kluever

I emailed [email protected] and was told:

zebrametalevel

Just flew BKK-HAK on what I believe is the same plane they use for BKK-PEK.

Seat: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqrgqlI1b7/

Food: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAsmSJro1Tj/

Service was excellent, seat was comfortable although not a lie-flat.

nyczreklis

I think they swapped the BKK PEK leg for a 737.

zebrametalevel

Photos posted are from a 737-800

nyczreklis

I got a text message on my China number from Hainan Airlines stating that the BKK to PEK flight is cancelled due to company flight changes. However when I hop on their website to check, no info regarding that.

Anyone received an email or any notification regarding this?

lewende

This is most likely right - I checked my Chinese version of CMT and found this segment (BKK-PEK) is missing flight information, whereas my TPAC segment looks fine.

Then I went to HU website and found out BKK-PEK only runs four times a week, and (un)fortunately, the date of my travel right now doesn't have a BKK-PEK schedule anymore.

This actually works out better for me because I will travel directly from PEK for BOS, if HU allows me to revalidate my ticket.

kluever

Yea, I got a notification from Orbitz that there was a schedule change. I had booked:
2x BKK-PEK-BOS on a Thursday (my sister + brother-in-law)
2x BKK-PEK-BOS on a Saturday (my wife and I)

Unfortunately the Thursday and Saturday BKK-PEK flights were cancelled, so I moved my sister + BIL to the Friday flight (no charge). I'm trying to get my wife and I moved onto the same flight, but they were having trouble with fare classes (they were going to open a ticket and try to force open 2 more seats). I'm going to call back tomorrow to try to get it resolved. Worst case scenario, we move to the Sunday flight.

zebrametalevel

I'm having real trouble getting a response from HU on an unrelated cancelled flight. They told me to email. What number are y'all ringing

braffy

Any luck with getting your ticket re-validated?

Also, what is the site you used to look up your PNR? Mine was booked thru Orbitz so I can't access thru Hainan site.

Any idea about seat assignments? Calling is probably only option?

lewende

Not yet. My trip is in April and I will call HU/OTA later.

For seat assignment, the best option is to call HU.

kokinos

Mission accomplished besides my luggage not making it.

On arrival at PEK we were offered a hotel room at the Crowne Plaza near the airport. Hotel even gave us IHG points. The shuttle took about 15 minutes to get to the hotel. Hotel was shocked when I request a shuttle bus back to airport about 3.5 hours after arrival.

Hainan doesn't have their own lounge in Terminal 2 PEK fyi. The transfer agent said there is no linge however there was a contract lounge our boarding passes got us into but it has no showers or even toilets.

The best part was a couple who had been backpacking in Thailand for 5 months got on this fare as well by pure chance. They were expecting to be in economy class and didn't know their fate until they checked in at BKK. They were impressed with the seats on the 737 to PEK, needless to say the 787 seats blew them away!

Overall service was very good except ehy ran out of beer about halfway though the flight. So the employees felt bad so my gin and tonic I ordered was all gin and a touch of tonic. My better half slept for 10 hours on the BOS leg. J class was about 35% full. We both had a seat and bed next to us similar to LH first class.

Thanks OP!!!

whimike

Did you have a special circumstance or does HU provide hotel accommodations to all business class passengers with a long layover?

kokinos

No special circumstance. As I got off the jet bridge in Beijing there was a transfer rep there holding a sign with our names on it. She offered the hotel accomodation so all 4 J passengers (two couples) who were transfering went with it.

lewende

Upthread there was a update saying HU changed BKK-PEK schedule, and my itin was affected - BKK-PEK was gone. So I called HU to push my itin back three days and keep the routing as-is.

Now my question is: I will arrive BKK at 11 PM from NRT, and intend to do an immediate turnaround. Does anybody know if I may check in HU airside without entering Thailand? Thanks!

FlytheTail

Wish I had read this before my experience. Flew to PEK, arrived in Terminal 2, and was also greeted by an agent giving me the option of the "VIP lounge" or an airport hotel. I initially asked for a hotel room but once she laid out the timing, she said I'd only have about 3 hours at the hotel. So, I changed my mind and chose the lounge. Bad decision! The Terminal 2 contract lounge has only the bare necessities - a few hot snack food options that you'd see on sale at 7/11, a few bottom-shelf bottles of gin/vodka/wine, and soft drinks/coffee. Really disappointed as I didn't realize I wouldn't be in their Terminal 1 lounge. I tried to get to Terminal 1 but was denied for no reason, even despite having a valid Chinese visa.

Anyway, to any others who read this in time and are taking this flight, go for the hotel option if you arrive/depart from Terminal 2!