Updating...

I've just posted an update to our Atlanta airport guide & am halfway through revising the Minneapolis/St. Paul entry. With these changes I'm tweaking the website's navigation buttons for easier reading - and also starting to change the tone of the entire weninchina effort.

When I started weninchina in 2008, I was thinking mainly of the 4,000+ families who traveled to China each year to complete child adoptions. While international adoption still takes place, the time and expense has dramatically increased (and not just in China), and the number of kids finding new homes overseas has plummeted. Even the number of adoption agencies here in the US who work overseas has dwindled. So the target market I originally was talking to has really shrunk!

Meanwhile, interest by families of every kind in learning about and traveling to East Asia is growing steadily - kids play the videogames and watch anime and want to learn more about the cultures that created the media they enjoy. And the availability of airline service between North America and Asia continues to improve, making it easier to take that trip.

So, I'll be gradually re-writing content across the website to de-emphasize the adoption-trip angle and write more from the point of view of a family going on vacation or for learning experiences, and also adding even more content from outside China/Hong Kong. This process will take some time - but it should also help me find more to write about, as well!

Thank you for reading my work over these past five years - I hope to bring you more and more in the times to come. I'm grateful for your feedback, story suggestions, and contributions!

Impressive updates to the international gates at Minneapolis/St.Paul!

My hometown airport of Minneapolis / St. Paul has been in a constant state of updating, which makes every trip fun to discover what is new.  Our hub carrier, Delta, has made big investments to the international and long-haul gate areas that Northwest Airlines had custom-built back in the 1980s and that re-construction has just recently been completed.

On a business trip last week I was able to check out these renovated gate areas and came away very impressed with how family-friendly they turned out!

The gates at MSP are arranged something like a letter "H", and the international gates and Customs facility is in the middle of the left-hand side of that "H". The short hallway to get to those gates used to have a big McDonald's on one side and a gift shop on the other.  No more McDonald's ... and the hallway runs right through a much bigger retail area (kind of like how Copenhagen does it...)

I had read in local media how this remodeling was supposed to appeal to business and high-end travelers, and I agree that it certainly does that job.  The finish, lighting, and quality of goods & foods make this part of MSP every bit as interesting as what I've seen in Tokyo or Amsterdam - well done! But as soon as I saw this frozen-yogurt self-serve bar I thought "my daughter is going to go nuts here when we go on vacation in March!"

They have those new Coca-Cola Freestyle make-your-own-mix dispensers, which is neat. But as a parent what I really appreciate is the big assortment of healthy and tasty deli food & bottled beverages.  Fast-food has its place (and you can still get your fill of it at MSP just a few minutes' walk from here) but when you're on the road you crave fruit ... vegetables ... fresh bread ... a simple bottle of water.  And you can get it all right here.  (And of course if the kids are eating healthier, they're going to be behaving better on the flight...)

A bit more variety of travel-gear than I usually see at most airports, too, in case you need an extra bag or pillow...

You pass through the retail space into the light-filled gate areas. I wasn't expecting the seating to have changed, but this was a real surprise ... extra-wide chairs with tables and electric outlets all over.  If you're holding an infant or toddler there's enough room on that seating to still be comfortable and not stick halfway out into traffic. 

And of course the iPads.  You can't do *everything* on them - and they're meant first to place orders at the food vendors right behind you - but I've been told there are games on these tablets, too.

I don't know what the kids are going to be doing while you're playing games on the iPad.

This used to be kind of a dumpy wall with a few pay phones and people sitting on the carpet.  Now, wow.  That tile curves all the way up onto the ceiling.  The TVs are there, but you're not being blasted with audio, either.

This is the back part of what used to be McDonald's - a nice bistro with plenty of table seating inside. So people who really want to be "in a restaurant" to eat have their space, and people who want to relax in the gate area have their space, and everyone has power and iPads to play with.

And here's looking back through the retail hallway to get back to the main part of Concourse G and the rest of the airport.  Concourse G has been re-done all the way down to the end in a similar fashion, although the seating areas are the best here in G1-G6.  I see restroom upgrades, too (more about that after our next trip) - and some work being done in other Delta gates on the F concourse.

If you're taking Delta to Asia on the Minneapolis-Tokyo run, these updates will make your family travel experience much more relaxing and fun.

I'll be updating the Minneapolis / St. Paul airport guide on weninchina.com this season to incorporate this fresh information, and with more photos, too.

Atlanta airport's new international gates

Last week I was in Atlanta for an educational-industry tradeshow, and had a few extra hours on my homeward journey to explore that airport's new Concourse F.  I left very impressed with what they've built, and I think families traveling from the US southeast to the Asia/Pacific region are going to have a much better experience than previously.

For travelers who live in the area, you'll check in and go through security at the new International Terminal on the east side of the airport - which is directly connected to Concourse F.  (You'll come through the checkpoint at the bottom of this picture.)  Most families will be connecting from other cities, and to get to Concourse F you'll take the underground shuttle that links all the other gate areas. There are no extra security checks, and coming up from the shuttle, you'll see this view at the top of the escalator.

Like Concourses A through E, the middle portion is where you'll find most of the food and shopping, but here they've actually built enough space in the corridor so that people aren't running into each other as they move to their gates or enter and leave the shops.

Unlike the other concourses, there's also plenty of vertical space (and in the daytime, lots of natural light) to reduce feelings of being confined.  The extra space helps reduce stress - and makes it easier to herd children to where you need to be :)

Here's an overhead view of the central area - contrast this to Concourses A - D where the main corridor is only half this width, and where there's no atrium at all where you get off the shuttle train...

There's more room in the gate areas as well, compared to the other concourses.  Restrooms are conveniently spaced, and they've installed family-facilities as well.  There are food and retail options out at the ends of the concourse, too.

They've arranged some of the seating in the gate areas to create little islands where a family can group together and have some personal space, instead of being stuck in straight rows directly facing strangers.

A shortcoming ATL still hasn't addressed even in the new facility is the lack of play areas for young kids.  Perhaps they could replace their infamous "smokers' lounges" with some playground equipment?  Cartoon Network is headquartered in Atlanta; I'm sure they wouldn't mind pitching in with some kid-friendly space ideas...

Atlanta is a global hub, and flights depart and arrive at all times. This 777 is preparing to leave for Dubai, and at the next gate, the Buenos Aires flight was loading.

Korean Air now flies the Atlanta-Seoul nonstop twice daily, and will be using their big A380 on one of the flights beginning this spring. Delta also flies Atlanta-Tokyo from here daily. 

The food court is a two-story setup, with restaurants on both floors. Lounge chairs are spaced out on the first floor, and there are plenty of tables on the second floor.

Many options for eating at all different price points, and I like how ATL is beginning to incorporate more local businesses - like the famous Varsity hot-dog stand - throughout the airport.

On the homeward side, a problem that ATL had with their previous International setup was that arriving local travelers from overseas who were leaving the terminal after picking up their bags had to go back through security and ride the shuttle train all the way across the airport.  With the building of the dedicated International Terminal, this is no longer the case. Overseas flights arriving at either Concourse E or F now use one Customs facility, and local travelers may now exit straight outside.

This corridor runs underground between E and F so that connecting passengers don't have to take the shuttle train.  On the other side of this glass wall is a corridor for arriving international passengers to take to Customs, and from there, connecting passengers can take this hallway, or get right on the shuttle train for the other domestic concourses.

I'll be updating our Atlanta airport guide later this season - our family is taking a trip via ATL in a few weeks and I'll be able to get some daylight photos for more detail!

Book Review - Exploring Hong Kong by Steven K. Bailey

This travel guide recently appeared at my local Barnes & Noble and immediately set itself apart from the traditional books on its shelf. After leafing through a few pages I recognized Mr. Bailey’s approach to travel writing had much the same spirit as what we are trying to do here at weninchina.com.

The book is oriented by geography much like other travel books (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories, etc.), runs a similar page length (just over 180 pp) and price ($14.95). However, it is different from the usual Fodor’s or Lonely Planet guides in two important ways: first, it does not go into any depth on which restaurants / clubs / hotels are in the must-see-and-be-seen-at category; no HK Disney reviews; and no interviews with local tastemakers. (After all, despite its recent 2009 copyright, these things change in a blink in HK.) Second, the author uses very specific activities - such as riding the Travelator from Central up to the Mid-Levels, hiking down from Victoria Peak, or crossing Lamma Island by foot - as a framework to tell longer stories of the history and people of Hong Kong.

And instead of trying to cover every neighborhood, Steven goes into depth on a narrow set of places that a first- or second-time visitor may be more likely to explore. His chapter on Victoria Peak, for instance, runs 22 pages. Steven also dedicates multiple pages to specific enthusiast activities that I’ve never seen in traditional guides - airplane spotting, train watching, military history, law enforcement, and several more. (I learned about a pair of excellent airliner-watching spots that I’ll have to try next time!)

Another unique and handy section is dedicated to activities especially appropriate for hot and rainy days, that kids and parents can all enjoy.

There is a thoughtful emphasis throughout the book on how to get around Hong Kong quickly but inexpensively - often including walking directions from MTR stations or ferry terminals (as that’s how the locals really move about).

Photography in the book is by Steven’s wife, Jill Witt, and is of high quality, although I’d have liked to see much more to accompany and illustrate the conversational text. There is some repetition in the book’s “how to get there” sidebars as well, although not noticeable if you aren’t reading the book straight through. Maps of local neighborhoods give the basics but could be a bit more fleshed-out (although if you’re also using a conventional guidebook or one of the many free maps you can get in HK, that is perhaps not a big issue.)

Overall, the book strikes the tone of a friend who lives in HK and wants to take you to the things people don’t see when in an organized tour group - often just a block off the ‘beaten path’ or around the corner of a building. My family’s experience holds this to be true, too - we found Victoria Peak to be a much more relaxed and friendly place once we walked to the back-side of its shopping center so our daughter could ride on the playground equipment and we could watch the Pacific Ocean - or in walking along the footpath on the side of the mountain almost to ourselves. Along with the expected and still-exciting activities like riding the Star Ferry and watching the evening laser light show on the harbor, Steven shows us the quieter and less-stereotyped vision of Hong Kong that is no less fascinating.

If you’re planning to spend three or more days in Hong Kong, even if you have been there before, this book is highly recommended reading, especially for families.

For other reviews of media, products, and services around travel in Asia and understanding Asian culture, visit http://www.weninchina.com/Reviews/Reviews/Reviews.html

Our Hong Kong-related articles can be found at:

http://www.weninchina.com/Travel/Hong_Kong_Stopover.html

http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Hong_Kong.html

weninchina.com now on Google+

Our Google+ page is now up and running.

Stop by and +1 us into one of your Circles, I guess is what we're supposed to say. For now, I just want to learn what G+ can do, figure out how to integrate it with all the other media pieces like our Facebook Page, YouTube channel, and Twitter feed.

There are some new media reviews coming soon, an article about Chinese "Lucky Numbers", and the seasonal update on Transpacific flight options. Stay tuned, and drop us a note with any suggestions, feedback, or just to say "Ni hao."

Milk Contamination Update - September 2011

Articles in the September 2011 editions of China Today and NewsChina magazines (neither available on their English-language websites) both address recent food safety scandals.

So far in 2011, per these sources and other news outlets, Chinese consumers have put up with contaminated pork, dyed steamed buns (made with cardboard), recycled bread, recycled cooking oil, contaminated duck, poisoned bean sprouts, noodles, and peppers, seen watermelons explode in their fields due to applications of artificial growth hormones, and pork cuts that glow in the dark.

And as we’ve linked on the weninchina.com Formula Concerns page, tampering with China’s milk supply continued well after the 2008 tragedies became common knowledge.

The China Today article lists various regional and local law-enforcement initiatives put forth to encourage the public to report tampering and punish producers who violate the law, inferring that food safety standards in the People’s Republic are similar or better than international and US regulations.

In contrast, the NewsChina article cites a domestic expert saying Chinese dairy products “some of the worst in the world” and the majority of milk available “is no better than ordinary water.”

This article reports the regulations on bacterial density in raw milk were changed in 2010 to allow up to 2 million microorganisms per milliliter – 20 times more than the American standard, and 70 times higher than the Danish regulation. The minimum requirements for protein content were also relaxed and are now well below international standards.

NewsChina claims in the article these changes were in the interest of the two largest dairy companies, Mengniu and Yili (who together control over half the Chinese market), to allow them to use lower-quality, lower-priced raw milk supplies which can be processed at high temperatures, as opposed to traditional pasteurization. The high-temperature method allows the milk product to be shelf-stable for up to 3 months so it can be distributed nationally, but it also requires adding protein and thickening agents. (The melamine added to raw milk in the 2008 scandals was to make the milk appear to pass the protein-standard tests.)

The article notes disagreement among Chinese dairy-industry experts – milk processors cite the low quality of raw milk coming from independent farmers as the reason for needing lower standards, but others say the low prices being paid by the processors are keeping farmers from improving farm conditions and equipment that would create better-quality supply. NewsChina notes Mengniu and Yili have greater spending on advertising and distribution than on efforts to improve their supply chain quality.

Until this market imbalance significantly changes – as it did in Western countries over the 20^th Century – to include dairy price supports, farmer-led co-operative production organizations, and independent and rigorous public health authorities, the presence of stiff laws will not prevent further scandals. The China Today article acknowledges this, quoting Xu Hu, deputy director of Public Order Administration of the Ministry of Public Security: “…the cost of lawbreaking is perceived as low, and the law will not really protect consumers and potential victims.”

For families traveling to China for adoption, it is still recommended to heed the 2008 milk powder / infant formula warnings, and bring formula from home or international brands picked up in Hong Kong. For adults and older children just visiting, don’t avoid milk products (like ice cream) outright, but as with any food, pay attention to your senses – if something seems not right, eat something else.

Family-friendly airport guide: Copenhagen

Our second new airport guide released this week is for Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport (CPH). This sleek yet very comfortable facility will be seeing an increase in flights to China; Shanghai service will begin in the spring of 2012, and Beijing is already served daily.

CPH is very easy-to-use for traveling families. Retail and food options have plenty of child-appropriate choices, restrooms are convenient, and there are several play areas for burning off energy. (There are also several great places for relaxing-time, too.) Long-range and short-haul flights are only minutes apart and transfer procedures are efficient and quick.

Whether you're a Scandinavian family heading to Asia, or a North American family visiting Europe, this guide will familiarize you with the layout of CPH, its food and shopping, and security.

Our Copenhagen guide is at: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Copenhagen.html

Family-friendly airport guide: Seoul - Incheon

Our third airport guide released this week is for Incheon Airport, near Seoul, South Korea (ICN).

There may not be another large airport quite so purpose-designed to make the connecting experience for families as smooth as at ICN. Play areas and nurseries are generously-sized and located throughout the facility. An astonishing number of food choices will satisfy any picky eater. There are TV lounges to zone out and Korean-culture activity centers for hands-on creative fun.

Flight transfers are simple, with a simple security check and close-by gates. Stopovers in Korea are also easy in either direction, as visas are not needed for kids with an onward flight. And Seoul has nonstop service to more places in China than any other foreign airport.

Our Incheon guide can be found at: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Seoul_ICN.html

Family-friendly airport guide: Amsterdam

We are posting three brand-newairport guides at weninchina.com this week; the first is for Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (AMS).  This airport has more nonstop and direct service to Chinese cities than any other facility in Europe, and has consistently earned high quality rankings.

Even if you're just traveling into Holland - or through to another European country - this guide will walk you through the different sections of the airport, explain the different security procedures, and point out where to eat, play, and relax.

If you have several hours between flights, the world-famous observation terrace is a must-see. (I wish we'd had more time when we went through there this summer...)

Our Amsterdam guide is at: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Amsterdam.html

Setting up a dedicated review section on weninchina.com

With so many ways to distribute content - just alone we have the website, this blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a Flickr account I just started (and haven't loaded pictures into yet...) - I want to make sure good pieces like the book review from earlier this week don't get lost.

So I've set up a dedicated Reviews section at weninchina.com to start loading with product and service evaluations of travel, media, food, and anything else relating to getting around Asia with your family, or in raising multicultural kids.

I'll still be pushing content out through the other channels, too, but blogs, tweets, and wall postings don't organize as neatly as a website - and some of those services aren't available in the People's Republic.

Squat Toilets Scare Us?

Perhaps one of the reasons why Western families don't often consider taking a trip to Asia is the fear of the squat toilet. Is it that you might fall on a dirty floor with your pants down? Is it the lack of privacy? Is it confusion about which way to face? Is it worrying about piddling on your legs?

Well, those are actually very good reasons.

However, nearly any place a traveling family is likely to visit or stay in China will have "Western" toilets available. Of course, like any trip to a Western country or state, that's no guarantee of a happy experience.

We have a new article posted to help calm your fears about toilets, explain the "sitty vs. squatty" debate, show you how to use a squat toilet, just in case, and give you the words to say and characters to look for.

Video - Hong Kong Victoria Harbour

Day or night the narrow strait separating mainland Kowloon from Hong Kong Island is abuzz with activity that kids of all ages will find fascinating. There are many family-friendly museums on the waterfront, and shopping malls and hundreds of food vendors are in easy walking distance. The Star Ferry is the traditional way to cross the harbor and only takes a couple minutes. At 8:00 every night, the city puts on a massive light, music, and laser show, using most of the skyscrapers on both sides of the harbor. Tourists and locals line up along the water for the spectacle, and everyone leaves with smiles.

This is our third Hong Kong video, and I think we may have good footage from our trip there last November for one or two more. Visit our YouTube channel to see them all!

3 new Airport Guides - Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta

On Saturday, May 28, I spent the entire day in the skies and on the concourses of three of the biggest connecting airports for family travel: Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Atlanta, investigating the features that matter most when taking your children along - places to play and cool off, restrooms, ease of getting around, choices of food and shopping.

Finally got back home to Minneapolis at 11:30 pm, and slept like a rock when I made it to bed...

I took hundreds of photos and pages of notes - and have spent the rest of the Memorial Day weekend putting them into order - to create three new pages on weninchina.com:

Detroit: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Detroit.html

Dallas/Ft. Worth: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Dallas_DFW.html

Atlanta: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Atlanta.html

Video - Tram Ride from Central to Kennedy Town

Here's another video we've just edited based on footage from our Hong Kong trip last November.

Hong Kong is a vibrant, multi-layered city with something unique and interesting in every neighborhood. A great way to get to know the place better - for very little money - is to hop on one of the iconic double-decker trams that run across the north side of Hong Kong Island. They're not fast, but that's not the point: the view of everyday street life can't be beat. You can see every class of citizen, every kind of shop, the glossy to the mundane, all from your open window seat.

The trams are crowded in the financial districts but loosen up as you get further away from Central. By the time we reached the end of the line at Kennedy Town, we had the whole upper deck to ourselves. It's a great way to spend a few mid-day hours; you can hop on and hop off if you see something interesting - your Octopus transit card is happily accepted, and there are trams every few minutes.

This Saturday - the Day of Flying

I'll be in the skies all day this Saturday, May 28, scoping out the family-friendly amenities and hidden quiet places of three more Transpacific gateway airports: Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Atlanta.

My day will begin in Minneapolis/St. Paul at 6:35 am, where I'll be boarding Delta flight 2240 for Detroit. I'll be at DTW's McNamara Terminal from 9:20 through 12:30, when I'll board Delta 5762 bound for Dallas.

At DFW, I'll be arriving at 2:30 and checking out the new Terminal D, as well as C and E, then boarding Delta 2212 for Atlanta.

At ATL, I'll be arriving at 7:05 and departing at 9:55 back home to MSP on Delta 300, where I'll be landing about 11:30 pm.

If you have suggestions on play areas, restaurants, shopping, good restrooms, and spaces to chill out in, please send a reply here at Blogspot, or through my Twitter feed, @weninchina.

Am I a little nuts? Perhaps, but the fare was amazingly good and I need the segments :)

Video - Hong Kong Stanley Harbour

One of my most favorite places in the entire world - the easygoing town of Stanley, on the southeast tip of Hong Kong Island. A quick and inexpensive bus ride from Central puts you right in the heart of this former fishing village turned artists' colony / shopping center / upscale retreat. Lots of dining choices, plenty of spaces to sit down and watch the world go by, and even playgrounds for the kids - you could easily spend the day here breathing the clean ocean air and listening to the waves.

Hong Kong Airport Guide now posted!

The 70th article at weninchina.com is now up - a handy family-friendly guide to China's front door, Hong Kong International Airport. Like our other guides to North American and Asian airports found in our Travel pages, we'll walk you through the arrival process, finding your way around the airport, talk about food and shopping options, review the restrooms, and point out kid-pleasing features.

HKIA is an amazing facility, and a popular choice for families adopting kids due to its closeness to Guangzhou, convenient flight options, and Hong Kong's Western customs, food, and lodging. With no transit-visa issues, Hong Kong is a great place to spend a couple days with your new child en route back home.

More airport guides are being prepared - watch for notices here and on our Twitter feed!

Vancouver and Portland airport guides now added

Continuing our series of family-friendly North American airport guides for Transpacific gateways, this week week we've added entries for Vancouver, BC and Portland, OR.

Both facilities are exciting, comfortable spaces with plenty of natural light and public art. Here are some scenes from Vancouver:

We walk you through the customs arrival process and connecting between flights, showing you how to get around, shop, and eat; and where your children can play or relax.

Some scenes from Portland below:

And be sure to check out weninchina.com's Planning Transpacific Travel page as the complement to help you determine which options you'll choose to and from China.

Family-friendly airport guides

The big children's playspace in Terminal 2 at Chicago O'Hare Airport.

For many families, the adoption trip to China may be their first time across the Pacific or even out of the country. Even for experienced road warriors, a flight home from Asia may take them into an unfamiliar airport. Combine that with serious sleep deprivation and taking care of a new little person whom you've just met and are still trying to bond with, and you may not even be able to find your way through your own hometown terminal.


We're starting a new series of articles at weninchina.com to guide you through the primary North American gateways to Asia. We'll talk about your arrival, how long it will take to get through Customs, where your connecting flights are, and the features of the airport from a family-travel perspective. How are the restrooms? Where can we sit quietly and decompress? Where can the kids blow off excess energy?


This season, we've already posted guides to Seattle/Tacoma, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Chicago O'Hare, with Portland OR, and Vancouver BC next on the list.


If you have suggestions, feedback, or want to share your stories with other travelers, please leave a comment here or email us at weninchinainfo (at) mac (dot) com. Hope you find these new guides useful.

China Southern Airlines' Guangzhou-Los Angeles nonstop: comments

Looking at the map, the only nonstop service from Guangzhou to the USA would seem to be the simplest choice for returning adoptive families. No intermediate connections, no ground travel to Hong Kong, no worries about your child’s visa and passport status.

Comments on other blogs recommend the inflight service on China Southern’s long-range flights (compared favorably to other Asian carriers – which means several steps up from US-based airlines, even in economy class…). You earn Delta SkyMiles and can even book the entire trip through Delta.

So, why hasn’t this flight been the automatic choice?

For many years, the flight ran only 4 days per week – which meant extra days spent on Shamian Island if your consular appointment didn’t mesh with the flight. With the Spring 2010 schedule, however, they’ve added a fifth day, so we will see if the added convenience translates into more business.

The flight arrives Los Angeles at 7 pm. After getting through Customs, most of the same-day connections to US cities have long gone, with only a few late, late night departures to the East Coast and some Midwest airports available. The LAX website says the China Southern flight averages a delay of 27 minutes (18% of the flights are delayed by more than an hour.) If your connection is missed, then you’ll have to find a hotel room in L.A. on very short notice, and that’s a hassle you’d like to avoid at all costs on this trip.

Arrival at LAX is at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, an experience regarded neither as smooth nor particularly friendly. Waits can be long, especially when there are numerous arriving flights – and there are plenty of Mexican flights arriving at 7 pm.  Also, the multiple-terminal arrangement makes it a hassle to move your bags and family – especially after a long haul – and after sunset.

 We’d like to offer some suggestions to China Southern and Delta:

• Move the departure time from Guangzhou up by 2 to 3 hours, allowing an arrival at LAX in the 4 pm – 5 pm range. This would open up connections to the entire West Coast, as well as permit Mountain Time Zone families to make the dinnertime flight to Delta’s Salt Lake City hub, where they could catch the last bank of flights to their hometowns.
• Departure from LAX could be moved up a bit as well without affecting potential connections. The arrival at Guangzhou would be earlier as well – around 5 am – but this would give families ample time to clear Chinese Customs, freshen up and stretch their legs, and have a good meal before continuing on to their adoption cities.  The China Southern Boeing 777-200 that operates this flight would have enough time to operate a turn to Beijing and back before heading out to L.A. again.
• As the economy begins to improve, be ready to add Monday and Thursday frequencies to make this a real daily service. SkyTeam won’t be able to make Guangzhou a genuinely competitive East Asian hub without strong frequency on key routes – in sharp contrast to Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific’s double-daily and triple-daily nonstops to L.A., San Francisco, Vancouver, etc.  Mainland carriers have to allocate their aircraft and staff less efficiently than we’d care for, and operate some routes for purely political reasons, but they still have to make some profit – and that comes from long-range routes to major business centers.

For the full discussion of all your Transpacific options, check our flight planning article at weninchina.com. We'll be posting another update there soon to reflect the Summer 2010 flight schedules.


(Photo courtesy Phinalanji via Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0 license)