Incredible return fares to Europe with Air China. Travel is for May-June. These prices are for payments made using a Visa debit card. A surcharge may apply if paying with a credit card. Safe travels :)
Dep. 16/May Ret. 15/Jun $774
Dep. 28/May Ret. 22/Jun $774
Dep. 29/May Ret. 15/Jun $830
Dep. 23/May Ret. 15/Jun $830
Dep. 23/May Ret. 22/Jun $830
Dep. 16/May Ret. 15/Jun $805
Dep. 16/May Ret. 15/Jun $877
Dep. 23/May Ret. 15/Jun $877
Dep. 23/May Ret. 22/Jun $877
Chiming in to say I had a fine experience with Air China! They're flying brand new (as in, late 2015 model) planes between Sydney and Beijing now, which are super clean, and there are only two not three seats next to each other on each side of the plane, which is far more pleasant than anywhere else!
If a long stopover is an issue for you you can do 72 hour visa-free stopover in Beijing or Shanghai, which is a good opportunity to see China without the rigmarole that is a Chinese visa.
Only issues I had were that about 6 weeks out our travel agent (who had beaten the best price we got online) called to say Air China had cancelled our return flight out of Geneva, so would rebook us on a different day. I replied that that was not acceptable, and without much more effort than that the agent and Air China agreed to change our flight to a more expensive departure from Rome on the same day, with no extra cost to us. I appreciate that cities and dates changing could be an issue for some people, but my experience shows that if you stand firm (and have some room for flexibility) you will get a reasonable resolution.
Second, the food is pretty bad… Make sure you get the Asian and not the western meal.
Still, for the price this is phenomenal, big fan of Air China and would fly again.
How did you get to Rome / was it at your cost? Seems pretty bloody unacceptable to me.
I was only flying out of Geneva because it was the cheapest to fly out of at the time, was actually cheaper to get to Rome from where I was before leaving, so ended up saving me money. Again, it is a big caveat, but not the worst thing in the world.
Given how easy it was to get them to cop the extra cost of the departure I wouldn't be that surprised if I'd been able to get more out of them, they were also happy to change the date. Then again, perhaps I'm too relaxed when travelling…
You're lucky to have had a positive experience! Good to know that it's possible if you're not too fussy, and that you can save $400 per person this way.
Thanks for the response - I'm not saying it's equivalent to Emirates/phenomenal service, I just think it's a bit rich for people to expect everything at a crazy cheap price.
Flights are where a lot of ozbargainers just can't seem to handle the sacrifices required to make big savings. I guess everyone has different thresholds for temper tantrums. When I used to work at an airport, I couldn't believe how demanding and stressed out people got over the smallest things. They really bring out the worst in customers.
Have to be free for me to get on this airline. Know several people with horror stores especially within China, being diverted to other airports etc.
Air China, my experiences.
Main issue is that you're on a Chinese carrier, subject to some very archaic Chinese laws and processes. Transiting through PEK sucks, for no good reason they make it super painful.
Air China, experiences of a friend.
TLDR: At $774 still too expensive to europe on this carrier.
I had a flight attendant in China demand that I turn off my "phone". My "phone" is a Samsung Galaxy media player (no mobile radio). I said "OK, but it's not a phone. He said "That is definitely a phone". I proceeded to show him that there is no calling app on it. At that point, he walked away, and I kept on watching my show on it. I think that was a $100 flight from Shanghai to Tokyo on Spring Airlines.
Spring Airlines! That I agree is near unbearable…. (but very very very cheap……..)
I've actually flown them at least twice. My only complaint is that they really push the "duty free" merch hard, but it's fine if you have something to block out the noise.
@tomkun01: I've only had one experience so I don't want to be too quick to judge, but we were left on the tarmac with no or minimal air con on in HK for over an hour before departure, with no real explanation (in chinese, wasn't expecting English)- also my legs are too long for their seats.
Probably would still fly again as it was about 1/3 of any other flight.
@oldm8: I've been stuck on the tarmac for hours a few times, all in Australia. Spring is unbelievably cheap. $100 Shanghai to Tokyo!
I flew spring and they were tops. Prolly got lucky tho.
I like the fact the flight attendants did aerobics mid flight and encouraged passengers to to do it too.
I feel your pain. I was stuck on a train in the middle of no where china. Cant piss at the toilet because they dont know how to queue ? Why not piss in the sink instead whilst im brushing my teeth.
I had a terrible flghts Sydney-Bejing-London return.
On the way out the direct flight to Bejing turned into a unscheduled domestic transfer in Shanghai at 2 a.m., the kiddies loved that and cried the entire time as we were marched through endless amounts of customs/security/bordercontrol/customs/security/thoughtcontrol
I got a good view of Shanghai on the way in, so that was cool. Amazing looking city
As previous posts forget the food.I think Dr.Zeuss did the catering, as I was served green (omlette) eggs and ham on the return flight to Sydney.
I took a flatscreen and a battery which was lucky as the entertainment system did not work properly on my aisle.
I made use of the Bejing stopover and stayed for 5 days, me and my family (young kids) loved it I regret not staying longer.
If you do choose to fly Air China it should be with very low expectations for service/comfort etc. This way you won't be disappointed and it may even suprise you
Found return fares for $789 in November, thanks TA / IWTF
hello im not familiar with how IWTF works?
Does the 820 fare melb-frankfurt means that we have to depart and return exactly as it says? for this price, it is exactly as shown? everytime they release a flight deal, it is for a specific set of dates onlt? i saw more flights on their website that only gives a 7 day trip.
Melbourne to Frankfurt Flights $805 Return using Visa Debit Card. $820 using CC.
Dep. 16/May Ret. 15/Jun $820
—— another question
return flights are so cheap compared to one way. has anyone bought a cheap return flight but didn't show up to the flight back? any consequences?
Iwtf is just a search engine for flights. Price isnt final until you get to the final page of the linked website, eg bestjet
Ive actually forgone a return flight before. Didn't hear anything about it
This is way to tempting OP
Anychance i can stay in China for a few days? 1/2 day is a bit too short.
You guys are a bunch of whingers. Go back to whirlpool or r/australia.
This is the cheapest return flight to europe I have seen in a while. If you don't like the airline then don't book tickets, this is a bargain site after all. Pay $400+ for a better airline. Also remember this isn't a LCC so baggage and food, booze is included, which is a better than jetstar, air asia, etc. Maybe I just have a different style of travelling but I'd much rather save and spend the extra money at the destination.
Personally I take the long layovers as a bonus, you can sneak in another city for free.
We're sharing our experience flying with them, not just merely bagging them. There's a bunch of reasons why China airlines are cheaper than top tier airlines. You may think it's a bargain but for others, a cheap price isn't enough to lure them to fly with them.
agree 200%
Agree 100%
nothing from bris?
Not as many communist chinese in bris. Thank (profanity) for that.
AIR CHINA? one of the worst airline in the world. Anyway nothing is good in Communist china
Meanwhile posting from a computer made in China. Along with wearing clothes made in China.
Democratic China, on the other hand. Damn I love that place!
Truth hurts, China is shit.
-Confirms.
This is what we thought about you when you were born.
I've flown Air China four times - from Heathrow to Sydney and back, twice via Beijing (up to 8 hour transfer wait (is that the term where you have to change planes without leaving the airport as part of one overall flight?) bumping my 24 hour flight up to 32 hours!).
I flew consecutive years in December and March both times, the first experience was absolutely horrid, the return was very comfortable, and the following year they were unremarkable (just standard experience).
Beijing Airport was a nightmare!
My first flight was very cold and my skin had really dried out during the twelve hour flight to Beijing. I got off the plane and had to go through two lots of security before I got into lounge! During these checks I had a machine gun pointed at me, was ordered to wait while two officials (in military-style uniforms replete with embroidered shoulder adornments, medals and fancy insignia on their lapels and the biggest pistol holsters I've ever seen) were summoned on their segways. That was because I looked slightly different to my passport photo (allegedly). After getting past that I then had the sealed bottle of water I'd bought at Heathrow confiscated. Dehydrated, tired (I'd already been travelling for nine hours before my flight from Heathrow) and with a six hour wait for the second part of my flight I pointed out that it was a sealed bottle that I had bought post-security screening in Heathrow, with a receipt timed twenty minutes before my flight, that I had brought with me on the plane, and that I was on an internal transfer. The guy summoned yet another segway-riding, pistol-toting, over-elaborately-uniformed official who leant across the desk, nose-to-nose with me, and slamming both hands down, yelled in my face, "THIS IS NOT LONDON NOW. CHINA LAW!"
I then noticed a trolley of other confiscated items being brought across from the security gates for entry to the airport from outside. The first guy was sifting through, selecting bottles of liquor and other items and putting them under the desk.
Petulantly, and with hindsight probably not wisely, I made the security personnel wait until I had drunk the whole bottle of water slowly (I had five hours to kill) before surrendering the empty bottle.
I'm pleased I did that though as there wasn't a water fountain anywhere and I didn't have any Chinese currency.
By contrast the return trip was one of the best I've ever had! The flight was half empty though so was much more comfortable.
The next year I flew via Thailand. I really wasn't keen to revisit Beijing Airport.
No surprise with your experience.
In China you have no rights if they want something done differently.
Since then I've used British Airways - a little bit more expensive but English-orientated, flying via Changi Airport, and with an excellent baggage allowance.
Yes, Beijing Airport was scary - I really thought I was going to be detained over a slight hairstyle change and a bottle of water!
That is a really good price. I wouldn't be worried about safety or food or Beijing airport.
However,
I do have reservations about the fellow travellers on Air China.
you don't need a return ticket with this airline. So not a real bargain :)
if i want to take advantage of the 72 hours visa free policy, how do i do it? anyone had this before?
Yes, done that last year. Very easy. There's a separate queue at immigration for transit visas. You just fill out a little form and show your connecting flight details and they'll stamp a 3 day visa into your passport. Takes 5 minutes maybe.
I just flew kyrgzstan airways, air China will seem like Qatar airways now
it's quite scary. we were detained at hangxhou airport because we had no visas and they were going to put us on next flight back. in a room, communist country, green military uniforms!
im chinese but i cant speak mandarin. luckily there was a chinese tour guide on our plane and she spent almost an hr with us to help translate. we were able to tell tgem that we want to use the 5 day shanghai hangzhou visa free stopover. because hangzhou usnt normally a stopover airport the didnt know anout the stopover policy. our flight was bris - hangzhou - singapore -brisbane on Scoot. I had checked this with chinese embassy in oz and they said it was allowed.
Anyway because between bris and hangzhou we changed planes in singapore so the flight number isnt the same from brisbane then they wouldnt allow it. it had to be same flight number. although they were strict but they were nice enough to suggest an alternative. if we bought a ticket to anywhere else besides singapore then she will let us through. So because so many websites are banned in china! the tour guide let ys use her phone and helped us to book flights to hong kong. cost $300 which was ok so its now bris -singapore -hangzhou - hongkong at 11pm we finally got our visa free transit and out of the airport!! the tour guide and i exchanged whatsapp and she's just so nice n we still keep in contact.
next day i phoned expedia and was able to get a full refund on my hong kong flights. they r cheap non refundable fares but expedia has their own polucy of refunding everything if youcancel within 24 hrs.. mistake etc Seriously best company ever.. It was no drama and so so easy. the flight to hongkong was same date and similar time to our flight back to singapore and we weee able to get through customs n everything fine. my husband was a bit worried it would be in the system and we would get in trouble leaving china.
we did shanghai, suzhou, tongli, hangzhou in 5 days by ourselves. omg what an adventure.. we even caught the wrong bus to the wrong city! i got by on very lil mandarin. even the taxi driver made fun if my mandarin telling me how awful i was. but i wouldnt enjoy it uf i went with organised tour. we had the most amazing time and the highlight was spending a night in tongli which is a beautiful water town that takes you back hundreds of yrs.
even my family who can speak mandarin wouldnt dare travel china on their iwn.. they all go on packaged tours. but the experience is 100x better free n easy. now that i gave been there im confident to do the rest by ourselves. i cant wait to go back!!
it was so clean, food was amazing, people were so nice n helpful.. i think we were just very very blessed. we had help at airport and again many times over the week. we almost ran out if money and a stranger took us to my atms before tge last one worked! i dont think we would have found any on our own. very blessed.
we gave a great impression if china. the only disappinting thing is the pollution.
Good luck with this China airline. From my personal experience as well as many friends', China airline service quality is among the ugliest. You may save a dollar or two with it but this sh!t frequently treats the passengers like debt owers. Better off use southern China airline of you want to go with a Chinese flight.
southern china one is better
This probably the cheapest non-mistake return I've ever seen from Aus to Europe and you guys are complaining about Air China. Granted experiences probably vary but I've flown them a few times and while it isn't SQ it was definitely a tolerable experience. Again, we're talking $774 Europe and back. Like, what else do you want?
Hi guys,
Could I translate your comments to Chinese than post to a Chinese BBS?
I promise to translate their comments back here.
That would be quite interesting to hear the other side. It might be an education for both.
Most of comments here are by diehard racists unable to hold a conversation at >5 year old level of maturity, mentally colonised Chinese who hates Chinese things because that's what America has taught them, and non-Chinese Asians who are afraid of big bad China (trademark).
Doesn't make for a good conversation. You could put a sticker saying "China" in the best plane in the world and you'll get these diehard "anti-Chinese everything" racists complaining about how that plane has abused human rights lol.
What about in August / September / October? May is too soon.
Melb to Frankfurt on days quoted cheapest is now $1200
@oldm8:
The worst thing for my for a plane ride would be delays. Small seats I think I can deal with.