After spending nearly two weeks in Beijing and Shanghai, it was time to head back home to Germany. To do so, we booked a direct flight with Air China from Beijing to Frankfurt. This article covers the whole flight experience in Air Chinas B777-300ER Business Class.
Details:
Route: Beijing (PEK) to Frankfurt (FRA)
Airline: Air China
Airplane: B777-300ER
Departure: 1:45pm
Flight time: 9h 50min
Class: Business Class
Seat: 14A
Check-In:
Our trip started on a sunny morning in a hotel in Beijing. We stayed in a hotel close to the airport to avoid the traffic jams in the city. After checking out, we took the complemetary shuttle to the airport and after 15 minutes we arrived at the international Terminal 1. The terminal was very spacious and modern, the Air China check-in area was located directly behind the security check at the entrance. The check-in was empty and within a few minutes we received our boarding passes for the flight to Frankfurt. Besides the red carpet it was a pretty normal Check-In procedure.
Boarding:
After staying (in the very underwhelming) Air China lounge, we headed to our gate, E13, around 50 minutes before departure time. The boarding started around 40 minutes before departure time and the process was divided into groups. First Class passengers were the first group to board being followed by Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold cardholders. After that, Economy Class passengers were allowed to board the B777-300ER.
At the door, we were greeted in a friendly manner and were shown the way to our seats. After taking some pictures and putting our luggage into the overhead compartments, we were offered a welcome drink. There was a choice between orange juice, water and champagne.
We opted for the orange juice and were handed a hot towel as well to freshen up. One of the flight attendance also gave us the menu for the flight and a pair of comfortable slippers.
Rating: 3.5/5
Seat:
Air china uses an outdated 2-2-2 configuration in its B777-300s. If you wanna fly one of their newer cabins from China, I would recommend to either fly the A350 or B787. The configuration means that not every passenger has direct aisle access. If you are travelling as a couple like we did, this will not bother you as much as for somebody who is traveling alone. The seats are designed in a purple and dark grey colorway with Air China logos on every seat. The Business Class cabin felt quite spacious due to the small overhead compartments.
Between two seats was a small divider as well as a table. The table was pretty small. Every passenger had an individual screen as well, but the video qualitity was not that great unfortunaly. It was also lagging a lot when using the touchscreen. To avoid that, there was a remote control at every seat. In addition to that, there was an USB-charger as well as a small stowage room at every seat. However, the charging speed was extremely slow.
On the left seat of every seat was a small stowage room and a cup/bottleholder. During boarding, the headphones were stowed there. There was a reading lamp as well.
There was also a footrest under each seat where shoes could be placed. A small shelf was located between the footrest and the screen to store small items during the flight.
The best part of every Business Class flight is the fully functional seat. Air Chinas Business Class seat also had multiple functions for different seating positions. The footrest, the seating area and the firmness of the upholstery could be adjusted. Unfortunately, the seat did not have any massage function.
Rating: 2.5/5
Food and beverages:
As its the standard on many Asian airlines, there was a choice between a western and traditional Asian menu.
I always tend to opt for the menu that fits the departure airport - in this case the Chinese menu from Beijing. This was a good decision as I enjoyed my food more than my accompaniment who took the western menu. While the crew prepared the first course, we received a small bowl of roasted nuts.
After that, we had to choose between two different appetizers. As it was only a small portion, I took both of them to try. On of the dishes was scallop stewer and the other one a smoked salman tartare. Both of them were absolutely delicious.
The first course was a western appetizer consisting of a piece of lobster on potato salad, salad and pan-fried tuna. This was a cold dish and really good as well. Especially the tuna tasted amazing. There was also a variety of different bread rolls to choose from.
My girlfriend tried the western option as the main dish and to be fair this wasn't good and barely edible. Nevertheless, my choice was excellent and of the best main dishes I ever had on a plane. I chose the sliced roasted duck with vegetables and a sort of thin crepe. With the roasted duck and vegetables, you could make a kind of wrap yourself. Together with the soya sauce, it was delicious. The duck was tender and one of the best I've had so far in my life.
For dessert there was a choice between chocolate cake, fresh fruits as well as a cheesecake. I tried all options and both cakes tasted pretty good. But the fruits were not ripe and very sour.
There was another meal around two hours before landing. A beef soup with noodles, a salad with roasted duck and fresh fruits. The soup and salad were both delicious, but the fruits were not that good again.
I found the branded chopsticks, which I was also allowed to take with me, very unique. They were consisting of very high-quality wood and had a metal lettering.
During the flight there was also an open bar in the galley with a variety of different snacks. Different chocolate bars, crisps, fruits and drinks were available. Unfortunately, the crew did not pay that much attention to the bar. Due to that, there was nothing left after a few hours into the flight and it never got refilled. They also had problems with the availability of various drink. In Beijing, only a few bottles of Coke Zero were loaded, which is why there were none left after the second course
Rating: 4/5
Amenities:
On this 10 hour flight we received an amenity kit as well as a pair of slippers. There was no pyjama given to the passengers on this flight (it was a day flight).
The amenity kit was well equipped with a toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, cremes, lip balm as well as an eye shade and earplugs.
In addition to that, there was a blanket and pillow as well to relax and sleep on the flight. Both were comfortable and perfectly fine.
Rating: 4/5
Service:
As with most asian airlines, flight attendants tend to be more reserved, Air China was no exception. Despite the fact that they were a little reserved, they were friendly and obliging. The service for dinner started around 20 minutes after takeoff and another 45 minutes later all courses were served. The service was not only quick, but the flight attendants were very attentive as well as they were asking for our drinking choices everytime they passed our seats.
Rating: 3.5/5
Result:
The flight with Air China was definitely very pleasant. Unfortunately, the seat was not optimal due to the 2-2-2 configuration and also somewhat outdated due to its age. The food, on the other hand, was above average and the main course in particular was very tasty. The boarding and check-in process was nothing out of the ordinary, but very efficient and quick. The service was also not particularly outstanding, but definitely courteous and friendly.
Check-In and Boarding: 3.5/5
Seat: 2.5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Food and drinks: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Total: 17.5/25
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