China Southern Airlines

Perth to Vancouver via Guangzhou. We chose China Southern business class due to the price and because we could fly into Vancouver and out of LA. Also, the flight times were more attractive than flying from Perth through Sydney or Brisbane. We took advantage of the free night in Guangzhou because of a longer than 8 hour transit time on the way out. This was all handled very efficiently after a pretty good flight. The business class seats on the Boeing 787 were comfortable and food and wine acceptable. Not up to same standards of Qatar or Singapore Airlines but had paid much less for the tickets! Cheap headphones but okay inflight entertainment. We were met at Guangzhou airport (names on a board) and escorted through immigration to the Pullman Hotel, which offered a very comfortable room, good breakfast the next day. We paid for our dinner. We checked our bags direct from Perth to Vancouver and had a change of clothes etc in hand luggage. So it was easy checking in at the transit lounge for the onward flight to Vancouver - also a Boeing 787, but we were not offered pyjamas for 12 hour overnight flight. Food and wine acceptable. Flight from LA on the A380 we found the flight attendants in need of training. We had to ask them to hang our coats - only apple or orange juice offered prior to takeoff, the food/beverage choices limited. The seats were configured 1x2x1 and we opted for a two in the middle. The design meant that there was a very small space through which to leave our seats. The seats seemed narrower and very hard. We were given a very thin undercover as well as a duvet when settling to sleep but it made little difference. The armrests covered in very hard plastic - I used an extra pillow as it was so uncomfortable - digging into my arm when eating, reading etc. Good noise-cancelling headphones. Entertainment and amenities ok. Food was mediocre as were the wines. No other drinks offered after dinner. The toilet was not kept replenished, I had to ask them to clean and renew towels / toilet paper. A selection of snacks put out but was not replenished once many of the offerings had been consumed. Guangzhou to Perth overnight, again on a Boeing 787. We headed for the business class Lounge to have dinner so we could sleep as long as possible. Terrible lounge offered 1 white and 2 red wines, beers and soft drinks, but not much Western food and most seats taken. WiFi was slow. Food served downstairs. Sitting area upstairs. Didn't take dinner on the plane but ordered breakfast which was inedible eggs Benedictine, brought before the fruit, had to ask for coffee. Would we use China Southern again - yes, because of price but without expectation of it being the same as some airline offerings.

As a Skyteam Elite Plus member, I have access to Priority check-in counter. However, the ground staff refused to go through the check-in process for me as he thought I’m not eligible for my Elite Plus identity, even though I showed him my Delta Platinum card. He was just so rude I don’t even want to state it here. Finally, I went to the economy check-in counter and finished my check-in process. I called China Southern Airlines after the flight, but they didn’t even reply me after three months.

Sydney to Beijing via Guangzhou return. The A380 on Sydney to Guangzhou return legs was excellent. There was lots of legroom, and a large, clear touchscreen for IFE. The range of non-Chinese films and TV was bigger than I expected, so there was plenty to keep me entertained. The choice of non-Chinese music was surprisingly broad, and while there were some very surprising choices, there was enough there to keep even a music snob like me happy. Food was okay, but nothing special. China Southern, like all Chinese airlines, needs to learn that beer is a lot nicer when it's cold, but otherwise everything was good. The Guangzhou to Beijing flights were in an A330. There wasn't quite as much space as in the A380, but it was OK. On the way back, the IFE system was even better than in the A380, but on the way up, IFE for three or four rows of seats (including mine) wasn't working. We were given tablets as replacements, which was fine. Service was excellent on all four legs: staff were friendly and helpful. I lucked out and got three seats to myself on the overnight CAN-SYD flight, and slept well. Unlike every other airline I've flown on overnight to Sydney, the FAs decided not to pointlessly wake me four hours before landing in order to serve me a breakfast I didn't want. Instead, they saved a breakfast for me, and asked me if I wanted it when they saw me get up. This was brilliant. The only letdown is Guangzhou Airport. You have to enter and leave China at Guangzhou if you're transferring between domestic and international flights. Passport checking is horribly understaffed, as is security. It took me more than 90 minutes of my two-hour transfer time to get through passport and security on the way to Beijing, and only slightly less on the way back. The whole process is chaotic : after passport control on the way into China, you have to queue to get a golf cart to domestic departures, where you're left with no signage or directions at all. Once Guangzhou Airport is upgraded, China Southern will be an excellent choice for flights either into or through China.

The check-in procedure was straightforward and we were given lounge access in Auckland (the Emperor lounge is used by several airlines and pay guests and it is barely adequate). Boarding was quick and easy, and our allocated seats were prepared with newspaper, menus and amenity kits. As it was a late evening departure, we had a quick dinner before the beds were readied for the night. Sleeper suits were provided. The suite on the Boeing 777 is very private and quiet. There were 2 toilets for three first class passengers! We had breakfast before landing on time in Guangzhou. We had a four hour transit time which we needed, as the international long haul flights we took all required bus transfers from the plane to the terminal and reverse. The China Southern lounge covers two floors - the lower part is the catering area and offers hot and cold foods as well as hot/cold beverages and limited alcoholic drinks. The upper level is much more comfortable, but the only access is via stairs (with well worn carpet!). The second leg of the journey to London Heathrow was on a Boeing 787. We were the only first class passengers so had a dedicated service. The first class seats are more open than on the 777, and not as comfortable. There is no storage for personal effects other than in a pull-out bin under the footrest. This was a day flight but we still needed sleep - the windows do not have pull down shutters, and despite the crews best efforts, the sun still shone in - they ended up putting a blanket over the windows! The meals were suitable for the journey, but note that they only had one main course dish at each meal, so we each had to choose a different dish. No sleeper suits were offered on this leg. We arrived pretty much on time, which was good as several flights had been cancelled that morning due to fog. As my partner required a wheelchair, there was a wait whilst all other passengers disembarked: there was a long queue at immigration, however we were cleared quickly through the special arrivals line.

Auckland to London via Guanghzou return with China Southern Airlines. Excellent aircraft comfort and meals. Cabin crew well trained and very attentive, although their English tended to be a bit lacking at times. No problem with the flights. The only negative in the whole experience was Guangzhou Airport. The aircraft didn't pull up to the terminal building so you have to disembark on the tarmac and meet a bus to the terminal, which seemed miles away. Same with getting on the plane from the terminal. Also, we had a 7.5 hour wait at Guangzhou in both directions. Whilst the business lounge is comfortable, the food is primarily Chinese with very little western meals available. We would fly China Southern again, but would avoid the horrendous stopover in Guangzhou.

This airline should be avoided at all costs! My wife and I used China Southern Airlines for a vacation trip from the States to Thailand and return. The trip to Thailand was uneventful. The return is where all of the problems began. We were scheduled for a flight on November 16th that was supposed to go from Bangkok to Wuhan, China with a 14 hour layover and then continue on to San Francisco. The airline cancelled the Bangkok to Wuhan flight and didn't notify anyone of the cancellation. They simply rebooked us to a flight on the following day. No communication and no explanation. We had to pay for a hotel in Bangkok. No offer to assist by the airline. The flight from Bangkok to Wuhan (that they rescheduled us on) was scheduled to arrive hours after the connection to San Francisco departed. We pointed this out to the airline. This would constitute a two night stay in Wuhan as this airline only has one flight to San Francisco a day. The airline offered to put us up in their very own hotel - but only for 1 night and we had to pay the second night! We verbally and by email requested an upgrade as a compensation for the problems. These extremely rude and idiotic "professionals" just smiled, giggled and continually said "so sorry". No upgrade, no partial reimbursement, nothing!

I've flown China Southern internationally and domestic, the latest was a domestic trip Xian to Beijing. While they were okay longhaul from LAX, domestic standards are terrible. Done 5 different internal flights in China so far and this was the worst. Delay of 75mins at airport, not a word of apology from airport personnel or onboard the flight. The Captain was silent from start to finish - truly! My neighboring fellow passengers were coughing up phlegm most of the flight, all very unpleasant. Served some type of filled bun, but the smell deterred me and passed on this. Asked for coffee, the female FA shook her head, snarled something in Chinese and walked off. It is like 2 different airlines, and standards night and day when you compare international with domestic. If you have a little longer, try the train for domestic routes, or choose one of the smaller airlines here.

I flew China Southern Airlines from Guangzhou to Auckland on 16th November in business class. The crew was very professional and friendly with the passengers. A female flight attendent spared no efforts trying to help lift a very heavy luggage into the overhead storage which I thought was pretty impressive. Flight Service Manager personally greeted me and checked that I was ok with the drinks and meal provided. The toilet was kept clean each time I visited, and this was rarely seen in the past. Excellence has been stepped up to a new level!

Reading all the positive reviews here seems to forget how terrible their domestic flights can be. Flew Beijing to Guangzhou in October and the trip was awful. Check was worse than a zoo, the staff were quite rude and couldn't understand English at all. Boarding was delayed for 1 hour, no proper information given apart from someone screaming in Chinese very loudly. When it finally started ground staff had no control at all, fellow passengers were pushing and shoving like a stampede. Delayed again onboard the aircraft, the Captain decided it would be okay to say nothing, and the cabin crew gave 1 message in Chinese only. Safety systems and checks were something of a joke, but I guess related to the fact many customers think this is a train and they can get up and walk about at will and any time. Inflight meal service was truly Chinese, but I mean Chinese 2 star trough food that other customers left untouched. Staff on my aisle section couldn't understand any of my requests, even asking a coke, sprite or milk for coffee, so I gave up on that. Lots of fellow passengers shouting across me, some quite disgusting throat clearing and sneezing all around, and the whole trip was very unpleasant, In the end, suffered a 2.5 hour delay and not one word of apology! Awful airline and would avoid in the future.

I flew China Southern Airlines from New York to GuangZhou on 6 November 2015 onboard their Boeing 777-300ER. The overall flight experience was very good and comfortable. The cabin staffs were friendly and provided services response very quickly. Food and beverages provided plenty of choices. The Inflight entertainment was working a bit slowly.