When shopping for a one-way return from LOS last August during high season the best fare I could get was on China Airlines. Had to transfer in Taipei and they had a very nice lounge. Of course I signed up for their mileage program and am now wondering whether it is worth flying them again just for the sake of building up mileage (BTW I would only do this if the price is within about $50 of the best deal available). Any other members of the Dynasty program out there?

You can also chose to take China Airlines miles on Delta SkyMiles if you designate the milage to go there before the flight. Delta will get you a free trip to Central or South America with only 35,000 or 50,000 miles if you are interested in those destinations, and only 70,000 miles to SE Asia instead of China Airlines 100,000 mile requirement.

Thanks for the tip. You said before the flight, but I wonder if I can I show up at Delta one day and say "hey I have 35,000 CA miles, get me a ticket to..."
I have Continental miles now, and I see they partner with Delta but not CA. Hmmm, food for thought.

If you have and use Continental Onepass, use EVA instead of China Airlines. Usually about the same price as China Airlines and you can book the miles to Continental.

China Airlines says that you can book just about anything but SE Asia travel using their miles via Delta flights. With 66K FF miles, I can go Colombia AND anywhere in the Cont. US (two separate trips) for that amount. Of course with China Air, I'm still 2 round trips to Asia short from a free ticket to ASIA.

You call China Air first to book free travel on Delta. And, Sancho, Eva prices are usually at least $100 more per Asia trip than China Air. That's not 'similar' in my book.

Depending on the timing, EVA "web specials" may in fact in similar or even a little cheaper at times. Check travelocity for availability.

Also, why are you tossing your miles over to delta instead of united and therefore get access to star alliance flights?

China only lists Delta as a partner, not Star Alliance.

And I kinda LIVE on travelocity as a daydreaming Asia addict, and it is VERY rare when Eva's flights are anywhere near China's low fares. If they're even close, check other sites or China Air's website and you'll find a substantial discount. A history of parking airplanes in the ocean/sides of mountains DOES tend to result in some fiscal relief!

China is United Partner, you then use UAL to access all of Star Alliance.


It all depends on the airport, for example EVA outa SFO to MNL has the cheapest fares by far. As always, it depends on your flying patterns...

I'm pretty sure Delta's the only partner at the moment for China Air. Might wanna double check that info re: United.

And China Air from SFO tends to be 5% cheaper than they are from LAX. I don't know for sure, but I'm HIGHLY doubtful that Eva can compete from anywhere in the U.S. in the cost dept.

The truth is that sometimes EVA is a little cheaper depending what phase the moon is in and such. Sometimes China Airlines is cheaper. Last year EVA had some smoking deals. This year China Airlines has had some awesome deals. I find they are usually within $100 of each other which is close enough to make the decision based on other factors. I'm flying into Bangkok Dec 24 and leaving Jan 2 on EVA for $690 plus tax. I have a purchased ticket and confirmed seats. China couldn't do that one for me. But I'd fly China Airlines in a second if it worked out better for me somehow. I joke about them crashing all the time but the reality is they are cheap and by all accounts good so sure I would fly them.

The fact that you can use Dynasty miles to book Delta flights is nice though. I knew you could get Delta miles on China flights but not that you could use China miles on Delta. I'd still probably take miles for future flights directly on Delta's program rather than Dynasty and Asia awards are cheaper with Delta miles but the flexibility is nice. Not bad rates to South America either.

I'm seriously tempted by a deal AA has right now. USA to Managua, Nicaragua for only 22,500 miles. Anyone been to Nicaragua? Any good action there. AA has Maracaibo, Venezuela for 22,500 as well. Or how about San Diego to La Romana, Dominican Republic for only 17,500 miles.

Pork-- I didn't say anything bout Delta, what I said was to have your China Air credited to UAL and then use SA alliance (www.ual.com...)


Sancho-- Yes, those are tempting deals! I've got a fair amount of AA miles piled up and have been eying all the deals lately.

One of the Lao girls here at work just ask me to check prices for her for 18!!!! plane tickets for her extended family LAX-BKK for mid November. A quick look on Travelocity turned up EVA for $560 plus tax for the date she wants. China Airlines is $594 plus tax. Thus proving sometimes EVA is cheaper, sometimes China Airlines is cheaper. Usually they are pretty close and Lao women have large families.

If anyone can beat $560 plus tax LAX-BKK for mid November there is a Lao girl who would be very happy. I told her on that many tickets, to print out the Travelocity offer and take it around to a few travel agents to ask them to beat it and see how bad they want to sell 18 tickets.

Oh yea, their travel dates will overlap my travel dates yet again for my November trip where I don't plan to tell anyone I will be in Asia. Hope we don't bump into each other.

Don Marco,

Air China is a mainland Chinese airline - Porker is refering to the Taiwanese carrier, China Airlines. They are not partnered up with United.

Air China is a partner of United's, but is not in Star Alliance.

Cat, I stand corrected-- I assumed air china and china air were the same. Thanks for the heads up!

I wouldn't fly 'em anyway as I stick to AA, UAL, thai & singapore air, and lufthansa. So far, that mix had gotten me where I want to go at the right price.

Porker, as a cheap charlie you should shop for the best FF programs, just like you would shop for the best ticket price, you can do much better for yourself then you`ve done thus far. I don`t have much experience with forgien carriers but from my limited exp. US carriers have much better FF programs, could you have signed up for Delta FF and then flown China air and had the miles deposited in your Delta account which only requires 60,000 miles for free ticket to the PI in which case you already have that. Learning to use the system a little better can reap big rewards. I shop the FF programs hard before every trip, there is almost always someone offering special promotions then shop hard to get the lowest price on that airlines or one of their partners. Believe it or not Pork, but my trip to the PI last march, off that 1 paid ticket i`m sitting on a free ticket for a return trip, i also did it twice to Rio, 2 paid tickets- 2 free tickets, it defintly pays to learn the system. Hey, does that mean i`m now a member of the cheap charlie club ?

China Airlines plane bursts into flames after landing.

During:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-19-china-airliner_N.htm

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/20/1187462140001.html

After:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4171652a10.html

(Message edited by xenono on August 19, 2007)

That's not exactly what they teach you in ground school!

Here is a amateur video of it - check out the pilot jump out from the nose just before the explosion. It's a lucky day these people.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0b8_1187619407

Looks like a pretty standard arrival for China Air. Just a bit more fire than usual.

Nice new 737-800, with the blended winglets....too bad.

"I believe thats concludes our inflight service for today AND thanks for flying China Airlines"


I couldn't help myself..........

Nice new 737-800, with the blended winglets....too bad.

China Airlines found that by deploying blended winglets on their fleet they now have 5% more fuel left for the ensuing explosion than they did without winglets.

IAS, do you think the same flight attendant in your pad pic was on there, perhaps the smell of her hair on fire might get her full attention!

China Airlines has some of the hottest flight attendants there are. Smokin' hot.

IAS, that landing qualifies as "smoking hot" !

Well at least China Airlines stepped up and compensated the passengers for their trouble. $100 cash money USD

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/21/2011386.htm?section=justin

I have never been to China and I have never flown on a Chinese airline so I'm not really qualified to comment one way or the other. However, a very good friend of mine has been traveling extensively throughout China since 2001. The comment that he constantly brings back is that the Chinese lack the "tradition" for routine maintenance. The other day he told me about an office building in Beijing that he had visited in 2003 which, at the time, was brand spanking new. He was a there again only a few months ago and was shocked to see what a deplorable state of repair it was in. He said that it was built with some of the most up to date materials and technology available at the time so it was not due to a lack of construction quality. He went on to say that the problem was clearly just a lack of routine and preventative maintenance. According to him, there simply is no tradition for it in China. They would sooner put up a new building than keep care of the one they have.

Now, I could care less about how the Chinese keep care of their buildings, but if it's any indication of the way they take care of their aircraft, you can bet your ass that you will not see me on a Chinese based carrier anytime soon.

Cathay Pacific is a China based carrier and is one of the best airlines in the world.

I have flown China Air many times and have never had the slightest problem on any flight. The fact they got all the passengers off the plane safely speaks at least to the quality and professionalism of their air crews.

China Airlines is based in Taiwan, not China, but nice try.

China Air and EVA are both Taiwanese airlines. I believe Cathay Pacific is based in Hong Kong. It should be noted that for the better part of the past 50 years, neither of these territories has been very "Chinese" in their way of doing business.

BTW Porker, try asking a Chinese national if Taiwan is part of China - they won't even entertain the idea that it's not (despite the fact that China hasn't ruled Taiwan for 50 freakin' years). Ask a person from Taiwan the same question, and he'll probably try to skirt the question, as talking about that in Taiwan is a good way to start an argument between the YES and NO camps.

Phoenixguy,

I guess it really depends on how you define "chinese" in terms of doing business. Prior to about 10 years ago, very few "western" countries or businesmen had significant business dealings with the Mainland. Up until then, doing business w/ the Chinese was in fact defined by how business was done in HK and Taiwan.

I think the difference in dealing with Mainland Chinese have more to do with the effects of their communism rather than nationality or ethnicity. After all, no one on either HK or Taiwan (other than some aborigines) says that they are anything but Chinese. Politically, well, that's something else entirely.

Why would someone living in the Republic of China think of themselves as anything but Chinese? Doesn't mean the commies across the way do business the same way.

Porker,

There is a very sizable portion of the population of Taiwan that struggle with the notion of their "chinese-ness." Yes, they are ethnically chinese, but many think of themselves as more taiwanese than chinese. Think Quebec and Canada.

Quite different from quebec and canada, where there is a sharp cultural division and fuzzy political division.

+ it's just a matter of time before they are chinese nationals once again.

(Message edited by donmarco on September 18, 2007)

China Air has the only flight from Anchorage to Taiwan, so I only use them. You know you are in a foreign airline. The food is different than any Chinese food I ever ate, but the stewardess are lovely. The flight saves me going to Seattle or LA to connect and means 6-10 hours less traveling time. I think the pricing for the ticket is very competitive too. I do book online. The aircraft is usually a 747 and I never had any problems and the aircraft have always been on time.