Originally Posted by
ilcannone
I'd go with China Eastern - cheaper and China is FAR more interesting to stop off in than Abu Dhabi or Doha, both of them are mere plastic cities of nothingness in a giant sandbox. At least Shanghai has culture, history, etc.
We aren’t planning to stop over in the connecting city. We have been to China before and this trip is going to focus on Australia, as this will be our first time to visit. I am thinking China Eastern might be the way to go if the airline is safe and not full of smoke. Given the trip time of 20+ hours, having a flat bed is most important to us. Good food would be nice, but that is secondary and not worth paying much more. For this trip, the cost of the flight will be as much as the cost of a couple of weeks of travel.