Flight Decision

[FoundNanning 0]

Well, traveling from Boston to Guangzhou ONE Way will cost me about 1,00 dollars. Most of my trips to visit my wife in past years were not much more than that for ROUND TRIP!!!!! So, it's gone up about double!!!! RANT, RANT, RANT!!!!!

Now that that's over, looking for an opinion. Basically I have two choices:

1) Leave Boston 6:30 AM, Arrive Hong Kong 1:30 PM. Probably about 1 hour to get luggage and get out of the Airport. Take the Airport Express Bus, then Shuttle to the Train Station (about 1 hour?), Then take the Train to Guangzhou (2 hours).

Disadvantages: Need to clear Chinese Customs/Immigration at HK Border (maybe more time?). Also, a lot of on/off bus/train after long international flight.

Advantage: See my honey 4 hours earlier. Save about $60 (flight diff - cost of bus/train).

2) Leave Boston 6:30 AM, Arrive Guangzhou 9:30 PM.

Disadvantages: Cost about $60 more than above option (flight + bus + train. See my honey 4 hours later.

Advantage: Don't need to do anything after long transatlantic flight except go to hotel.

Anyone with an opinion? Anyone done the Hong Kong/Guangzhou dance? advice?

[FoundNanning 0]

Forgot to mention (too late to edit): Both flights are IDENTICAL from Boston to Hong Kong (via Toronto). It's just that #1 terminates there, and #2 connects to Hong Kong (7 hour layover, 1 our flight ).

Edited May 16, 2012 by FoundNanning

[Cathi 5,610]

prices for flight have gone up substantially in the last few months. I flew round trip to and from Amman from Boston in October for 1k, $800 in February, I am leaving Monday again and it's $1400 and I will return again in July and it will be $2100..this is in coach

[MuDelphi 159]

Dragging baggage around to bus to train to taxi, etc, etc has worn me down. But if you are traveling light, maybe it won't be to bad. After any kind of long travel, the first thing I want to do is hit the hotel, and not be stuck in more mass transit, but to each their own.

[Luigi 0]

My visa stay was over in late April, but the day after the interview, I did the HK/Guangzhou dance. The immigration process at the HK/GZ border was short. I gave myself I believe 3 hours (because they wouldn't let me buy a return ticket any earlier). And I had to wait for 2.5 hours after arriving, before my return train left. Immigration into or out of Hong Kong was quite fast, and the train back TO Guangzhou was a lot nicer than the train FROM Guangzhou.

Like MuDelphi said above, if you brought a lot of baggage, I recommend the plane, as the baggage will be easier to deal with. If you brought 1 checked bag that was not oversized, you'd probably be fine going to the train station. Both options are fine, but if you've got a lot in tow with you, I highly recommend the airplane, instead. However, if you want to see Hong Kong, or just want to see your honey sooner, go with the train.

Like I said about the immigration, it's like anywhere else. It adds just a few minutes. I think it took me 10 minutes, maybe 15 to clear the immigration at the train station (the other way was less than 5). I went to Hung Hom station in Kowloon, as that's the only place that the GZ East railway station would take me in Hong Kong.

e: I forgot to mention the immigration at the train station in HK is after you get your ticket stamped, and you only line up 30 minutes early to get it stamped.

So my advice is go with the train, if you have a small amount of baggage. Otherwise, stick with the plane.

Sidenote: My trip to Zhengzhou in February of 2011, and back in April of 2011 (round trip) was 1100 dollars. One way in June was 1200, and one way back in September (with 8 hours notice) was 1,500 (but was also through a different carrier, and through Chicago, not LA). My trip this January was only 700, and only 8 or 9 days notice. Summer flights are always expensive (even to Arizona, which makes no sense). Checking prices for late June are more expensive than 1 week from now in May.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Luigi

[ama537621 3]

You can save yourself even more time from HKIA to Guz. if you take the sky ferry to Shenzhen you bypass Hong Kong Immigration completely. The ferry service will transfer your bag to the high speed ferry and you will pick up the bag at the Shekou Ferry terminal. There is a subway station 100 yards form the terminal in Shenzhen. If you go to the Shenzhen North railway station you can get on the high speed train to GUZ. I think it was 45 minutes travel when I was on it last month. It is a very modern train and there is only one stop in between Shenzhen and GUZ The cost was around 100RMB per seat. The train will deposit you at the GUZ south railway station. If you have a smart phone download shenzhen subway app. and the Guanzhou taxi helper app which has the complete subway map for GUZ. . You can get there 2 hours faster this way. If you do not want to take the Shenzhen subway you can always catch a cab at the Shenzhen ferry terminal. There are easy to get there.

That being said. Dude pay the extra 60 dollars and save you a ton of hassle.

Yuan just smacked me and said no he should take the bus from HKIA that travels directly to GUZ. Only the 1 luggage transfer and you can sleep on the bus once you clear immigration.

[foofurrah 4]

Summer is always bad, we're looking at almost $1500/person one-way back to the States in late June.

[Luigi 0]

Summer is always bad, we're looking at almost $1500/person one-way back to the States in late June.

Goodness, where do you live? I'm planning on taking Air China/United back to Arizona, and it's only about 1,000 per person, even in late June.

For the record, I used Orbitz for one way flight tickets.

That said, I think it's still too expensive.

[dave & joy 2]

Beijing to new Orleans we are paying $800 per person one way plus $250 for the baby. Not bad I think.

PS we fly end of may and booked a last week.

Kayak.com (I use the android app) found us this and other on American airlines

Edited May 17, 2012 by dave & joy

[foofurrah 4]

Goodness, where do you live? I'm planning on taking Air China/United back to Arizona, and it's only about 1,000 per person, even in late June.

For the record, I used Orbitz for one way flight tickets.

That said, I think it's still too expensive.

The Midwest, the last leg's always bad because I need to fly into a smaller airport. We could probably piece something cheaper together but with luggage we usually need a major US carrier to avoid getting hit with fees domestically.

[bigdog 376]

<br />Goodness, where do you live?  I'm planning on taking Air China/United back to Arizona, and it's only about 1,000 per person, even in late June.<br />For the record, I used Orbitz for one way flight tickets.<br />That said, I think it's still too expensive.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

My wife fly's on China Southern direct to GZ. I chose Asiana spent the big bucks and flew business class only once on my first visit, with a stop in Soul. PHX to LAX you know leave at midnight get to GZ around 11am, terrible long flight.

[Luigi 0]

<br /><br /><br />

My wife fly's on China Southern direct to GZ. I chose Asiana spent the big bucks and flew business class only once on my first visit, with a stop in Soul. PHX to LAX you know leave at midnight get to GZ around 11am, terrible long flight.

That sounds nasty, yeah. I leave at 6:30 (my plane) from Tucson to San Francisco, to Beijing, then Zhengzhou, and get to ZZ around 10 or 11 at night. Not bad and usually the cheapest flight to Zhengzhou I can find (I don't like arriving so late, but the flight isn't bad). We flew China Southern to GZ as well. Flew Hainan Air back, and on the way back... they left our suitcase at the airport in GZ. They sent it to us the next day, but I didn't appreciate having so many important papers almost lost.

I've still never flown business, but I'm tempted. I saw the price, though, and it's about 7 or 8 times as expensive, at least the time or two I looked. But I hear it's worth it. Maybe some day, haha.

[Pitaya 2,576]

I just booked a flight for mid-June interview in Guangzhou. I was able to get RT flights SEA -> PEK -> CAN for $1735, with 18 hours in transit (4 hour layover in PEK), on Hainan Air. I have taken the SEA -> PEK leg a couple of times, it is usually an 11 hour flight. The prices right now are no bargain, but hey.... I may as well spend it, I can't take it with me when I die, and this is for a heart cause..... I looked at going through SFO, LAX, YVR, but the prices were higher, the layovers were too long.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

[Luigi 0]

I just booked a flight for mid-June interview in Guangzhou. I was able to get RT flights SEA -> PEK -> CAN for $1735, with 18 hours in transit (4 hour layover in PEK), on Hainan Air. I have taken the SEA -> PEK leg a couple of times, it is usually an 11 hour flight. The prices right now are no bargain, but hey.... I may as well spend it, I can't take it with me when I die, and this is for a heart cause..... I looked at going through SFO, LAX, YVR, but the prices were higher, the layovers were too long.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Yeah, my SFO layover is 6.5 hours, if the plane from Tucson doesn't land early (and it usually does). But for me, it's cheap, so I don't mind it.

Also, from what I've been told, SFO customs is a lot nicer than LAX, especially to immigrants.

[Pitaya 2,576]

Yeah, my SFO layover is 6.5 hours, if the plane from Tucson doesn't land early (and it usually does). But for me, it's cheap, so I don't mind it.

Also, from what I've been told, SFO customs is a lot nicer than LAX, especially to immigrants.

From my limited experience, I have gone through customs in SFO and "Smell-A" once each. But the CBP folks at SFO were certainly more hospitable than the a@@hole that I got in Smell-A. The CBP jerk I got was rude, condescending, and unprofessional. I now avoid Smell-A for that reason and a couple more. I have done a fair amount of international air travel, and have gone through POEs in the East and South with no issues. I have gone through SEA now two times and the CBP folks were courteous and professional. I have options and exercise them as I see fit.

YMMV

Edited May 21, 2012 by A&B