Air China Reviews 

I wanted to move my flight due to external circumstances, and happy to pay the £130 fee.

Apparently the difference between my current and new flights was £170 even though I could see on the website it's £50. They couldn't answer how the £170 was made up when the flights were only £50 different, apparently more taxes and costs.... Not honest company at all, poor to non existent customer service

We flew Air China from London to Tokyo via Shanghai. I would have given Air China a 5-star review as the planes were good, the air stewards were amazing, the food more than acceptable, the seats comfortable and the entertainment entertaining. And our flights were almost half the price of direct flights with other national carriers.

But, and it's a big but, while we were in Japan we got an email telling us they had cancelled the first leg of our journey home (Tokyo to Shanghai). No alternative flight given, only a couple of phone numbers, one in Europe and one in Japan. We attempted calling both numbers a number of times over several days and at considerable cost to ourselves as we could only use payphones as roaming charges would have cost us a fortune, but no one ever picked up, even after being on hold for over an hour. Disappointingly, they wouldn't rebook us via email. In the end we had to divert our trip to their office in Nagoya so we could request a new flight in person. They did this for us no problem and despite a longer than planned layover in Shanghai, we got home on the correct Shanghai to London flight.

So, as long as you don't need to contact their customer services while abroad, I would recommend Air China.

Worst experience ever. The flight from Bangkok to Barcelona was delayed at the start and therefore we were late on the connecting flight. After asking the staff for guidance and actually getting in contact with the ground they refused any help and simpel said they don’t support or contact other flights. Once we arrived we had 5 min to board the other flight to Barcelona , the security was extra slow and the gate closed without even waiting 4 min, that was the delay we arrived there , after spending another 3h at the airport to talk to many different people to get a rebooking and a hotel for the night , at 5am we were in the hotel - avoid this company

Flying with Air China is fine but the process before is bad i.e. managing bookings and checking in

Unhelpful and unfriendly staff.
Also permitted Chinese passengers to move freely around the cabin but I was told immediately to return to my seat when trying to fetch something from my bag while the seatbelt light wasn’t illuminated.

London to Bangkok with a stop in Beijing, paid £915 for 2 people economy in Nov 2024. For this price you can't fault them! Plane was on time, food was adequate, cabin crew excellent, seats were fine i mean this was economy so don't expect to lie down flat! The only issue i have with this airline is that you get the email when you booked the flight but you don't get a reminder email so ensure you keep that original email. Planning another air china trip in 6 months again looks to be the cheapest.BTW UK passport holders can get 10 days transit visa free travel in China now look it up.

Recently flew Air China from Manila to Beijing, then Beijing to LHR and was a pretty good experience. Okay, they're not Oman Air, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates or Etihad Business Classes, but they still made Britshit Airways Business Class look like the pile of crap it is! The inflight service from the flight attendants and the local dishes were simply brilliant. On my first flight I had no one sitting next to me, so that was great. 2nd flight the nice elderly Chinese gentlemen, kept his seat in the upright position, so there was no need for me to jump over his legs, to use the bathroom. The 1st class Lounge at Beijing Airport was very good also. The savings i'd made using them, one way from Manila to London, compared to the earlier airlines i'd mentioned was £1080 to 1700. So yes, I would highly recommnend flying Business class with Air China. Brilliant In-Flight service!

I had an awful experience with Air China, and I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone. My friend accidentally booked a ticket in their name instead of mine, and we simply wanted to correct the name. This should be a straightforward fix, but Air China made it impossible.

We tried everything. We emailed, called, and even spoke to a representative who told us to contact their European office for assistance. After days of back and forth, we were completely denied any help or solution. They showed no understanding or willingness to resolve such a basic issue.

Their lack of empathy and rigid policies are shocking. It felt like we were talking to a brick wall the entire time. Save yourself the headache—choose an airline that actually values its customers.

-⭐/5

Worst Airline ever. Cancelled my second leg flight day before the travel only with a mail. There is no way to call or communicate with them. Never again!

i flew with air china from italy to australia in 2012 and from italy to thailand in 2019, everything went smoothly. the xperience was not top-notch but YOu know: you get what you pay for! I had to reschedule my return flight and did it over the phone, overall a good experience

Ludicrous customer service.
To check my flight information, get a refund or a re-scheduling takes a lifetime, everything is handled through call centers that DO NOT have the staff to handle all calls, so you're left on your own. No in-website ticket management, moreover they change flights repeatedly, without telling you; so if you go to the airport and didn't notice before, you're gonna be very pissed off.
I've got a duplicate flight confirmation for my Haneda->
Rome ticket, on both 29th and 30th of December, but it says that both have experienced changes and now I'm left wondering wether I'll be able to go back home or not...

At first I was worried after seeing the reviews. But I can confirm I had no issues what so ever. Flight was on time, customer service was great and seats were like most other airlines, except at a much better price! I will definitely be flying with Air China again.

I’ve traveled extensively with various airlines, but I’ve never encountered an air hostess like Zheng Xingming from Air China. She is, without a doubt, the best I have ever experienced in all my years of flying. Her professionalism, warmth, and attention to detail go far beyond what I could have expected. Every interaction with her felt personal and genuine—she truly made the flight unforgettable. Zheng's ability to remain calm, accommodating, and friendly even during challenging situations is remarkable. She embodies the very best qualities of hospitality and service. In my opinion, Zheng is a true gem, and Air China is incredibly fortunate to have her as part of their team. She is, quite simply, beyond humanity in the best way possible. (Date of experience 15/11/2024- while flying from Thailand to Beijing from CA 0980)

My recent experience with Air China regarding a refund has been nothing short of appalling. I was forced to cancel my flight from London Gatwick to Phuket via Chengdu after the airline cancelled it with no explanation provided. I immediately initiated a refund request through their website. But it has now been over 16 days, and I have yet to receive my refund of approximately £500. My customer reference number is 40-485725660.

My attempts to contact their customer service department have been met with endless frustration. I spent over an hour on hold only to be disconnected. My emails have gone unanswered. I spoke with an agent who offered no solutions and simply told me to wait longer. This complete lack of communication and accountability is outrageous.

To date, Air China has failed to provide the refund, offer adequate customer support, or even offer a basic explanation for the flight cancellation. This is unacceptable. Because of this ongoing situation, I have had to miss my holiday and still be out of pocket. I strongly urge Air China to take immediate action to improve their refund process, customer service, and communication with passengers. This level of service is simply not acceptable for an international airline.

Outbound Flight (19/10 London to Shanghai, connecting 20/10 Shanghai to Osaka)
Our journey began with a poor seating experience. My partner and I were seated apart on both flights, and only on the second leg did a kind passenger agree to swap seats with us so we could sit together. It seems that seating with Air China is essentially a lottery—their website is completely dysfunctional. No one we spoke to was able to check in online, and even families with young children were separated, needing last-minute swaps to sit together.

Return Flight (01/11 Tokyo Narita to Shanghai)
Our return flight from Tokyo Narita to Shanghai was canceled due to "bad weather," though other airlines were still flying to Shanghai. When we asked Air China staff for an explanation, they seemed confused, with one employee even surprised to hear that other airlines were operating as usual. We ended up waiting seven and a half hours at the airport to be rebooked, with no communication or updates from Air China staff. We had to rely on information from other passengers who managed to reach Air China by phone. Each passenger was given a piece of paper with a contact number, only to discover that getting through was nearly impossible because everyone was calling at once.

Despite being a Star Alliance member, Air China made seemingly no effort to utilize this affiliation to find alternative flights with other Star Alliance airlines that could have gotten us home sooner. Instead, we were left waiting in a chaotic situation with no clear guidance. Initially, all passengers were asked to wait in a single long line, only to be split hours later into three separate queues by destination (London, Milan, or Frankfurt). Some passengers were told the next available flight was 05/11, while others, like us, were rebooked on 03/11. We finally left the airport at 1:17 a.m., after arriving at 4:30 p.m. the previous day.

Rebooked Flight (03/11 via Beijing)
Our rebooked flight was two days later than originally scheduled, departing from Haneda instead of Narita, with a new connection in Beijing instead of Shanghai. This change added significant expenses, including a hotel stay near Narita the night of the cancellation, travel costs to get across Tokyo from Narita to Haneda, and an additional hotel in Beijing due to a long layover. To make matters worse, our Haneda-Beijing flight was delayed by three hours, again due to "weather."

On the Beijing-to-London flight, we were again seated apart, despite checking in early and noticing that other passengers who checked in later were seated together. Additionally, the touchscreen for in-flight entertainment barely worked, and some screens weren’t functional at all.

This was a disastrous end to what had been an unforgettable trip to Japan. Air China’s lack of organization, poor communication, and failure to leverage their Star Alliance membership to help stranded passengers made this hands down the worst airline experience I’ve ever had. I would never fly with them again.

It's simply disgusting. I spent 2 weeks trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. It's a continuous request of codes and log in just to do simple and basic things or retrieve information about your own ticket or check-in. The user experience is cringy.

The worst airline we've ever travelled with. We flew to Sydney via Beijing on a 36 hour flight with 12 hour layover and the entire journey was horrific. I'm 22 weeks pregnant so for women in a similar position, don't do it to yourselves. Firstly we were cramped in uncomfortable seats, my TV didn't turn off so I was thrown an eyemask to black out the light (didn't work), we didn't sleep for 2 nights, there was a 12 hour layover in which we spent an hour trying to locate the airclub lounge at Beijing T2 airport- we were desperate for sleep at this point. They only accepted cash as payment so had to exchange only to find when we were finally taken down to the club lounge, it reeked of cigarettes and was stocked with awful food. On the second leg of the journey, I was absolutely starving and couldjt wait for food to be provided.. when it came round, the meal consisted of a pot of yoghurt, a pack of 4 chestnuts and a chicken roll that stank of peanuts. I asked whether it contained peanuts as I'm mildly allergic. I was assured it did NOT contain peanuts. I had a small bite and then had a reaction!! It could have been very bad if someone with a severe reaction had eaten it - they'd have a lawsuit on their shoulders. The staff were blunt, rude and uncaring. It was horrific and I think it'll take me the whole holiday to get over the experience of getting here.

Avoid at all costs!! I know it's cheap but it's so much more worth it spending a bit more money on a better airline with a shorter layover.

Avoid at all costs and chose any other airline instead. Everything is still done manual, the entire airport process is very poorly handled, and be prepared for the most uncomfortable flight experience.

Yes, it was quite a good experience. The only thing that let me down was the wifi. It was horribly slow and lagged me out of a lot of sites. However, the service was exceptional and the seats were comfy. Overall, still room for improvement. CA2767

i wish i could give them 0 . totally faul Airline, cancel my flight twice, have to buy another ticket. don’t know they will give refund or not. worse ever