Hainan Airlines - BRU - PEK

[JCO]

I took the flight from Brussels to Beijing on aug 28th 2008. I tried this direct connection in favour of the Finnair flight over Helsinki I normally take. It will be the last time.

The checkin was terribly slow, it took them 10 full minutes to get our boarding cards. Because I was travelling with my little daughter I was happy that they could give us good seats (more legroom). While waiting at the gate they changed our seats again, because there seemed to be some olympic delegation on board.
In the plane we couldn't get these seats because they were located at an emergency seat, so they changed our seats again. I don't like being played around with, which I clearly stated to the crew.

On board service is below standard. On a long flight like this I expect them offering drinks regularly, water will do, to fight dehydratation. They didn't, you have to go to the galley yourself.

The inflight entertainment service was buggy, half in the flight half of the functions didn't work anymore.

The food was ok, but not special. The breakfast was terrible.

I regret having to fly back with them.

Hainan, never again !

[AF332]

If you want good value for your money, there's a nice alternative with Emirates. Emirates operates services to Beijing from Düsseldorf (good connection via Dubai). For people who live in the (North-)East part of Belgium, this is a good option.

Philippe

[dna]

I just returned from the Beijing Olympics. We also flew Hainan to and from Beijing. It certainly made for an interesting experience. Check-in took ages in Beijing, but went smoothly in Brussels. Food was nothing special, with breakfast dreadful on the outbound flight, but reasonably good coming into Brussels. The wine (Great Wall) was undrinkable. And I agree, the lack of water during the flight was astonishing. Cabin crew overall were very friendly, although their knowledge of English appears sub-standard.

[regi]

Maybe a positive note about the drinks.
The long flights dehydrate you. So, for your health you want to drink. The FA don't come around, but you get it ( or another drink as well ) when you go to the galley.
And that is the positive point: that walking. It is good for your blood circulation. Yes, I agree, it sounds silly. But see it as a semi enforced excercise for your own benefit.
Bad breakfast? No pictures available?

[dna]

Maybe a positive note about the drinks.
The long flights dehydrate you. So, for your health you want to drink. The FA don't come around, but you get it ( or another drink as well ) when you go to the galley.
And that is the positive point: that walking. It is good for your blood circulation. Yes, I agree, it sounds silly. But see it as a semi enforced excercise for your own benefit.
Bad breakfast? No pictures available?

You are quite right, and believe me, I do get up and walk regularly during a long haul flight. But when you have a window seat and the person next to you is asleep, then it is quite handy to have a F/A coming round with water or juice.

To this day, I and my colleagues don't know what the breakfast was supposed to be: it was a tray of tasteless grey blubber. That's the most accurate description I can give you. I think we were too shocked to even consider taking a picture.

[Stij]

To this day, I and my colleagues don't know what the breakfast was supposed to be: it was a tray of tasteless grey blubber. That's the most accurate description I can give you. I think we were too shocked to even consider taking a picture.

Could it have been some kind of overcooked rice, but then mixed with the cooking water? I had that onze for breakfast on a flight from Beijing to Shanghai Hongqiao on an Air China flight. Didn't eat it either...

Cheers,

Stij

[regi]

Chinese people like to eat a kind of rice soup for breakfast.
But if you describe it as a kind of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or The Blob, ( see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob
well, I guess that it may have put off the chinese passengers as well.

[dna]

Could it have been some kind of overcooked rice, but then mixed with the cooking water?

It certainly had the looks of that. And it was very fluid, but as I said completely tasteless.

But if you describe it as a kind of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or The Blob

The Blob definitely was the movie that came to my mind

And the coffee was undrinkable too. They must have hept it heated during the entire flight, it tasted very burnt. I took it back to the galley, definitely the worst coffee ever.

[JCO]

The 'over-cooked' rice is traditionnally part of a chinese breakfast. In domestic flights in China you get this stuff often. My daughter and wife are very fond of it (my wife is Chinese).

September 25th I returned with Hainan from Beijing (HU491). The checkin time was ridicously long. The very late departure in Beijing is inconvenient since all the shops and restaurants are already closed.

The return flight was again eventfull. The plane was approx. half full. At checkin we got seats in the central row of seats (13 D and E). The two other seats would have been empty, this would give us a lot of space for our daughter of 23 months. Our seats were changed to 10A and B, this row has a lot of legg room. Our daughter could sleep on the floor in front of us. At first sight a good solution. The seats in row 10 have the entertainment system and the table in the handrests between the chairs. These can not be moved up as in normal seats. They are difficult to sleep in because of this.
On top of this we say a chinese man sleeping over the 4 chairs in the middle of row 13 (our previous seats).

Hainan never again !

[regi]

That overcooked rice porridge is called " Khao Tom" in Thai language . I dislike it as much as non-asian passengers dislike it. It is just taste less.
In fact they use the rice of the day before when they clean the rice boiler. To add taste, they sometimes boil it in chicken stock.
Thai people will add fish sauce . Imagine the smell of that during breakfast. I close my eyes and rest my case.