Hello everybody, welcome to my blog. This post is kinda special because this is the first time I speak up about the worst flying experience ever, even worse than Lion Air Indonesia.
Diclaimer : This post has been made based on my personal travel experience. I don't mean to make the bad reputation of the airlines or provocate other people not to take it. I just want everybody to be aware of what is the worst scenario if you fly with China Souther Airlines.
On 2nd of March 2019, I had a flight from Franfurt to Kuala Lumpur with China Southern Airlines.
The price of the ticket was really cheap around 420 Euro for round trip. This was the first time I try any kind of flights that has the transit in China. I felt really insecure. However, my husband and I thought it wouldn't kill us to try. ( We were really wrong!)
This first problem,
I can't do online check in because my name is too long.
I know, this sounds ridiculous, but trust me, when it happens to you, it is not funny at all. I didn't know how to trick the system to let me check it until I contact someone via email after the first flight from Frankfurt - Kuala lumpur. So luckily on the flight back, I can check in online.
The customer service told me to just input the first name and the last name.
Okay, why this was a problem? Because when you can't do the online check in, it means that you will get the leafover seats. Let's move on to problem number 2 which is really connected with this one.
The second problem,
Visa requirement for transit less than 6 hours?
I am Indonesian passport holder with German resident permit. I did the research on the website and even called the customer service 2 or 3 months before my departure to really make sure that I don't need the visa for transit.
During my check in March 2nd, 2019, the staff (woman, middle age, boyish looking, a little bit stout) told me that I can't fly because I don't have the visa. I was like WTF dude, your staff told me via phone that it was okay and now you told me I can't fly?
It took forever for them to let me fly, the chinese girl (I don't who, maybe the supervisor) was trying to call the China airport to make sure and so on. And in the end I just asked them to give me the paper that I should sign that I was aware about the situationa and law and if I get deported, it will be my own risk. Okay, no problem at all. Because I know the law and this was a discrimitation.
Because of all these bullshit ( we had not check in yet), we need to wait of all passangers to board to be allowed to enter the plane. We need to rush to the immigration, and not be able to sit together.
Not to mention that CHINESE TOURISTS ARE THE WORST TOURIST EVER. If you are chinese and you are offended, please tell your people to behave! Don't be noisy, please queue, be be on time!
The third problem,
Delay delay and run!
Our plane had technical support in Changsha Airport. It means that all passagers need to leave the plane and wait in the boarding room (go through immigration, scan, and so on). The shit started to happen again, the flight was delayed. All passangers were inside the plane. Correction, we thought all passangers were inside, but the plane was not moving at all. I over hear the man asked the flight attendant why we were stucked, and she said, they were waiting for other passangers from another plane to go inside this plane because their plane was delay. I can't know tell you what exactly she said because they were talking in Chinese and my Chinese are limited to the basic conversation.
If you see our ticket, we need to have one more transit in Guangzhou. Our plane from Changsha was definetely about 1 hour late, means that we faced another drama in Guangzhou.
After we landed, we were rushed to immidiatelly go to another plane. We need to pass FIVE SECURITY SCANS (no kidding) go to immigration, and RUN. FUCKING RUNNING. The airport is fucking big and I was totally tired after long flight.
We managed to go inside the plane safely. The plane has no screen, so the journey was totally suck. Food was okay. The flighr attendants were not friendly as always.
But.... the bad luck had not stop until here and that brings us to the last problem.
The last one,
WHERE IS OUR BAGAGE?
We were happy after finally landing. However we need to rush because we had another flight to catch. We arrived around 17.10 in Kuala Lumpur Airport.
While waiting, we heard our names and 4 other passangers were being called. That was not good. We went to the airlines room and they told us that our bagage was left behind and will be in Kuala Lumpur at 20.00 the same day.
I said no! We had flight to catch, it was impossible to get the bagage today. The girl said that they can send the bagage to Bali Airport and we can pick it up the next morning. I was asking about the dispensation money, and nope. Not even a cent.
All our clothes and sanitary things were in the bag. We definetly need to shower after long flight. Without that, we need to buy the stuffs which costing money. And also to go pick up our bagage to the airport also costing money. Taxi airports are expensive.
We were really tired to argue more. We left with disappointment.
Conclusion,
if you were lucky, I think this shit won't happen to you. But shit happens to everyone. So be prepare!
This probably will be my last experience with China Southern Airlines. Next year, I will be using Air China. Well.... it's kinda the same, but let see. What could be worse, right?
The price different is about 150 Euro per person = 300 Euro saving for us. There will be the time when 300 Euro means nothing compare to our satisfaction and safety, but for now, 300 Euro is a lot of money to spend in South East Asia, and we choose to spend it wisely.
I hope my post will give a bit insight before booking the ticket with China Southern Airlines. We are really thankful for the cabin crews that were taking us safely during the flight. The flight was really safe for a little money.
Last but not the least, I hope China Southern Airlines could be better from time to time. Flying should not be that expensive and their company prove that.
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