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oliver17

China Southern Airlines?

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While planning for upcoming April trip, I learn that China Southern is flying business class between LAX and BKK for $3000 US.

This is about $1500-$2000 less than what my usual favorites like Japan Airlines or Cathay Pacific are charging. Yes, I know

this is a Chinese airline we are talking about and you get what you pay for, but this really does look like a genuine bargain.

 

I flew them once before domestically in China back in 2002. They were perfectly acceptable, but I have no idea what their long haul

product is like. I am particularly interested in their on-time performance is like, since I know layovers in China can be dodgy affairs and

sometimes can be very late. Anybody here have experience with China Southern? Thanks.

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They were the front runner (of Chinese airlines) when I worked in the industry more than 15 years ago. I have though never flown them (through need, not desire).

 

I'd give them a try in April (but not Sept/Oct/Nov during Typhoon season) if I were travelling business or above and on a recently acquired aircraft at a huge discount to other airlines. My gut feel always still comes back to Cathay's refusal to allow Chinese to be Captains.

 

But that aside, I'd still prefer and pay for Cathay or JAL just for peace of mind. Having said that I'd be equally happy with EVA and even Korean airlines on that routing. For what it's worth, I used to rate ANA higher than JAL having flown them both numerous times over the Pacific.

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Korean is not so good in business class. I flew recently and flying in two weeks time. The food is not so good and though it's flat bed a lot of aircraft still have it slightly at an angle hence you keep sliding down sometimes.

Also the entertainment is crap.

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According to Matrix software, ANA has one stop connection over Tokyo into BKK from LAX for $2787 round trip in April. United is actually a bit cheaper.

 

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/#view-flights:research=LAXBKK-BKKLAX

 

That would be undercutting China Southern by $300 or so.

 

I find this software very handy at times. Can't book on it but it pulls fare inventory and is surprisingly accurate. Problem is you then have to find where to buy the tickets (airline website normally best bet in the times I have used it).

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I'd give them a try in April (but not Sept/Oct/Nov during Typhoon season) if I were travelling business or above and on a recently acquired aircraft at a huge discount to other airlines. My gut feel always still comes back to Cathay's refusal to allow Chinese to be Captains.

 

 

Hmmm... now I know why CX pilots always have Aussie accents. It is also rumored they have an undocumented policy of putting their flight attendants out to pasture

before they get long in the tooth, apparently right before they hit 30 years. old. One more reason that Cathay stands above the others in my view.

 

 

According to Matrix software, ANA has one stop connection over Tokyo into BKK from LAX for $2787 round trip in April. United is actually a bit cheaper.

 

 

I tried matrix for my dates and noticed that the LAX-NRT leg is a codeshare United flight. I would have to think long and hard about this, because I

don't even trust United to transfer my luggage to ANA in a competent manner. It seems like every time I have ever flown United, there are issues

with flight delays, inoperable IFE systems, snarling employees, etc. They are the worst of the US "legacy" airlines, and that is really saying something.

 

I find this software very handy at times. Can't book on it but it pulls fare inventory and is surprisingly accurate. Problem is you then have to find where to buy the tickets (airline website normally best bet in the times I have used it).

 

Matrix is very useful. Here is a useful guide in using advanced codes to route your flight however you like:

http://www.travelcodex.com/2012/01/advanced-routing-language-in-ita/

 

You can print out the codes and then call the airline direct and have them input the codes. Or, if you know a travel agent, they

will do the same thing for you.

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ANA do, or at least did, fly their own metal between Tokyo and Los Angeles. You might need to juggle the connections being offered but they deffo flew it themselves and also code shared with United. I used it a few times and connections were good, something like 2 hour connecting time one to another.

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ANA does fly between Tokyo (both NRT and Haneda) and LAX. The return flight from NRT to LAX is ANA. To get the $2800 fare, they want to stick you

on United outbound. However, the more I think about this, the more attractive the United/ANA option sounds to me than gambling with China Southern.

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