NÁVJOT SINGH - MARKETER AND WRITER 雷辛格 - 作者, 市场
  • Home
  • Who am I?
  • 中文
  • Travel & Books
  • Photographs
  • Nav's Blog
  • Airline PR
  • Portfolio
  • Terms & Conditions

Spring Airlines (Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen Bao'An Airport) 9C8949

2/13/2012

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Spring Airlines is China’s first and only privately owned low-cost budget airline that operates from its base at Shanghai Hongqiao airport with a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. As of February 2012, the Spring Airlines fleet consists of 28 Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an average age of 4.5 years, each of which provides space for 174 passengers in an all-economy class cabin layout. Spring Airlines calls its economy calls ‘Common Class’. Cheap as chips, this low-fare Shanghai Hongqiao based carrier has come on leaps and bounds. You can customise your seat selection and the good thing is that they fly to most of the major airports that people have heard about. Spring AL and its service would put most European and American carriers (low-cost and flag carriers) to shame. The airline serves 34 destinations around Greater China and Asia. 

Route: Shanghai Hongqiao airport to Shenzhen Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 17:15pm in December 2011

Flight Number: 9C8949

Aircraft registration: B-6573

Flight duration: 2 hour and 15 minutes

Class:  COMMON CLASS

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed and arrived on time without any problems. Overall, the punctuality rate of Spring Airlines is far better than most domestic Chinese carriers are.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

Normally for most domestic full-fare paying airlines, passengers can check in 45-minutes before take-off but for those travelling on Spring Airlines irrespective if they are flying within or outside of China, they have to check-in at least 90-minutes before departure.

Passengers travelling on Spring Airlines are only allowed to take a maximum of 15 KG (this includes on board luggage and luggage in the hold). Anything over this amount has to be paid for. Though sometimes as an exception (and depending on the mood/personality of the check-in staff) this rule is waived as a goodwill gesture.

Comments regarding the main-meal service:

Passengers have to purchase their food and drinks on Spring Airlines. Overall, it has to be said that the quality of the food and drinks is far better than that provided for free on other airlines within China. Here are some examples of the type of food available:

Tsingtao beer can (330ml) is 10RMB

Chicken curry with rice (heated) is 30RMB

Salted boiled chicken egg is 2RMB

A packet of dried duck’s kidney nibbles are priced at 10RMB (did not try this!).

There are plenty of options for everyone and it has to be said that the price of the food is worth it as well.

Approximately an hour and a half into the delay, and as a goodwill gesture, the cabin crew offered complimentary mineral water (by ‘Dew Ice’, a brand of the Coca-Cola company) and a packet containing two orange flavoured muffin cakes.  

I opted to try the chicken and rice. After taking the order it takes around 10 to 15 minutes for the meal to be heated in the microwave before being served. The diced chicken tasted nice, but the portion of the rice and diced chicken was not as much as one would expect to pay for 30RMB (but then again its for an in-flight experience so why not give it a go!).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

Drinks were served, but were chargeable (included beer cans as well).

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

No IFE screens in the cabins. However, the cabin crew have an innovative way to keep everyone entertained. Towards the final 50 minutes of the flight, passengers are taken through some routine head exercises. So that means the cabin crew stand and show how to move your head sideways and shake your hands to have a good circulation.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:


The cabin crew were very professional, kind and courteous. Yes, there is some advertising of the in-flight food and duty-free after take-off, but it is only for around 5-10 minutes (nothing as bad as what have written on various airline quality websites). Throughout the process of the plane being delayed, the staff kept very calm and kept reassuring the passengers. The difference between most state owned airlines and privately owned airline companies such as Spring Airlines is that on Spring Airlines, for example, the passengers are kept well informed of any problems and issues. Whereas on most state owned flights there is no information given to the passengers, and everyone is just kept waiting in frustration.

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

Spring Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Airbus A320 aircraft in a one class setting (known as ‘Common Class’ on Spring Airlines). The Spring Airlines brand is becoming well recognized throughout China for its efficiency, comfort, and offering a high quality of customer service. The seats are all very clean and covered in the company’s bright green colour with yellow lettering of ‘Spring Airlines’. The aircraft cabin has a fresh feeling to it with a nice fragrance smell as well. The toilets are also kept well clean. 

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9
Picture
Picture

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Navjot inside an Airbus A320 cockpit of British Airways at Heathrow Airport

    About Airline PR

    This is a special section on Airline Branding, and Airline Public Relations written by me on all the flights I have been fortunate enough to have been on. These are not records taken from somewhere else, but are actual flights I have been on. Most of the flight trips are officially sponsored by the airline companies in order to promote their certain routes, and aircraft. Airline promotion and PR related work in the aviation industry is one of my expertise. 

    This section of the website will grow in time, and will include detailed reviews of the in-flight meals, the airline seats, the comfort of the overall trip, the customer service both at the check-in-desk as well as by the Cabin Crew; and how good the assistance has been by the airline staff. All the reviews are honest, fair, firm, and non-biased.

    I am proud to have worked with some of the largest PR agencies, and some of the most powerful airline brands in the world, including but not limited to: Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Air China, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Air Malta, Air France, KLM, CityJet, and many others. 

    All the flights I have taken in my life are documented on this weblog except for any flights that were taken before 2003. These included Syrian Airlines (747SP in 1985), British Airways (2003 to Dubai), Aeroflot (IL-62, and IL-86 in 1989) and a few others. I regret not documenting them because I never thought of doing that back in those days.  

    I am hoping to bring to life the joy of reviewing airlines. 

    Note Regarding Photos

    For all media reviews, special permission has been granted from the airline authorities, and even from airport authorities for the photos/videos taken on-board the aircraft and on the ramp because it is strictly forbidden to take photos and videos on and around the aircraft without permission. 

    The purpose of this blog is to provoke thought, inform, intrigue and amaze you.

    You read it first here!

    Click on the particular airline below and see my flight review. When you click on an airline, it should list all of the flights taken with that airline.

    Picture
    Navjot at a Chinese Military Airfield
    qr code
    Picture
    Picture
    Watch exclusive videos below taken in the cockpit of a Boeing 777-300ER in-flight over Chinese Airspace. 

    Special thanks goes to 
    Turkish Airlines 

    B777-300ER Cockpit Video 1

    B777-300ER Cockpit Video 2

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2025
    July 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    February 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    February 2012
    October 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    August 2009
    January 2009
    October 2008
    August 2008
    June 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    November 2007
    January 2007
    August 2006
    August 2004
    November 2003

    Airlines Reviewed

    All
    Aer Lingus
    Aeromexico
    Airbus
    Air Canada
    Air China
    Air France
    Air India
    Air Malta
    Air Seychelles
    Alitalia
    All Nippon Airways (ANA)
    Avianca Airlines
    Beijing Airport
    BIMAN Bangladesh Airlines
    Bmi
    Bmibaby
    Boeing
    British Airways
    Business Class
    Cathay Dragon
    Cathay Pacific Airways
    China Eastern Airlines
    China Southern Airlines
    China United Airlines (CUA)
    Chongqing Airlines
    Cityjet
    Delta Airlines
    Dragonair
    Easyjet
    Economy Class
    Egyptair
    Emirates
    Ethiopian Airlines
    Etihad Airways
    Farnborough Airshow
    First Class
    Garuda Indonesia
    Hainan Airlines
    Hawaiian Airlines
    Hong Kong Airlines
    Icelandair
    Japan Airlines
    Juneyao Airlines
    Klm Royal Dutch Airlines
    Korean Air
    Lufthansa German Airlines
    Malaysia Airlines
    Oman Air
    Pan Am
    Pegasus Airlines
    Philippine Airlines
    Premium Economy Class
    Qantas Airways
    Qatar Airways
    Riyadh Air
    Royal Brunei Airlines
    Saudia
    Shandong Airlines
    Shanghai Airlines
    Shenzhen Airlines
    Sichuan Airlines
    Silk Way West Airlines
    Singapore Airlines
    Spring Airlines
    SriLankan Airlines
    Swiss
    Tap Air Portugal
    Thomas Cook Airline
    Thy Turkish Airlines
    United Airlines
    Uzbekistan Airways
    Virgin Atlantic
    Vlm Airlines
    West Air
    Xiamen Airlines

    Proud media partner of QATAR AIRWAYS 

    Qatar Airways Serbia
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

 Send me an email: [email protected]

OR CONNECT WITH ME USING:

Design by Navjot Singh. All Rights Reserved 2002-2025

  • Home
  • Who am I?
  • 中文
  • Travel & Books
  • Photographs
  • Nav's Blog
  • Airline PR
  • Portfolio
  • Terms & Conditions