Thanks for the write-up - I've been tempted to try Air Astana a few times between London and China, but the scheduling is a real killer when time is precious, with that ALA-TSE connection in both directions, and lengthy layovers in each city. If I had plenty of time, I'd love to give it a go and get a day trip to both cities on the way, but it hasn't worked for me yet. Pricing looks competitive though.