Eight Chinese airlines now fly to Australia. Here’s how they stack up
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January 6, 2025 — 5.00am
From SMH: What’s happened to China’s airlines? Before the pandemic, nine mainland China-based carriers were flying into Australia, more than the number of European and North American carriers, carrying an average of 300,000 passengers a month into and out of Australia.
While most of those airlines—eight—have returned, the drop in Chinese tourists arriving on our shores has affected the number of flights operated by those carriers. According to statistics from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, as of September 2024, no Chinese carrier is among the top 10 airlines by the number of passengers carried into and out of Australia.
Many of the Chinese airlines flying to Australia offer cheap connections to Europe and other parts of Asia, but what are their reputations like?
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These airlines offer a range of experiences and services, with Hainan and China Southern being the more established in terms of service quality and passenger experience. For travellers looking for the cheapest options, these airlines can provide significant savings, particularly if one navigates through the sometimes complex booking systems or uses third-party sites for better visibility on fares and routes. However, the trade-off might be in service quality, especially with carriers newer to the Australian market or those less focused on international passenger comfort and experience.
China Eastern Airlines connects Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane to several Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. It also offers onward flights from Shanghai to nine European and four North American cities, plus extensive coverage in Asia and China. The airline has a three-star Skytrax rating with mixed reviews. It offers competitive pricing for flights like Sydney to Shanghai at $927, though it scores low on in-flight entertainment.
China Southern Airlines offers flights from Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane to Guangzhou and from Melbourne and Sydney to Guangzhou and Beijing, with onward non-stop services from Guangzhou to eight European cities, five in North America, and extensive Asian and domestic Chinese routes. The airline enjoys a strong reputation, earning four stars from Skytrax and an 8/10 from over 2000 reviews, with high marks in food, seat comfort, and value, though there have been recent issues with flight cancellations and refunds. In June, return economy flights to London from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane range from $1270 to $1375, while flights to Guangzhou are priced from $807 to $900.
Hainan Airlines provides direct flights from Melbourne and Sydney to Haikou, with onward connections to 14 European cities, 10 Asian destinations, and over 70 cities within China. The airline is highly regarded, holding a five-star Skytrax rating with 8/10 from 415 reviews, excelling especially in staff service, with return economy flights in June to Haikou priced at $990 from Sydney and $950 from Melbourne.
