Passengers holding an Australian passport no longer have to apply for a tourist visa for entry into China from July 2024 (visa free for 15 day stay). Therefore, the temporary entry permit for passengers on a long transit might not be relevant anymore. As with all Chinese immigration rules, it is fluid so make sure you check prior to travel.
Thoroughly enjoyed this latest TR. I have only flown Air China in recent years, and yes they have a sky Marshall on every flight. They are usually seated in the last row aisle in economy, but they spend most of their time walking around or in the galley. If you are lucky to be seated next to a sky Marshall, you basically have an empty seat next to you throughout the flight! They are very easily recognisable in the navy blue cardigan and pants. They are always standing at the aerobridge observing every passenger during the boarding process. I was very impressed by Air China's crew as well. They are consistently very hardworking, well groomed, polite and professional.
After these few flights, I have nothing but positive comments about the cabin crew of CZ. The marshalls were a little intimidating at first, but after a while you just forgot they were even there.
I was impressed overall with China Southern Airlines after over 22 hours of flight. Good service and excellent pilot skills around turbulent weather. Felt very safe. Just wish they had a way of dealing with families with loud young children screaming for hours - lost my appetite and felt physically sick! Not sure how to deal with this, but maybe a compulsory seating area with more leg room may help? Still, I highly recommend CSA!
Man every time I watch your videos I get such a cinematic feel. You’re really good at editing too! Also, hugely impressed you speak Mandarin! I also had no idea that China initially had six airlines that are now consolidated into 3. I seriously need to research a tone more when I start flying these routes haha! Thanks for sharing man, excellent video as always!
Thanks man, kind words. Being born and bred in that part of the world, we all speak a handful of languages. Being ethnically Chinese in Singapore, it's mandatory to learn mandarin as a second language in school. Dad is Hokkien, mum's Cantonese, add those 2 languages in. We also have relations in Thailand Malaysia Indonesia (add those languages in), plus I learnt French and German for 4 years in tertiary. There you go .. 😂
I’ve travelled on many airlines and can’t remember much about a lot of them. Can’t remember the route but I do remember China Southern Airlines well. I was served the best meal I’ve ever had on any airline. It was a beef in black bean sauce meal and was delicious melted in my mouth. Recall one steward who was very attentive and he was an older gentleman. I don’t speak mandarin but had no problems. Visa free is great, instead of sitting in the Chinese embassy in Melbourne for ages! I’ve travelled through China only speaking English and survived!
Yes the Chinese visa application is a pain, and very expensive. So to hear they've waited this requirement is a welcome relief. Sorry to those who've applied before this waiver though! Hahaha... Yes their inflight catering was a pleasant surprise. And it continued for my further 3 flights with them as well!
China Southern Airlines is my primary airline when flying to China. I have flone on them for over 9 years. I had always had a fantastic experience on the newer 787-9's, A380-800's and the 737-800/700's. The business class food is amazing as well as the economy food as well. The bathrooms are well airplane bathrooms. the seats are nice and have a good recline and sometimes have footrests. the IFE has a good selection of Hollywood movies and TV shows. Also, I loved it at around 10:20 with the amenity kit review you added some jokes about crashing. that had me cracked up.
I too have flown China Southern long haul and was surprised at the cabin, seats, meals etc in economy and friendliness of the crew. When an attendant struggled to understand a request I made in English - I speak no Chinese - she quickly got a very helpful chap who was fluent in it. I would happily fly on China Southern again.
I love flying with China southern since 2003. Not only I enjoy the food but the service they offer to me. I will not forget in the year 2004 I have some issues in my connecting flights they arranged it with no hassle I love it.
Hi, Could I ask something about bag? I have a flight 9 september and I can carry 2 check in bag 1 carry bag but as a women we always carry hand bag. If I carry hand bag they will say something or not I am not sure. This is my first time to ise this airlines😳
ah yes ryan, another fantastic review as always and you humour in the amenity kit unboxing was on top😂its good to see you review the routes to europe on these other asian airlines (including your review on vietnam airlines) as i personally think they are often overlooked when heading to europe as many of the people i know including my self always look towards the big 3 in the UAE and from what ive found they are often cheaper too, plus the airlines you have flown seem to keep you FED! as for the seat that you sat in, they are my favourite on the dreamliners, even thought ive only sat there once, they are especially good when i flew from MEL to HNL as on jetstar you need all the space you can get🤣. Anyways sorry for the lengthy comment, but i certaintly would love to see you on more of the chinese airlines!
You've hit the nail on the head. People mostly won't fly Chinese airlines to Europe because they think it's a shit product. As far as I'm concerned, think they're far FAR better than QF!
My favourite China Southern Airlines whenever I travelled to Guangzhou those days! The food hadn't disappointed me and the FAs were and are still welcoming and professional judging from your vid. I still kept a aircraft model they gave out on 1 of my flights with them...what a memory. My other like was the Hainan Airlines, the only non state-owned airline then. As regards the Visa, well at least they offered you a way out without too much of a hassle which I thought was already a marked improvement from those days. And that mega airport....I was completely awed 1 night when I was there without my bosses and had all the time to walk about and it then hit on me how big it was!
Haha yes these Chinese tier 1 cities are a world of their own. Consider my eyes opened and I cannot wait to return. Truly fascinating! But I'd return in winter though, the humidity is a bit much.
Yeah Ryan, winter's temperature is certainly much better. Even the locals told me not to come in summer...and got to trust them, even a SGian myself dare not howlian to say "it's like SG lor" 😁And winter makes those food at Tiyu Xilu tastes much better too 😁Look forward to your coming videos esp the one in Scotland.
I'm really impressed with the FA who mentioned you about the amenity kit when she saw you filming. That's so nice of her. The service looked really good. I don't find the attendants not speaking much English a big problem though, even top airlines like ANA or JAL, I find the FAs speak quite little English
I don't mind that little English is spoken, as long as the service is good... I'm happy. Now I've gotten very curious about the other Chinese airlines.
A new subscriber from Singapore! Lovely review of CZ Ryan, I just flew with them last month and was pretty impressed by their service. Nice to see the crew not being camera shy, I had one crew who stopped me from filming and only allowed me to after I explained what I was doing..
As recent as 10 years ago, I was still hearing horror stories about how lousy CZ is. Either they've made a tremendous improvement, or those reviews I read about were just the airline having a bad day. 😂
Thanks for the trip review onboard China Southern. All Chinese carriers do have air marshals onboard both domestic and international flights. They are great on pricing and giving budget carriers a run for their money. All inclusive such as check-in baggage and meals onboard. Their pilots are well trained and cabin crews never failed in their service. Do you know that when travelling all Chinese carriers with transit time of more than 6 hours, the airline will provide free accommodation. Please take note that if you are solo traveller, sharing room with a stranger is expected. Always enjoy your vlog and have a wonderful time in Scotland and Europe. Cannot wait to follow the other installments.
I make a mention in the next video coming up on Saturday of my transit in Guangzhou. We did enquire with CZ about a hotel, but our itinerary wasn't eligible. Hotels are reasonably priced in Guangzhou anyway so it wasn't a huge issue.
i took CZ from Sydney to Tokyo. We did a few days in Guangzhou itself on the way over and back, so had to apply for that temporary entry permit thing. The process was a bit painful (sooooooo slow). Took easily over an hour. Thankfully they changed the rules now. Flights were more than fine. Friendly professional flight attendants. Adequate food. Really cannot complain with the price paid.
Over an hour?! Wow was there a crowd? There were only 5 of us in an empty immigration hall so I suppose it was easy. But it took about 30 minutes of back and forth before they knew what to do with us. The officer did explain because the rules are changing all the time, that's why they needed to be sure. A week after my visit, visa requirements were then dropped. 🤣
Great video Ryan, always wondered how good China Southern was, I gotta say they were great. I’ll definately look at them in my future travels. I did the Abba Voyage show in London last year (Seated & dance section) & then Stockholm with the Abba museum, it was a life highlight.. Safe travels Ryan, can’t wait for your next videos..
@@ryansofly Really? I thought seeing the Abba museum u would be well aware of Abba Voyage. The technology is amazing, I was standing directly in front of the stage and I swear I was looking at Abba.. it gave me cold shivers! Safe travels Ryan, enjoy your videos, looking forward to the next..
@@clay9185 yes, AFTER museum it finally clicked on my brain what Voyage was all about. I saw a lot of Voyage ads when I was riding the London Underground, and I didn't know what that was until AFTER I went to Stockholm. Hahaha... Now I know.
@@ryansofly A reason to head back to London... There is talk Melbourne is in talks to have the Voyage concert here, let’s see.. I personally don’t think we have the population to justify the cost of setting it up for a long run to recoup money, my moneys on Singapore. Safe travels Ryan..
That’s the first time I’ve heard hubby speak. 😀 5 meals on that flight- goodness me where do I sign up? 😂 I’m 5ft so they’d have to roll me off the plane. Very generous to give out amenity kits on economy. Looking forward to the rest of another series. 👍🏽
I flew LHR-CAN-SYD back in March and I was very impressed by China Southern! Not to mention it was £600 less than any other airline. I would not hesitate to fly with CZ again! I agree that the English skills are lacking, but they were certainly trying their best. To see the flight attendants arrive at LHR with their Harrods and Selfridges bags was a sight to behold!
A great flight review. A sad state of affairs about the dunnies at Tulla 😎The flight itself looked super comfy, and the food looked great for economy. Looking forward to the next video. 🤗
Hi, tnx 4 your video! Question, can i bring a small trolley handluggage with 7kg weight? and a Buggy for my 2 yrs old? we are traveling in December... hope to get reply from your viewers or from you... tnx
Without having a visual of your buggy, I can't even tell you. Unless you're referring to a baby pram, that's usually gate checked before you walk through the aircraft door.
Very nice review. Ty for the interesting history lesson. For Economy the food looked very good. Surprised there was an amenity kit, as most airlines do not have them. The FA’s looked very beautiful, guess I’ll need to learn Mandarin so I can try this airline. Sounds like you will have an amazing trip.
I walked away very impressed. Spoiler alert, I was also very satisfied with the return LHR-CAN-MEL sectors. Video of that will be published at some point.
WOOHOOO, new series. I would never make an Ikea meatball joke, Neeeaahhhhhhh. I have no problem with security showing themselves. I love the thought that two or more passengers ready to punch on, or that touchy drunk might control themselves if they know there is an officer of the law and they will spend time in a Chinese lock-up.
The way some travellers behave on flights within Europe heading to the southern holiday destinations (usually with the budget airlines) it might be a good idea to employ air marshalls. Airports are largely to blame by selling alcohol to passengers from early morning (breakfast time) to late evening.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 oooooh yes.... I've watched enough footage on those Jet2 flights. I did see a lot of these characters when I was departing EDI a couple of weeks back.
I had that same seafood meal on Air China last Friday! I was gonna have the beef but they run out and happy they did i loved the seafood meal! Took me by surprise! Another great video! Love the way u make your videos
Great review! However, i want to ask if you faced a lot of turbulence in the seat that you chose? I am about to reserve my seat and want to reserve same what you got? Is it comfortable? Appreciate your answer. Thanks!
The flight was smooth as. But that's not to say you don't encounter any turbulence. Depending on which part of the year you're flying, you'll be passing the equator from Australia. That's a very turbulent part of the globe.
@@ryansofly I will be flying from Dubai to Manila, and I will have 8 hours layover in Guangzhou. While I was checking the airline's website i saw that they are offering a free transit accommodation for passengers who have a minimum 8 hour layover. They are actually too generous for an economy class and I guess this will be my go to airline! Thanks for your vlog its really informative!
@@Marina_Reviews just confirm with the airline again that your fare bracket is eligible for a transit hotel. Otherwise the Pullman and Novotel at the airport are rather reasonably priced.
@@Marina_Reviewshi, I am also flying from Dubai to Manila. I was told that I can select my seat 58 hours before flight, just sign up to their website but I am having difficulty in doing that. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks
Sometimes, mainland Chinese carriers offer very attractive airfares when you transit via their hubs. Also, direct flights between mainland China and Australia are highly competitive, Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Capital Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines have their presences in Au. Also, you could get 10GB of prepaid roaming data for China from Optus for 20AUD, or pay extra 5AUD per day for roaming data with Optus or Vodafone postpaid plans. In this way, you can stay connected to the unrestricted Internet in China.
Western bias would dictate personal choice to avoid mainland Chinese airlines, I think. Even I thought long and hard as I was planning this trip to Europe. Then I thought no pain no gain, and I threw all caution to the wind and went for it. I had the option to fly MU via PVG for the same price, and similar transit times. So it was a toss up between CZ and MU.
Ah you and I know "Chinese" airlines outside of mainland China are a different animal altogether. I love Cathay (and Dragonair), they do simple very well. Also China Airlines in Taiwan... And I'll be flying them in November.
Thanks for the video Ryan. We just flew Taipei - Guangzhou - Melb last Thursday/Friday. It was amazing seeing the quality difference in food! Going the opposite direction to you our food options were terrible and very low quality. And not a sandwich in sight. Agree with you regarding all other aspects. The service was great, we even got moved to the emergency row seats for the first sector. Agree with some other comments regarding transit at Guangzhou. So overly complicated! And i had to laugh at your transit visa situation. Same thing happened to me in 2019 flying Hainan Airlines (not sure they exist anymore), and 5 years down the track it's still happening 😆. Looking forward to watching the rest of your series tomorrow 🙌
Oh no, really! I had 2 flights flying out of CAN to LHR, and MEL at the end of the trip. Both flights had more than decent catering. They were good I even asked for seconds. Hopefully the kitchen was just having a bad day.
Hi from sunny Scotland, I enjoyed your video, I was fortunate to go on a seventeen day visit to China some years ago, just after the Beijing Olympics and there had been a big earthquake,we were supposed to travel by coach on our visit but the roads were still closed after the earthquake so we had some internal flights including one when we were going to Jiuzhaigou National Park,there was no seat back screen for entertainment and during the flight the crew came on the pa and people would put there hands up and shout something to the crew,sometime later one person got up to applause from the rest of the passengers and was presented with a gift wrapped box, when we alighted from the aircraft I asked our Chinese guide what was going on she said that was the in-flight entertainment and it was a quiz, the man at the end had won the quiz and was given a prize, perhaps some of our western airlines could try this.
Thanks for your detailed response. Haha that inflight live quiz sounds very endearing! Chinese service can be rather cold and stand off-ish which can catch you off guard. But once you break the shell, they're jovial and readily engage. It starts with being able to speak the language, I suppose.
Just got back from Asia using china southern to guangzou. Not a great first time experience tbh. Broke my case and only offered 1000 peso,found the staff to be a little uptight. Had to rebook due to a problem im still trying to get to the bottom of. No problem at quangzou airport easy enough to manage,just wish i had a longer stopover to explore the city Food on board just really the same as most airlines if you are flying economy Found website troublesome to use also. Would try again though, hopefully a better experience!!
I feel like catering on Domestic flights are way better for all Chinese airlines. Also Guangzhou airport arrival immigration seems to be the most poorly planned, there were 5 A350 arriving at practically the same time so 1000+ people were in the immigration queue at once, it was a nightmare after an 11 hr flight
Yikes that is not good. The bureaucracy at immigration is pretty intense if you don't have a Chinese passport. And their visa rules change so often immigration doesn't even bother to keep themselves up to date. They'll just deal with it by calling their superiors when a situation requires, like what happened with the 5 of us.
I'm from mainland China and after a return trip last year from SYD I would not consider CSN again for long-haul flight. They are no longer who they were before COVID. Flying with them without a high tier frequent flyer status now is gonna be rather horrible sometimes and that happened on both trips, the food was terrible (thank you dnata Sydney), sports equipment handling was a mess, the Economy class check-in queue was hell like, and they changed my pre-selected seat to a toilet-priority seat (where one of the lavatory was right next to me). Shout out to all the cabin crews, CCs from mainland China and Taiwan are simply the best you could find, if you speaks Mandarin. Yes I have to admit the price is so cheap compared to other airlines but as a Qantas Platinum FF I'd rather pay more for Cathay Pacific or Qantas for better services. CCA, CES and CSN used to be good, but a 'Meh' for now, really hope they could recover. Thanks for the great report!
I flew these flights without Skyteam status and I found the level of service more than acceptable. I wonder if the catering is different ex-SYD which explains your less than ideal experience? Although SYD gets the A350, that would've been my preferred aircraft.
@@ryansofly They used to operate the high-density configure 787-9s on CZ325/6. On that flight I was arranged to 41C, a toilet-priority seat. The most hilarious thing is that, the old lady on seat 41A, who claims that she has a Claustrophobia and required a window seat during check-in, was arranged to seat 41A, a window seat missing a window. But luckily the great crews managed to find a lovely gentleman who was happy to change the seat with the lady. Sigh!😮💨
@@LiquidTomatoo hahahaha that bloody windowless window seat. I selected it unknowingly before flying for CAN LHR, and LHR CAN. I immediately had that changed after I took the first flight. Thankfully it was all easily done through the app.
China Southern is a sprawling conglomerate formed out of the merger of several provincial airlines, so flying with it is a hit or miss. The meals, seating width and pitch, entertainment systems, humidity and services are leagues more pleasant on the brand new A359 between London Heathrow and Beijing Daxing, than the older B787 between London Gatwick and the second tier city Zhengzhou. Even when the service is poor, transiting via China often results in the best value for money, given the reckless amounts of subsidies on the national, provincial and municipal level.
All those subsidies mean cheaper air fares, I suppose. Great for the consumer. Sadly their long haul flights via CAN seem to be operated mostly by 787s. Otherwise the A350 would've been my pick, because I agree it is a much more pleasant aircraft to fly on.
Far out!! Only 4 men’s cubical in Melbournes international terminal. I think I’ll avoid Melbourne international terminal. I pre-ordered a vegetarian meal on a Qantas flight from SYD-BKK and they forgot to give me my meal, but they had a vegetarian meal on their menu so I just choose that and after I finished my meal, they apologised to me for forgetting my pre ordered meal and I said ‘that’s ok, luckily there was a vegetarian meal on the menu’ and they insisted on me to have that second (third) meal on that flight and I said ‘I won’t say no’ 😊 Winning 🏆
@@94vrcommodore hahahaha no there are MORE than 4 in MEL. But that section I circled out, only has 4 cubicles shared amongst 8 gates of wide body aircraft. That's about 1000 people. Even if half of them wanted to take a dump, it'll be a pretty precarious situation no? Hahaha...
On some flights it was already placed in the seat. Otherswise, you'd have to ask for it. On my return, flying LHR CAN MEL, we did not see these kits at all.
They do speak basic English, but don't expect to be discussing Shakespeare's sonnets with them. Hahaha... They'd probably memorise a few lines of getting your seat upright, tray tables up, chicken beef coffee tea, what you like to drink eat etc...
Great video Ryan and glad you chose CZ. At the beginning you noted CAAC used "Western aircraft types" but really these were not that common. Certainly when I visited China in November 1988 (with an SAS trip) our domestic flights Beijing-Xian-Shanghai-Beijing were, Shanghai-Beijing excepted, operated by CAAC TU-154s. Onboard service was almost non-existent and the cabin crew ignored passengers and with their slim, flexible bodies seemed to be trained in martial arts ! However the final flight was with newcomer China Eastern using an Airbus 310 (maybe A300) and the standards were totally different ! Nicer uniforms, decent onboard food and a better experience altogether. So we could tell this was an airline which wanted to emulate the best international operators. (Travelling to/from China I participated on the SAS inaugural DC-10 which overflew USSR and Mongolia to cover Copenhagen-Beijing in 10 hours)
Alex, you are correct. A lot of their Soviet made planes were confined to China. Their Boeing and Tridents did the regional and international flights. The latter was a VERY common sight at Kai Tak screaming loudly as they came to land. Speaking of retro flights, I have VERY fond memories of SAS as well. I was a regular on their 747s operating between SIN and BKK as a child. Also with the DC10s of Finnair and Swissair.
Great clip Ryan, I appreciate your love of food, but being a pea, pie & chip kinda guy, a lot of your food reviews are lost on me !! What a fantastic line up you have installed for us. I shall stock up on chippies & nuts xx
With a lot of airlines, you have to choose which country you want to transit through: Australia, Singapore, China, Taiwan or Hong Kong? There's adventurous and 'adventurous', Australia it is!
Suppose our sense of adventure differs from person to person. After the initial apprehension, I found Guangzhou to be an incredibly easy transit stop. Suppose being able to speak the language helped tremendously!
Do all economy class types include meals? The website says there is no meal in the economy standard type. The economy class with meals is at the business class price. Am I missing something?
@@akhilleussx not sure where you got that information from. CZ is a full service airline with full meals on all fare types. I wonder if that information you got was a translation error, which is a common issue with these Chinese websites. 😂
@@PrayerisLife no there isn't. That's QF's Project Sunrise, with the arrival of the A350-1000 they'll fly nonstop SYD - LHR. It's been delayed several times so now we're looking at mid 2025.
if i fly from Frankfurt to Guangzhou (layover long wait 10h55) to direction Sydney as a luxemburgish citizen. Do i need an extra visa for my stay (10h55) in Guangzhou? 😊
@@yannickwagener6563 if you intend to stay within airport and not clear immigration, then no you don't have to. Just had straight through to international transfers from arrivals to departures airside. If you'd like to clear immigration to ENTER China then you'd need to apply for a temporary permit like what I've done. That office of located to the left of international transfers before immigration.
@@bruunm1975 no you don't have to. At the end you saw me filling up the form... Those passengers in the background were heading through international transfers. Just a check of passport onward boarding pass and one security check, then you're free to pass into departure airside.
@@ryansofly thanks Ryan. So similar to Dubai and AUH then? Thanks. We are looking at flights in December to Paris and back. Actually Zurich but it’s nearly half the price Paris return so it’s worth Trecking back to Paris from Switzerland ;) cheers and happy travels.
@@bruunm1975 indeed... Flying to and from ZRH is incredibly expensive. I was flying home from ZRH in January this year, but it worked out cheaper to fly to London from there to catch a flight home to OZ. Plus hotel in Heathrow thrown in, it still worked out cheaper. 🤷
10:36 some Vicarious Voyager level comedy right there lol Also imo out of the "big 3" Chinese airlines you mentioned in the beginning China Southern is probably the best one out of the three, both China Eastern and Air China are, in many cases, a bit worse
I have flown on China Southern various times. My first experience being 2002 when I flew To and Fro Kuala Lumpur - Beijing... It was horrible, small aircraft, a 757, probably configured to MAXIMISE capacity then.... Followed by a short flight in mid 2000's from KUL to Guangzhou to transit to Kunming, also a 757. It was also largely a bad experience, largely due to, again, the config, AND this time, somehow, a Mainland Chinese woman was abled to sneak in a bottle of nail polish and while taxiing, attempting to paint her toes, toppled her bottle and spilled her stuff before take-off. And that stunk for the 4 hour flight to Guangzhou. ALL in, then, so far, bad experience. PART 1.
HOWEVER, Fast Forward to 2016, me and my wife decided to visit Xinjiang, searched for the most affordable fares and China Southern once again came out Top value. GONE were the 757's, instead we were treated to the Dreamliner 787. Staffed with these GOD GORGEOUS Tall, Model looking women cabin crew (heck, I don't even remember IF there were Men Cabin Crew, as these women are drop dead gorgeous). Like your experience, language is a barrier, beautiful as they were, little England was S-P-I-A-K.... (spoken), but we got by with rudimentary England AND Mandarin (Rudimentary Mandarin on my part - as ANYTHING Mandarin from me would have to be translated in my mind from either Cantonese or English). It was a very good experience. The flight had 2 legs, KUL to Guangzhou, and Guangzhou to Urumqi, Xinjiang. It was a good experience, both legs and I SHALL NOT hesitate anymore to recommend China Southern, esp. International sector to anyone.
Having said, I disagree on your rating on Food. I felt that CS had different food, vs. say SQ or MH or even Air Asia. I liked the CS selection a lot, BUT I wouldn't rate them better than MH or SQ or for the matter AK flights. They generally good. I liked all of them. Of course, that said, it's an opinion, not fact.
@@TheCantonboy haha you know my cousins in HK did not learn the language in school. I'm not sure if Mandarin is being taught as part of the curriculum in HK schools these days?
@@TheCantonboy ah there you go! Yeah suppose post 97, you guys would've needed to learn it. I spent a lot of my childhood in Cheung Wan! Lots of great memories there.
Alcoholic bevvies were basic, I can't go into detail because I don't do alcohol up in the air. I'll get drunk in a second! 😂 But I did see bottles of red and white wine in the drinks cart during bar service.
To be honest, the taste of China Southern Airlines in China is declining，Because of controlling the budget, the level of food service has dropped sharply. In contrast, Hainan Airlines is the first choice for traveling abroad, while Sichuan Airlines and Capital Airlines are the worst!
Suppose it's all about perspective... If you're used to flying western airlines, then CSA will be an absolute gem. But if you're comparing them to their Asian counterparts, then no - CSA does not compare well.
Looks like a solid offering Ryan. 👌 Hopefully they return to Adelaide (along with Cathay Pacific) as rumoured in the South Australian Aviation FB group. You know Mandarin AND Cantonese. Impressive! How did you come to speak so many languages? Very handy!
CZ is supposed to reinstate CAN ADL in January. I'll believe it when I see it. Hahaha yes, I speak 8 languages. Being ethnically Chinese in Singapore, it's mandatory for us to learn mandarin in school as a second language. My family speaks Cantonese and Hokkien (relations in HK and Xiamen), plus Malay, Indonesian and Thai (relations again). I also studied French and German for 4 years while I was schooling. 😳
@@ryansofly Wow. 😳 You could be a professional translator with all those languages! Must be very useful when travelling (such as shown on your video with the visa officials).
@@FromtheWindowSeat suppose we were lucky growing up in Singapore. When the whole world was thumbing China down in the 70s and saw them as a back water 3rd world mud flat, the Singapore government foresaw the rise and insisted we learn Mandarin because they knew one day that country would rise to the top. I honestly HATED Mandarin classes and purposely fucked up my exams so I did not have to learn it ever again. Still, now I'm glad we learnt it. And yes, China now doesn't have to speak English, they don't really care if they don't. So when we're there, we'd have to learn their lingo.
@@ryansofly That’s pretty impressive. I wish I had a talent for languages. After 20+ years of on and off study I still only speak basic Japanese and French.
@@maxrebo8455 the key is full immersion. I was fluent in French and German... But that was while I was in school. These days I can't hold a conversation anymore, although I can still read and understand a little. I've also felt myself slipping in the rest of the languages because living in Australia, we only speak English. So it takes a while for my rusty brain to crank it all up again.
I have only heard of the airline and know nothing about them, so I didn’t have any expectations at all. Still not sure if I would fly on a China based airline. I may give it a try if and when relations improve between the US and China.
A lot of Chinese viewers have agreed CZ is the best amongst the big 3. And that MU is the worst. Who knows? Perhaps I should do a comparison review. Hahaha...
It was surprising that flight attendants didn't require to speak English in international flights. I guess they couldn't find enough mainland Chinese speaks English. I left China in 1954, and became U.S. Citizen. China denied my tourist or business visa, I think they denied all born in Chinese U.S. Citizens.
@@rampar77 I'm looking at it from another perspective... There's no need for them to. They speak the bare minimum to get by. Everything else gets taken care of with sign language. That being said, they do try to communicate and high points given for the effort. They are really a pleasantly hardworking bunch of FAs.
According to the respondents to this video, CZ is the best. Everything else is downhill. I have not flown China Eastern but the consensus is they're the worst of the big 3.
Passengers holding an Australian passport no longer have to apply for a tourist visa for entry into China from July 2024 (visa free for 15 day stay). Therefore, the temporary entry permit for passengers on a long transit might not be relevant anymore. As with all Chinese immigration rules, it is fluid so make sure you check prior to travel.
only valid 15 days , ok for business but not tourists.
@@neilwynn436215 days is long enough for a tourist!
Ryan, I have to ask: are the RAF EF2000 Typhoons utter rubbish compared to the RSAF F-15SG Strike Eagles? 🦅 🇸🇬
@@neilwynn4362A 30 day visa-free period would be far more beneficial. But, 15 days is better than nothing. 🐼 🇨🇳
@@maxstechnology63632 hours is long enough
Thoroughly enjoyed this latest TR. I have only flown Air China in recent years, and yes they have a sky Marshall on every flight. They are usually seated in the last row aisle in economy, but they spend most of their time walking around or in the galley. If you are lucky to be seated next to a sky Marshall, you basically have an empty seat next to you throughout the flight!
They are very easily recognisable in the navy blue cardigan and pants. They are always standing at the aerobridge observing every passenger during the boarding process.
I was very impressed by Air China's crew as well. They are consistently very hardworking, well groomed, polite and professional.
After these few flights, I have nothing but positive comments about the cabin crew of CZ. The marshalls were a little intimidating at first, but after a while you just forgot they were even there.
I was impressed overall with China Southern Airlines after over 22 hours of flight. Good service and excellent pilot skills around turbulent weather. Felt very safe. Just wish they had a way of dealing with families with loud young children screaming for hours - lost my appetite and felt physically sick! Not sure how to deal with this, but maybe a compulsory seating area with more leg room may help? Still, I highly recommend CSA!
Glad you enjoyed CSA. Cheers! 🥂
Man every time I watch your videos I get such a cinematic feel. You’re really good at editing too! Also, hugely impressed you speak Mandarin!
I also had no idea that China initially had six airlines that are now consolidated into 3. I seriously need to research a tone more when I start flying these routes haha!
Thanks for sharing man, excellent video as always!
Thanks man, kind words. Being born and bred in that part of the world, we all speak a handful of languages. Being ethnically Chinese in Singapore, it's mandatory to learn mandarin as a second language in school. Dad is Hokkien, mum's Cantonese, add those 2 languages in. We also have relations in Thailand Malaysia Indonesia (add those languages in), plus I learnt French and German for 4 years in tertiary. There you go .. 😂
I’ve travelled on many airlines and can’t remember much about a lot of them. Can’t remember the route but I do remember China Southern Airlines well. I was served the best meal I’ve ever had on any airline. It was a beef in black bean sauce meal and was delicious melted in my mouth. Recall one steward who was very attentive and he was an older gentleman. I don’t speak mandarin but had no problems. Visa free is great, instead of sitting in the Chinese embassy in Melbourne for ages! I’ve travelled through China only speaking English and survived!
Yes the Chinese visa application is a pain, and very expensive. So to hear they've waited this requirement is a welcome relief. Sorry to those who've applied before this waiver though! Hahaha... Yes their inflight catering was a pleasant surprise. And it continued for my further 3 flights with them as well!
China Southern Airlines is my primary airline when flying to China. I have flone on them for over 9 years. I had always had a fantastic experience on the newer 787-9's, A380-800's and the 737-800/700's. The business class food is amazing as well as the economy food as well. The bathrooms are well airplane bathrooms. the seats are nice and have a good recline and sometimes have footrests. the IFE has a good selection of Hollywood movies and TV shows. Also, I loved it at around 10:20 with the amenity kit review you added some jokes about crashing. that had me cracked up.
After these few flights with CZ , I might have discovered my new favourite airline. Do look out for my other videos about them on this trip.
I too have flown China Southern long haul and was surprised at the cabin, seats, meals etc in economy and friendliness of the crew. When an attendant struggled to understand a request I made in English - I speak no Chinese - she quickly got a very helpful chap who was fluent in it. I would happily fly on China Southern again.
@@declanpower2924 I know what you mean. Once they figured I was bilingual, I was translating between them and my husband! 🤣
I love flying with China southern since 2003. Not only I enjoy the food but the service they offer to me. I will not forget in the year 2004 I have some issues in my connecting flights they arranged it with no hassle I love it.
That's awesome service from CZ!
Hi, Could I ask something about bag? I have a flight 9 september and I can carry 2 check in bag 1 carry bag but as a women we always carry hand bag. If I carry hand bag they will say something or not I am not sure. This is my first time to ise this airlines😳
ah yes ryan, another fantastic review as always and you humour in the amenity kit unboxing was on top😂its good to see you review the routes to europe on these other asian airlines (including your review on vietnam airlines) as i personally think they are often overlooked when heading to europe as many of the people i know including my self always look towards the big 3 in the UAE and from what ive found they are often cheaper too, plus the airlines you have flown seem to keep you FED! as for the seat that you sat in, they are my favourite on the dreamliners, even thought ive only sat there once, they are especially good when i flew from MEL to HNL as on jetstar you need all the space you can get🤣. Anyways sorry for the lengthy comment, but i certaintly would love to see you on more of the chinese airlines!
You've hit the nail on the head. People mostly won't fly Chinese airlines to Europe because they think it's a shit product. As far as I'm concerned, think they're far FAR better than QF!
My favourite China Southern Airlines whenever I travelled to Guangzhou those days! The food hadn't disappointed me and the FAs were and are still welcoming and professional judging from your vid. I still kept a aircraft model they gave out on 1 of my flights with them...what a memory. My other like was the Hainan Airlines, the only non state-owned airline then. As regards the Visa, well at least they offered you a way out without too much of a hassle which I thought was already a marked improvement from those days. And that mega airport....I was completely awed 1 night when I was there without my bosses and had all the time to walk about and it then hit on me how big it was!
Haha yes these Chinese tier 1 cities are a world of their own. Consider my eyes opened and I cannot wait to return. Truly fascinating! But I'd return in winter though, the humidity is a bit much.
Yeah Ryan, winter's temperature is certainly much better. Even the locals told me not to come in summer...and got to trust them, even a SGian myself dare not howlian to say "it's like SG lor" 😁And winter makes those food at Tiyu Xilu tastes much better too 😁Look forward to your coming videos esp the one in Scotland.
@@samchang8 to be honest... I can't even tahan SG's weather anymore... Maybe I've been away for too long. 😂
I'm really impressed with the FA who mentioned you about the amenity kit when she saw you filming. That's so nice of her. The service looked really good. I don't find the attendants not speaking much English a big problem though, even top airlines like ANA or JAL, I find the FAs speak quite little English
I don't mind that little English is spoken, as long as the service is good... I'm happy. Now I've gotten very curious about the other Chinese airlines.
A new subscriber from Singapore! Lovely review of CZ Ryan, I just flew with them last month and was pretty impressed by their service. Nice to see the crew not being camera shy, I had one crew who stopped me from filming and only allowed me to after I explained what I was doing..
Eh towkay, welcome to my channel. Glad to see fellow Singaporeans pop by to say hi. Even though my passport is now blue, I'm still Singaporean inside.
I've flown all 3 major Chinese carriers internationally. Southern is the best out of the 3 and eastern is the worst. Great informative video
As recent as 10 years ago, I was still hearing horror stories about how lousy CZ is. Either they've made a tremendous improvement, or those reviews I read about were just the airline having a bad day. 😂
Thanks for the trip review onboard China Southern. All Chinese carriers do have air marshals onboard both domestic and international flights. They are great on pricing and giving budget carriers a run for their money. All inclusive such as check-in baggage and meals onboard. Their pilots are well trained and cabin crews never failed in their service. Do you know that when travelling all Chinese carriers with transit time of more than 6 hours, the airline will provide free accommodation. Please take note that if you are solo traveller, sharing room with a stranger is expected. Always enjoy your vlog and have a wonderful time in Scotland and Europe. Cannot wait to follow the other installments.
I make a mention in the next video coming up on Saturday of my transit in Guangzhou. We did enquire with CZ about a hotel, but our itinerary wasn't eligible. Hotels are reasonably priced in Guangzhou anyway so it wasn't a huge issue.
Great video Ryan looking forward to your upcoming videos.
Howdy Jason! Thanks for popping by!
Great viewing Ryan Cheers. Nick
@@Nae395 thanks for watching!
i took CZ from Sydney to Tokyo. We did a few days in Guangzhou itself on the way over and back, so had to apply for that temporary entry permit thing. The process was a bit painful (sooooooo slow). Took easily over an hour. Thankfully they changed the rules now.
Flights were more than fine. Friendly professional flight attendants. Adequate food. Really cannot complain with the price paid.
Over an hour?! Wow was there a crowd? There were only 5 of us in an empty immigration hall so I suppose it was easy. But it took about 30 minutes of back and forth before they knew what to do with us. The officer did explain because the rules are changing all the time, that's why they needed to be sure. A week after my visit, visa requirements were then dropped. 🤣
the airmarshals are recording when they are walking, thats why they are walking back and forth.
@@garyemptyfield9625 that makes perfect sense actually.
Just got back from China.
Didn't realise they had opened my case until I found paperwork inside,and I had wrapped it at the airport and locked it!!
Great video Ryan, always wondered how good China Southern was, I gotta say they were great. I’ll definately look at them in my future travels. I did the Abba Voyage show in London last year (Seated & dance section) & then Stockholm with the Abba museum, it was a life highlight.. Safe travels Ryan, can’t wait for your next videos..
Believe you me, I had no idea what the hell ABBA Voyage was until I was at the museum. Man, now I wanna return to the UK just to see that concert!
@@ryansofly Really? I thought seeing the Abba museum u would be well aware of Abba Voyage. The technology is amazing, I was standing directly in front of the stage and I swear I was looking at Abba.. it gave me cold shivers! Safe travels Ryan, enjoy your videos, looking forward to the next..
@@clay9185 yes, AFTER museum it finally clicked on my brain what Voyage was all about. I saw a lot of Voyage ads when I was riding the London Underground, and I didn't know what that was until AFTER I went to Stockholm. Hahaha... Now I know.
@@ryansofly A reason to head back to London... There is talk Melbourne is in talks to have the Voyage concert here, let’s see.. I personally don’t think we have the population to justify the cost of setting it up for a long run to recoup money, my moneys on Singapore. Safe travels Ryan..
That’s the first time I’ve heard hubby speak. 😀
5 meals on that flight- goodness me where do I sign up? 😂
I’m 5ft so they’d have to roll me off the plane.
Very generous to give out amenity kits on economy.
Looking forward to the rest of another series. 👍🏽
Hahaha yes he speaks! See you next week....!
Great review Ryan. So nice to hear of a comfortable economy seat.
Miss ya guys!
@@ryansofly You are always in our hearts here.
I flew LHR-CAN-SYD back in March and I was very impressed by China Southern! Not to mention it was £600 less than any other airline. I would not hesitate to fly with CZ again! I agree that the English skills are lacking, but they were certainly trying their best. To see the flight attendants arrive at LHR with their Harrods and Selfridges bags was a sight to behold!
Oh yes, these flight attendants earn an above average wage in China. So they shop 🤣
@@ryansofly Was before but not now🤣 Some attendants just buy them for others as a pt job.
@@YosTalk oh yes... That too. I'm sure it's a pretty good side hustle for them. Something like 代购 in a way.
A great flight review. A sad state of affairs about the dunnies at Tulla 😎The flight itself looked super comfy, and the food looked great for economy. Looking forward to the next video. 🤗
Yeah the tulla dunny situation... It was dire. Hahahaha...
Hi, tnx 4 your video! Question, can i bring a small trolley handluggage with 7kg weight? and a Buggy for my 2 yrs old? we are traveling in December... hope to get reply from your viewers or from you... tnx
Without having a visual of your buggy, I can't even tell you. Unless you're referring to a baby pram, that's usually gate checked before you walk through the aircraft door.
Very nice review. Ty for the interesting history lesson. For Economy the food looked very good. Surprised there was an amenity kit, as most airlines do not have them. The FA’s looked very beautiful, guess I’ll need to learn Mandarin so I can try this airline. Sounds like you will have an amazing trip.
I walked away very impressed. Spoiler alert, I was also very satisfied with the return LHR-CAN-MEL sectors. Video of that will be published at some point.
I flew the Guangzhou to Melbourne route in the first row of economy, it was a great flight. ✈️
I SAW the first row, and the legroom is awesome! Pity when I'm in economy, I normally fly at the rear.
Thank you Ryan for your video. It is very informative. I am going to take this airline with family to Chengdu for holiday, my first Chinese airline.
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your holiday!
WOOHOOO, new series. I would never make an Ikea meatball joke, Neeeaahhhhhhh.
I have no problem with security showing themselves. I love the thought that two or more passengers ready to punch on, or that touchy drunk might control themselves if they know there is an officer of the law and they will spend time in a Chinese lock-up.
I was a little startled by the physical appearance of a uniformed sky marshall. After a while, you just got used to it.
The way some travellers behave on flights within Europe heading to the southern holiday destinations (usually with the budget airlines) it might be a good idea to employ air marshalls. Airports are largely to blame by selling alcohol to passengers from early morning (breakfast time) to late evening.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 oooooh yes.... I've watched enough footage on those Jet2 flights. I did see a lot of these characters when I was departing EDI a couple of weeks back.
I had that same seafood meal on Air China last Friday! I was gonna have the beef but they run out and happy they did i loved the seafood meal! Took me by surprise! Another great video! Love the way u make your videos
So good! I really have no complaints about their catering.
Great review! However, i want to ask if you faced a lot of turbulence in the seat that you chose? I am about to reserve my seat and want to reserve same what you got? Is it comfortable? Appreciate your answer. Thanks!
The flight was smooth as. But that's not to say you don't encounter any turbulence. Depending on which part of the year you're flying, you'll be passing the equator from Australia. That's a very turbulent part of the globe.
@@ryansofly I will be flying from Dubai to Manila, and I will have 8 hours layover in Guangzhou. While I was checking the airline's website i saw that they are offering a free transit accommodation for passengers who have a minimum 8 hour layover. They are actually too generous for an economy class and I guess this will be my go to airline! Thanks for your vlog its really informative!
@@Marina_Reviews just confirm with the airline again that your fare bracket is eligible for a transit hotel. Otherwise the Pullman and Novotel at the airport are rather reasonably priced.
@@ryansoflyjust flew from China to London,only minor turbulence.😎😉
@@Marina_Reviewshi, I am also flying from Dubai to Manila. I was told that I can select my seat 58 hours before flight, just sign up to their website but I am having difficulty in doing that. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks
Sometimes, mainland Chinese carriers offer very attractive airfares when you transit via their hubs. Also, direct flights between mainland China and Australia are highly competitive, Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Capital Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines have their presences in Au. Also, you could get 10GB of prepaid roaming data for China from Optus for 20AUD, or pay extra 5AUD per day for roaming data with Optus or Vodafone postpaid plans. In this way, you can stay connected to the unrestricted Internet in China.
Western bias would dictate personal choice to avoid mainland Chinese airlines, I think. Even I thought long and hard as I was planning this trip to Europe. Then I thought no pain no gain, and I threw all caution to the wind and went for it. I had the option to fly MU via PVG for the same price, and similar transit times. So it was a toss up between CZ and MU.
I’ve always enjoyed flying Chinese Airlines. Dragon was my absolute favourite of all time, with Cathay coming in a very close second.
Ah you and I know "Chinese" airlines outside of mainland China are a different animal altogether. I love Cathay (and Dragonair), they do simple very well. Also China Airlines in Taiwan... And I'll be flying them in November.
@@ryansofly Actually, I’ve flown a lot inside China. And I’m an Indian looking Chindian.
Thanks for the video Ryan. We just flew Taipei - Guangzhou - Melb last Thursday/Friday. It was amazing seeing the quality difference in food! Going the opposite direction to you our food options were terrible and very low quality. And not a sandwich in sight. Agree with you regarding all other aspects. The service was great, we even got moved to the emergency row seats for the first sector. Agree with some other comments regarding transit at Guangzhou. So overly complicated! And i had to laugh at your transit visa situation. Same thing happened to me in 2019 flying Hainan Airlines (not sure they exist anymore), and 5 years down the track it's still happening 😆. Looking forward to watching the rest of your series tomorrow 🙌
Oh no, really! I had 2 flights flying out of CAN to LHR, and MEL at the end of the trip. Both flights had more than decent catering. They were good I even asked for seconds. Hopefully the kitchen was just having a bad day.
Hainan airlines is definitely still around, I’ve flew 4 long haul flights with them in the last month
Hi from sunny Scotland, I enjoyed your video, I was fortunate to go on a seventeen day visit to China some years ago, just after the Beijing Olympics and there had been a big earthquake,we were supposed to travel by coach on our visit but the roads were still closed after the earthquake so we had some internal flights including one when we were going to Jiuzhaigou National Park,there was no seat back screen for entertainment and during the flight the crew came on the pa and people would put there hands up and shout something to the crew,sometime later one person got up to applause from the rest of the passengers and was presented with a gift wrapped box, when we alighted from the aircraft I asked our Chinese guide what was going on she said that was the in-flight entertainment and it was a quiz, the man at the end had won the quiz and was given a prize, perhaps some of our western airlines could try this.
Thanks for your detailed response. Haha that inflight live quiz sounds very endearing! Chinese service can be rather cold and stand off-ish which can catch you off guard. But once you break the shell, they're jovial and readily engage. It starts with being able to speak the language, I suppose.
Thank you for the video. Appreciated.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
I flew china eastern today economy 777 300 thanks for posting so I can compare 😊 I also was in the last row of economy right hand side
Good stuff! I'm normally at the rear when flying in economy class... It's my favourite section of the plane!
Just got back from Asia using china southern to guangzou.
Not a great first time experience tbh.
Broke my case and only offered 1000 peso,found the staff to be a little uptight.
Had to rebook due to a problem im still trying to get to the bottom of.
No problem at quangzou airport easy enough to manage,just wish i had a longer stopover to explore the city
Food on board just really the same as most airlines if you are flying economy
Found website troublesome to use also.
Would try again though, hopefully a better experience!!
Yes I found their app and website a little cumbersome. Unnecessarily complicated.
I feel like catering on Domestic flights are way better for all Chinese airlines. Also Guangzhou airport arrival immigration seems to be the most poorly planned, there were 5 A350 arriving at practically the same time so 1000+ people were in the immigration queue at once, it was a nightmare after an 11 hr flight
Yikes that is not good. The bureaucracy at immigration is pretty intense if you don't have a Chinese passport. And their visa rules change so often immigration doesn't even bother to keep themselves up to date. They'll just deal with it by calling their superiors when a situation requires, like what happened with the 5 of us.
I'm from mainland China and after a return trip last year from SYD I would not consider CSN again for long-haul flight. They are no longer who they were before COVID. Flying with them without a high tier frequent flyer status now is gonna be rather horrible sometimes and that happened on both trips, the food was terrible (thank you dnata Sydney), sports equipment handling was a mess, the Economy class check-in queue was hell like, and they changed my pre-selected seat to a toilet-priority seat (where one of the lavatory was right next to me). Shout out to all the cabin crews, CCs from mainland China and Taiwan are simply the best you could find, if you speaks Mandarin. Yes I have to admit the price is so cheap compared to other airlines but as a Qantas Platinum FF I'd rather pay more for Cathay Pacific or Qantas for better services. CCA, CES and CSN used to be good, but a 'Meh' for now, really hope they could recover. Thanks for the great report!
China southern always held the record for longest check in time per passenger, before and after Covid
I flew these flights without Skyteam status and I found the level of service more than acceptable. I wonder if the catering is different ex-SYD which explains your less than ideal experience? Although SYD gets the A350, that would've been my preferred aircraft.
I think check in lines for most Chinese airlines are always very long. Which is why I made sure I was the first in line.
@@ryansofly They used to operate the high-density configure 787-9s on CZ325/6. On that flight I was arranged to 41C, a toilet-priority seat. The most hilarious thing is that, the old lady on seat 41A, who claims that she has a Claustrophobia and required a window seat during check-in, was arranged to seat 41A, a window seat missing a window. But luckily the great crews managed to find a lovely gentleman who was happy to change the seat with the lady. Sigh!😮💨
@@LiquidTomatoo hahahaha that bloody windowless window seat. I selected it unknowingly before flying for CAN LHR, and LHR CAN. I immediately had that changed after I took the first flight. Thankfully it was all easily done through the app.
Spot on video!
Thanks mate... It's really a decent airline.
China Southern is a sprawling conglomerate formed out of the merger of several provincial airlines, so flying with it is a hit or miss. The meals, seating width and pitch, entertainment systems, humidity and services are leagues more pleasant on the brand new A359 between London Heathrow and Beijing Daxing, than the older B787 between London Gatwick and the second tier city Zhengzhou. Even when the service is poor, transiting via China often results in the best value for money, given the reckless amounts of subsidies on the national, provincial and municipal level.
All those subsidies mean cheaper air fares, I suppose. Great for the consumer. Sadly their long haul flights via CAN seem to be operated mostly by 787s. Otherwise the A350 would've been my pick, because I agree it is a much more pleasant aircraft to fly on.
Far out!! Only 4 men’s cubical in Melbournes international terminal. I think I’ll avoid Melbourne international terminal.
I pre-ordered a vegetarian meal on a Qantas flight from SYD-BKK and they forgot to give me my meal, but they had a vegetarian meal on their menu so I just choose that and after I finished my meal, they apologised to me for forgetting my pre ordered meal and I said ‘that’s ok, luckily there was a vegetarian meal on the menu’ and they insisted on me to have that second (third) meal on that flight and I said ‘I won’t say no’ 😊
Winning 🏆
@@94vrcommodore hahahaha no there are MORE than 4 in MEL. But that section I circled out, only has 4 cubicles shared amongst 8 gates of wide body aircraft. That's about 1000 people. Even if half of them wanted to take a dump, it'll be a pretty precarious situation no? Hahaha...
@@ryansofly oh. I got it now lol. Unless some people don’t mind walking long distances
@@94vrcommodore haha yes, it's not ideal
Did they just added the amenities kit to economy class. I did not see it on my return trip from Melbourne to Guangzhou last November
On some flights it was already placed in the seat. Otherswise, you'd have to ask for it. On my return, flying LHR CAN MEL, we did not see these kits at all.
@@ryansofly that is weird. They should have give all passenger an amenities kit or just don’t
@@ryansoflyblankets etc are normally new on first flight. They don't have time to put out between flights
It's kinda rooted in Chinese culture that people drink the yoghurt as a side dish or dessert with a meal.
Suppose I learn something new everyday! Cheers...
Yes I agree with your fair comments...i can't believe the crew do not speak English...that's a big no no for me
They do speak basic English, but don't expect to be discussing Shakespeare's sonnets with them. Hahaha... They'd probably memorise a few lines of getting your seat upright, tray tables up, chicken beef coffee tea, what you like to drink eat etc...
Great review mate
Thank you kindly, cheers! 🍷
Great video Ryan and glad you chose CZ. At the beginning you noted CAAC used "Western aircraft types" but really these were not that common. Certainly when I visited China in November 1988 (with an SAS trip) our domestic flights Beijing-Xian-Shanghai-Beijing were, Shanghai-Beijing excepted, operated by CAAC TU-154s. Onboard service was almost non-existent and the cabin crew ignored passengers and with their slim, flexible bodies seemed to be trained in martial arts ! However the final flight was with newcomer China Eastern using an Airbus 310 (maybe A300) and the standards were totally different ! Nicer uniforms, decent onboard food and a better experience altogether. So we could tell this was an airline which wanted to emulate the best international operators. (Travelling to/from China I participated on the SAS inaugural DC-10 which overflew USSR and Mongolia to cover Copenhagen-Beijing in 10 hours)
Alex, you are correct. A lot of their Soviet made planes were confined to China. Their Boeing and Tridents did the regional and international flights. The latter was a VERY common sight at Kai Tak screaming loudly as they came to land. Speaking of retro flights, I have VERY fond memories of SAS as well. I was a regular on their 747s operating between SIN and BKK as a child. Also with the DC10s of Finnair and Swissair.
Great clip Ryan, I appreciate your love of food, but being a pea, pie & chip kinda guy, a lot of your food reviews are lost on me !! What a fantastic line up you have installed for us. I shall stock up on chippies & nuts xx
Hahahahaha... The foodie adventure continued in Scotland where I went crazy over haggis and butter beer!
Hi Ryan, is the baggage check in allowance China Southern airline is 2 bags 23kg each?
@@gladib465 according to Google, yes. I'm a light traveller so never really max out my allowances. So good luck there!
I Like The Livery.Great Video And Info
Thanks for popping by, mate!
I love china southern's livery too. Soooo sexy
With a lot of airlines, you have to choose which country you want to transit through: Australia, Singapore, China, Taiwan or Hong Kong?
There's adventurous and 'adventurous', Australia it is!
Suppose our sense of adventure differs from person to person. After the initial apprehension, I found Guangzhou to be an incredibly easy transit stop. Suppose being able to speak the language helped tremendously!
Singapore is best
Do all economy class types include meals? The website says there is no meal in the economy standard type. The economy class with meals is at the business class price. Am I missing something?
@@akhilleussx not sure where you got that information from. CZ is a full service airline with full meals on all fare types. I wonder if that information you got was a translation error, which is a common issue with these Chinese websites. 😂
I just realized there are two different China Southern websites. The overseas.csair website shows it as including meals. I was sure it was a mistake 😂
There are always meals… if they weren’t the Chinese general public would end up sueing the airline
A great flight review, compared with language,friendliness is the most important.
@@vitachoi358 while there are some obvious weaknesses, you can't deny Chinese airlines offer incredibly value for what you've paid for.
@@ryansofly mainly you have a kind heart
Thank you ❤
You're welcome 😊
Have you done a nonstop flight from Australia to London? That would be a great video
Currently, QF's PER-LHR nonstop flight is ridiculously expensive. And no one in their right mind would really want to fly QF for that distance. 🤣
@@ryansofly is there any nonstop flights from the east coast of Australia to London?
@@PrayerisLife no there isn't. That's QF's Project Sunrise, with the arrival of the A350-1000 they'll fly nonstop SYD - LHR. It's been delayed several times so now we're looking at mid 2025.
I’ve flown every Chinese airline except for China Southern. Not sure why, just is.
Isn’t the recline of the seat restricted in the last row?
Not at all, we got full recline.
if i fly from Frankfurt to Guangzhou (layover long wait 10h55) to direction Sydney as a luxemburgish citizen. Do i need an extra visa for my stay (10h55) in Guangzhou? 😊
@@yannickwagener6563 if you intend to stay within airport and not clear immigration, then no you don't have to. Just had straight through to international transfers from arrivals to departures airside. If you'd like to clear immigration to ENTER China then you'd need to apply for a temporary permit like what I've done. That office of located to the left of international transfers before immigration.
@@ryansoflymany thanks for your information, that really helped. It’s only for a layover at the airport till i take the next flight 😊
You might be eligible for 15 days visa free entry as a Luxembourg passport holder.
@@catherineli5531perfect! Many thanks for the information 🙏😊
If we transit but not want to enter into china, but instead wait at airport do we still have to clear immigration?
@@bruunm1975 no you don't have to. At the end you saw me filling up the form... Those passengers in the background were heading through international transfers. Just a check of passport onward boarding pass and one security check, then you're free to pass into departure airside.
@@ryansofly thanks Ryan. So similar to Dubai and AUH then? Thanks. We are looking at flights in December to Paris and back. Actually Zurich but it’s nearly half the price Paris return so it’s worth Trecking back to Paris from Switzerland ;) cheers and happy travels.
@@bruunm1975 indeed... Flying to and from ZRH is incredibly expensive. I was flying home from ZRH in January this year, but it worked out cheaper to fly to London from there to catch a flight home to OZ. Plus hotel in Heathrow thrown in, it still worked out cheaper. 🤷
@@ryansofly yes I grew up in Switzerland. So it’s kinda what I have to do ;). Expensive on an Aussie salary hahaha
10:36 some Vicarious Voyager level comedy right there lol
Also imo out of the "big 3" Chinese airlines you mentioned in the beginning China Southern is probably the best one out of the three, both China Eastern and Air China are, in many cases, a bit worse
@@madingthree haha glad I could entertain. Thanks for watching! Cheers...
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching. Cheers...
Amazing video mate
Thanks for watching! Cheers... !
@@ryansofly 🤩🤩
菜航在我心目中永远是最好的，i always take the advantage of their 144 hrs transit visa.
@@cinogen2 hahahahaha 菜航?! 是不是因为它们的标识像个菜头啊？😂😂 目前澳大护照不需要申请签证，不知我们还需要144吗？
@@ryansofly 起了花的， CHINESE CABBAGE. 又分别的， 免签是15天。 转机签 是 144小时， 就是7 天。
I have flown on China Southern various times. My first experience being 2002 when I flew To and Fro Kuala Lumpur - Beijing... It was horrible, small aircraft, a 757, probably configured to MAXIMISE capacity then.... Followed by a short flight in mid 2000's from KUL to Guangzhou to transit to Kunming, also a 757. It was also largely a bad experience, largely due to, again, the config, AND this time, somehow, a Mainland Chinese woman was abled to sneak in a bottle of nail polish and while taxiing, attempting to paint her toes, toppled her bottle and spilled her stuff before take-off. And that stunk for the 4 hour flight to Guangzhou. ALL in, then, so far, bad experience. PART 1.
HOWEVER, Fast Forward to 2016, me and my wife decided to visit Xinjiang, searched for the most affordable fares and China Southern once again came out Top value. GONE were the 757's, instead we were treated to the Dreamliner 787. Staffed with these GOD GORGEOUS Tall, Model looking women cabin crew (heck, I don't even remember IF there were Men Cabin Crew, as these women are drop dead gorgeous). Like your experience, language is a barrier, beautiful as they were, little England was S-P-I-A-K.... (spoken), but we got by with rudimentary England AND Mandarin (Rudimentary Mandarin on my part - as ANYTHING Mandarin from me would have to be translated in my mind from either Cantonese or English). It was a very good experience. The flight had 2 legs, KUL to Guangzhou, and Guangzhou to Urumqi, Xinjiang. It was a good experience, both legs and I SHALL NOT hesitate anymore to recommend China Southern, esp. International sector to anyone.
Having said, I disagree on your rating on Food. I felt that CS had different food, vs. say SQ or MH or even Air Asia. I liked the CS selection a lot, BUT I wouldn't rate them better than MH or SQ or for the matter AK flights. They generally good. I liked all of them. Of course, that said, it's an opinion, not fact.
Wow... 757... That must've been a while ago. Yeah they were pretty utilitarian and inherited from CAAC.
You’ll thank me later for the UK train stuff :P
LNER coming up! Woohoo!
More food! Yes sir 3 bags full.
The in-flight catering was fantastic!
How about your luggage how many kilos allowed for check in luggage?
@@kaliwete253 it's the standard 20kg for economy class
Wow your Putonghua! Wouldn't be able to tell you're originally from Singapore 🤣
Hahahaha.... Awwwww too kind. Thanks. 😂😂
I believe their mandarin is way much better than Hongies😂
@@TheCantonboy haha you know my cousins in HK did not learn the language in school. I'm not sure if Mandarin is being taught as part of the curriculum in HK schools these days?
@@ryansoflyI am sure it is. My nephew in hk learns Mandarin at school. I am from HK😊
@@TheCantonboy ah there you go! Yeah suppose post 97, you guys would've needed to learn it. I spent a lot of my childhood in Cheung Wan! Lots of great memories there.
Elizabeth on the flight map at 11:07
Hahahaha indeed.
Meals look ok...what other alcoholic beverages did they have ....n ..thankyou for your vlog
Alcoholic bevvies were basic, I can't go into detail because I don't do alcohol up in the air. I'll get drunk in a second! 😂 But I did see bottles of red and white wine in the drinks cart during bar service.
Thankyou for taking time to answer me ...very kind...and yes I get what you mean...."just to get by" lol...happy and peaceful travels to you 😃
To be honest, the taste of China Southern Airlines in China is declining，Because of controlling the budget, the level of food service has dropped sharply. In contrast, Hainan Airlines is the first choice for traveling abroad, while Sichuan Airlines and Capital Airlines are the worst!
Suppose it's all about perspective... If you're used to flying western airlines, then CSA will be an absolute gem. But if you're comparing them to their Asian counterparts, then no - CSA does not compare well.
Wdym? Sichuan Airlines might be as good as Hainan if not for the ife
Capital Airlines is a budget airline apparently
hainan has really ass and outdated IFEs tho
@@austinli8891 only on the few older planes, most have newer ones
Looks like a solid offering Ryan. 👌 Hopefully they return to Adelaide (along with Cathay Pacific) as rumoured in the South Australian Aviation FB group.
You know Mandarin AND Cantonese. Impressive! How did you come to speak so many languages? Very handy!
CZ is supposed to reinstate CAN ADL in January. I'll believe it when I see it. Hahaha yes, I speak 8 languages. Being ethnically Chinese in Singapore, it's mandatory for us to learn mandarin in school as a second language. My family speaks Cantonese and Hokkien (relations in HK and Xiamen), plus Malay, Indonesian and Thai (relations again). I also studied French and German for 4 years while I was schooling. 😳
@@ryansofly Wow. 😳 You could be a professional translator with all those languages! Must be very useful when travelling (such as shown on your video with the visa officials).
@@FromtheWindowSeat suppose we were lucky growing up in Singapore. When the whole world was thumbing China down in the 70s and saw them as a back water 3rd world mud flat, the Singapore government foresaw the rise and insisted we learn Mandarin because they knew one day that country would rise to the top. I honestly HATED Mandarin classes and purposely fucked up my exams so I did not have to learn it ever again. Still, now I'm glad we learnt it. And yes, China now doesn't have to speak English, they don't really care if they don't. So when we're there, we'd have to learn their lingo.
@@ryansofly That’s pretty impressive. I wish I had a talent for languages. After 20+ years of on and off study I still only speak basic Japanese and French.
@@maxrebo8455 the key is full immersion. I was fluent in French and German... But that was while I was in school. These days I can't hold a conversation anymore, although I can still read and understand a little. I've also felt myself slipping in the rest of the languages because living in Australia, we only speak English. So it takes a while for my rusty brain to crank it all up again.
Confused about how you set your expectations to zero.
Very easy, just do it like blinking or breathing. 😏
I have only heard of the airline and know nothing about them, so I didn’t have any expectations at all. Still not sure if I would fly on a China based airline. I may give it a try if and when relations improve between the US and China.
You have caused me to join China Southern instead of Air China or China Eastern
A lot of Chinese viewers have agreed CZ is the best amongst the big 3. And that MU is the worst. Who knows? Perhaps I should do a comparison review. Hahaha...
wasn't impressed with their dreamliner , seats like sardine can , there 777 was brilliant though.
Their 77Ws is a larger aircraft, suppose that's more comfy. I'm curious about their A350s though.
I am going to china
Enjoy your trip! Where in china are you heading to?
The English badge means that she/he can only speak English
Thank you. Hopefully they'll have more crew with those badges especially on these flights to Europe.
It was surprising that flight attendants didn't require to speak English in international flights. I guess they couldn't find enough mainland Chinese speaks English.
I left China in 1954, and became U.S. Citizen. China denied my tourist or business visa, I think they denied all born in Chinese U.S. Citizens.
@@rampar77 I'm looking at it from another perspective... There's no need for them to. They speak the bare minimum to get by. Everything else gets taken care of with sign language. That being said, they do try to communicate and high points given for the effort. They are really a pleasantly hardworking bunch of FAs.
你應該想想你做了什麼非法的事情才不然進入中國的
@@goodhot911 你说呢？这个临时入境的情况在网上报的都是一样的麻烦。这只是个简单的入境，不需要想到那么夸张。如果真的是非法的话连临时签证是批不了的啦。
Two thumbs down for showing the 787 Nightmare Liner, the crappiest aircraft in the sky
With over 1100 dreamliners in the skies today, you'd have a wide choice to avoid! 😂😂
Are they better than China Eastern?
According to the respondents to this video, CZ is the best. Everything else is downhill. I have not flown China Eastern but the consensus is they're the worst of the big 3.
all food made by dnata
Hats off to them then... 🥂
Ryan, please don’t use the “F” word, it is offensive.
Different strokes for different folks, mate. Cheers! 🥂