Air China - slow planes on some routes?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Air China - slow planes on some routes?
So I booked a "mileage run" on Air China to make sure I'd earn 1K next year. It involved routing TPE-PEK-MEL. My TPE-PEK flight was about 4 hours. (Also, they parked the plane a 15 minute shuttle ride away from the actual terminal...lol) My usual conversion is something like "planes fly about 500 mph, so every hour is about 500 miles," which should mean that a 4 hour flight earns about 2000 miles. But when I was looking my mileage spreadsheet, I noticed that TPE-PEK earns only 1000 miles. "This doesn't make sense!" I said to myself. Then I checked flightaware and saw that TPE-PEK flight flies at only 300 mph! Surprisingly, PEK-MEL flies at the normal 500 mph. Both routes are A330-300s.
I guess Air China doesn't think it's important to get people quickly from Taipei to Beijing (perhaps for fuel costs). I thought this was interesting, because on all of my United flights, I've never observed a jet plane (i.e. A320+ or 737+) fly at anything less than near cruising speed.
And then I found out that 1K bonus miles (100% of base miles) doesn't apply to Air China. Wah . At least the PQMs otherwise posted without trouble.
I guess Air China doesn't think it's important to get people quickly from Taipei to Beijing (perhaps for fuel costs). I thought this was interesting, because on all of my United flights, I've never observed a jet plane (i.e. A320+ or 737+) fly at anything less than near cruising speed.
And then I found out that 1K bonus miles (100% of base miles) doesn't apply to Air China. Wah . At least the PQMs otherwise posted without trouble.
#2
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Vietnam & USA
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Posts: 454
I think the base miles are 1339. What happens after that is based on your fare class.
Usually actual aircraft speeds are a function of weather, winds, air traffic control, gate availability and probably other operational considerations
Usually actual aircraft speeds are a function of weather, winds, air traffic control, gate availability and probably other operational considerations
#3
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
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Then I checked flightaware and saw that TPE-PEK flight flies at only 300 mph! Surprisingly, PEK-MEL flies at the normal 500 mph. Both routes are A330-300s.
I guess Air China doesn't think it's important to get people quickly from Taipei to Beijing (perhaps for fuel costs). I thought this was interesting, because on all of my United flights, I've never observed a jet plane (i.e. A320+ or 737+) fly at anything less than near cruising speed.
I guess Air China doesn't think it's important to get people quickly from Taipei to Beijing (perhaps for fuel costs). I thought this was interesting, because on all of my United flights, I've never observed a jet plane (i.e. A320+ or 737+) fly at anything less than near cruising speed.
#4
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,923
The scheduled time (door closed to door opened) of a flight between 2 airports is based on
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=TPE-PEK+&DU=mi&SU=kts&RS=best
You do not always earn 1 frequent flyer mile for 1 mile of distance. Now not unusable to earn 25%, 50%, 75% or what ever
http://www.wheretocredit.com/air-china
- time on the ground from the door closed to ready for take off. For some airports this can be a lot of time.
- take-off and climb to altitude.
- the cruise at altitude. Now days the speed of aircraft does not change much from minimum to maximum. And ground speed is airspeed plus/minus winds. The prevailing wind in some places can be a lot.
- the route is not always a straight line between airports. There are "highways in the air". And politics can influence a route.
- decent from altitude to the airport landing.
- time on the ground from touch down to the door opened. For some airports this can be a lot of time.
- some airlines add padding for air traffic delays, weather, ground delays.
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=TPE-PEK+&DU=mi&SU=kts&RS=best
You do not always earn 1 frequent flyer mile for 1 mile of distance. Now not unusable to earn 25%, 50%, 75% or what ever
http://www.wheretocredit.com/air-china
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Nov 17, 2017 at 12:41 am
#5
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PEK typically has long delays on departure or arrival (which is why I won't book connections under 3 hours there).
For a longhaul flight this doesn't make as big a % difference in total flight duration as a shorthaul flight.
For a longhaul flight this doesn't make as big a % difference in total flight duration as a shorthaul flight.
#6
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Please follow the redirect as we move this thread.
~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk
~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk