Originally Posted by
nologic
Air China's website is free, I think, and it's a *Alliance Member, so credit goes to UAL, which is worth a peanut or two in a toss up.
CA is not a *A member yet, but they do partner with a number of *A airlines, including UA. You can earn miles on UA, but the miles don't count towards status (i.e. ho hum). CZ, on the other hand, does offer full EQM, including class of services bonuses, to NW members.
Both CA and CZ are the exact same price (fares are established by the government) and both also offer the ability to book tickets via the internet, though completing a booking can be challenging at times.
To reiterate my earlier point, just focus on getting one of those 3-class 777s. You'll be ten times happier than on one of those "dinner" narrow bodies.