China - never a dull moment!

[Cruiser Elite]

As the title suggests - ‘China - Never a Dull Moment’

 

[Cruiser Elite]

HSR Train Hongqiao to Ningbo this morn - that’s getting up there isn’t it?

I did actually see it hit 313kmh but wasn’t quick enough to capture it - technically I don’t think they are supposed to exceed 300kmh nowadays - was 330kmh originally until a major bingle occurred.

Also not able to continually iCloud up the satellite and connection drops in and out so I could not record entire journey - this was best I could do sorry

 

[MEL_Traveller]

lol. The speedo graphic looks a little the same as this emoji

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Share bikes rowed up awaiting repairs and service at a Ningbo bicycle factory - literally 1,000s of them

The factory told me share bike operators right across China losing money hand over fist

The share bike concept is BRILLIANT in theory but always destined for FAILURE in practice

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Anybody want a beer?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Just spotted this on the Expressway en route to PVG:

First one I have ever seen in the flesh - few bobs worth right there

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Look you can now build your own ‘Great Wall of China’ - ¥699 in PVG Duty Free = A$146.71:

Or you can buy from Target for A$63

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Lighter depository at entrance to PVG T2:

I have seen these almost full and they are emptied daily

 

[moa999]

BA just announced it is moving it's daily flight from PEK to PKX when it opens, making it the first foreign carrier to move flights.

AY had previously announced it would keep its HEL-PEK flight, but supplement with a 3/wk PKX flight.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yes remarkably quiet on airline intentions - I was always surprised how long it took SQ to move from SHA to PVG when it opened.

 

[moa999]

I assume it's a tough one for many of the non-Star/Skyteam carriers.
PEK is closer in and arguably better located for business traffic (key business hubs tending to be to the North)
But CZ/ MU are moving most flights to PKX.

At a guess QF will probably stay at PEK despite the CZ/MU partnerships, as I'd think most of their connecting traffic to smaller cities goes through HKG and PVG, whereas PEK is more destination traffic.
Whereas for AA for example it's more of a mix given flight distances are more equivalent from the US

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't suspect airlines are going to have a lot of choice here. There'll likely be an overall plan, with airlines allocated according to that plan.

 

[moa999]

Somewhat surprisingly it was suggested that the unaligned airlines (Inc oneworld) had a choice, albeit were possibly able to get better slots if they moved to PKX.

Even CZ and MU have been able to negotiate to keep some flights at PEK (mostly from SHA as I understand)

 

[boomy]

Chinese lounges don’t enjoy great reputation and normally for good reasons. When I did some reading about lounge options in PVG most reviews were bad therefore I was pleasantly surprised by MU F lounge which I found to be very nice and not only by Chinese standards. It’s clean, quiet (most pax can only enter the J lounge), has cute robot who greets pax, plenty seating options, four relaxation rooms, decent food selection and even fancy champagne ($70 on QantasEpicure).

 

[pjm99au]

Boomy. We’re you flying MU F or did you get access through status. I’ll be there on the 1st of August and the F lounge access rules for QF flights is not that clear.

 

[boomy]

Boomy. We’re you flying MU F or did you get access through status. I’ll be there on the 1st of August and the F lounge access rules for QF flights is not that clear.

I was flying QF. Plat pax get invitation to MU F lounge.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Now this is fantastic news - Pudong to Hongqiao

 

[seanpodge]

I don't suspect airlines are going to have a lot of choice here. There'll likely be an overall plan, with airlines allocated according to that plan.

Somewhat surprisingly it was suggested that the unaligned airlines (Inc oneworld) had a choice, albeit were possibly able to get better slots if they moved to PKX.

Even CZ and MU have been able to negotiate to keep some flights at PEK (mostly from SHA as I understand)

From what I read, the mainland Chinese carriers were largely told where they would be flying out of, but foreign airlines were free to choose between the two (or use both, presumably).

One would think that even if foreign carriers were being enticed to PKX with better slots that a number of slots will open up at PEK from October 1st, so it might not be such an issue. I also wonder if the government will look to overhaul/demolish T1 and T2 now that many of the airlines operating from there will move to PKX.

 

[seanpodge]

Now this is fantastic news - Pudong to Hongqiao

Sounds interesting. The maglev takes another hit in the practicality stakes.

To be honest, I'm a bit surprised that the government didn't just extend the China Railways HSR track to PVG. Would be great for destinations near Shanghai but which be unlikely to ever have the air connections of PVG and SHA. Especially for Suzhou which doesn't even have an airport.

 

[moa999]

I think the original plan was to extend the maglev to SHA but that was dropped a while back.

Definitely likely to sideline the maglev depending on how easy transfers are to other lines.

I think the new Shanghai East station referred to above is essentially at PVG