ssilviu

I travelled 2 years ago with China Eastern, Chengdu-Seoul with stopover in Shanghai, where they asked me to pick up the luggage and checking in again - they manage to lose the luggage, Shanghai security is worse then arriving in US, anyway, bad story.

I will do several travels in SE Asia this year and i want to use CE again in order to get FB miles, legs, etc.

However, im seeing the same idiotic asian thinking when it comes to buy online tickets. I want to travel for example Singapore - Seoul via Shanghai. On their website - http://www.europe.flychinaeastern.com/home.htm there is no way i can do that. Pure and simple its not possible to select that flight, or any other flight that connects two different countries. You can select only fligths starting in Europe and ending everywhere else. If you choose as departing country China, you have access only to chinese language and you CANT select flights originating from anywhere else except China. Same for Korea, same for everything else.

BUT, you can buy those flights from milion other sites, like priceline, asiatravel, etc.

I remember a similar situation last year, when i travelled SEL-PUS with Korean Air, tooke me several hours to actualyy be able to buy the ticket online.

Am i missing somthing here?

Xandrios

Probably not the answer you are looking for (I have no idea what might be the problem with their website), but why not book through an agent? Using expedia or the like you will also gain for example expedia points

KLflyerRalph

Then go to the Singapore MU site.
At KLM.nl is also isn't possible to book a flight originating in a country other than the Netherlands (except Surinam).

STelite

check out china southern...they have multiple flights into CAN and onwards to ICN

Minos

Who would want to fly with China Southern?

Plus last time I checked them (3 years ago), there was something fishy with them. Don't remember exactly but I think we had to go to their office in Paris to get the tickets or something in that flavor.

Plus seating on their 777, nein danke...

brunos

Not sure what your question really is.
But if you choose to fly SIN-ICN by MU (via Shanghai or elsewhere in China) in order to earn miles/segments on FB, be ready for more discomfort than simply not having a MU website to sell you that ticket.

KL895

Indeed. And if you do, it does (personal preferences aside) not really matter wether you go with MU or CZ: a Chinese airline is a Chinese airline after all!

moondog

MU is much worse than CZ (and, I am no fan of CZ by any means). This whole idea of connecting in China just to get miles is making my head spin; flying around China is not the least bit pleasant.

brunos

Indeed MU is not good, CA also, CZ not much better. Their Longhaul international flights are improving, but international regional flights can be quite bad according to Asian standards (sometimes OK, sometimes bad). Domestic can be really poor. Of course, the trend is positive but they have so many aircrafts and staff to train that improvement is slow. Usually OK, but many bad experiences. However, they are investing massively and their longhaul product is becoming attractive.
Hainan airlines is a private airline (the fourth in China) with subsidiaries Hong Kong airline and Hong Kong Express. It just got a 5* ranking by skytrax and has good reputation.

moondog

There is an FT thread about HU's 5* rating and few FTers are in agreement. While 5% of their flights use nice airplanes, they are no better than the rest intra-China (IMO).

hfly

I concur, Hainan is definately nothing special and no better than the rest, I guess this means that one can buy Skytrax ratings!

Blue Tiger

C trip is very easy to book. It is in English and Chinese. Sometimes significantly cheaper than airlines sites. Think of it as China's Expedia

brunos

Apparently, you are the major negative poster in that thread. While I agree that making HU 5* is going over the top, especially in terms of consistency and ground service. However, stating that it is just like Air China and other Chinese airlines is incorrect IMO and that of many others based in China.
Frankly, I much prefer a domestic China flight on HU than a domestic Europe flight on AF (in terms of service, food, seat).