Is Air China really that bad? | B777 Economy | Frankfurt - Beijing | Flight Report

[@Tiejocky]

I flew with air China a few times. It’s really not bad. The only complain I have was the food was occasionally lame. However I am usually impressed with the crew friendly service attitude which kind of make up the experience.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

Thanks! The crew was super friendly, I agree!

[@ttsf33]

Had food poisoning once from a flight - business class no less.

[@ttsf33]

​@@walkwithjonas7920But you are correct, crew was professional and polite.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ that sounds terrible!

[@Natha1811]

Hi, thank you for this enjoyable and interesting experience. I flew with CA from Germany to Australia and back, and I was very satisfied with the entire journey. My first flight was from Frankfurt to Guangzhou, followed by another from Guangzhou to Sydney. I was fortunate to be on one of the latest Airbus aircraft each time. It was a A350 of the latest generation.The entertainment system was among the best I have ever encountered, and the crew was excellent. However, the meals were just mediocre. Overall, I would gladly fly with CA again.

[@TheBudgetTraveller786]

Based on your routing, your flight may gave been on China Southern Airlines (CZ)

[@walkwithjonas7920]

Thanks for the comment! I’ll fly on their a350 next march in premium eco, let’s see how it will be like. Happy travels to you!❤

[@_._._._._._._._._._._._._.____]

I really like your video: it is clean, crisp, no blurbing about random things, very well thought out. You have a very good internal monologue in order to craft the reporting of this. Great job!

[@JulianMedia187]

Very awesome review! An interesting look on this cheaper airline for flights to China. And even a pleasent surprise! Will definitely consider CA on my next journeys😌

[@尼古拉斯-Nicholas]

I'll be taking this flight in January. Thanks for the trip report; I'll be flying in premium economy to Nanning ..

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@尼古拉斯-Nicholas thanks for the comment and happy travels!

[@bigtones2575]

Good review , always wondered about this airline. My favorite airplane meal is Lobster Themodore on Singapore Airlines business class

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@bigtones2575 oh I’d like to try it one day!!! For me the Classic Beef Burger on Cathay is a must have snack between meals 🤣

[@markg155]

Thanks for the length reference. I am 1.93m as well and always struggle finding the right airline.👍

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@markg155 yes it’s actually not easy. But be aware: I heard other 777s in their fleet have a 3-4-4 configuration which is more cramped! So pay attention to the seating :) for me it was quite comfy despite being a little dated!

[@gemmaferst2]

@@walkwithjonas7920 Hi, thanks so much for this helpful video. Do you have a tip on how to check the configuration before booking?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ so there’s two option IMO - first is to continue with the booking and then before paying try to chose a seat. Then you will see a seat map. Secondly, you might do some research on the internet - there will be forums and ppl writing about it. To be safe it’s good to try version 1 if it works. Lastly you could also try to contact the airline (hotline).

[@gemmaferst2]

@@walkwithjonas7920 Thanks very much! My son is 1.95 hence the question.. will take a look..

[@Watfordherts1971]

An amazing detailed review and you have no idea how helpful this has been . U.K. have a 144 visit free entry so will be flying a 777 air China Heathrow to Beijing with my wife then onto Seoul for a few more days , then home to London . It looked more than ok and I myself don’t watch movies as just not interested but the wife does so there will amber something for her . Cheers absolutely brilliant .

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@Watfordherts1971 amazing! Hope you have a good time. Make sure to download a VPN in advance (eg Let‘s VPN) and connect your credit card to Ali pay. Also get an e sim for China if your phone supports that! And make sure to visit the Great Wall. My favourite places are Jinshanling. Open to tourists but still quite untouched and away from the crowds. Second favourite: wild Great Wall called jiankou 箭扣长城. It’s not easy to climb and a part of the wild, not restored wall!

[@imwsss726]

My biggest complain is the three backbones of Air China: A330, 777 and the homebase terminal PEK T3, all need some upgrades. As for the WiFi, only the A350 provides internet access while the other planes with wifi signs are just LAN service. The cabin crews are very nice and the service are consistent.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@imwsss726 I couldn’t agree more. T3 needs a renovation and some new stores and stylish design additions, but what I do like is a 3-3-3 configured 777. I just don’t like Boeing aircraft that much 🤣

[@Bunnyroo7]

Air China are currently upgrading their fleet. Due to delays in delivery, they're keeping older aeroplanes flying longer. I have a few upcoming flights with them from London to China and back. The flights I will take this month are on a 777 and a 330, next year they're both on 350s.

[@imwsss726]

@@walkwithjonas7920 As for CA's 777 fleet, 773 refers to the 3-3-3 configuration with first class, while 77w means high-density 3-4-3 without first class. I think Frankfurt and Munich will only see 773s, but Paris has 77Ws. And I'm surprised they've added German language support to the app, while the IFE screen only supports Chinese, English and French (which also needs some improvement).

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ true. But the app is still missing some services. For example upgrade offers…

[@kulab555]

Good airline. I will try it out soon

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@kulab555 hope you have a safe and enjoyable flight!

[@702rons]

I have used air China a few times, both short and long haul. I prefer them over the regular American carriers, and Korean and Asians. They run a really tight ship.👍

[@aviation405]

Great review mate I’ve just subscribed

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@aviation405 thanks so much! Highly appreciated! :)

[@markforan4812]

I’ve flown CA in business class. It was OK, but nowhere as a good as other airlines I’ve flown to Asia from JFK. But I agree that the crew was professional.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@markforan4812 I got an upgrade offer upon boarding which was waaaaay to high - 1800€ for 8 hours of flight. No thanks. Still, I’d like to try out the A350 Business Class as it looks quite promising. Thanks for the comment and happy travels!!!

[@dons6556]

Favorite airline meal (snacks) is cup of noodles between main meal and breakfast! As an American, I only fly Asian airlines internationally for the hardworking non-union staff. They work nonstop to keep the customers happy. American flight crews, on the other hand, will disappear and chat nonstop with each other, they will never clean the messy toilet, sometimes even fail to restock toilet paper! Asian all the way

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@dons6556 I agreed, the staff is amazing. I have never flown on an American carrier but I’d love to try it in the future. Thanks for the comment!

[@yilunjin8705]

I have taken this flight but on the reverse route PEK-FRA. It was OK, nothing bad, but nothing very exciting either. However, they often offer very cheap tickets between Asia and Europe, and with that price I think it is a good deal to fly with Air China.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@yilunjin8705 agreed. I think it was a good experience. Not luxurious, nothing “wow” but solid. I’ll upload the exact flight PEK-FRA today 🤣

[@dominoch68]

Hello Jo, first of all thank you for that nice video. As LH Frequent Tarveller, didn't you have access to the lounge ? Did you earn point with that flight ?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@dominoch68 hey! Thanks for the comment! I actually believe that I did not have access but still asked at the airport and yes: I actually had access. I just went in for a quick bite as my wife did not have access. And sorry for the quality. The video still needs to be processed from KZbin! And I got roughly 3449 M&M miles for FRA-PEK-BKK which surprised me. For my last business class flight with Lufthansa from Beijing to Munich I got only 2k miles 🤣🤣🤣

[@mikelit-e9q]

I just subscribed, I'm flying with air china next February from London Heathrow to Manila in Philippines.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@mikelit-e9q thank you so much for the subscription! We had great flights with air China, definitely better than anticipated. Just the entertainment was subpar. Hope you’re having great flights!

[@Robinsontheo]

Other than the friendly price, I cannot see why you even considered what you have done. Good luck.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ why is that?

[@WT_PI]

Usually, Air China domestic flights are much better than international in my opinion. The overall service and things are mostly standardized for domestic

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@WT_PI thanks for the comment. I flew CA from Beijing to Seoul and to Chongqing before and it was quite normal - just like the other big mainland carriers on the short haul route. You get a meal and go from a to b and that’s all I need for a short flight :)

[@Fly_380]

Nice Flight Report! Have you flown with ANA? I really can recommend it!

[@walkwithjonas7920]

Still on my list! Thanks for the comment :)

[@zlz-h2o]

Surprised that CA didn't update the infotainment system for one of their major international routes.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@zlz-h2o agree!

[@oceanbreeze89]

Air China is so much better than Scoot or Air Asia!! The only downside is dealing with PRC customs at any Chinese airports when you’re only transiting… it’s a hassle!

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@oceanbreeze89 I mean Air China is a full service carrier and scoot and air Asia are low cost carriers..so it’s quite hard to compare them. But yes, they surely are better!

[@wsmithe2209]

We all have to deal with customs official when transiting any country. LoL. Did they point at you with AK47? Did they search you from head to toe? Can you exaggerate a little more?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ not true - currently it is often required to actually collect luggage and check in again though you only transit in China (Shanghai for example) even though your departure and destination are not in mainland china. That can be quite annoying and it not the case in most countries I’ve been…

[@wsmithe2209]

@@walkwithjonas7920 - when transiting through an airport on an international flight, you typically need to go through customs and immigration at the transit airport, especially if you are connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, unless you have pre-clearance on your departing flight; this means you will need to collect your luggage, clear customs, and then recheck your bags for your connecting flight.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ yes when connecting to a domestic flight - true. But when you read my comment again - I stated that when transmitting in China coming from outside of China and flying to outside of it you still need to do it. Not the case in most international airports cause you never enter the country!

[@johnstisk]

I flew AC to Taiwan and it was good. Beijing airport was a drag at night, nothing but Starbucks

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@johnstisk thanks for the comment! I agree - not a lot to do there..:(

[@ericliu3992]

Air China is one of most frugal Flag Carrier airline. However the CA’s Cabin Crews have strong responsibility and professional quality.

[@mq46312]

The meals look decent.

[@manwingchi9156]

There is no problem with China Airlines, people complain because is China. 😊😊😊

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@manwingchi9156 China Airlines and Air China a two very different airlines…

[@sabaidee5587]

COOL. 😊 Did u have turbulences also on this flight above Mongolia or somewhere?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@sabaidee5587 this flight was veeery quiet! So almost no turbulence at all!

[@sabaidee5587]

@walkwithjonas7920 thank you. 😊

[@WT_PI]

I flew on this same aircraft a few months ago

[@nncast00]

3:17 Looks a bit more than a little worn to me, I would describe it as "gutted" 😂

[@walkwithjonas7920]

Hahhaa you’re right, maybe my wording could’ve been a little more direct 😂

[@BalalaikaKyochek]

Im Flugzeug esse ich nie, weil ich nach einigen Stunden ununterbrochen zu kotzen beginne. Mir wird es vom Druck in der Kabine übel, ich bekomme Kopfschmerzen... Bauchkrämpfe und so weiter :D.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@BalalaikaKyochek das hört sich ja schlimm an! Dann musst du bestimmt vorher und nachher immer gut essen! Trotzdem weiterhin gute Flüge und danke für den Kommentar!

[@toniwertman4818]

Looks a bit weak compared to some of the big international carriers, but still better than any American airline that has international routes

[@alielabdimarras7965]

Haha, worse than the Lufthansa out of FRA is difficult these days. Good to hear that they are good in eco, never flown them

[@walkwithjonas7920]

LH is really not that great BUT they’re improving again! Fingers crossed

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

In fact LH has just cancelled its Beijing flight from FRA. Now LH only flies to Beijing from its second hub at MUC. European carriers finding it difficult to compete with the likes of Air China because not only is the latter less expensive but it overflies Russia so can offer a shorter journey time.

[@Giseca666]

Yo viajo el martes y llevo una trolley y una mochila pesan las maletas de mano?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@Giseca666 they did not weigh them in our case :)

[@tanzil88]

you are funny! subbed you. lol

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@tanzil88 thanks so much haha

[@kcchoi88]

That was Beijing’s new Daxing international airport you flew into and not Beijing Capital airport

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@kcchoi88 that is a lie. I did Bieber in my life fly into Daxing. You can also look 👀 t up on the internet, there’s literally no flight from Frankfurt to Daxing ;)

[@kcchoi88]

@@walkwithjonas7920 I'm very sorry... I just looked at the clip again and it is Beijing Capital airport. I have not gone back to Beijing for a while so made the visual mistake. Thanks for correcting my mistake.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ no worries! I’ve never been to Daxing. Lived in Beijing before and been to capital airport a million times…so I was sure I’m at the right airport 🤣 thanks for your honesty!

[@kcchoi88]

@@walkwithjonas7920 There is no point about being dishonest about things like this. If not you, someone else will point it out. I really thought it was Daxing when I first saw it but looked at it again after your correction.

[@guidine7]

Is wine and beer extra Charge?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@guidine7 hey! Nope, was included!

[@guidine7]

@walkwithjonas7920 Danke für die Antwort 💁

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@guidine7 Büdde!

[@luisdoering]

Whats the Power Outlet like? Can i use normal USB or USB C to charge? Or even a german type power adapter?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

No USB C and USB but all kind of plugs. I used my normal German plug.

[@luisdoering]

@ danke 🤣👌🏼

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ und war auch super fest!

[@Jordan_Christine]

I'll be travelling from scotland to England with flixbus for £15! Then once i arrive in Victoria Coach station, i will pay £10 to take me to Heathrow. I will then be getting a shenzen flight from Heathrow to China then to Manila for £500 in January. Absolute bargain! Considering flights from Edinburgh to Manila are at least £780 minimum in January. Im saving almost £300! Thats why a lot of scots will travel to Newcastle, Manchester, London etc.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@Jordan_Christine interesting! Flights seem to be way cheaper from there even though the airport fairs in Heathrow are outrageously high! Also flying air China or another Chinese carrier?

[@Jordan_Christine]

@@walkwithjonas7920 Shenzhen airlines amigo. I'm accustomed to fly with Qatar Airways, so flying with Shenzen would be an eye opener. But as long as it gets me from A to B, that's fine with me. These days you gotta research for good deals. I'm not paying £800 for a flight with Emirates, when I can save £300 and plus get to see parts of London 😁.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ never tried them! Hope you have a good experience!

[@Mimi-q6z9h]

Really good airline and flying nice short route via Russia ❤

[@deepalperera4592]

Can all the cabin crew speak English?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@deepalperera4592 no problems whatsoever! I spoke Chinese with them but I heard them communicate in English with the other western passengers so no problem!

[@anguscovoflyer95]

What about the small number of English speaking movies that air China and other mainland chinese airlines have

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@anguscovoflyer95 hello and thanks for the comment! The choice of movies was quite limited in general, I’d say about 70-90 movies in general. How many were available in English language I am not sure. Most movies I have seen in the IFE were international movies though. I didn’t watch any movies, I never do, so I couldn’t really tell.

[@alereon]

Is Air India that bad?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@alereon cannot tell, never flown

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

I think it depends on the aircraft. Its new A350s represent the 'new' AI but it's the older 787s which need updating.

[@wsmithe2209]

Don't try it. You will be sorry.

[@Nurhadi98-e6t]

3jam : 285%-[300%]+315% (speed

[@TGLCS]

Why didn't you use the headphones?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

I always use my own noise cancelling Bose on these journeys :)

[@TGLCS]

@@walkwithjonas7920 Oh really? That's great. I wasn't aware that the fitting was Ok to use your own ones.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ 100% - just need an Adapter

[@TGLCS]

@@walkwithjonas7920 Thanks!

[@_._._._._._._._._._._._._.____]

Would you be able to do some vlogs of the countries/cities you have visited?

[@MrTM4]

Still rule with them that is prohibited to use Smartphone during flight, even if its in flight mode? I had to stove it away cause was 2x told by the crew. 😮‍💨 Since then, dont fly with them anymore.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@MrTM4 I remember that policy from a couple of years back but I don’t think it was mentioned this time! I filmed the entire thing with my phone and had no issues whatsoever!

[@MrTM4]

Thanks on quick reply. That was also just before corona started when i flew with them and flew with plenty of airlines before, so i was surprised when they told me so. The crew staff male person was also not so friendly to at least say: excuse me, sorry but its not allowed with AC to use the phone, i would understand it. So now always or mostly fly with stopovers in middle east. Also not fan of Doha airport in the transfer area......has so so much room, but its like 80% made for just souvenirs. So little restaurants, waiting sitting area or toilets. I think was Doha.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@ Sounds like Doha! Doha has a nice relatively new indoor forest which is enjoyable but as a transit hub I prefer Dubai! Or you buy lounge access…

[@Nurhadi98-e6t]

frankfurt (germany)

[@yuanli2490]

what you mean bad?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

Hello and thank you for the comment! Air China does not have the best reputation amongst the international airlines so I wanted to check if it is actually true - IMO CA was actually quite good 😊

[@TheAmtrakCCandSJfan]

2:32 Ayo?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@TheAmtrakCCandSJfan 🤣🤣🤣 sorry for that

[@johnmiller7310]

Your title makes it sound like China Air is normally not that good. Air China is a great airline. I flew Air Canada home the last trip and it was mediocre at best.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@johnmiller7310 I heard that air Canada is very poor in terms of service and quality, never had the chance to fly with them. Air China is an airline I’ve heard a lot of bad things about as well and to my surprise they were a decent carrier!

[@woutergijs5246]

Favorite food? Mash & bangers with gravy with British Airways.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

That’s great!

[@Nurhadi98-e6t]

germany - beijing 4jam 200% 》3jam 300%《 2jam 400%

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@Nurhadi98-e6t hey, thanks for the comment. What do you mean?

[@CasperWang-n1k]

We flew from LA to China and it was horrible. Terrible in-flight service.

[@baltzlyn5769]

Better than united

[@Nurhadi98-e6t]

10minit

[@Nurhadi98-e6t]

1w:00

[@sthradhervernon7654]

Wow, you travel in economy, and you want a business-class experience. You get what you pay for.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@sthradhervernon7654 pardon me? Did you even watch the video? 😂😂😂

[@Nurhadi98-e6t]

cny 5000

[@themastermagicians2745]

Decrepit… cheap for a reason 🤪

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@themastermagicians2745 hey, thanks for the comment! What do you mean by that? :)

[@zlz-h2o]

Better than United lol

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@zlz-h2o I’ve never flown with an American carrier - still on my list though!

[@mdib8846]

Who says air China is bad?! Which airlines you want to compare? Emirates? Misleading..and who expect good food on the plane?!

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@mdib8846 I have read a lot about CA and heard from friends (actually Chinese friends if that matters) that food and aircraft are not good. And airplane food can be good and bad. Surprise! 😦 what did you want to achieve with that comment?

[@bobfleischer4680]

A boring report. No footage of the aircraft staff and interaction, I have no idea how their english was? Also should it not be goodbye Frankfurt instead of hello Frankfurt? How was it seated by the restrooms? etc. Hope your return flight was better..

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@bobfleischer4680 alles klar Chef 🤣 ich empfehle dir aerolopa.com um dir den Sitzplatz anzuschauen. Ansonsten hat es mich in der Nähe der Toiletten nicht gestört. Englisch spricht das Personal bei einer internationalen Airline und ob ich hallo oder bye Frankfurt schreibe kann dir scheissegal sein. Und nein: es sollte nicht bye sein - ich sehe ja gerade die Skyline und sage. „Hallo“. 🤣 Danke aber für den Input und den netten Kommentar Doktor Fleischer

[@kitmanlam4587]

there is a Chinese old saying to you，爱坐不坐😊

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@kitmanlam4587 不太适合吧，你看了全视频吗？结果是国航比我想象好！

[@kitmanlam4587]

@ this year i had been on board airchina flight for more than 20 times.i have to acknowledge 爱坐不坐 is the best conclusion among the frequency passengers of this company😂

[@Delyar404]

@@walkwithjonas7920I think he means due to the monopolistic dominance in aviation of air china and two other airlines, the frequent passenger service could be pretty lame sometimes. This is especially obvious when there is a large scale delay…… But for ppl in China, these three airlines could often be the only choice😅It’s just like the situation of Australia, it’s either Qantas or the train lol. Frequent passenger service aside, the air China is actually pretty good, considering the price. At least the flight attendants smile at me unlike Scheisse Lufthansa 😅

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@Delyar404 ah I understood 爱坐就坐 as if you don’t want to fly then leave it be. Sorry! My Chinese is not on mother tongue level ;) thanks! Well yes but there’s a lot of options in international routes now. The problem is that a lot of western airlines are now withdrawing from the market due to competitive disadvantage. (Russian route closed) and that might further influence the service. For me, the experience was better than expected! :)

[@Delyar404]

@@walkwithjonas7920 haha no worries it’s not ur language problem. The context is when you complain about something to the airlines, their attitude to customers is always 爱坐不坐😂 The international airlines’ withdrawal from China is heartbreaking for me and it’s making air china’s 爱坐不坐 attitude even worse since it faces less competition now😮‍💨

[@bonanap7183]

i will have no qualms with Air China, a national airline, until the day it beats Cathay Pacific, a British owned regional airline based in China Hong Kong

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@bonanap7183 I hope that this will never happen, I love Cathay 😃

[@arnold-fx]

@@walkwithjonas7920 I lived in Tung Chung right across from the airport and flew out of HKIA just about every week. Cathay and HKIA are the best.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@bonanap7183 omg. What a great time it must have been! I miss Hong Kong a lot. I lived in Wan Chai mostly and I will never forget the time in Hk!

[@AlfredYHV]

Correction: Is Air China really that good?

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@AlfredYHV what do you think, is it?

[@AlfredYHV]

@walkwithjonas7920 Yes, it is.

[@walkwithjonas7920]

@@AlfredYHV that’s good. I mean it’s not comparable to Qatar, Emirates, Singapore, Cathay etc but I think it was pretty solid! Especially the leg room (but I was lucky Frankfurt is served by the old 77 with 3-3-3 layout) and the food was good!