Beijing and beyond

[Isochronous]

Qantas pulls the plug on Sydney-Beijing flights

Qantas will remove China's national capital from its international network, relying instead on codeshares with partner airlines.

www.executivetraveller.com

Poo! This could come in before we’re booked to PEK in early April.... I will have to see what QF offer but I see a refund coming ☹. Lucky I haven’t booked anything on the ground.

I guess this also answers the question of whether QF was going to switch to PKK...

Just make sure that QF book you via HKG using a CX/KA connection instead of something ghastly like China Eastern via PVG!

 

[SYD]

Just make sure that QF book you via HKG using a CX/KA connection instead of something ghastly like China Eastern via PVG!

Yes, just looking at that option - 120 extra SCs if QF comes to the party.

 

[SYD]

Yes, just looking at that option - 120 extra SCs if QF comes to the party.

QF automatically rebooked us on QF to/from HKG and CX/KA to PEK. Not ideal timings but we were able to get some combos that worked.

Now back to finalising the bits on the ground.

 

[Maca44]

As with Wheelsup in an earlier post, I also stayed at the Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing last year with my adult son and it was great. There is a metro station a very short distance from the hotel (100met), and Beijing has a really efficient rail system. If I recall correctly, if you are over 60 years you can get a concession pass similar to the opal/octopus card and travel very cheap. Top it up as you go.
As we had not been to Beijing previously I booked a guide based on reviews on TripAdvisor for two days. Her name is Jessie Di (pronounced Dee). They have a website but her email is [email protected] and she was fantastic; met us in the foyer of the hotel then took us with a driver and vehicle which was less than 12mths old to the Great Wall, and the section where you get to the top in a chair lift and other areas. Next day did Forbidden City and other places, and note that Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are huge, crowded and takes hours to see. Our guide had quick access passes to bypass the crowds, but a good guide is essential; hearing why some roofs in the Forbidden City have six monkeys and others have seven etc, the Mings ..great. Enough rambling on, but we went slightly overboard and booked their business class on the high speed train to Xa'in, and this was identical to first class on a plane. Xa'in is great and just a tip, don't book a tour for the Terracotta Warriors, check with the concierge and take a taxi (very cheap) to the bus station and I think bus 306 and cost about 8 or 9 Yuan, then you can get an English speaking guide from inside the complex. This place is huge also. We flew to Chengdu and if you get there don't miss the Muslim Quarter (street food) and a tremendous experience. Taxi's are very cheap, but ensure you have the hotel address on a card to show the driver.

 

[SYD]

How much was the train? Airfares are ridiculous ($850) but plenty of award availability (20k return via QFF).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Using someone like ctrip should yield some reasonably priced airfares... there’s often a primary and secondary carrier on major routes. And at times, the secondary carrier’s business/first class will be the same are the economy fare on the primary carrier.

But it may depend on your booking window as well.

The bigger choice is plane v train. Personally I fly, but i don’t travel domestically often, so the odd delay doesn’t worry me. If i was travelling every week the train might well be a more reliable option.

 

[SYD]

I’m tempted to fly / train in one direction and other back to Xi’an just for the hell of it. 10k points each one way is fine (MU flights ever hour or so). The Business Class train looks incredible but I imagine the oddly named 1st class is still ok?

 

[Maca44]

Business Class is the premium class of travel as hereunder. I think First Class is two seats on either side.
However, Business Class is quite expensive and the two seats for my son and I cost AUD$726.00 booked through China Highlights website, but you only live once. Life is not a dress rehearsal

 

[SYD]

Yeah, the recent ET review gives a good idea (albeit on a short hop):

Review: Fuxing China High Speed Rail business class Guangzhou-Hong Kong

At just over an hour from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, business class aboard the Fuxing High Speed Rail offers travellers all the creature comforts expected of an international business class flight, but with the added convenience of a train. Among them, priority security screening and boarding, a...

www.executivetraveller.com

and speculates on the naming convention!

 

[moa999]

and speculates on the naming convention!

Think it's more that railways globally have had First class and second class by convention, although second class has been renamed in some places.

Whereas on aircraft Business and subsequently Premium Economy and Economy Plus have been created in between.

 

[SYD]

So a few weeks ago I locked in internal flights to Xi’an using points and hotels in PEK/XIY/PEK - all in the first couple of weeks of April....

But now we’re in limbo until this whole bloody coronavirus thing either burns out or goes pandemic...

Anyone had similar experiences with these situation, cancellations and travel insurance coverage?

I know QF will provide a credit if we have to cancel. They might even waive rebooking fee under the circumstances (in hindsight, possibly should have cancelled when they pulled out of PEK and rerouted us via HKG!)....

Internal flights are points - again, QF might waive cancellation fee?

Three hotels all prepaid/non-refundable (all booked direct through Accor) are my major concern....

Not to mention two of us potentially falling short of QF WP requal

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So a few weeks ago I locked in internal flights to Xi’an using points and hotels in PEK/XIY/PEK - all in the first couple of weeks of April....

But now we’re in limbo until this whole bloody coronavirus thing either burns out or goes pandemic...

Anyone had similar experiences with these situation, cancellations and travel insurance coverage?

I know QF will provide a credit if we have to cancel. They might even waive rebooking fee under the circumstances (in hindsight, possibly should have cancelled when they pulled out of PEK and rerouted us via HKG!)....

Internal flights are points - again, QF might waive cancellation fee?

Three hotels all prepaid/non-refundable (all booked direct through Accor) are my major concern....

Not to mention two of us potentially falling short of QF WP requal

The max as far as QF is concerned will be the cancellation fees. They may waive them, just ask. The relevant travel advisories by DFAT may help (if 'do not travel'). At most you'd be up for 6000 points per ticket cancelled. If that doesn't work you could ask your insurance company to cover the points (~$60), depending on your excess (if any).

Accor too - if they don't come to the party, your travel insurance might come to the rescue. It would be pretty mean of Accor though

Where it might get tricky is if there isn't a 'do not travel' or 'reconsider travel'.

As always - before committing to any cancellations, contact your insurance company (their website may even have something in the next few days) to see what might be covered.

 

[SYD]

Yes, the plan is to talk to all. While the travel advisory to the rest of China is unchanged, its a bit of a “who blinks first”. Cancelling one but left hanging on others could get messy - 2xJ return SYD-PEK and 14 nights accommodation, internal flights....

The travel insurance (QF/NIB annual) is a tad vague! I guess it’s in their interest to mitigate a larger risk of extended medical and repatriation?

If the situation doesn‘t get totally out of control, I’m not entirely concerned about travel. The main risk would be getting stuck somewhere and/or the hassle travelling back.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Agree.

Air China has just issued an advisory that any passenger holding an Air China issued ticket to/via China can get a full refund. Pax with tickets to Wuhan can change dates or cancel, free of charge (the 'change dates' option is not available unless to Wuhan, at least for now. Pax to other cities or in transit can only apply for a refund).

News

News List

www.airchina.com.au

Other airlines + hotels may also implement similar policies.

 

[SYD]

CX has a policy in play now also (we‘re on CX/KX in/out of PEK) however only travel through to 28 Feb - for the moment.

Notice for passengers travelling to/from Mainland China

www.cathaypacific.com

I suspect everyone is waiting to get through Luna New Year + 2 or so wks...