China - never a dull moment!

[mushez]

... the cultural diff of pushing in rather than patiently waiting your turn - or the fact that the concept of politely giving way to elders / women etc is non existent ...

I still love the push and shove to get on the metro in Shanghai - interchange on line 2 at Guanglan Road to Pudong, best plan of attack is position and push - you just will not get on otherwise as they love to walk on, take seats first, and then just stand at door way and not move into the train. It is a change from 8 car trains running every 3 minutes, to a 4 car train running every 8 minutes, so you are getting the left over of 2-3 trains to combine into one half the size.

 

[mushez]

Is it more chaotic to board a plane than a train in China ?

I would rather board a train than plane in China.

Though planes is basically no different to how we board them anywhere else in the world - you never know if you are going to be delayed 10 minutes or 2.5 hours from doors shut until take off. Most plane terminals are a good hour from the CBD/where I want to be, and often you end up there 4-5 hours prior to your flight.

Trains you have a lot more room, for a lot less $$$ - can use your cell phone and hot spot off it for internet on your laptop - have power in most (not all) to use it. And the best bit, is they are on time - Always. Assuming you have your tickets, only need to show up 10 minutes before and simply go in and walk to your platform.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Rcvd email from Ctrip with promo on Chinese Hotels - stay 1 nt get 1 nt free in lead up to CNY:



Shame the link on the site doesn't work but I guess they will fix that sooner or later - so I then logged onto eLong to see what deals they had and noticed this:



I have not noticed this before but then again I use Ctrip more than eLong - anyways noticed this promo on eLong home page:



Now that looks a seriously cheap deal so clicked on it and noticed this on next page:



eLong referring to PEK as BJS on inter routes - interesting - did really quick search and saw nothing like figure RMB1,180 quoted.

 

[seanpodge]

Rcvd email from Ctrip with promo on Chinese Hotels - stay 1 nt get 1 nt free in lead up to CNY:

[PIC1]

Shame the link on the site doesn't work but I guess they will fix that sooner or later - so I then logged onto eLong to see what deals they had and noticed this:

[PIC2]

I have not noticed this before but then again I use Ctrip more than eLong - anyways noticed this promo on eLong home page:

[PIC3]

Now that looks a seriously cheap deal so clicked on it and noticed this on next page:

[PIC4]

eLong referring to PEK as BJS on inter routes - interesting - did really quick search and saw nothing like figure RMB1,180 quoted.

Regarding BJS, Beijing actually has two commercial passenger airports, Beijing Capital (PEK) and Beijing Nanyuan (NAY). NAY is rather less well known as it only has one airline serving it, namely China United Airlines, which started off life as a company of the PLA. It runs some domestic routes from NAY. NAY will be shut down when Beijing Daxing airport is opened. Presumably when Daxing opens, the BJS code will be more useful since Beijing will have two major airports.

There are two possible reasons why the airfares found don't reflect the price in the ads. One is that the cheap fares have sold out but they haven't updated the ads. Or the fares in the ads don't include any taxes or fuel surcharges. It's very typical for airline ticket sites in China to show fares without taxes or fuel surcharges. It's not much of a problem for internal flights as the tax part is pretty consistent nation wide (usually Y80-Y150) but for international fares it's a total schemozzle and makes trying to compare fares close to impossible since the tax component varies so widely. I've noticed that a few websites are starting to do all inclusive prices (a la what the ACCC makes Australian airlines do after they used to advertise $1 fares). I wonder if it was due to customer complaints of seeing a Y1500 flight magically becoming a Y6000 flight once they added the taxes. In any case, it's ferociously frustrating and leads me to not bothering with Chinese websites when looking for international fares.

 

[mushez]

Some sanity does exist in signs, urinal in Suzhou shopping centre.

 

[mushez]

Hand Carry on only. A familiar sight in any bus station in China, but is how them locals pack their bags.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Weather in Beijing today - Sunny blue skies - top temp of 9C and a low of -5C - with just a puff of pollution!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Was in taxi from Shanghai Railway Station heading to Waldorf Astoria a week os so back and saw signage for GoodFellas Restaurant as driving past - here is their web site - GALLERY - Goodfellas -

Checked into WA and was greeted by an Italian staff member - I questioned her about GoodFellas and she gave it highest reco - said booked out each night so must make reso - did so for following night and it was SUPERB - could not recommend it highly enough.

Found out later is rated #3 on TA - info here - Goodfellas, Shanghai - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos - TripAdvisor - if you are looking for somewhere to eat in Puxi do not miss it.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

$3 fake iPhone charger from market in Beijing seemed a good deal at the time! Went off like a shotgun behind me - change of jocks definitely reqd!

 

[yohy?!]

$3 fake iPhone charger from market in Beijing seemed a good deal at the time! Went off like a shotgun behind me - change of jocks definitely reqd!

View attachment 46033

yikes! i read about something similar in HK where an FA was killed by one of these exploding whilst she was on a call!

 

[TheEmu]

$3 fake iPhone charger from market in Beijing seemed a good deal at the time! Went off like a shotgun behind me - change of jocks definitely reqd!

View attachment 46033

I bought a back-up battery at Xi'an railway station (similar price), tested it in front of the vendor - that was the last time it worked... :-(

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Will be in NKG 26th EMU - get ready my friend.

 

[NFF]

Do their airlines enforce carry-on allowance ?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Do their airlines enforce carry-on allowance ?

Have never noticed enforcement at all.

 

[seanpodge]

Do their airlines enforce carry-on allowance ?

Spring Airlines, which is the closest mainland China has to a LCC, might because they charge for check in luggage. Haven't actually flown them though. Don't think anyone else would bother though. I've flown five different airlines domestically and none have ever bothered checking my carry on for weight.

 

[mushez]

Do their airlines enforce carry-on allowance ?

Not that I have ever seen or experienced - one of the most lax places to fly when it comes to carry on.

Abuse of carry on luggage isn't that common and I put it down to the fact you (average layman in China) generally have to lug/carry/push through public transport et al within China to get to/from Airport - well it is more the odds are 50/50 of an elevator or escalator being an option at a bus or train station that has you manually carry all you have up multiple flights of stairs, that has most people only take with checked and carry on being what they can physically carry or want to physically carry up say 6 floor levels worth of stairs.

I know I choose what I take from a point of can I carry all of this up stairs by myself - which has my carry on being a two strapped back pack these days to have each hand free for a suitcase each through China.

It is more so interesting carry on, like supermarket bags full of tea or noodles that you see - but normally when flying, over head bin space is never at a premium.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Ah Beijing - not a blue in the sky!

 

[Cynicor]

I realised I was watching sunrise with my bare, sunglasses free, eyes in Istanbul last week. No clouds, just smoggy. Would hate to live in some of these places.

 

[mushez]

Ah Beijing - not a blue in the sky!

View attachment 47016

- Why I prefer Changshu, Jiangsu as it is the only place in China that I have gone/been where you have blue, cloudy nice clear days 6 out of 7 days a week. Tend to try to have a day or two stop over for a weekend there, as it is just very different than the rest.

This is a rather common site in Changshu:

 

[Aeolus]

$3 fake iPhone charger from market in Beijing seemed a good deal at the time! Went off like a shotgun behind me - change of jocks definitely reqd!

View attachment 46033

I almost need a change of jocks myself laughing at your comments! Did it kill your iPhone? Hope not.