Although I’m no rookie to air travel, China Southern Airlines reviews have been notably absent from my blog for longer than I care to admit. I travel to China at least once a year, and being one of the country’s largest air carriers, even I am surprised that I have managed to avoid them for as long as I have.
Spoiler alert: the “f-g-l-t-o-w-m” keys on my keyboard were still completely functional after I finished writing this review. Yup – I actually didn’t have to use as many lol’s, wtf’s and omg’s as I thought I would!
CZ3585
Shanghai, China (PVG) – Guangzhou, China (CAN)
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Aircraft: A321
Registration: B-8966
Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes
Seat: 56A (economy)
China Southern A321 side view illustration by Norebbo.comOur route from PVG to CAN this evening as CZ3585
My full review of China Southern Airlines A321 economy from Shanghai to Guangzhou
Even though I said in the intro that this experience wasn’t as shocking and unexpected as I thought it was going to be, I still had some difficulty scraping up enough content to put together a full length review of this flight. I am not one to make excuses or anything, but it was really dark, really late, and I was really tired (especially since I had just got off a 14 hour flight from Los Angeles). I did what I could.
Yup, I just arrived here in Shanghai after a long flight from LAX and I’ve got quite a lot on my mind at the moment.First and foremost, I’m here to catch China Southern Airlines flight number 3585 to Guangzhou.I’m also trying really hard to enjoy this, but I just can’t because my phone keeps blowing up with really scary coronavirus news. Today is January 22nd by the way – just one day before they started quarantining off entire cities here in China.You know that kick in the gut feeling you get when you realize that you messed up really bad and there’s no turning back? I got that.Anyway, I’m here so I might as well press on. Besides, as morbid as it may sound, I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as bad content. If I end up dead from doing China Southern Airlines reviews, well, at least I can say I died doing what I love.And who knows? If I die, you might end up getting a detailed hospital review out of it (if I can hang on long enough).Anyway, the second thing on my mind this evening was figuring out how to get myself back into economy class mode.My ride this evening. It was an awesome business class experience on the flight over from LA, but back to reality I go for my flight down to Guangzhou…(holy crap that rhymes!)I didn’t realize it at the time, but this is the brand new satellite terminal here at PVG. Not very crowded in here tonight it seems.Gate H190 is our departure point to Guangzhou tonight. Is it just me, or…does “H190” sound like a really good name for a deadly virus?
The boarding process for China Southern flight number 3585 to Guangzhou
I’ve done some stupid things in my life, but how stupid of me was it to get on this plane without a face mask?So yeah. This is my first ever China Southern review. It’s a two hour flight down to Guangzhou tonight, and scary threats of the coronavirus or not, I’m ready!It’s true. China Southern Airlines reviews are far more exciting when there’s real danger of ending up dead from a pesky virus.No way I’m going in if I hear anyone sneeze.
The seats
Those of you who read my China Southern A330-300 economy review will no doubt start feeling some déjà vu as you scroll down from here. Other than the lack of video screens, the seats look nearly identical to that widebody regional product.
Let’s see here: there’s some blue premium “first class” seats….the leg room looks decent, and yeah….I’m pretty much the only person on this plane not wearing a face mask. What could possibly go wrong?The China Southern Airlines economy cabin. On a side note, what do you suppose she’s thinking about the nerdy white guy coming at her with a GoPro in hand?China Southern Airlines A321 economy seats. I’m still seeing oceans of blue fabric, but what happened to all the leg room I just saw up in first class? Can we get some of that back here please?If I hadn’t just stepped off a long 14 hour flight from the US, and I was still feeling snappy and fresh, I’d be able to come up with a really clever way of describing just how tight this seat pitch is. With my current state of mind, all I can think of is: “thhhppppt!”I’ve been awake for 36 hours now, I’m in a country where I cannot speak the language, and I’m sitting deep in the bowels of an airplane which will take me closer to the epicenter of the Coronavirus. This is fun, I promise!Oh – I keep forgetting this is supposed to be a China Southern economy class review. Therefore, Here’s some mandatory footage of the power outlets found at the base of every seat.
A few pics of the departure sequence
All you fellow world travelers out there know the feeling of sitting cold, tired, and somewhat helpless in the back of a dark airplane in a strange country late at night.I wasn’t even sure I was on the right plane, but all I could hope for was ending up in a warm bed tonight (preferably the one I had originally reserved).Our departure out of Shanghai this evening was delayed by about 10 minutes or so, but really. Who cares? The biggest issue I’m facing right now is staying awake long enough to finish what is the first of (hopefully) many other China Southern reviews to come…Blasting out of Shanghai for the 2 and a half hour flight down to Guangzhou.
The food
Wanna know what’s really trippy? Waking up from a dead sleep and having to immediately digest a luxury car advertisement. Talk about being transported to a third dimension against my will or something!The tripiness continued when the flight attendant instantly switched from lighting fast Mandarin Chinese to near-native English when offering me the in flight meal. “It’s beef!” she said proudly and confidently – more clearly and precise than even I could say it.I will say that this in flight meal brought me back to consciousness better than I imagined it would. No, it wasn’t all that good, but I’ve got got enough energy now to push on to Guangzhou. I think. Maybe?I spent the remaining 30 minutes of this flight contemplating my plan of attack for my arrival into Guangzhou. More specifically: when I turn on my phone, do I dare check the latest Coronavirus news? Or do I do take the “ignorance is bliss” approach?
Arrival into Guangzhou
Huge props to the guy sitting next to me who cleared my tray table for me (and then latched it back into place) when the flight attendants made the announcement to do so. He apparently assumed that I didn’t understand what was happening, which led me to believe that I must look more like a tourist here in China than I thought I did.Welcome to Guangzhou! It’s just past midnight now, I’m barely clinging to consciousness, and you’re probably wondering: am I still feeling the blues? Actually…no. I’m not. However, it’s too late to go back and change the music (note anyone reading this: the soundtrack of this video had a very heavy “blues” vibe to it).China Southern A321 economy class isn’t much to talk about (especially considering how cramped these seats are) but, in all fairness, it wasn’t any worse than what I’ve experienced in United A320 economy for example.Apparently the protocol for getting out of an economy seat here in China is to be as aggressive as possible, because ain’t nobody was gonna stop to let me out!Anyway, thanks for watching reading! If you’ve ever wanted to see me frolic around in Singapore Airlines 787-10 business class, you’re in luck because that trip report is next.Until then, thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you in the next one.
Pros and cons of China Southern Airlines A321 economy class
I usually jot down a lot of notes as I travel, helping to ensure that I remember the little details about each of my flight experiences. The funny thing about this particular china southern experience was the fact that I returned home with a long list of cons and exactly zero pros. Maybe it was because of the fact that I had been awake for 36 hours as I stepped onto this airplane?
However, to be completely fair and impartial, I was able to think of a few more good things about this flight that are worth noting. In hindsight, it wasn’t completely miserable.
Pros
They actually served a hot meal. Yes, it was small, but it was hot and substantial enough to fend off my grumbling stomach (for a little while).
As best as I could tell, nearly the entire cabin crew spoke very fluent English. As matter fact, all announcements were made in Chinese and English and I didn’t feel out of the loop on anything.
The plane looked to be extremely clean (in and out) and very well-maintained.
They got me to my destination safely and (mostly) on time. Can’t fault that.
Cons
The seat pitch was absolutely miserable. It should be noted that I’m not excessively tall or anything (5’-10”), but I was most certainly feeling cramped for the entire flight.
You know that hot meal I just mentioned in the “pros” list? It wasn’t very good.
This isn’t a dig against China Southern Airlines or anything, but more about flying economy class in China in general: Basically, there’s no sense of organization and politeness when trying to get out of the seat at the end of the flight. It’s a total free-for-all, and you gotta be aggressive if you don’t want to be the last off the plane!
The most important thing for you to know is that China Southern Airlines economy isn’t all that bad. But they aren’t all that great either. As long as you go into it knowing that it’s not much better than basic transportation, you’re likely to have a decent experience.
Very good! Although things were very quiet because things were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday + the Coronavirus outbreak. I will go back to Guangzhou someday – it’s a beautiful city.
Yes,Guangzhou is a beautiful city,I am a fan in from Guangzhou.But for the Covid 19, Guangzhou would be very lively and crowded. Now China is slowly recovering and more and more air route are restored.I believe that we can travel savely in a month.
You should try STARLUX and their A321neo. I hear they may even be better than Eva Air. I’m just waiting until they start flights to NRT. It’ll make my life better.
You haven’t been paying attention, have you Albert? Haha..just kidding. I actually have flown Starlux, and I enjoyed the experience quite a bit: https://youtu.be/2QFToIKuB0E
Yes,it is a new air lines in Taiwan,I think their A321 neo economy class is the most excellent among all Chinese air lines.I don’t believe there is a PTV in front of every seat in A321.
I don’t know why Chinese carriers love the “Beef Burger” so much, they were tin-foiled with disgusting taste and almost no passenger like that. The only time I had a relatively “delicious” one was on a low-cost airline called the Capital Airlines. Yep, the Capital Airlines not operating in Beijing Capital Airport and have more destinations in HGH. I heard that the reason why they love this is because it’s so cheap and due to religion issues there’s no pork-made food provided in mainland china. Almost all carriers are keeping up with US or EU airlines to reduce expenditure DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS BY CAAC. So sad…
In the future, if you have the chance to. You should definitely try China Southern on a longer and international route that has a widebody aircraft because they are so much better on international routes. I have tried many Chinese Airlines when going back to china almost twice a year before COVID and I can say that China Southern is one of the best when flying internationally. Also the widebody is a KEY factor!
Yeah, I really do want to try China Southern on a longer route! It’s probably not going to happen soon (given that China is still basically closed to foreigners) – but I plan to do it eventually.
I’ve flown China Southern several times between China and Japan, and it was perfectly acceptable. I experienced the exact same seats as you, and since I’m 5’7″, I found the legroom to be decent. But as I keep getting taller, things could change!
I’m flying CS June 30th from Chongqing to Tokyo/Haneda via Guangzhou. The first leg is 2hrs, while the second leg is 4hrs 30mins. I get airsick easily on flights longer than 2hrs, so do you have any tips?
I will admit that this flight surprised me more than anything else. I wasn’t expecting much, but it ended up being (mostly) good.
Unfortunately, I have very little to offer when it comes to tips for preventing air sickness. My best suggestion is to keep looking at the horizon (far out into the distance). The only time I ever got sick on a plane was because we were experiencing turbulence in the clouds and I couldn’t see the ground (or sky). That was rough – but I felt much better once I could see the ground again.
Ok, so nerd alert. Those “first class” seats are not first class. They are called “Pearl Economy”, which is marketing-speak for premium economy. The differences? Well, Pearl Economy has a adjustable 4 way headrest, while basic economy does not. Pearl Economy also offers 35 inches of legroom, compared to 30 inches for basic economy. Both have a 4.5 inch recline.
A last bit of confusing info: Pearl Economy is referred to as “Economy” on international routes. #wtf
Good to know Michael – thanks! Hopefully I’ll be able to try it for myself someday. And not only because I think I’d have a lot of fun things to say about the “Pearl Economy” thing. That’s just the kind of fodder I need for a good (dorky) airline review!
Anthony Rodriguez Moya
How was the things in China?
SANspotter
Very good! Although things were very quiet because things were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday + the Coronavirus outbreak. I will go back to Guangzhou someday – it’s a beautiful city.
Allen Ku
Yes,Guangzhou is a beautiful city,I am a fan in from Guangzhou.But for the Covid 19, Guangzhou would be very lively and crowded. Now China is slowly recovering and more and more air route are restored.I believe that we can travel savely in a month.
SANspotter
I can’t wait to visit Guangzhou again when things get better. It’s a beautiful city!
Albert
You should try STARLUX and their A321neo. I hear they may even be better than Eva Air. I’m just waiting until they start flights to NRT. It’ll make my life better.
SANspotter
You haven’t been paying attention, have you Albert? Haha..just kidding. I actually have flown Starlux, and I enjoyed the experience quite a bit: https://youtu.be/2QFToIKuB0E
Allen Ku
Yes,it is a new air lines in Taiwan,I think their A321 neo economy class is the most excellent among all Chinese air lines.I don’t believe there is a PTV in front of every seat in A321.
Oscar
I don’t know why Chinese carriers love the “Beef Burger” so much, they were tin-foiled with disgusting taste and almost no passenger like that. The only time I had a relatively “delicious” one was on a low-cost airline called the Capital Airlines. Yep, the Capital Airlines not operating in Beijing Capital Airport and have more destinations in HGH. I heard that the reason why they love this is because it’s so cheap and due to religion issues there’s no pork-made food provided in mainland china. Almost all carriers are keeping up with US or EU airlines to reduce expenditure DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS BY CAAC. So sad…
Lucas
In the future, if you have the chance to. You should definitely try China Southern on a longer and international route that has a widebody aircraft because they are so much better on international routes. I have tried many Chinese Airlines when going back to china almost twice a year before COVID and I can say that China Southern is one of the best when flying internationally. Also the widebody is a KEY factor!
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, I really do want to try China Southern on a longer route! It’s probably not going to happen soon (given that China is still basically closed to foreigners) – but I plan to do it eventually.
Michael
I’ve flown China Southern several times between China and Japan, and it was perfectly acceptable. I experienced the exact same seats as you, and since I’m 5’7″, I found the legroom to be decent. But as I keep getting taller, things could change!
I’m flying CS June 30th from Chongqing to Tokyo/Haneda via Guangzhou. The first leg is 2hrs, while the second leg is 4hrs 30mins. I get airsick easily on flights longer than 2hrs, so do you have any tips?
Scott (SANspotter)
I will admit that this flight surprised me more than anything else. I wasn’t expecting much, but it ended up being (mostly) good.
Unfortunately, I have very little to offer when it comes to tips for preventing air sickness. My best suggestion is to keep looking at the horizon (far out into the distance). The only time I ever got sick on a plane was because we were experiencing turbulence in the clouds and I couldn’t see the ground (or sky). That was rough – but I felt much better once I could see the ground again.
Michael
Ok, so nerd alert. Those “first class” seats are not first class. They are called “Pearl Economy”, which is marketing-speak for premium economy. The differences? Well, Pearl Economy has a adjustable 4 way headrest, while basic economy does not. Pearl Economy also offers 35 inches of legroom, compared to 30 inches for basic economy. Both have a 4.5 inch recline.
A last bit of confusing info: Pearl Economy is referred to as “Economy” on international routes. #wtf
Scott (SANspotter)
Good to know Michael – thanks! Hopefully I’ll be able to try it for myself someday. And not only because I think I’d have a lot of fun things to say about the “Pearl Economy” thing. That’s just the kind of fodder I need for a good (dorky) airline review!