China Southern Airlines Review

What is it really like to fly Southern China Airways?

Too early to see a pension, we are careful when we travel. We no longer seek out five-star
Luxury in all-inclusive resorts, we travel with 40-litre backpacks and rely on Booking.com to
provide us with ‘on the move’ accommodation.
Because we base our exit from two of the main London airports, we expect to see a wide variety of flight options, and last year, when planning our trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, we came across exceptionally well-priced flights (with a very quick connection time) with China Southern Airways.

It’s been many years since I flew with a Chinese Airline. Back in the 1990s, they pulled
down a projector screen for those in Business Class, for all to watch the same movie!
I was eventually prevented from flying ‘China Airways’, by the multinational Company I worked
for at the time. Probably due to a corporate travel relationship which focused attention on
British Airways and the ‘One World’ Alliance, of which Cathay Pacific was acceptable.

The China Southern return flight price had me hooked. Of course, I was under no doubt that
this airline was probably trying to buy itself a market share of the lucrative UK to South East
Asia routes. But with the ability to reduce flying times by flying over Russian Airspace and a
short transfer at Guangzhou, I was at least prepared to give it a try.

China Southern Airlines check-in.

I first spied the aircraft from the picture window at the boarding gate at Gatwick airport. Pausing to take the obligatory photograph of the outside of the plane (why do we do that?) before boarding, I had low expectations about spending the best part of a day, sitting between my husband and a complete stranger, playing human Sardines.
There were many things which impressed me, not least the plane itself. A modern 787 and what’s more, everything worked.
I am a seat-back pocket obsessive. But the plane was spotless. No signs of a previous
inhabitant, not even the obligatory sticky mess on the flip-down tray table.
Boarding was a calm affair, the greeting pleasant and seemingly genuine.
The Air Marshals are a surprise! Perhaps Western airlines could learn a thing or two – there was going to be no ‘air rage’ tolerated, and the customer information video was extremely clear on the matter.
Their presence was reinforced by periodical patrols around the cabin.
Was this intimidating? No, quite the reverse. It reinforced the feeling of quiet control.
The food was also a pleasant surprise. Air India had given me food poisoning just three months previously, and three Chinese meals I was not particularly looking forward to. However, what was delivered was hot, comprehensive and quite delicious for airline food.

The in-seat entertainment delivered. Modern titles and timeless classics for both English and
Chinese speakers. All in all, we arrived at Guangzhou refreshed and happy to do the passport
control and hand luggage scan all over again before boarding our flight on to Hanoi.
The onward flight was on time, and whilst the plane was smaller, with no entertainment, the short onward journey was pleasant nevertheless.

What happens if China Southern Airways cancels your flight?

The journey back was slightly more fraught.
Firstly, our return flight from Bangkok was cancelled about two weeks into our three-month trip.
In panic mode, I struggled to find a way to contact China Southern Airways, but failed miserably.
An hour or so later, I discovered an email address for customer services on the website and my email was promptly answered with the offer of a replacement flight, a day earlier. Not to
Gatwick, but to Heathrow.
This was fine by us, we could easily travel home from there. Booking a Premier Inn at Terminal
Four to take the pressure off ourselves upon landing in London, late in the evening.
A few weeks later, we had another email from China Southern Airlines telling us our flight had
been cancelled again. I contacted the company again, using the same email chain from my
previously rearranged flights. Again, the company was prompt in its response and this time was able to advise me that the flight had not been cancelled by brought forward by about ten
minutes.
So all was back on an even keel – but somewhere in amongst all this, there was the memory of
my husband saying, ‘Doesn’t that leave the transfer window tight?’
We left Bangkok half an hour late. Time which was never made up – the journey is just
too short. We arrived at Guangzhou wearing a large green sticky ‘spot’ on our right shoulder,
allowing us to form instant camaraderie with the dozen or so other people also racing for the
Heathrow flight.
The ground staff were quick to identify those they needed to push to the front of all the queues, in order to make the Heathrow plane. We arrived at the gate and were swept onto the plane.
Or valiant efforts somewhat diluted by a delay imposed by air traffic control. No chance of
anyone complaining though, not with Air Marshals very visible throughout the cabin!
The flight itself was a repeat of the outward leg, a well-organised and efficient service and with just the right amount of smiles and humour by the cabin staff, especially when we suggested the wine should be served in the larger paper cups!

What happens when China Southern Airways delays your baggage?

Arriving at Heathrow, clutching our surprise ‘comfort bag’, not something you expect to see in
Economy. Having laughed at the eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and tiny foldable tailcomb,
little did we realise how essential this bag of goodies was going to be.

We had arrived at the luggage carousel early enough to hear the announcement. Others
advised us later that there was a box going around the carousel with a list of passenger names,
Those who needed to report to the baggage office.
Again, my husband’s words of ‘doesn’t that leave a transfer window tight’? were ringing in my
ears, as he made his way to the window.
The luggage had not made the flight. Of course it hadn’t; it would have taken a superhuman
effort to get the luggage on that plane. Airtags confirmed it was thousands of miles away. Still
on the tarmac.
Furthermore, we were advised it would not be arriving at Heathrow for another 24 hours.
Having completed the official form, in return for an A4 sheet of some vague contact details, we left and headed to the Premier Inn and our bed for the night.
We were thankful that we had our comfort bag, a tiny tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush.
There is a lesson to be learned here. I always pack emergency clothes into my outward hand
luggage. Something which would allow me to sit by the pool if necessary, until the bags turned up. I never do it on the homeward leg. But I will in future.
We left Heathrow the following morning on the Flix Bus to Cardiff, quite enjoying being free of the luggage we had carried around South East Asia for the previous three months.
If we are being completely honest, we weren’t expecting a positive outcome regarding our
delayed baggage. We were told it would be 48 hours. We didn’t believe them.
But it was. Almost to the minute.
The courier entrusted with the safe return of our bags scampered down the M4 with our
luggage, exactly as promised.

Is China Southern a Good Airline?

All in all, we have no complaints about China Southern Airways, and they are now very much on our ‘use’ rather than our ‘avoid’ list of airlines.