jiejie

Not exactly correct.
1) Immigration (or Border Control or whatever you choose to call it). Right now Chinese regulation requires all incoming intl passengers, including those just in transit, to go through this process. In other words, no option to avoid and just "stay airside" a la ICN or NRT. Some Chinese airports/terminals have dedicated desks marked for the international transit passengers, some don't...in which case you go through any "foreigner" desk and show passport and onward ticket or confirmed e-ticket or onward BP if you have. You do not need a Chinese visa for these sorts of limited transits--refer to dedicated sticky FAQ on China forum for detailed info.

2) Baggage. This is more under the influence of local airport policy rather than Chinese government policy. For instance, at PEK, normally intl-to-intl transit baggage is transferred onward automatically without you picking up. Of course, this assumes that you had it through-tagged and/or interlined at your origin! At PVG, the general policy is that you must pick up and then get retagged onward...even if intl-to-intl on the same carrier. But there have been brief periods when PVG seems to have auto-transferred intl transit bags. Of course ask at your origin check-in, but if there is any doubt, best to have tagged only to PVG and plan to pick up then recheck/retag. Until such time when it's clear PVG has changed to a PEK-like policy.

(sidebar: Incoming intl bags then heading for Chinese domestic destinations will need to be picked up at baggage claim, then go through Customs, then carried to departure area for recheck for domestic segment.)

MTL's question on 2 hours for the maneuvers: yes, should be enough for entry immy and (if needed) bag pickup/recheck then exit immy, unless you are delayed into PVG. However, if the MU flight is delayed in and you can't connect in time to the PVG-BKK flight, they should put you on the TG flight (MU codeshare) that leaves a few hours later and in J class. (prod them if they don't automatically do so).

MegatopLover

Thank you, jiejie, for the clear answers.

YariGuy

I first flew MU in 1991 and they were the worst airline I'd ever flown, and now I live in Shanghai and am forced to take them (and have made "elite" with over 50 segments per year).

Unfortunately they are still one of the worst airlines in the world.

- delays are endemic
- no information will be given and you will be lied to
- service is bad onboard (for example you will get your beverage after you finish your meal)
- captain never turns off the seat belt sign for some reason leaving passengers to guess when it's safe to use the lavatories

I can go on...

moondog

Like I mentioned upthread, I almost like their onboard service, especially to/from Japan, but I'm in 100% agreement with you about your first two points. All Chinese airlines are prone to delays and lie about them, but MU is in a league of its own (really bad).

cmglobal

Good to know. I'll continue to avoid them domestically.

Of course, delays and being lied to about the reason why is more or less the standard in China...

mosburger

Just flew MU ICN - PVG (KE codeshare) on an Airbus 330 this morning. GMP - SHA seats were sold out, as well as the afternoon Incheon - Pudong hop when we bought the ticket yesterday. Cost almost prohibitive but then it's high season.

Arrived at gate 130 (furthest gate in the satellite terminal) about five minutes before closure. Smooth passage to bulkhead seat given at airport check-in.

FAs on these flights are fully bilingual, in Chinese and Korean. They also manage quite good conversational English. I don't think many other airlines have staff fluent in three languages.

Slept almost the whole flight after getting up at 3.45am (Had to get something from a local office before heading to ICN) Three course breakfast, with passable Korean OJ and coffee.

Gate arrival and swift deplaning, then absurdly long lines at PVG T1 immigration as some widebodies (recognized KLM uniforms at least) were landing at around the same time. Luggage arrived still with some more delay.

It was already around 11am when getting landside with luggage so had a dim sum brunch at one the generic mezzazine level coffeeshops and then took the Maglev to downtown.

toyotaboy95

This is unfortunately the norm with Chinese airlines. Never have I seen the seatbelt sign go off on regional or long-haul flights with CA/MU/CZ.

YariGuy

One more point:

Endemic usage of satellite / remote gates (planes parked on the tarmac rather than at a gate) so that you have to take a bus to the plane. I don't know whether it's because they have to pay to use a gate or what. Even on longhauls (e.g., to Australia) this is common with MU.

Cathay Boy

True. At WNZ they just built this brand new "International Terminal" with 6 empty gates and when we pulled in we still had to use the bus to travel literally 2 seconds across, instead of being gated in.

1kBill

I thought this was going to irritate me on a flight in C from HKG to PVG, but once at PVG, they disembarked all the C pax onto one bus and off we went to the arrivals area. So we got a bigger head start than Y pax and had only a short walk to passport control once we arrived at the terminal.

So this might not be so bad, as long as you are in C.

mosburger

Have had that occasionally on domestic MU flights at SHA, never at PVG and also not a single time on my usual China - Korea runs from/to either PVG or SHA.

moondog

I'm generally fond of bus gates upon arrival because they typically entail saving a long walk through the terminal to the arrivals area (though I will note that PEK T3 domestic provides the worst of both worlds... bus + long walk), but I loathe them like the plague wrt to departures.

Here are a few reasons why:

-bus gate waiting areas tend to feel like --well-- bus stations
-with the frequent opening of doors, you get to experience whatever weather may be on offer outdoors, in addition to jet fuel fumes
-once on board, you are often a mile+ away from the terminal; this is relevant because Chinese airlines are less likely to hold people hostage for more than 1.5 hours on the tarmac when the plane when it is attached to a terminal

The next time you arrive at a remote stand and are feeling good about life, please consider the fact that ~200 people are going to be on the short end of the stick an hour or two later.

31dany

I don't fly really often Chinese airlines (that will change I suppose, with MU also in the ST now), but I can't really say I had bad experiences with them... I didn't see a FA's not being helpful...
I'm eager to try CZ's A380 outside China

Tomphot

I too am flying on MU - JFK-PVG-BKK with the same return in Business in Dec.

Not my first choice but using DL miles, that time period is blacked out on KE and high redemption levels on other choices.
So for 120K miles, I can live live with any service issues that may occur.

mosburger

PVG - ICN yesterday. Nothing much to remember about the whole flight except it seemed that alcohol was not offered in the economy cabin on our evening flight.