Why your next flight may go via China
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Booking a flight from London to Sydney can paint a telling picture of the big change in global air travel in recent years.
It is the same if you are looking to fly from Bangkok to Los Angeles. Or from Singapore to New York.
In all three cases, the cheapest tickets these days are often offered by a Chinese airline.
Take the London to Sydney route. Using one of the best-known flight-finder websites to search for a ticket to fly out and back on two dates picked at random - 30 October and 12 November - the cheapest available, at the time of writing, was quoted by China Southern Airlines.
Meanwhile, if you wanted to fly between Bangkok and Los Angeles on the same dates, the lowest-priced ticket was offered by China Eastern Airlines.
So if you don't mind having a stopover in a Chinese city you might not have heard of before - how about 12 hours in Qingdao? - leisure and business travellers can often save a fair amount of money.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption China has seen a huge growth in air passenger numbers
But how exactly are a growing number of Chinese airlines able to offer bargain prices that undercut more established rivals from Europe, the US, Asia, and the Middle East? Are they playing fair
And how are the Chinese carriers able to secure an increasing amount of often hard-to-get landing slots around the world?
China's main airlines are undoubtedly being subsidised by the Chinese government, says Shukor Yusof, founder of Endau Analytics, a Singapore-based aviation industry research group.
These subsidies enable the carriers, such as the big three - Air China, China Eastern and China Southern - to aggressively gain market share around the world without worrying too much about any losses along the way.
"Chinese carriers do not reveal details, or specifics," says Mr Yusof. "However, taking account of the numbers that are flying, it would be fair to say that some are breaking even, many lose money, and few are able to eke out profits."
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption Analysts say the big Chinese airlines have worked hard to match the cabin qualities of the established carriers of the West
China's airlines are also benefiting from regional Chinese governments offering them subsidies to run international flights from their main cities, in the hope of putting them more on the map, and encouraging tourism and economic development.
In 2016 regional Chinese authorities outside Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou spent at least 8.6bn yuan ($1.3bn; £1bn) subsidising airlines, mostly towards international flights, according to data compiled by research group Civil Aviation Data Analysis.
One of the smaller Chinese carriers, Sichuan Airlines, offers services to Los Angeles from Hangzhou and Jinan, and both flights are said to rely heavily on subsidies, with less than 60% of seats full, compared with the global, industry-wide average of 81.4% in 2017.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption China has built 55 new airports since 2010
Thanks to the financial support from the Chinese government - which is the majority owner of Air China, China Eastern and China Southern - the Chinese carriers also have the funds to buy landing slots around the world. These can cost tens of millions of dollars, with airlines having to buy them from other carriers.
Yet while the Chinese government is undoubtedly using its financial muscle to help Chinese airlines grab a growing share of the global aviation market, it would be far too simplistic to attribute the rising dominance of the country's carriers to state sponsorship alone.
Instead you have to remember that China is the world's most populous country, and a growing number of its people can afford to fly overseas on holiday. This comes at the same time as countries in the West have eased visa restrictions on Chinese travellers.
Mr Yusof says that the number of people from mainland China flying abroad has more than doubled over the past decade, "the fastest [rate] in the world".
"We are talking close to 100 million seats in 2017 alone," he says.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption The main Chinese airlines have invested millions in new planes
Outside of Asia, the most popular overseas destination for Chinese holidaymakers is the US. These Chinese tourists spend on average almost $7,000 (£5,500) per trip, according to the US Travel Association.
Given the boost this gives to the tourism industry in the US and Europe, you can see why governments are quite happy to see more flights from China.
In fact, the growth in international Chinese passenger numbers is so extensive that China is forecast to overtake the US as the world's largest aviation market by 2022, according to the International Air Transport Association industry body.
Some of the pricing is quite amazing. My grand daughter, husband and two kids flew from Perth Australia to San Francisco CA. last year. They had a 14 hour layover in China. The airline put them up in a nice hotel, with meals and entertainment for the kids and transport back and forth between the airline and the hotel.
They told me the ticket was 35% less than then the best price on Qantas Airlines.
Dear Brother Kavika: Wow!
Quite the savings and value.
Good to know.
Thanks for the heads up.
E.
Next time you and Mrs E are in need of airline tickets please contact me at
Kavika's Travel Emporium and Bait Shop.
Flying via fish is our specialty.
Dear Brother Kavika: Deal.
E.
Although I can't open any of the photos you posted, it doesn't matter because I've been there.
Another thing. I've flown many times in China, and there was NEVER an empty seat. Just one thing, if anyone is interested in flying on a Chinese airline, they better like Chinese food.
This is for Buzz....Remember if your going to book flights to use
Kavika's Travel Emporium and Bait Shop...
CHINA'S HAINAN AIRLINES TO OPERATE THREE WEEKLY FLIGHTS TO ISRAEL
Isn't that an airline were you bring your own seat belts?
Only in the cheap seats. Business and 1st Class they are supplied.
In 2015 When Hainan started the flights there were 34,000 Chinese tourist to Israel. Israel and China were hoping for 100,000 by 2017...I'm looking to see if I can find a figure for 2017.
Found it, 113,000 Chinese tourist to Israel in 2017.
Is their motto
Fly with us! We almost always get you there!
Actually 2 of the top 3 safest airlines in the world are Chinese...Cathay Pacific and Hainan.
China is well represented in airlines safety.
I know. I have just been waiting to use that joke for awhile. Just trying to be funny.
Actually I believe that is the Russian Airline, Aeroflot's motto...
I think my brother flew on that one, he said it was "Podunk Airlines", when he was in the Air Force.
I think that I've been on that airline, Galen.
My brother said he had to sit next to the chicken coop, where did they stick you?
Next to a screaming kid.
For those reading your joke, I've flown on Hainan Airlines in the cheap seats, and there were seat belts.
God's I do hope people realize it is a joke.
My sister flew a Russian airline when she adopted her daughter... she said she was not sure the plane would land. no joke. She said it was the scariest flight of her life.
I flew Aeroflot one time from Helsinki to Moscow....I brought my own parachute.
An experience that I do not want to repeat now or ever...
Aeroflot motto...''When life and limb don't matter, you can count on Aeroflot''.