ORD to PVG, Help me choose the best airline, i have no status.
#16
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,559
good to know. I had one too many flights with the older continuous loop IFE system which was really horribly out of date.
#20
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,824
I actually do try to fly CX whenever possible, but only in at least premium economy, and if I have a true reason to be in HK (my company is based there so this is usually easy to justify).
About 10 years ago, I flew JFK-PEK via HKG, and JFK-HKG went right over PEK... 8 hours before I ended up on the ground there. This real life lesson taught be how silly the routing was/is.
#22
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NY
Programs: UA Plat (1mm), Marriott Titanium, HH Gold, Hertz Pres
Posts: 430
If you have lots of time, then consider going via Seoul or Tokyo as the other carrier's products can be better. However, I did fly UA this month in economy plus to Beijing and it wasn't terrible. The AVOD is on demand and the food is ok but it was a non-stop.
Those extra hours in another airport could be better spent in your hotel in Shanghai. Also, UA has a decent arrival schedule into PVG. I've flown via SFO, ORD and EWR to PVG and they get you in the middle of the afternoon. I've thought about routing to LA to get the 787 but that adds so many hours to the flight that even in J, it isn't worth it to me.
I haven't flown in CX economy, only upfront. Even in J, doesn't make sense unless you want AA miles (although you need to check the fare as CX is stingy) as it is a longer flight to HK and then to go back north.
Those extra hours in another airport could be better spent in your hotel in Shanghai. Also, UA has a decent arrival schedule into PVG. I've flown via SFO, ORD and EWR to PVG and they get you in the middle of the afternoon. I've thought about routing to LA to get the 787 but that adds so many hours to the flight that even in J, it isn't worth it to me.
I haven't flown in CX economy, only upfront. Even in J, doesn't make sense unless you want AA miles (although you need to check the fare as CX is stingy) as it is a longer flight to HK and then to go back north.
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,824
If I were the OP, I'd select flights based on a combination of price and convenience. I would never go out of my way to use a better airline at a substantially higher price point or less convenient routing if traveling Y. On a semi-related note, all transfers via NRT and some via ICN entail both an early morning departure and arrival eastbound (this gives me far worse jetlag than afternoon/evening departures/arrivals).
#24
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,824
That having been said, everything else about my flight was pretty good:
-better food than you get on Asian carriers in Y (think passable TV dinner)
-friendly cabin staff
-seat mate devised sleeping plan that permitted each of us to occupy 4 of the 5 seats for 3-hour intervals
*you can't plan on this during busy times, but when it happens, economy is pretty tolerable
-minimal PA announcements
-14:04 flying time (Tokyo would require at least 13 hours during these winter months, and I'd still have to endure a second flight)
-had a chance to see the north pole and ULN from the air
-booze was always on offer (not a big deal for me, but this is not the case on UA)
-I initially selected one of green seats on seatguru, but switched to a normal seat in order to avail of 5-abreast; legroom was decent
In closing, while I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for the experience, AA exceeded my expectations in both directions.