The lounge had sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of natural light, though not much in the way of good planespotting. It also has ten passenger 747-8s. View our latest valuations here. In this case I had the honor of transporting Leo, a drop-dead gorgeous, 2-year-old lab who was being rescued by the Forever In My Heart Foundation in New York to train as a service dog for a disabled veteran. Air China is one of just three carriers (along with Korean Air and Lufthansa) to order the next-generation 747. Only supported aircraft types that are active with this airline are included in the calculations. Image credit: seatguru.com. On the one hand, service was great. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. After lunch, I had the flight attendant make my bed up. The Air China Boeing 747-400 features 344 seats in a 3 cabin configuration. As I was attempting to snap some photos of the food, an agent came up and told me that photography was forbidden. The meats were fresh and delicious, but the bread they were served on had a grainy taste that competed with, rather than complemented, the flavor. Waiting at my seat upon boarding was a pair of headphones set up on a little stand made out of the case. Limited Western-food options and a forgettable ground experience. I was honestly surprised that Air China didn’t install closing doors on these seats. Our flight was delayed by an hour and a half, so at 1:30 p.m., our original scheduled departure time, I made my way to the gate just in time to see our beautiful 747-8 taxiing in. China doesn’t have much in the way of animal shelters even in the major cities, so a number of organizations have popped up across the country to help fly dogs rescued off the street or from the meat trade to rescue organizations in the west that can help them find a good home. Air China Fleet of B747 (History) - Aviation website for aircraft and airline information (flight, photo, travel, fleet listing, production list of Airbus Boeing Douglas Embraer Dash, ATR, Sukhoi, Saab...), plane photos, flightlog database, aviation news, civil aviation forum, aviation store. Both were a decent size. 2 Future records only include new-built aircraft close to delivery and expected second-hand deliveries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. After dropping Leo off, I took the train to the international concourse and cleared customs. However, that grand old lady is listed as stored, and her future remains unclear. For the most comfortable trip possible on the 747-8, you want to be located in the nose of the aircraft. Note that Air China is slowly introducing their new First and Business Class seats on the Boeing 747-400s and this seat map shows the current older generation seats. Had I not scored a seat on the upper deck, I think I would have been perfectly happy in the nose.Meanwhile, the two rows of 2-2-2 business seats just behind felt a bit too ordinary. When I landed at New York-JFK, Leo’s new family was waiting for me as soon as I exited customs. Right in front of door two are the 12 first class seats, spread across three rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. Meanwhile, the airline has said that it will not retire the Queen early and will phase out its 747-400s by mid-decade, as was always the intention. The best seats are located in row 48 because of the extra legroom that you’ll experience. Lufthansa has their first class in the nose of the aircraft, while Air China has five rows of business class in the front of the aircraft. At the moment, they are operating on domestic routes, mostly out of Beijing. The flight attendants did a good job keeping them clean and shooing away all the premium economy passengers who kept trying to use them. Speaking of windows, I ended up with between four and a half and five windows, depending on where you decided to draw the lines between rows. 1 The average fleet age is based on our own calculations and may differ from other figures. This is where I’m a little conflicted about Air China. I’ll admit I went in with low expectations, but that made the ensuing flight a much more pleasant surprise. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. The most I’ve ever had before was four, and as someone who places a lot of value on the free entertainment that a window provides, this made me very happy. I’ll begrudgingly admit that I understand this decision, as Air China’s first-class seats wouldn’t fit well in the curved space of the nose. The 747-8i – essentially a stretched next-gen version of the popular Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet – contains first, business, premium economy and economy class across a … It’s the -400 version that is currently the hottest, because with only 3 planes in the fleet remaining, it is not only harder to catch than the 747 … The 747-8 daily to Chengdu, Chongqing, and Guangzhou, and the 747-400 daily to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. A RED VENTURES COMPANY. The regular feature of the Queen of the Skies will be missed by crew and travelers alike. Journalist - With a Master's in International Relations, Linnea has combined her love for current affairs with her passion for travel to become a key member of the Simple Flying team. *Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. China Airlines’ Boeing 747-400s were a common sight in East Asia, frequenting Japan and China. The seats were spacious and private enough (though a closing door would have been nice), and both meals really blew me out of the water. On Air China’s plane, there were 12 business-class seats there, instead.Since I entered through the forward door, I had a chance to check out all of the premium sections. My menu showed a few different choices for dessert, but the flight attendant simply asked me, “Do you want some cake?”(Photo by Ethan Steinberg/The Points Guy.). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Aviation Photo #6240119 Boeing 747-89L - Air China [ Medium Large] Tweet. The German flag-carrier has stored all of its twelve 747-400s and 12 out of its 19 747-8s. While I wasn’t initially sure how I felt about first class not being in the nose of the plane, the upside was that I got to watch the beautiful 747 wing flex as we took off. This … I was even offered a refill before we pushed back, which I find to be a rare occurrence even on five-star airlines like Emirates or Singapore. This certainly doesn’t affect how much I enjoyed the flight, but it’s a ubiquitous element of the first- and, in some cases, business-class experience, and it’s a small detail Air China could tweak to better match their competition. Inflight entertainment has been a pain point for my previous travel with Chinese airlines, so I was delighted to see that Air China had a crisp, 26-inch touchscreen TV at every seat. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. I’ve flown with crews who spoke worse English and still made a better attempt to get to know me and personalize the service, but I can also respect a more reserved approach. However, only one of them, VT-EVA, is currently listed as active. One thing Air China undeniably has in its favor is how generous it is with premium cabin award space, especially on flights to the U.S. Image credit: seatguru.com. Talk about top-notch service! In my experience, Asian airlines don’t differentiate between their short-haul international premium-cabin passengers (like those flying two hours from Beijing to Seoul) and long-haul passengers, like our flight going to New York. There were two bathrooms in the galley area behind first class. I was the only non-Chinese passengers in the cabin, but I think Air China could offer one more Western dish like a pasta on this route to New York. Immediately after that, my table was set and I was offered a trio of canapés: beef pastrami, marinated scallop with salmon roe and lobster with cranberry. That being said, there were a few times were the service felt robotic and not especially personal, though I’m not sure how much of that to chalk up to the language barrier. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. It recently replaced the jumbo with A350s on some of its routes out of Frankfurt. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. I was completely stuffed at this point, so I passed on the cheese plate and went right to fruit and dessert. If you’re traveling from China to the U.S. and want to volunteer your time to rescue a dog in need, you can reach out to director@animalhopeandwellness.org and mention The Points Guy in your email. Two people met me at the airport to assist with the check-in process, which took no more than five minutes. I didn’t want to get flagged as a troublemaker or blow my cover, so I put my phone away. Air China's first Boeing 747-8i takes to the skies this week, with an all-new interior created for the Chinese flag carrier by JPA Design. It would probably be hard to fit the huge Air first class seats in the nose of the aircraft. China Airlines, one of Taiwan's main international carriers, has put their last four Boeing 747-400 passenger jets up for sale; as part of a plan to retire the model from their fleet in the first quarter of 2021, according to the company.. Only, all but one are freighters. With airlines around the globe retiring their older 747-400s in favor of more fuel-efficient planes, these three airlines will be the last ones to operate the beloved Queen of the Skies into the next decade and hopefully beyond. The lounge had a few small drink and snack stations spread around, as well as one main dining area. Next I was served an appetizer of prawns with orange slices and a small side salad. Iranian Mahan Air has two 747 in its fleet. See, Inside Beijing’s new Daxing Airport, the world’s largest single terminal, Asia the best continent for short-haul flying, Reminder: You don’t have to be on the ‘No Fly List’ to receive an airline ban, Marriott reinstates elite benefit guarantees effective immediately, Check your American Airlines accounts: 2021 rollover elite miles, dollars and segments now posting, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The flight took off to the north and struck the bird at around 4,000 meters. But since moving to Shanghai about a year and a half ago, I’ve been curious about testing this widely held assumption myself. My name is Erez Werber, I am Currently residing in Israel studying computer science and enjoying aviation both real, and simulated. Captain Ho had approximately 15,500 flight hours, including 3,748 … There are three rows of first class, each laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, for a total of 12 seats. When a trip home to the U.S. happened to coincide with a award sale from Avianca LifeMiles, I knew it was my chance to finally sample Air China’s first class. Since Air China is a member of Star Alliance, you can also book this award through Aeroplan (105,000 miles), United MileagePlus (140,000 miles), and Singapore KrisFlyer (140,000 miles). There was a gap of about 6 inches between the seats and the window. I ended up ordering the Sichuan Kung Pao shrimp, which the flight attendant confirmed when she was taking my order. Meanwhile, the carrier operates a 747-400, also over 30 years old, currently flying domestically between Kerman and Tehran. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! This leads to crowded lounges (before you add in all the Priority Pass members) and a ground experience that’s simultaneously excessive for those short hops and not quite enough for long-haul passengers. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. However, the past year’s events had repercussions for commercial aviation of a magnitude no one had foreseen, and the Queen began an early mass exodus from airline fleets. SeatGuru Seat Map Air China - SeatGuru Air China While China Eastern seems determined to overcook veggies and rice in every cabin, Air China executed this dish to perfection. At the moment, they are operating on domestic routes, mostly out of Beijing. They only loaded one size for men, large, and these just barely fit me. For my main, I had the beef noodle soup with vegetables. I liked the design, including the red piping and patterned buttons. - Photo taken at In Flight in China on October 11, 2020. Menus and wine lists were already waiting at each seat, and the flight attendants came around to take orders while we were on the ground. Air China 747-8 business class seat map lower deck. Lines were mercifully short, but I didn’t see any expedited security line for premium-cabin passengers like they have at Shanghai Pudong (PVG). EI-XLF is flying between St Petersburg and Antalya in Turkey, and EI-XLH flew from Sharjah International Airport in the UAE to Moscow on November 9th. Air China still operates a fleet of three 24-year old Boeing 747-400s and a full seven of the newer 747-8s. One thing Air China undeniably has in its favor is how generous it is with premium cabin award space, especially on flights to the U.S. At the end of the day, some of the same factors that make Asia the best continent for short-haul flying work against it for long-haul passengers. We use ads to keep our content free. She initially said that the first meal would be served at 5:30 p.m. (nearly two hours after takeoff), but I asked if it would be possible to eat right away, and she happily obliged. Next was an asparagus cream soup, a perfect pairing with the garlic bread and not nearly as heavy as it sounds. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Please Support us by turning off your adblocker. Every time I rolled over it kept getting tangled up, to the point that I mostly used it as a blanket and slept directly on the seat. Air China CA1313 PEK-SZX, on board former Chinese Air Force One B-2472, it was re-configured to F10C42Y292 in August 2020. Lufthansa leads the way with new 747-8 Intercontinental. With eight years’ experience in publishing and citations in publications such as CNN, Linnea brings a deep understanding of politics and future aviation tech to her stories. My flight featured a choice of three Chinese main courses or two Western ones (cod with pesto cream sauce or stir-fried vegetables). To the left of the seat was a small storage compartment, big enough for your wallet and phone but not much else. When you combine wide-open award space to the U.S. with the amazing LifeMiles sale we were able to take advantage of, this is a product I really wouldn’t hesitate to fly again. The accident occurred 10 hours into the flight. Food and beverage was where I had the lowest expectations for this flight and (I still can’t believe I’m writing this), also one of the areas where Air China excelled. Air China’s 747-8 aircraft feature 12 first class seats, 54 business class seats, 66 premium economy seats, and 233 economy seats, for a total of 365 seats. There’s no way around the fact that mainland Chinese airlines have an abysmal reputation, especially compared to nearby competitors like Cathay Pacific and EVA Air, who are among the world’s best. But instead of a closing door, all you got was a small closet, big enough to hang a jacket and not much else. About two hours before landing, the lights were turned on for the prearrival meal. Currently the bureau is a one persons dream. We had to go to a special check-in counter, but there was no line, and since the people from the rescue organization were Chinese, they were able to answer any questions from the check-in agent with no issues. Air China calls their first class product Forbidden Pavilion in … Marketplace Masterstroke: Cathay Pacific Adds 10 747-8 Freighters to Fleet. The iconic silhouette of the Boeing 747 was to make way for more fuel-efficient and economically attractive twin-jets. Dimensions: 530x215x65 mm (20.9x8.5x2.6 inch) Markings Boeing 747 Boeing 747-400 Air China (1988-now) b-2464 1995; Product timeline April 25, 2012 in Commercial. My first impression of Air China’s first-class product was that the cabin itself felt nice and spacious. I also found a L’Occitane amenity kit waiting at my seat. If you find yourself in India, you can currently catch it daily on Air India’s Delhi to Mumbai route. Air India still officially has four 747-400s in its fleet. Air China’s Boeing 747-400 is a 3-class aircraft that seats a total of 344 passengers. Air China's Boeing 747-8 is a 4-class aircraft that seats a total of 365 passengers. © 2021 THE POINTS GUY, LLC. Once I cleared security, there were plenty of signs to the Air China first-class lounge, though the construction on the ground level partially obscured some of them. I understand why Air China would want to drive incremental revenue from its lounges by opening them up to Priority Pass members, but this makes the experience feel much less exclusive. While the seat was a bit short on storage for small items, I liked being able to store my backpack under the ottoman during takeoff and landing instead of having to put it in an overhead bin. Be in the know. I was in seat 2L, the right-side window seat in the middle row of the cabin. Air China’s cabin layout on the 747-8 is unusual. I can’t remember ever having to wait before to check in to a first-class lounge, and it appeared that some people were even being turned away (though as a ticketed first-class passenger I had no problem getting in). Even better, we were able to take advantage of a 10% off sale that Avianca LifeMiles was running on select routes to bring the cost down even further. I also have to applaud the crew on this flight for hustling to truly execute a dine-on-demand experience, as it seemed like all six passengers in the cabin were on different eating and sleeping schedules. This … Sign up to our daily aviation news digest. (Photo by Ethan Steinberg/The Points Guy. The rescue organization handled all of the logistics for Leo and covered the cost of checking him in the cargo hold with Air China. 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