Air China Review (Guangzhou to Beijing Capital Airport)

An Air China Boeing 777 parked: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Beijing Capital

Departure date and time of flight: 08:00am on the 16th November 2010

Flight Number: CA1310

Flight duration: 2 hours 50 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 (with Winglets!)

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

No check-in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Guangzhou Airport. I arrived around 5 minutes prior to the check-in counter being closed. I had taken an early morning bus to the airport in from Panyu (at around 6am).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Drinks (no alcohol!), and including tea and coffee. The beautiful thing about flying with Air China, which is the national flag carrier of the country, is that they are one of the few airline companies in China that offer sugar and milk powder separately.

Comments regarding the first meal:

A delicious breakfast was served around 40 minutes after departure. Passengers were treated to a choice of either a Chinese or Western breakfast. The Chinese breakfast consisted of a fresh hot congee with a boiled egg dipped in soy sauce. The western breakfast dish consisted of a slice of bacon (Chinese style), a healthy portion of mashed potatoes and a delicious scrambled egg. I loved the nice touch of a crossed pattern design made using black boiled sea-weed. Accompanying the meal was a lovely Danish pastry (without any filling, but tasted just as good), and a bowl containing two slices of freshly cut orange.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. Loved it.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

The IFE system was only activated once during this flight- prior to take off (for the safety demonstration). The PVT screens are not placed behind every seat but overhead.

Improvements that could be made:

The IFE system could be improved- although for such a short flight one cannot argue with the quality for the food and service given.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The 737-800 aircraft had a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was very clean and had the latest IFE system installed. The staff were professional and could speak fluent English.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10