AA767400 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 2271 posts, RR: 25 Posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 12648 times:
On this grand China trip, I decided to see both Beijing and Shanghai. It just so happened that it was towards the end of the Chinese new year. It all starts at Heathrow with connections in ZRH, and PVG. I must warn you that this is my first trip report, so beware!
The day starts off leaving the Sheraton Heathrow hotel, and taking the Hotel Hoppa to T1. Me and my friend decided to try out the "The Great British Lounge", BMI's beautiful international lounge in T1. The lounge was clean, chic, and modern. And it offered great views of the tarmac. I apologize for the quality of photos.
"The Great British Lounge"
Scenes on the tarmac.
LX 317 25/02/10
LHR 0850 ZRH 1135
A320 (HB-IJR)
Seat: 7C Y
My bird (HB-IJR) arriving from ZRH.
Boarding was pretty easy, and there was a 90% load today to Zurich. The Crew were professional, and efficient. Service consisted of a croissant, and a beverage. Announcements were made in German, and English. It was a quick hop, with some great views of the German, and Swiss countryside.
Views of this sunny day!
Always good to get up close and personal.
So we headed from the hardstand to terminal E. The process was easy, but I assume it will improve when they open the new concourse? I always love the tram from the main terminal to E because of the cow sounds, and images as you travel in it.
Swiss territory!
I find Zurich to be a pleasure to transit through compared to FRA, or LHR. There is something about this place that seems so right for me. So multicultural, efficient, and clean. And the layout is just the right size. Pretty much just like Zurich the city itself.
Swiss Lounge in Terminal E.
The lounge was not ground breaking, but adequate.
My bird with A330's in sync behind her.
LX 188 25/02/10
ZRH 1300 PVG 0740
A340-300 (Sorry, no registration)
Seat: 11K
After a nice glass of wine upstairs, we went over to our gate. The gate was packed with mostly Chinese passengers forming long lines. As usual the rush to board as soon as possible was in full effect. Once onboard we got situated in our sexy A343. We were served pre-departures, and welcomed aboard by our lovely Swiss Flight Attendant. She was from Lausanne, and treated us with genuine care.
LX J class on the A340.
Push back was slightly late due to ATC slot restrictions. Once we were on the runway, our A340 rotated for a LONG time before lifting off the ground. I forgot what a lousy climber the 343 is with those hairdryers.
Great views of the Swiss, and Austrian alps on our ascend.
And then the service began. Lunch was served with Swiss style. I chose the spinach tagliatelle with pumpkin ragout and was not disappointed. Sorry, but only took a photo of the salad.
After lunch, and a glass or two of wine, I settled in. The sun was starting to set, and since I was still on New York time, I passed out for a good 6-7 hours! The J class seats on this A340 or not Swiss's newest, but are angled seats. I had kind of a hard time getting in the right position, but eventually got it in the right position. Another thing that I took notice of was the light blue color of the inner overhead compartment door. Is this because this was an ex-OS aircraft? I know that OS has that color scheme.
Very close to the Himalayas!
Very interesting how both east and west bound ZRH flights were routed over Beijing, and then south to Shanghai.
Dawn with winglet!
Breakfast time! Very delicious, and just the right amount.
One on arrival, we walked over to passport control. One thing about Pudong I find is how Japanese the airport feels. Very Narita like. Customs was a breeze, and off we were to Hongqiao airport. Hongqiao is Shanghai's mostly Domestic
airport. It has a hand full of Korean, and Japanese destinations also. The new terminal in Hongqiao is set to open this month, so I just missed it. The original older terminal we arrived at to make our Shanghai Airlines flight was too small and outdated.
Checking in was chaotic as one would think. Thankfully *Gold is there to help me, and checked in at the premium desk with no line. The process was flawless, and FM is very good with the logistics of *Alliance. Hongqiao has a free for all of gates with airlines. So you will have multiple carriers boarding right next to each other. The lounge here is very outdated. Hopefully with the opening of the new terminal, the new lounge will be better.
Hongqiao check in area.
FM 9103 26/02/10
SHA 1130 PEK 1350
767-300ER (No reg.)
8K Y class
My FM 763 waiting for me to take me to Beijing!
FM 763
View on the tarmac.
Once on board, we were greeted by two Crew members. FM's 763s our outdated. The plane needs a refurbishment soon! The seats however were pretty comfortable. Crew members were not friendly, and indifferent. We had to wait about 45 minutes at the gate due to Chinese ATC. Once airborne, the Crew got started with their service. The toilet facilities on this plane were old and dirty. They had no paper towels to dry your hands with, and the soap was a hockey puck that laid on top of the basin. The service consisted of a beverage, with Beef noodles. It was pretty nasty. Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the contents inside. But trust me, this is not something you would want to see, or smell for that matter.
Forward section of economy class.
Larger aft section of economy.
Lunch. It was terrible. Sorry for not taking a photo of the actual meal.
We began our descent, and arrived at the massive Beijing Capital airport. This place is HUGE! With plenty of space to roam and relax. Somehow I found the place a little too big.
My bird parked after arrival.
Colorful Air China aircrafts.
PEK arrival area.
Curbside at PEK.
Check-in area at PEK.
Baggage retrieval was smooth and quick. We grabbed a cab to our hotel in Beijing. China is incredible. Beijing is beautiful this time of year with the snow and lack of crowds at tourist attractions. The Great Wall was fantastic, and with the snow made it even more magical. We flew down to Shanghai on an Air China A340-300 a couple of days later. Air China was much better than FM I found. I did not take to many pics of that journey, so no report on that. Shanghai was also great. I enjoyed the Chinese experience, and would love to come back soon. Next time I will visit Xian and the terracotta warriors, as well as Lhasa in Tibet.
I leave you with some photos of my trip. Hope you enjoyed my first trip report. Next time I will make sure to take better pictures.
Mutianyu 慕田峪
Snacks.
Forbidden City guards.
A gilded lion in front of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.
gabrielchew From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 2512 posts, RR: 13 Reply 2, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 12266 times:
Quoting nethkt (Reply 1): What a way to travel from London. You could just simply do BA LHR-PEK!
But I am sure you want it STAR ALLIANCE WAY
Well, Air China has daily LHR-PEK flights, and they fly their new A330 on the route, so Business is quite nice (although maybe not as polished as LX).
Quoting AA767400 (Thread starter): Customs was a breeze, and off we were to Hongqiao airport.
You know you can fly from Pudong to Beijing, saving you the schelp across Shanghai?
it used to be the other way around, CA was pretty terrible (often still are), but FM I generally find pretty good (although their B767 are quite long in the tooth). The CA crews generally have better English skills.
Quoting AA767400 (Thread starter): The service consisted of a beverage, with Beef noodles. It was pretty nasty.
Its nice to get a hot meal on a shorthaul domestic flight though!
Quoting AA767400 (Thread starter): Next time I will visit Xian and the terracotta warriors, as well as Lhasa in Tibet.
I leave you with some photos of my trip. Hope you enjoyed my first trip report. Next time I will make sure to take better pictures.
A trip to Lhasa and Xi'an are a must. You're photos are great - can't wait to head back top PEK next month!
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 905 posts, RR: 3 Reply 3, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 12207 times:
You are a good salesman. Now I also want to visit Peking.
I am a little worried about connecting in Zurich as I have to do it with a 90 year old requiring wheelchair assistance / GVA - ZHR / VNA. Am I correct you often have to get on a bus and then take a train? It's OK for most people but in my situation it may be a nightmare.
AA767400 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 2271 posts, RR: 25 Reply 5, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 11789 times:
Quoting nethkt (Reply 1): But I am sure you want it STAR ALLIANCE WAY
I did, however CA does have their A332 on LHR-PEK. The LX flight was available, and CA was not.
Quoting gabrielchew (Reply 2): You know you can fly from Pudong to Beijing, saving you the schelp across Shanghai?
The price was much more economical from SHA, than from PVG for that date. Plus I got to visit the old Hongqiao before it is gone.
Quoting gabrielchew (Reply 2): it used to be the other way around, CA was pretty terrible (often still are), but FM I generally find pretty good (although their B767 are quite long in the tooth). The CA crews generally have better English skills.
Very interesting. I'm sure FM's newer 738/321 are a better experience. Good to know, thanks.
I bet, and can't wait! The views most be incredible.
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 3): I am a little worried about connecting in Zurich as I have to do it with a 90 year old requiring wheelchair assistance / GVA - ZHR / VNA. Am I correct you often have to get on a bus and then take a train? It's OK for most people but in my situation it may be a nightmare.
I would allow as much connection time as possible. I took the 0845 flight, but in your case the 0600 would be the way to go. That would allow you plenty of time to transfer over to E, and get some Swiss chocolate as well!
Quoting dalce (Reply 4): ps. The LX 340-300 you flew on was HB-JMA
I thought so looking at all the pics later. I took HB-JME on the return. These beauties are elegant!
Reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1135 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 11236 times:
Very nice report. I loved Beijing when I visited it 1,5 years ago, we went to Mutianyu as well.
SHA is indeed a very old airport. We had an overnight stay here (the flight was PEK-SHA on China Eastern A340 in the evening and then connecting next day in the morning from SHA to Shenzen on China Eastern A300-600). Honqiao at night is a disaster. We slept in that nasty airport hotel which is linked to the terminal, it was gross. Would never ever recommend it.
China Eastern was fine, especially on the PEK-SHA sector. And yes - I can confirm that the catering in SHA is horrible
AA767400 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 2271 posts, RR: 25 Reply 7, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 9916 times:
Quoting Reifel (Reply 6): connecting next day in the morning from SHA to Shenzen on China Eastern A300-600)
Would be nice to get a chance to fly on the MU AB6 before they retire the type. Even if I got my dose at AA of the plane.
Glad you had a great time as well. Beijing really is an underrated destination.
zkojh From China, joined Sep 2004, 1501 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 9898 times:
very nice report, I just got back from China last week, already miss it. I flew CA from LHR to PEK on the A332. not very good, they need to sort the food out, IFE did not work, no beer etc. for a star alliance airline very poor.
lukeyboy95 From Papua New Guinea, joined Apr 2008, 951 posts, RR: 35 Reply 9, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 9014 times:
Very enjoyable report. China looks a little chilly at this time of year! Lhasa would be really nice to visit - but by train I think is best. Seat61.com is always a good source for when you go to research it!
ba319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8267 posts, RR: 56 Reply 10, posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 8794 times:
Nice report & pictures, sure sounds like you had a great time ikn China, which I admit from what I have seen is a lovely country - I need to see more!
Not much detail on the LX flights but seems you enjoyed them, even if the J class seats are the old style. I quite enjoy travelling on LX myself, shame I can't find an excuse to do so more often.
AA767400 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 2271 posts, RR: 25 Reply 11, posted (2 years 3 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 6239 times:
Quoting lukeyboy95 (Reply 9): Very enjoyable report. China looks a little chilly at this time of year!
Thank you. It was chilly, but there was something about fireworks for Chinese new year while it was snowing that made it special.
Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 10): Not much detail on the LX flights but seems you enjoyed them, even if the J class seats are the old style. I quite enjoy travelling on LX myself, shame I can't find an excuse to do so more often.
Sorry for the lack of detail. Once I post my next report, I'll make sure to add more for sure.
I'm looking forward to trying out LX's newer J seat. Maybe I'll test the waters to Africa with them.
kulatict From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 119 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (2 years 3 months 1 week 23 hours ago) and read 4666 times:
nice report... i shot the exact angle of your PEK T3 departure hall's roof curvature
Quoting AA767400 (Thread starter): Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the contents inside. But trust me, this is not something you would want to see, or smell for that matter.
oh trust me, i live through that on my CA flight on b757 from PEK to KUL...its a 6.30 hour flight and the 4 lavs for the Y class is pretty much close to the nature of China's highway rest area half way into the flight.... eeeccckkkk
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 2271 posts, 
From Thailand, joined Apr 2001, 985 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 2512 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Feb 2007, 1582 posts, 
From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1135 posts, 
From China, joined Sep 2004, 1501 posts, 
From Papua New Guinea, joined Apr 2008, 951 posts, 
From Belgium, joined Oct 2010, 2212 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
