Went Fine For Me
Like others I had been seduced by the low price but had second thoughts after reading reviews of the airline. This is how it actually went. The flight was Gatwick to Bangkok via Shanghai in economy class with a 4 hr layover each way.. My plane took off on time & was quite new, the food served was quite adequate if bland (I’m traveling to get somewhere, not for a gastronomic experience). The same could be said for the in-flight entertainment - enough English movies to keep you occupied. At Shanghai, transfer was a little more bureaucratic than elsewhere but went quickly & smoothly.The final leg to Bangkok was on time, it had no entertainment but as it was only a 4hr flight didn’t really matter. My checked-in luggage was waiting for me after I cleared immigration. The return trip was pretty much a repeat of above - although on check-in I was told I would need to go through immigration at Shanghai & check-in again for the final leg to London. When I tried to do this I was told it was not necessary & directed to the transfer counter. My plane left & arrived on time. Looking at other reviews it seems that the bad experiences come when there is a “hiccup” in the schedule (transferring between terminals, late or cancelled flights etc). At Shanghai very little English is spoken so it is easy to see how communication difficulties lead to frustration & hostility. Would I fly with them again ?. Yes, the main negative (which has nothing to do with the airline) is that the first leg to Shanghai “overshoots” most far-eastern destinations, not only giving a long journey time but the first leg to Shanghai is a brutal 12 hrs. If there was only a few pounds in it I would choose a middle eastern airline but for the £250 I saved it was a no-brainer.