"Cheapest" and "Best" Don't Always Coincide
 

Suggest DragonAir between Shanghai and HK. Terrific service and very decent equipment. They're owned by Cathay Pacific.

As you've tacitly admitted, KA and CX tend to be much more expensive than FM and MU. I think MU is usually good enough. From PEK, the economics are bit different because CA, CX, and KA have a bit of cartel thing going. That leaves CZ to pick up the scraps. Given my intense dislike for CZ, I usually find a way to fly KA or CX. CA is acceptable too, but since its fares are usually close to KA/CX, it doesn't make much sense to fly them.

Also consider airline websites
 

I know Air China (CA, http://www.airchina.com.cn/en/index.jsp) and China Southern (CZ, http://www.csair.com/en/) both have websites where you can purchase the tickets from (not sure about the others). I've only tried CA in the past and didn't have any problems. They could well be cheaper than third party sites or travel agents. For the CA site, at least, you can also select your fare by booking class if earning miles with Star Alliance members is important to you.

IME, the fares are the same (maybe a little higher) than online and offline travel agents, but they don't nail you with a credit card surcharge. I think travel agents are better for people on the fly.

I used the China Southern site (http://www.csair.com/en/) twice last month, and both times found advanced purchase fares that were a small fraction (i.e. 25%) of what was being offered at either ctrip or elong.

Since I was using a US-based credit card, I needed to email or fax an authorization form through to CZ before the etickets were released. That is always a bit of a hassle ---- not nearly as nice as having an elong agent hand deliver tickets to your hotel room ---- but the savings were very significant, and the purchase of CZ etickets from the site allowed us to print out boarding passes and choose seats (exit rows) online.

btw, I stopped by 2 CZ ticket offices in Shanghai, one at the airport and one in-town, and both encounters made me extremely grateful that a) I had taken care of the purchases and boarding passes online, and b) there were no operational problems. I felt that matters such as refunds, modifications, or other changes would have been impossible to accomplish at either office....

Yes, it took me 18 months to process my CZ refunds (I created a thread on my story, which is over now, fortunately). As such, my goal is to never fly them again, even with NW miles.

If HU's rebranding campaign (they are now Grand China Airlines and their new planes sure look nice from the outside) results in meaningful improvements, I think CZ may well replace them as the true cellar dweller in the realm of Chinese airlines.

Sorry for the rant. I think it will be a while before I can look at a CZ thread without venting. But, I'll try to make a different negative comment every time. :)