Have used Shanghai airlines a few times over the past couple of months and each time the same BS at the airport.

Example - flight due to leave at 7pm. No news of delays when checking in or on the information boards. Walk to gate 30 mins before take off and no plane waiting. Still no news of delays on information boards. 7pm comes and goes, staff at gate make an announcement that the flight will be delayed due to the plane being late leaving the last destination. Enquiries about how late and where the plane is coming from met with blank stares and replies of "we have no information". Plane eventually shows up and flight leaves 1 - 2 + hours late.

I get the distinct impression the flight was always planned to leave later than advertised. Is this a ruse by the airline to sell more tickets? If i'm flying to HK on Friday evening I don't want to leave later than 9pm, so they advertise the flight as earlier so I will go with them instead of Cathay Pac / Dragon (as sh airlines are generally cheaper). If I knew they weren't gonna leave til later I'd pay the extra and fly with someone else!

This has happened on flights to HK and Hanoi for me, but I heard another guy on the plane complaining about it being a regular thing. Anyone know something I don't?

Same experience with Shanghai Airlines for the past 6-7 months. Always a delay of 1 to 2 hours, ALWAYS. They code-share with China Eastern, maybe that's what dragged them down.

Shanghai Airlines is not Star Alliance anymore effective Nov 1.

Don't use Chinese airlines. Not only do they lie, cheat, & steal, they don't have real pilots! Just washed-up cabbies that faked their resumes!

MadMen wrote:Same experience with Shanghai Airlines for the past 6-7 months. Always a delay of 1 to 2 hours, ALWAYS. They code-share with China Eastern, maybe that's what dragged them down.

Shanghai Airlines is not Star Alliance anymore effective Nov 1.

Shanghai Airlines has been bought/acquired by China Eastern, although both brands are still operated separately, which is the reason behind the code-sharing and probably the delisting from Star Alliance.

KalanStar wrote:Don't use Chinese airlines. Not only do they lie, cheat, & steal, they don't have real pilots! Just washed-up cabbies that faked their resumes!

Not like you have a lot of choices, at least when you need to travel domestically

The fake resume/flight time record scandal affected Shenzhen Airlines after one of their subsdiaries plane crashed, hopefully this does not extend to all the airlines, at least not the big 3. I personally stick to the big three and to larger planes...

Its almost all the airlines in China,,I make 3-4 trips a month and 99% of the time there are delays.China Southern is the worst!!!

Yes true. I am actually surprised when a flight departs on time

^ I travel fairly often on China Eastern and they seem to be reliable (ish). Also, when using a chinese airline from another country I don't experience too many delays - I just get the impression that departing Pudong it's not a simple delay but the advertised departure time was never going to happen. They can only schedule an 10pm departure so advertise an 8pm and then feed you this crap at the airport.

Flying Chinese airlines deserves a whole other thread....

Delays depend on the weather conditions mostly.
I went to Shenzhen in September, that time they
had thunderstorms on the route. So flight was
delayed for 6 hours. I personally have no problem
with a delayed flight instead of going all in into the
storm.

I fly all the time. Shanghai Airlines is no worse or better than any of the others. The delays are mainly due to the fact the military controls 90% of the airspace in China so there's very little space and yet traffic has mushroomed in recent years. So for example, if there's bad weather, the planes can't always just fly around the storm so they have to wait.

Shouldn't the delay announcement be made by the airport?

Besides, going on CX or KA wouldn't be any better. Any delays in departure the Chinese airlines have priority over foreign airlines...or maybe just CX and KA.

Shenzhen Airlines suprised me by having great service, great cabins,etc like on par with air canada

MoonOverMiami wrote:Shouldn't the delay announcement be made by the airport?

Besides, going on CX or KA wouldn't be any better. Any delays in departure the Chinese airlines have priority over foreign airlines...or maybe just CX and KA.

I fly Cathay Pacific exclusively between Shanghai and New York. I always take the CX840 departing HKG at around 5pm, and choose the CX/KA flight between PVG and HKG with 1 hour transit time.

It worked out fine before, for years.
This time, at end of Oct, I had 1hr20mins of transit time, the boarding was on time at PVG, but plane sat on runway for 1 hour. As expected, we missed the connecting CX840, along with 1/2 dozen other people.
The CX agents told us, that flights leaving from PVG are delayed on regular basis now, so passengers should take that into consideration in future booking.

fWerrF wrote:The CX agents told us, that flights leaving from PVG are delayed on regular basis now, so passengers should take that into consideration in future booking.

Yes exactly it's not the airline in most cases it's the airport and air traffic controllers. The airline is powerless.

Not directing at OP or anyone in particular, but, many times, I read posts on this forum and wonder, are people just exaggerating, or do they really have bad luck, because I personally don't experience many of the bad stories people tell here.

I flew to many cities in China, some on regular basis, had used many airports and different carriers. I'd honestly say, 95% of time, my flights were on schedule (within reasonable margin like 10-15mins), I think really hard, I can only remember like 3 times where flights were delayed.

Either my luck is really good, or yours is really bad.

I have had problems on every domestic China flight I have been on so far.

Not huge problems, but everytime there is something...

Delays, change gates last minute, change terminal after 3 hours wait and 4 different gate switches, I once went to Pudong airport, when checking in they tell me the flight was changed to Hongqiao, Great! thanks for telling me now.

Always prepare for at least 1-2 hours delay... and you'll be fine

Always

95% on time?! That would be an impressive achievement for any airline in any country. I've flown fairly extensively in China on almost every airline and I'd say they are horrific at keeping scheduled departure times. China Southern and Shanghai Airlines are especially bad from among the 'majors'. Actually, I'm not sure I've flown out on time from Hongqiao.

Shenzhen airlines canceled a flight I was on one time but did not even change the scheduled departure time on the board to let the passengers know, nor did they inform their staff at the airport (Bangkok).

Fwrrf, sometimes I think you inhabit some magical parallel-universe China where everything runs smooth as butter, and this website is the keyhole between these two competing realities.

fWerrF wrote:Not directing at OP or anyone in particular, but, many times, I read posts on this forum and wonder, are people just exaggerating, or do they really have bad luck, because I personally don't experience many of the bad stories people tell here.

I flew to many cities in China, some on regular basis, had used many airports and different carriers. I'd honestly say, 95% of time, my flights were on schedule (within reasonable margin like 10-15mins), I think really hard, I can only remember like 3 times where flights were delayed.

Either my luck is really good, or yours is really bad.

No, you must just be lucky or full of crap. I could write a book on my airport adventures. Chinese new year last year my flight was due to leave HK at 7pm. We took off eventually at 9pm. Tried to land at Shanghai several times but failed due to the weather and ended up diverting to Hangzhou. Landed at 1am, four hours after leaving HK. Then could not leave the plane because the immigration officers had already gone home. We had to wait on the plane while they woke up the immigration officers and got them to the airport. This took 3 hours. So we left the aircraft at 4am. By the time we got through immigration and got our luggage it was 5am. We were then taken to a hotel and arrived at 5.30am. We had 2 hours sleep then were given the option of a bus to Shanghai or a bus back to Hangzhou airport to fly to Shanghai. I opted for the bus as I was afraid of further flight delays. Arrived in Shanghai at 1pm, 16 hours after I was due to land in Pudong. And that's just ONE story.

Yup!
I flew to Hong Kong with Dragon Air once, the same deal! Flying to Chongqing, delays are due! Flying to anywhere except real international flights -----> delays!!!

The pilot of Dragon Air told us passengers that it is more the rule than exception when flying in China, we had to just go with the flow and wait according to him. Military and international flights are to be blamed according to this pilot, some passengers (Chinese) got really angry. I think that's why the pilot gave us a 5 + minute explanation of why the flight was delayed, it was translated in to Chinese and Cantonese by a steward. We had a British pilot i think, he came over to the passengers area and talked to people and excused himself and Dragon Air for the lost time.

It is completely wrong to state that most flights depart almost on time, delays are MOST common here in China!

Stark wrote:95% on time?! That would be an impressive achievement for any airline in any country. I've flown fairly extensively in China on almost every airline and I'd say they are horrific at keeping scheduled departure times. China Southern and Shanghai Airlines are especially bad from among the 'majors'. Actually, I'm not sure I've flown out on time from Hongqiao.

Exactly, for the same airline, it would be nearly impossible.
Since it's for all different airlines, I am starting to think that I just have very good luck.

Stark wrote:Fwrrf, sometimes I think you inhabit some magical parallel-universe China where everything runs smooth as butter, and this website is the keyhole between these two competing realities.

I think you might have just nailed it on the head.

chingiskhan wrote:

fWerrF wrote:Not directing at OP or anyone in particular, but, many times, I read posts on this forum and wonder, are people just exaggerating, or do they really have bad luck, because I personally don't experience many of the bad stories people tell here.

I flew to many cities in China, some on regular basis, had used many airports and different carriers. I'd honestly say, 95% of time, my flights were on schedule (within reasonable margin like 10-15mins), I think really hard, I can only remember like 3 times where flights were delayed.

Either my luck is really good, or yours is really bad.

No, you must just be lucky or full of crap. I could write a book on my airport adventures. Chinese new year last year my flight was due to leave HK at 7pm. We took off eventually at 9pm. Tried to land at Shanghai several times but failed due to the weather and ended up diverting to Hangzhou. Landed at 1am, four hours after leaving HK. Then could not leave the plane because the immigration officers had already gone home. We had to wait on the plane while they woke up the immigration officers and got them to the airport. This took 3 hours. So we left the aircraft at 4am. By the time we got through immigration and got our luggage it was 5am. We were then taken to a hotel and arrived at 5.30am. We had 2 hours sleep then were given the option of a bus to Shanghai or a bus back to Hangzhou airport to fly to Shanghai. I opted for the bus as I was afraid of further flight delays. Arrived in Shanghai at 1pm, 16 hours after I was due to land in Pudong. And that's just ONE story.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but don't understand why you think I need to lie about mine.
This is not a dating site that you try to make a 21 yrs old hot chick think you look like Brad Pitt and have 20 millions in the bank. We are just talking about airlines on Shanghaiexpat for God's sake.

If it makes any difference, I do not fly during holidays, and I usually only fly to popular destinations (major cities, touristy cities).

I am a very picky person, and always want things to go my way, so if I experience something unpleasant, I will always remember. but right now I am thinking hard, all I remember is:

--- Flying from Guilin to Sanya, last September, a midnight flight, 1 hr delay.
--- Flying from Shanghai to Lijiang, the 2nd leg (Kunming to Lijiang), the Lijaing airport had strong wind, we could not land, returned to Kunming, back to Lijiang, still could not land, back to Kunming again, 3rd try to Lijiang, finally landed.
--- Flying from PVG to BKK this August, delayed 1 hr 20 mins, I made a post here about it while waiting at the lounge, supposedly some VIP was in transit or whatever and everything was delayed.

I honestly, truthfully, really can not recall other flight delays or unpleasant experience flying on Chinese airlines. This is since 2006 when I started coming back to China multiple times every year and visiting different cities on every trip.

I think PVG should cut some slots for domestic and international flights because its quite apparent the current arrangement with commercial and military flights are causing too many delays. Just saying PVG does not need 35 daily flights departing for HKG...cut back some slots for CX or KA, and make Shanghai Airlines/China Eastern use larger aircraft for this flight and cut back the number of flights. Actually, they should make domestic airliners use larger aircraft and fewer flights out of PVG to help alleviate the traffic.

Edit: Just looked at other international cities and there are 11 daily flights leaving PVG for Osaka, and 16 daily flights leaving for Tokyo. Seems a bit excessive.

MoonOverMiami wrote:I think PVG should cut some slots for domestic and international flights because its quite apparent the current arrangement with commercial and military flights are causing too many delays. Just saying PVG does not need 35 daily flights departing for HKG...cut back some slots for CX or KA, and make Shanghai Airlines/China Eastern use larger aircraft for this flight and cut back the number of flights. Actually, they should make domestic airliners use larger aircraft and fewer flights out of PVG to help alleviate the traffic.

Edit: Just looked at other international cities and there are 11 daily flights leaving PVG for Osaka, and 16 daily flights leaving for Tokyo. Seems a bit excessive.

That makes total sense to me. You should join those air traffic controllers out at PVG and "tell them like it is".

I often take the red eye to Hanoi on Shanghai Air and find it delayed 15 out of 20 times.

F0CK.
Luck might be coming to an end, my flight (China Eastern) is actually delayed!

I've never been delayed more than 30 mins on KA / CX, but Shanghai Air seem to be disastrous. I guess it is probably just down to luck, but it's not only the delay - it's the crap way it's handled (not being announced, stonewalled by the staff). I know this should probably come as no surprise over here, but it did raise my suspicions of something more systemic with Sh Air.

FWerrF - Too bad on the delay...where you headed?

Chris_S_UK wrote:I've never been delayed more than 30 mins on KA / CX, but Shanghai Air seem to be disastrous. I guess it is probably just down to luck, but it's not only the delay - it's the crap way it's handled (not being announced, stonewalled by the staff). I know this should probably come as no surprise over here, but it did raise my suspicions of something more systemic with Sh Air.

FWerrF - Too bad on the delay...where you headed?

Bangkok.
Scheduled to arrive at 1am, landed at 2:45am, sucked.
Checked into hotel at 3:30am, all my friends were waiting, we went out, grabbed some bites on street, chilled at one of the street liquor cart, drank until 6:30am, back to hotel for B-fast, still made the most out of the night I guess LOL.

the situation in china is chaotic and ridiculous...

last time i flew to europe from pudong, the boarding was completed 30 min. earlier then departure time and they let us wait for more than 1 1/2 hour past departure time...

pilot apologized quite often and told us, they needed to wait for clearance from tower! of course looking out of the window there was absolutely no traffic around...so seriously what will they do once the traffic density reaches levels of the real major international airports and hubs??? ...total standstill...

^ Not been here long?

Quite common knowlege that the military controls most of the airspace, and there is a MAJOR air base near the airport. They close the airspace as they do their military shite, and there's nothing the control tower can do about it.