CsairReviews 

Dealing with this airline is a TOTAL NIGHTMARE. Their clunky dysfunctional website that is a extremely difficult to navigate as is dealing with their abrupt unhelpful ultra strict staff to whom "customer service" is some foreign western notion to be avoided and denied at all costs. Simple changes to personal details that other airlines allow users to make themselves, become a major battle, where petty rules and illogical roadblocks are the norm😱. Eventually I was told to cancel my ticket and rebook, at great personal expense, as my new passport update required changes to 3 fields (Passport Number, Issue Date and Expiry Date) and they have a strict rule that allows only 2 changes!... Non-negotiable, strictly enforced and the source of countless stressful and wasted hours of "battle"with unfriendly, unhelpful and useless online staff😥.. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID

They change flights 11 hours difference and do not allow a free change. Worst interaction with any airline ever...Run away from them.

1/5 stars — Never flying China Southern again

This airline completely ruined my holiday from start to finish.

On my outbound journey, my flight was cancelled and rebooked onto another flight — I even received a confirmation for it. But when I arrived at the airport, I was told the rebooking had never actually been approved. I was forced to wait 12 hours for the next available flight, which meant being stranded in China for a full 24 hours just to get a connecting flight to Kota Kinabalu. No one offered a real explanation, no proper compensation, no clear communication — just chaos.

Now, on my way home, it's happening again. My connecting flight was delayed by 1 hour, which would have still allowed me to make my connection to London — tight, but doable. Then the delay grew to 3 hours, which now means I will almost certainly miss my flight to London entirely.

Throughout all of this, there has been zero proactive communication from staff. No updates, no announcements, no one available to actually explain what's happening or what the plan is. You're simply left standing there, staring at a departure board, hoping it updates with accurate information — which, based on my experience, it often doesn't.

This is not how an international airline should treat passengers, especially when these issues span both legs of a single trip. I would strongly caution anyone considering China Southern, particularly for connecting flights through China. The lack of transparency and accountability turned what should have been a smooth journey into a stressful, exhausting ordeal.

Never again!

I had book ticket from Jkt - Tokyo, for Desember 2026 and transit in Shenzen for 2.30 hours, 1 of our member book with same date from Trip.com, and I book direct from China Southern website.
Trip. com give information that Shenzen - Tokyo cancel, and ask to change flight, but from China Southern no more information, until we ask them. How come big Airlines with very bad service.
And they give us option to transit in Guangzho, with 1 day transit. we reject this because 1 day after arrived in Tokyo we must flight to Sapporo.
And Finally we must fly 1 day early, and ask them to prepared accomodation for us (hotel in airport). Because they make us trouble about this.
But they dont have good intention for customer. In this case we can know this Airlines not do best for costomer, and dont have responsibility. They change schedule in other case they should be give more service to customer.
So for all customer be careful fly with this China Southern.

Very disappointing experience with China Southern Airlines customer service.

I had my ticket name corrected through their customer service chat and was told I would receive confirmation by email. I never received anything, and afterwards my ticket number disappeared from my booking, showing only that it was “being processed.” I had to contact customer service again just to get my new ticket number.

The biggest issue is that I had already paid for seat selections for both my Amsterdam–Beijing and Beijing–Amsterdam flights. After the name correction, those paid seats were no longer attached to my new ticket. I was then told I had to select seats again, but also that my previous seat payment could not be refunded because cancellation had to be done at least 48 hours before departure.

This makes no sense, because I did not choose to cancel the seats. The seats were lost because the airline changed the ticket after correcting my name. I was never clearly warned that the paid seats would disappear or that I needed to cancel them myself within a specific deadline. I had already paid for them, yet China Southern would not transfer them to the corrected ticket or refund me.

When I asked to speak with a supervisor, the online customer service said they could not transfer me and gave only a general hotline number. The whole process felt unfair, unhelpful, and very customer-unfriendly.

I cannot recommand you to fly with China Southern Airlines, this will be my only and last time ever.
Very disappointed and stressful

★☆☆☆☆

My experience with China Southern Airlines was extremely disappointing.

On June 8, 2026, my flight CZ3585 from Shanghai to Guangzhou was heavily delayed. Passengers were boarded around 8:30 PM as if departure was imminent, but the aircraft remained on the ground for a long time and eventually departed around 10:00 PM.

As a result, I missed my connection to Paris and was forced to stay overnight in Guangzhou. I finally arrived in France almost 24 hours later than planned.

What made this situation particularly painful is that June 9 was my birthday. I was supposed to arrive in Paris at 7:20 AM, where my family had prepared a surprise celebration for my return. Instead, I spent my birthday alone in Guangzhou waiting for a replacement flight.

I also lost a full working day because of this disruption.

Despite several exchanges with customer service explaining the impact of this situation, no goodwill gesture whatsoever was offered.

What disappointed me most was not the delay itself, but the complete lack of consideration shown afterwards.

This trip left me with one of the saddest birthdays I have ever experienced and unfortunately a very negative impression of China Southern Airlines.

I lost 2 days of my holiday I paid for a short transfer from uk to China then onto Hanoi they cancelled both my flights and I had a 19 hour stop over in China making my whole travel 32 hours each way
No refund
Offered no alternative flights
Then on the flight home they didn’t offer us food for 10 hours on the flight no hot drinks just a cup of water
I won’t be flying with them again

Worst experience ever. I traveled with my 3 yr old son from London to Hong Kong, with a lay over in Bejing. When it came to food service, they have nothing for children. I asked the air hostess and he rudely said you need to pre order a kid meal before the flight. No where from booking my tickets to checking in, that this is mention to me, that i need to pre order.

My 3 yr old could not have any of the meal as they were all spicy options. Lucky I packed snacks, but for a 10+ hour flight this is unacceptable. At least have an option for non spicy food.

What is more funny, when we got onto our connecting flight from Beijing to Hong Kong. They had a kid meal for him, without pre ordering!! The flight was 4 hours and they can provide a kid's meal, but 10+ hours one, nothing!

And the service from the air hostesses, they are so rude. Honestly I felt like if I have spoken mandarin I would have got a better treatment.

I got the tickets on sale! Went from Vancouver to Thailand with a stopover in China. Food was just ok but I think thats up to the departing airport more than the airline. The service on-board was great. The only thing I had issues with was a meal preference on their website and I eventually gave up. Great price, good service, reliable. I would book again.

I had pre booked seats and paid extra for leg room for family of 3. Bare in mind had just had surgery and was needing extra leg room. They changed my seat away from my family without the extra leg room. Said someone else had moved their seat and has taken my pre booked one I paid extra for. I asked for refund. They said no refund. Unable to speak to any management. Poor poor service, I will never book with China southern airlines again.

A flight was delayed 2+ hours, but they just said that's a computer glitch, and the new time is actually the correct one. No compensation no even a free meal for 2+ hours delay. Scam.

I recently flew with China Southern and had a truly wonderful experience from start to finish. Seeing all the negative reviews here really surprised me, so I had to balance things out.

The flight itself was smooth, and the aircraft was very modern, clean, and comfortable. What really stood out, however, was the professionalism of the crew. They were consistently polite, attentive, and helpful throughout the journey.

I also had a stopover with a hotel provided by the airline, and I was very impressed. The accommodation was comfortable, clean, and the transfer service was perfectly organized – it made the long journey much more relaxing.

Overall, I can honestly recommend China Southern. The service was great, the staff were wonderful, and the connecting hotel service was a lifesaver. Thank you for a great trip!

Terrible experience. 1 month before the flight they just cancelled it and never repported any answer or solution, travel agency said they DIDN'T answer, they initially offered 72 hours delay alternative but it never could be accepted, they just offered it as a longest time possible to make passengers wait (my family) until they find any solution to the cancelled flights. They neither return the money. For this company you are not a human and you don't have any right. I cannot understand why they make this abuse position and don't follow any passenger law.

If you booked a ticket through any other channels, do not expect that you can find it on their website.
The entire website is a total joke, consisting of rabbit holes. I tried to find my booking, at first the it shows that my ticket doesn't and entered some pages that they need me to log in Sky Pearl Membership, then I need to register and I have to enter my Gender, but there is nowhere I can enter my gender ... Then I tried to look for their "Sky Pearl Club" on Google and somehow the first link I can find is a "test" page.... And it turns out somehow we need to manually add a "784" prefix before the e-ticket number they sent us ?? I still did not find my ticket yet but I am so speechless I hope my flight actually exists.

Extremely Disappointing Handling of Lost Property
I recently travelled with China Southern Airlines (Flight CZ673, Beijing to London, 11 February 2026) and had an extremely disappointing experience regarding lost property handling.
Immediately after disembarkation, I realised I had unintentionally left a small duty-free bag containing a newly purchased perfume under my seat. I returned straight away and reported it to the supervisor while the aircraft was still on the ground.
By that time, the aircraft had already been cleaned.
Despite immediate reporting, the item was not recovered. Heathrow Lost Property confirmed that China Southern does not use the airport’s official lost property contractor, meaning any recovered items remain within the airline’s own internal handling system.
The airline later informed me that nothing was found and that passengers are responsible for their own carry-on items.
What concerns me most is not simply the loss of a £150 item, but the lack of transparency around cleaning procedures and how items reported immediately after landing are handled. No detailed explanation was provided, and no investigation outcome was shared.
For an international airline, I expected clearer processes, accountability, and customer support — especially when an item is reported immediately.
Unfortunately, this experience has left me with serious doubts about their post-flight handling procedures.
I would not choose to travel with this airline again.

Customer service is the worst one I've ever seen + the company should be sued.

updating my comment since I read other reviews : Capucine's story is the exact same one that I experienced. They did a mistake in my name, I paid 60e and cried at the airport while calling them ; no solution were offered. Then, the ticket got canceled because of the no show, and so I lost the return ticket to. No solution from the customer service and a huge amount lost. Please please please, for your well being, avoid this company.

I am writing this review to share a very disappointing experience with China Southern Airlines, not because of a single mistake, but because of a serious lack of communication, support, and willingness to find a solution.

I booked and paid for two tickets directly through China Southern Airlines’ website. My correct first name and family name were clearly indicated in the booking as the contact person and purchaser. However, upon arrival at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, I was denied check-in due to a name discrepancy on my ticket.

From that moment on, the situation was handled very poorly:

Airport staff did not clearly explain the available options or procedures.

No concrete solution was proposed on site, such as correcting the issue or guiding us through the proper steps.

We were not informed that failing to modify the flight before departure would automatically result in no-show fees.

We were also never informed that missing the outbound flight would lead to the automatic cancellation of the return ticket.

In an attempt to resolve the situation, we contacted China Southern Airlines’ customer service several times before departure. These international calls cost us around 100 euros, yet the information provided was vague, inconsistent, and ultimately non-conclusive. At no point were the financial or contractual consequences clearly explained.

The airport staff suggested that a solution might be possible by taking a flight the following day and advised us to contact customer service directly, as the tickets were purchased directly from the airline. We followed these instructions in good faith. Unfortunately, this only resulted in additional expenses, no solution, and the loss of both tickets. My travel companion ultimately decided not to travel as a direct consequence of this uncertainty and lack of support.

What is most disappointing is not the initial issue itself, but the absence of clear communication, coordination, and customer care at every level: online, by phone, and at the airport. At no stage did we feel accompanied or supported, nor was there any genuine attempt to find a fair solution.

I hope China Southern Airlines will take this feedback seriously and reach out to address this situation properly. I remain open to continuing my claim through customer service, provided it is handled with transparency and professionalism.

Online check in not working at LGW, COULD HAVE TOLD IN ADVANCE, NO?
The website is crap, really hard to navigate.
Selecting seats doesn't work properly.
Tried 3 times, 3 times at the last step some error, and then those seats don't seem available anymore. To the point there were no 2 seats together to sit with my husband.
In which world do you buy 2 tickets from a non low-coster and don't get to sit together if you're booking hours in advance?
Pathetic.

I wanted to fly to from London to Guangzhou for the trade fair and follow up with a brief holiday to Sydney, Australia. On most journeys BA is my default. But BA had no flights to Guangzhou. I checked a number of airlines and eventually chose this airline because it is a BA Partner. Even then, I wasn't sure what to expect. I flew economy on the 4 legs of my trip in company of my wife. Lon- Guangzhou, Guangzhou -Sydney, Sydney - Guangzhou and Guangzhou - London. Had a week gap between 1st and 2nd leg, another week gap between 2nd and third; and three days gap before the third leg and the return leg to London.
In making my assessment here, I have also taken into consideration the views expressed by my wife who was in the trips with me. The staff are extremely polite. I never saw frown or voice raised to anyone in any of my trips. They get on with their jobs with a great deal of respect for their customers and the importance of their jobs. They don't have ENGLISH LANGUAGE as mother tongue, I know. Their Language is CHINESE! I don't speak Chinese but I am flying a Chinese Airline on international route; and wouldn't expect not to be considerate in my communication. I would not suddenly expect them to be speaking with QUEEN's fluency. What I noticed is if a particular staff needs more clarity on an issue, there is someone within the crew to call, whose English goes a step higher. That I found acceptable and good practice.
The Aircraft they are flying are some of the latest deliveries of Airbus 350 and Boeing 787! The cockpit communication to the customers come with clear English interpretation. The seats in Economy are reasonably more convenient that some of the other Airlines I have flown severally in different parts of the world. The food is good and the menu has similar options as you will have in the economy of most top legacy airlines. Ticket Price? They beat other competitors hands down. So was great value for money for my trips. And certainly, would recommend.

The customer service was not satisfactory.
There was no international contact number provided, only a Chinese number, which makes it difficult to recommend for international travel.
We had reserved Halal meals, but they were not available on board, and no apology was offered for this oversight.