Yep, TAO is viable, and the prices have dropped from their previously craxy levels back in August and September, partly driven by student traffic. But you might want to note the experience that I will share below of a recent visit using the JD432 Beijing Capital airlines flight from LHR to TAO. This flight was restarted in August after a 20 month ban and is currently once a week on a Friday operated by a A332. The ticket was bought via CTrip rather than direct as you can usually get semi-sensible customer service with CTrip verses trying to deal with Beijing Capital direct.

The passenger complied with the Chinese Embassy requirement of 2 PCR tests, and a local lab had a special China service providing the two firsts, the first being sent off to Radnox, and the second being processed by themselves. The green code come through on WeChat approx 1 hour after submitting the test results. At the airport, despite having the green code from the Embassy these tests resulted in a dispute with the Beijing Capital Airline staff at checkin who claimed that the tests were not from their approved laboratories. But the wording on their own requirements on their website were ambigious if you read the English version and it implied that you only had to use their approved labs if arriving into UK and transiting for the onward flight to China, rather than for UK residents departing UK for China. The passenger won the argument about the PCR tests and the checkin staff backed down but they did force the 25kg overweight by 2kg check in bag to have 2kg of its contents removed, which were promptly put into hand luggage and nothing more was said. Other instructions from JD were that you had to wear a FFP2 or better mask whilst on board, and a snowman suit was recommended. The outbound flight was approx 30% full. Onboard they only handed out ambient food packs.


View onboard at LHR waiting to leave for TAO

JD432 onboard catering boxes LHR-TAO


JD432 onboard catering inside boxes LHR-TAO


Upon arrival into TAO Jiadong (new airport) there was a 3 hour wait on the tarmac. The flight had arrived approx 1 hour early but apparently there was a lack of a suitable contingent of snowmen to process the inbound flight. Whilst you can kinda accept the first hour of delay, the next two hours were probably inflicted as a general discouragement.

Once they ahd been allowed off the aircraft, processing in the airport was efficient, more efficient than it had been in the old TAO Luiting airport back in 2020. It appeared that one of the starfish wings of the new airport was segmented off as an international. Having plenty of space in the new terminal obviously helps. The PCR test inflicted here was no longer the scrape your brains out variety which had previously been experienced in late 2020.


Waiting, waiting, waiting onboard upon arrival at TAO


Arrivals processing at TAO


Arrivals processing at TAO


Arrivals processing at TAO


Welcome to Qingdao!


Baggage reclaim


Local city welcoming committee

The flight passengers were escorted to a bus and then taken to their accomodation. Usually in Qingdao quarantine is performed in some of the local hotels. However flight JD432 was unfortunate.


Quarantine centre arrival area


Quarantine centre arrival area


Quarantine centre arrival area


Inside the facility - a corridor


Quarantine centre room


Quarantine centre room

And that was it for the next 7 days. Comfortable it wasn't, especially the bed which had an especially thin mattress, and many of the co-passengers were complaining about this.
Apparently at least one passenger developed COVID whilst in quarantine was removed from the quarantine centre for 'treatment'.
The TV was a basic IPTV service with some kind of Androidish box behind the screen. You could get some free content and channels but there were many more you could pay for. Wifi was reasonable.
Room rate was RMB120 plus RM80 for food per day. No external food or any deliveries were permitted, no exceptions.
Staff just did the minimum and didn't communicate effectively with the quarantinees to advise them when to expect food, PCR tests, food, PCR, temperature reporting, more PCR, etc.


Example Quarantine meal service


Example Quarantine meal service


Room with a view?

Release from the Quarantine centre was exactly 7 days after the plane's arrival in TAO. Then each passenger had to wait to be collected by the local minders from the respective city district where they were going to move onto for their +3 days of stay at home, and each area city area turned up a varying times into the evening. As I have explained in another posting, the local minders didn't kinda realise that the ground floor flat that was the quarantine location for the passenger I am reporting for had two doors, one fronting the street, and one at the back onto the communal staircase. They put a magnetic lock on the front door but failed to realise there was another door out back....

As it hapened, the passenger needed to extend their stair for an additional week once in China, and this was quick and easy to arrange with CTrip, and actually resulted in a refund as the following week's flight back to London was cheaper. At check-in on the way back, the agent said that whilst the initial flights in August and September had been very busy demand was now reducing and there was going to be around 60 passengers for the flight back to London.

Here are some pics of the TAO airport lounge.


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Qingdao airport international departure lounge


Not many international flights that day from Qingdao but good links to Korea due to the large number of Korean expats in Qingdao.

The return flight was not eventful and very quiet onboard. There was a hot meal service on the return back to London. The crew were not wearing snowman suits until an hour before arrival.


A very quiet A332 returning to London


Onboard meal service JD431


Onboard meal service JD431


Snowman suits were worn approaching London


Snowman suits were worn approaching London

Although I wasn't the passenger I can ask questions if there are any arising. Hope this is useful to someone out there.