street from me here; no auctions or other excitement, but I'm not complaining.)
We were awarded a bus gate in SH. I've recently decided that bus gates aren't all that bad on arrival because at least you get dropped off at baggage claim. Since I had no baggage, I made a beeline for the exit, took one look at the taxi queues, and immediately involked the McDonald's taxi strategy. I had to walk an extra 500 m because there were cops near the McDonald's, but I was still able to snag a taxi within 5 minutes.
Takeways: 1) rush hour is always an adventure; 2) any of you can replicate my success if you treat it like an NFL game; 3) please let the locals tag along if they want to, in the spirit of FT.
Regarding #3, I suppose it would be hypocritical if I didn't encourage you guys to take one free pass, in light of the fact that I did so myself. But, if you sieze that opporunity, you will feel guilty just like me (and please report back here).
This morning I called ctrip and booked athe 630p flight on my favorite airline, FM. The base fare was y680. While there were several other --only- moderately less attractive flights on offer, I went with my preferred flight because I figured there was a good chance my meeting would run long and I would miss it (and have to buy to a higher fare class on my own dime,... seeking reimbursement later).
Anyway, I left for the airport at 530 (I figured, even if the ride took an hour, I'd still get there before the 30-minute cut-off). In fact, there was no traffic at all and I was at the check-in counter with an hour to spare.
When I got there, I was informed that my airplane had never left Shanghai (bad news, off course, but I swear that MU usually fails to convey this simple piece of info at such an early juncture unless you pry it out of their agents).
Next stop was the rebooking desk. When I arrived there, I encountered a swarm of people that were all in the same boat and being accomodated on an 8p departure. The thought of spending 3 hours in PEK made my stomach cringe so I immediately switched into proactive mode. I, then, used the "clueless foreigner" card to get my ticket stamped with a chop that made it --effectively-- full fare.
Two Chinese girls in the crowd were so impressed by my flaunting of the impasse they had presumably been subjected to for ten+ minutes, that they insisted on riding under my wing and asked me to wait while they got their stamps. Unfortunately, they had a much harder time than I did so I spent 5 more minutes waiting (this was tough for me because each passing minute reduced my chances of getting out of Dodge before 8; it also foreshadowed events to come).
The three of us went to CA, MU, HU, and back to CA to inquire. In each case, the initial reception (me) was good, but as soon as they got between myself and the agents, the conversations ended.
So, after the second CA visit, I did something that I feel quite guilty about. I told them to back off. My intention wasn't to leave them to the vultures because I didn't want them to spend any more time in PEK than necessary, but since I was convinced that they were consistently ruining my game, I wanted them to leave the negotiations to me (it didn't help matters that they were Shanghainese; Beijing women don't like Shanghai women).
Unfortunately, they interpretted my cue as a prompt to "get lost," and did so. (Once again, I shall point out that I feel quite bad about this turn of events --doubly so, given that I pride myself on being a helpful road warrior; next time, I promise to conduct myself in a manner that is more representative of the FT spirit, even if it means potentially spending 2 extra hours in a place that I hate).
Once I was solo again, I decided to walk back over to CA because they had the nicest agent and the biggest plane (777), which I had previously learned was on-time (615p departure). Econonomy was sold out, which is why they had turned me away in the first place, but they had no problem giving me a seat in F (1 out of 6 available).
So, I flew, and I ended up getting to SH earlier than I was supposed to in the first place. The remaining 5 seats were never filled. I don't have much to say about the flight itself, except for the fact that I stand by my "F is usually a waste of money," claim. (The seats on the 2-class 777 are nothing to write home about and the food wasn't any better than the slop they serve at the Chinese restaurant across the street from me here; no auctions or other excitement, but I'm not complaining.)
We were awarded a bus gate in SH. I've recently decided that bus gates aren't all that bad on arrival because at least you get dropped off at baggage claim. Since I had no baggage, I made a beeline for the exit, took one look at the taxi queues, and immediately involked the McDonald's taxi strategy. I had to walk an extra 500 m because there were cops near the McDonald's, but I was still able to snag a taxi within 5 minutes.
Takeways: 1) rush hour is always an adventure; 2) any of you can replicate my success if you treat it like an NFL game; 3) please let the locals tag along if they want to, in the spirit of FT.
Regarding #3, I suppose it would be hypocritical if I didn't encourage you guys to take one free pass, in light of the fact that I did so myself. But, if you sieze that opporunity, you will feel guilty just like me (and please report back here).
Jun 8, 2006, 10:02 am
#35
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,809
Thanks for the report! I never imagined when I was happily taking internal flights earlier this year that it can go wrong so badly...
However, I did manage to miss my PEK-AMS flight because I arrived 5 minutes late (55 minutes prior to departure) but it was fine - waited an hour or so, paid Ł70 or so and an extra night in Beijing (yes!).
However, I did manage to miss my PEK-AMS flight because I arrived 5 minutes late (55 minutes prior to departure) but it was fine - waited an hour or so, paid Ł70 or so and an extra night in Beijing (yes!).
Jun 8, 2006, 10:49 am
#36
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
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Originally Posted by jhm
Thanks for the report! I never imagined when I was happily taking internal flights earlier this year that it can go wrong so badly...
However, I did manage to miss my PEK-AMS flight because I arrived 5 minutes late (55 minutes prior to departure) but it was fine - waited an hour or so, paid Ł70 or so and an extra night in Beijing (yes!).
However, I did manage to miss my PEK-AMS flight because I arrived 5 minutes late (55 minutes prior to departure) but it was fine - waited an hour or so, paid Ł70 or so and an extra night in Beijing (yes!).
IMO, flights getting axed should never be construed as "bad" because it happens on a daily basis. What's important, is the "proactive" part. You wil get there, and you can get there quickly as long as you do it right.
BTW, it goes without saying that I think your extra nigh in BJ was a gift you should treasure.
Jun 8, 2006, 1:27 pm
#37
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,809
Originally Posted by moondog
BTW, it goes without saying that I think your extra nigh in BJ was a gift you should treasure.
I ended up in Kunming and then Lijiang; bought a ticket to Lanzhou with Jiayuguan in mind; but didn't take the flight because I met a fellow traveller and both of us hired a car to go to Zhongdian instead.
Jun 9, 2006, 1:26 am
#38
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Originally Posted by moondog
Next stop was the rebooking desk. When I arrived there, I encountered a swarm of people that were all in the same boat and being accomodated on an 8p departure. The thought of spending 3 hours in PEK made my stomach cringe so I immediately switched into proactive mode. I, then, used the "clueless foreigner" card to get my ticket stamped with a chop that made it --effectively-- full fare.
Jun 9, 2006, 6:54 am
#39
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Originally Posted by anacapamalibu
Can you explain about the rebooking desk and what are the criteria to get the chop...and what is its purpose. I am not familiar with what this affords you?
The normal way to rebook is to wait in line for an employee to find you a new flight and put a sticker on top of your old flight number. You can do the same thing at the ticket sales office window, but transacting there often entails paying a fare difference (obviously, the cheaper your ticket, the bigger the difference).
Getting chopped is a good method to pursue when you can't afford to waste time in line. The stamp says (in English) "Endorse to:__________," so with a chopped ticket, you can walk over to any airline that's operating a flight on your route and request a boarding pass or a stand-by boarding pass.
Jun 9, 2006, 9:35 am
#40
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Originally Posted by moondog
In addition to ticket sales offices, the airlines operate rebooking desks (in smaller airports, these are often shared, but in Beijing, all seem to have their own).
The normal way to rebook is to wait in line for an employee to find you a new flight and put a sticker on top of your old flight number. You can do the same thing at the ticket sales office window, but transacting there often entails paying a fare difference (obviously, the cheaper your ticket, the bigger the difference).
Getting chopped is a good method to pursue when you can't afford to waste time in line. The stamp says (in English) "Endorse to:__________," so with a chopped ticket, you can walk over to any airline that's operating a flight on your route and request a boarding pass or a stand-by boarding pass.
The normal way to rebook is to wait in line for an employee to find you a new flight and put a sticker on top of your old flight number. You can do the same thing at the ticket sales office window, but transacting there often entails paying a fare difference (obviously, the cheaper your ticket, the bigger the difference).
Getting chopped is a good method to pursue when you can't afford to waste time in line. The stamp says (in English) "Endorse to:__________," so with a chopped ticket, you can walk over to any airline that's operating a flight on your route and request a boarding pass or a stand-by boarding pass.
I asked about the re-bokking and chop. They said they didn't know about this and then I explained what you did. They were dumbfounded and said this must be some find of "foreigner trick". ^
Jun 9, 2006, 1:42 pm
#41
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Originally Posted by anacapamalibu
I asked a Beijing person about this because I thought maybe all the airlines are owned by the government so you could just switch carriers and its no big deal because they are all essentially the same. Then they said that not all airlines are owned by the government.
I asked about the re-bokking and chop. They said they didn't know about this and then I explained what you did. They were dumbfounded and said this must be some find of "foreigner trick". ^
I asked about the re-bokking and chop. They said they didn't know about this and then I explained what you did. They were dumbfounded and said this must be some find of "foreigner trick". ^
Last edited by moondog; Jun 9, 2006 at 11:03 pm
Jun 10, 2006, 11:10 am
#42
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This thread is making me think again about taking the train to Shanghai. 
Seriously, which way am I better off? I'll have my kids with me, so I'd like everything "to work."
I'll also need transport from Shanghai to Xian (well, actually, I guess I'll be in Suzhou before heading to Xian), and then from Xian back to Beijing.
Seriously, which way am I better off? I'll have my kids with me, so I'd like everything "to work."
I'll also need transport from Shanghai to Xian (well, actually, I guess I'll be in Suzhou before heading to Xian), and then from Xian back to Beijing.
Jun 10, 2006, 2:26 pm
#43
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Originally Posted by iahphx
This thread is making me think again about taking the train to Shanghai.
Seriously, which way am I better off? I'll have my kids with me, so I'd like everything "to work."
I'll also need transport from Shanghai to Xian (well, actually, I guess I'll be in Suzhou before heading to Xian), and then from Xian back to Beijing.
Seriously, which way am I better off? I'll have my kids with me, so I'd like everything "to work."
I'll also need transport from Shanghai to Xian (well, actually, I guess I'll be in Suzhou before heading to Xian), and then from Xian back to Beijing.
Jun 10, 2006, 9:38 pm
#44
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Originally Posted by moondog
I responded to your PM but would like to point out for the others that planes are always faster than trains, even if you have to wait for a few hours. Furthermore, as long as you avoid the 3-7 window, your flight will probably operate.
For example, if I can take the 7 pm train from Beijing to Shanghai with a high degree of confidence that I'll arrive around 7 am, that might be better for me than taking an 9 am flight not knowing whether I'll make it by noon.