Indelaware

Not always is the ticketing airline present at the point where rerouting is needed. Yes, in the world of e-tickets and phones that problem is mitigated. But, not all tickets are electronic and international phone calls are not always possible - or affordable. Moreover, *A star cannot itself change or overrule such a long standing rule of air travel, they are not IATA. Besides, the issuing airline is not the contracting party; tickets are issued by one airline only as agent of the transporting airline.

globaltravelers

So what happened to your colleague?

There was a bloger that had problems before with air china, usairways had to rebook her on another flight as ca refused to help.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/verygo...saves-the-day/

However, Ca in that case seemed to say that they would eventually get the passenger to usa in 3 days, problem was she did not have a china visa for those 3 days.

moondog

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe that Japan has any bans against smoking on inbound international flights.

pbuntrock

Wrong. They do have a ban.

nature1370

Oh man, from what i have read here, I would stay away from any china airlines or air china. If I were in your situation, I think I would have been a fool and tricked with their ...... tactics. It seems the Chinese gate agent lied obviously in front of their customers. What a shame on that .....!

weather

I'm with you.....stay way from China Air!

djjaguar64

Wow, an incredible experience, it is good you were persistent and luckily the airport people spoke english. Lesson learned: Never fly China Air China or whatever.

phlwookie

China Airlines of Taiwan is fine, the complaints here are against Air China, which is a completely different, mainland-based carrier.

BuildingMyBento

I'd never fly a Chinese carrier internationally (again, for the whatever-th time) even if it's loads cheaper than the competition, because that's a guaranteed stream of liquified anxiety and anguish. Or tears, as FTers might call them.

Likewise, I don't really think any US carrier is hot stuff either. But, I like to fly, they are in the business of flying, so I will go with that.

Flying internally in China is nauseating for different reasons, which somehow end up being no different from issues in the states, for as soon as we passengers hit the airport, everything becomes a burden.

A couple of points: in China, do as the Chinese do and carry a thermos with you. There's almost always a hot water machine, which probably has the same source as the refilled bottles of water in the stores. Those machines are also good for instant ramen cups in light of nebulous (pun intended) ATC delays, or whatever English word + delay the announcer has looked up for the day.

If you have an elite card, airport staff will respect you, and you may be led to a completely separate security area. As a *G in URC (flying CA), I was led to an upstairs "VIP" security area, which went straight into the lounge. Note: If you are planning on flying out of URC, have a thermos, for no drinks are on sale (additionally, that airport makes you take off shoes. As to why, that may be an OMNI discussion). Also as *G at PVG (flying CA), I took my non-elite chum with me to check-in, and we not only received lounge invites (as expected), but also a free golf-cart ride to the lounge, which was actually quite far away, nonetheless, it was a nice surprise, and reminded me that having an elite status somewhere in the world you aren't just one of many.

If you aren't an elite and you're flying in China, well, you can either get trampled trying to board, finish a book by the time the military airspace allows your flight to land in PEK or wonder why there are smokers' lounges when that's why Chinese bathrooms were created... personally, whatever airline I choose there (if not with status) it doesn't really matter. The seat pitch is bunk, the cabin temperature is equatorial, someones hands will be on my headrest and the seat in front of me, the food is gloppity-glop (but it's food, so +1 vis a vis the US), and yawning remains the sport.

Point A to Point B? Sure, though last but not least, they may pull a Southwest on you.

pbd456

due to a mechanical delay from SZX CTU, i was put onto a Shenzhen airline flight. arrived CTU and missed the last flight of the day from CTU to URQ, changed my X ticket to full fare First class China southern on the same night, arrived a few hours later and got MQM.

blackmamba

Air China is the biggest headache in the world. The airline is absolutely terrible. However, it is trying really hard to have their cabin crew trained with their partner CX and they are planning to purchase new planes and introduce new products so maybe they'll get better in a few years or so.

CCFP

In case anyone is reviewing this thread they will likely also find this thread very relevant:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...g-pek-yvr.html

After reading these two threads I chose to switch my flights so as to avoid CA and think this was the best possible choice (I detailed my reasons here)

moondog

Why not just take a stopover in Beijing? It is a nice place to visit, and this would ease your worries. Furthermore, CA's 777s are quite good. To conclude that you made the "best possible choice" based on reading an FT thread seems a bit over the top.

CCFP

You clearly didn't read the detailed list. By the way, making choices based on the experiences of others is pretty much the whole point of FT...

jamar

Just to put my own two cents in:

I once attempted to fly SHA-PEK-IAD with my aunt and kid cousin on awards. Bad weather at PEK was causing mass cancellation of most SHA-PEK flights, but the CA agent assured us that they'd put us on the earliest not-cancelled flight out, leaving us with a connect time of half an hour. Not happening, not if we have to clear customs/immigration there too. I suggested rerouting us, they pointed to the ticket numbers and said US was responsible. A call to US obviously pointed the finger back at CA.

Long story short, it took five hours and getting the whole send-off party (all the child's grandparents, my mother, the kid's father, and a couple other relatives I can't quite name) standing at the counter and refusing to move before they would endorse us on PVG-NRT-IAD the next day (I suggested SHA-HND-LAX-IAD departing later that same day, but they said that they could offer no guarantees as to available seats if every segment was on another airline).