I have managed to maintain Star Alliance Gold status during the majority of my China run. While upgrades are rare, I now appreciate the remaining benefits.

In particular:
-the baggage limits are amazing; witness this thread; the OP would have saved himself a bundle, had he been *G and booked a *A flight
-on popular routes like SHA-PEK, *A Gold allows us to clear wait lists; a friend of mine, who spent 6 hours in Hongqiao on Friday would have been able to get here on his preferred flight if he'd been *G

Even those of you who don't fly a lot can maintain *G status by comping back and forth... as long as you get it legitimately once.

The baggage thing was big for me last year. I was pre-emptively moving a bunch of possessions permanently back to the USA, and being able to take for free, 50 kg per trip through Asia (I was routing through BKK) plus 3 free checked bags on the TPAC and domestic USA side, x each of 3 trips added up to a big cost savings. I think the other benefit moondog didn't mention was the lounge access, even if flying Y class on a *A carrier. China's airports might not have the greatest lounges but they also don't have the greatest general gate area seating (or seating, period) and at least it's less hectic waiting out your time in the CA lounge.

Agree so much with moondog on this.

We maintain Air Canada Elite which really helps when we have to move again in a few years. Many times, we have a choice of carriers and Air China is almost always more expensive than the other guys. (Double or triple in price if you compare it to Juneyao or Spring Airline fares but I already have ranted how unreliable they have been.) From a scheduling perspective, we found Shanghai Air and China Eastern to be so much more convienent but we end up taking Air China to maintain status.

It pays off with the luggage weight restrictions. Especially if you fly economy. If you are flying in F on a full fare then you get three pieces of luggage at 23 kg if you want without extra charge. (not that I have needed it, I physically won't be able to carry that much weight plus my wife's stuff)

Alas, my status has largely been irrelevant. I rarely fly Air China in country. The last time I took it from NKG, they didn't bother with the priority boarding!

Other thoughts:
-Coming with muted expectations, the domestic lounge in PEK T3 was better than I thought.
-priority baggage is a giant hit or miss.....(to be fair, just like YYZ or YUL)
-excess baggage came in handy once while flying Shanghai Air.....

....and on a sidenote, speaking of Shanghai Air, Star Alliance needs another Chinese partner besides Air China! It would be nice to have another option than paying the "national carrier surtax" to sit in a dinky Chinese airport lounge.

One thing we take advantage of as well is using the priority check in lines.
Saved us quite a few times when we should up close to flights being closed

Since my CA strategy entails being among the last people to board the plane (this is how you poach the good seats), I am not all that aware of how this benefit plays out in practice, but I have never noticed it (perhaps because I'm often in the lounge when boarding starts). Basically, I had been under the impression that they don't really do that over here.

Ah, DL is also shooting themselves in the foot too on this making *A that much more attractive.

Shooting themselves in foot, with no sign of running out of bullets anytime soon.

Geez, they're on a roll. Latest blunders:

1. Changing Asia award levels and not telling customers.
2. Matching CZ's award structure in China, but earned in miles not KM
3. Removing GM+ as SkyClub members and not telling customers
4. Calling changing tickets through Japan "free of charge" but charging for difference in fare.

They're on a roll that's for sure.

flying air china in economy next week SHA-PEK, I'm *G, any lounge access? star alliance website says no, but i see some posts from way back that say yes..

Yes, you get lounge access, but it's really only useful because it allows you a place to take refuge during the part of your delay that might take place before you board your plane. Is it too late for you to refund and book a train ticket, by the way?

On a different note, when the alert for this thread popped up in my in-box I was curious to see who the OP was, and was shocked to discover that it was yours truly. While I'm still *G, it's been a long time since I've thought twice about its benefits. Since all of my current travels involve Shanghai, I now find myself on MU most of the time, and because I foolishly credit my flights to DL, I don't have a lick of Sky Team status to show for it. But, honestly, flying MU as a zero isn't a whole lot different than flying CA as a *G (never have to wait for more than a minute or two to check in if you're smart, exit rows and bulk heads are surprisingly easy to score, and waiting in overpriced airport restaurants is at least as comfortable as most lounges in China).

haha, i only bumped this post because i saw it was you, i knew you'd check

I would normally take the train, but i will be in meetings until 530, and the last G train leaves Hongqiao at 536, so i just bought a plane ticket.

When's the last time you got an upgrade in Y for being *G in china? i guess since you spend most of your time on MU now, probably not recently. I tried giving the smile and asked last time i took Shenzhen airlines, and just got a blank stare. haha, but worth a try i guess

A couple of data points from when I held UA*G status:

In 2011, flying Y PVG-SZX, I checked in at the *G desk, and right after the security check my friend and I received a free golf cart ride to a CA lounge.

Also, for a few CA flights in 2012, check-in staff always gave me a (Y) seat very close to the J cabin, which led me to believe that they think it's a privilege.

*G gets me lounge access when I fly on CA from CAN

how is the lounge in CAN, i al also located in Guangzhou but mostly fly from HKG (not only because of the lounges )