Air China 中国国际航空公司 Zhōngguó Guójì Hángkōng Gōngsī Reviews 50

We have buy a flight on air china to go back from Hanoi to Geneva for yesterday (!), one connection between shanghai and beijing was deleted, air china doesn’t give any assistance ju st said to see withe the seller... they plan an ither flight same way today, but we re not registred on!? So we pay, no ticket, no assistance ( even Montreal convention), 2 day losts for work.. what next we want go back home !

Due to a delay from another airline meaning that I would miss my connecting flight at heathrow I booked flights with this airline CA855 from Beijing to London Heathrow 19th Dec 2025 on the Airbus A350

On board the plane after take off the passengers sitting in the row in front of me totally reclined their seats fully back to the extent of me not being able to get my leg underneath the fully reclined seat and to mine which meant I had to sit in a twisted posistion for the majority of the 10 1/2 hr flight - luckily the middle seat was empty and thats the only place my feet and legs could go.
During the flight i had words with numerous members of the cabin crew who tried to get the passengers to move their seats more upright so I could get comfortably seated - this was totally ignored by the passengers in front of me.
I emailed customer services at china air and their reply is pasted below.

"Dear passenger,
Passengers have the right to lay down their seats except during takeoff and landing. Our cabin crew also has the right to determine whether you have a reasonable reason to change your seat. Obviously, your request has not reached a reasonable level. Because if you are injured or you are tall, you can request an upgrade or purchase an extra leg room seat from us before the flight. If you don't want to pay for this, you can also ask the check-in counter at the airport if they can arrange a seat suitable for you for free.
Therefore, sorry, your complaint cannot be accepted."

This is totally discriminatory and unacceptable on any level of customer service.

There were no extra legroom seats available at time of booking and there were no extra seats on the flight available to allow the cabin staff to move me to another seat.

I am 6ft tall and the seats are badly designed and positioned in the plane - for air china to be telling me that I should have booked extra legroom seats they must be aware of a space issue regarding the seats on the aircraft.

The seats are uncomfortable and leg room is at a minimum but if the passengers in front of you totally recline their seats you will not be able to sit properly in your seat or in comfort.

I have a bruised left knee and have still a very stiff back a few days after the flight in question.

The cabin crew do not seem to have adequate training in dealing with ignorant and inconsiderate passengers who because of their selfish actions caused distress and discomfort to other passengers - despite both me and the person sitting in the same row on the aisle seat both having words on numerous occasions to cabin crew members regarding this ongoing issue it was not taken further up the cabin crew chain of command as when I told the chef purser on board the aircraft on departure what had been going on on the flight she had no idea.

I am still trying to get this resolved with air china after receiving such a discriminatory reply to my original email I have had to email another formal complaint.
Beware if you have an issue with this airline customer service is not helpful

Worst airline ever — I will never fly with Air China again.

I booked three tickets in April for a trip to China in October. Our outbound flight was with Lufthansa from Amsterdam to Chengdu via Frankfurt, and the return flight was with Air China. In the meantime, Air China completely changed our flights. On both the outbound and return legs, we couldn’t sit together. Online check-in was impossible because their website simply didn’t work.

The 10-hour flight was very uncomfortable. When we returned to the Netherlands, two out of our three suitcases were delayed — fortunately, they were delivered to our home later that evening. If this had happened on the outbound flight, it would have been a huge problem, as we were traveling on to Zhangjiajie and Chongqing right after arrival. Without our luggage, it would have been a disaster.

I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I will never fly with Air China again, and I strongly advise others to avoid this airline.

A big shout out to Vignesh at Gatwick North Terminal. I was concerned that I would have a probl m next July as I put the wrong month on my son's DOB. He assured me it wouldn't be a problem they would just change the month when the passport is scanned.

Customer service so unhelpful, they are trying to keep my money when they shouldn't. It's so inhuman. BTW IF YOU WANT A MANAGER THEY ONLY SPEAK MANDARIN, so please everyone else that don't speak mandarin don't book this airline, they are so unhelpful. Booking with this airline was one of the worse decisions I made in life

Worst airlines I have ever taken!!! Luggage was delayed for 2 days and damaged, only willing to compensate 300RMB for delay and 300RMB for damaged luggage. WHAT A JOKE! JUST AVOID! You will end up lose more!!!

I missed my flight and when I tried to change just the Narita to Beijing leg, they told me that my entire round trip would be cancelled, including the connecting flights and return flights. They quoted me 170,000 yen for rebooking. When I searched for the same route again, it was only $612, plus I had to wait 30 minutes on their customer service line. I don't think I'll ever use them again. I asked the travel agency to cancel the booking.

Really terrible. I paid extra fees for “extra leg room seats”, and selected the first row seats, closed to the aisle. They changed them to the last row, in the middle without any notifications. When I called the customer service, they refused to offer any help.

I've been trying to add an extra piece of baggage to my booking for over three weeks now. I can't log in via the Air China website. Verification via the Air China app has been pending for three weeks. The Air China hotline is unavailable. Emails to Air China remain unanswered. Air China's service is an absolute nightmare!

WARNING: DO NOT BOOK WITH TRAVELUP OR AIR CHINA! 🚨

I had an absolutely terrible experience with TravelUp and Air China, which resulted in me being wrongfully denied boarding, stranded at the airport, and offered NO proper support.

🔴 TravelUp’s Total Failure in Customer Service

I booked a round-trip flight (LON → BKK → LON) with TravelUp, expecting to use both segments. However, after missing my outbound flight in December 2024, I was NEVER notified that my return flight was automatically canceled.

Neither TravelUp nor Air China informed me in advance about this, and I only discovered it at the airport when I was denied check-in.

When I contacted TravelUp, their response was dismissive, unhelpful, and unacceptable.

Instead of assisting me, they offered a pathetic £11.87 refund, which is an insult considering the financial loss and distress I suffered.

Their customer service is beyond appalling—they refuse to take responsibility and simply hide behind “policy” without acknowledging their failure to communicate.

🔴 Air China’s Disgraceful Airport Handling

When I arrived at Bangkok Airport, I tried to understand why I was denied boarding.

Instead of helping me, the Air China check-in staff called airport security on me just for asking questions! This was an absolutely humiliating and unnecessary response to a passenger simply seeking clarification.

Air China has completely ignored my complaints and refuses to provide any answers.

🚨 I HAVE TAKEN LEGAL ACTION 🚨

Since neither TravelUp nor Air China has taken responsibility, I have officially filed complaints with:

✅ UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – Currently investigating TravelUp and Air China’s failure to notify passengers properly.
✅ Small Claims Court – Seeking full compensation for financial loss, distress, and disruption.
✅ Chargeback Dispute with my bank – Filing for “service not provided” since I paid for a return flight that was denied to me.
✅ Ongoing public exposure – I am continuing to expose this case across Trustpilot, Google Reviews, Reddit, Twitter/X, and consumer rights forums.

🔴 FINAL VERDICT: AVOID TRAVELUP & AIR CHINA AT ALL COSTS!

❌ ZERO accountability
❌ NO proper communication
❌ DISMISSIVE customer service
❌ WILL NOT protect passengers from unfair cancellations
❌ DO NOT expect a refund or fair resolution

If you book with TravelUp or Air China, be prepared to fight for your money and your rights because they will not take care of you!

I highly recommend that NO ONE books with TravelUp again. If you’ve had a similar experience, FILE A COMPLAINT and REPORT THEM. Companies like this should not be allowed to continue scamming customers.

I love China and I love flying to China. But not with Air China. This is one of the worst airlines I have ever experienced.
Especially their customer service. If you want to make any changes to your ticket, you better have time and be very very patient. There’s actually no such thing as customer service. 3 emails to two different recipients have never been answered. Ticket change online was impossible. The airline office at the airport was incompetent. The business lounge in Beijing is crappy, overcrowded and the furniture are old and used. The food has low canteen level. The airplane is just as worn out and old. This airline is a disgrace to a great nation.

I strongly advise people against using Air China. My journey ended up taking almost 36 hours due to a severe delay on the route from Tokyo to Beijing, which caused me to miss my connecting flight to Copenhagen. This experience has been deeply frustrating and reveals how Air China failed to meet the most basic expectations for service during delays.
In Tokyo, I stood in line for almost eight hours without any information or offers of food and drink. When I finally got through the line, I received 10,000 yen, of which only 2,000 yen (about 13 USD) was intended for food and drink. This amount was completely inadequate to cover basic needs for the total wait time.
When I arrived in Beijing in the middle of the night, I was given a leaflet promising a hotel stay due to the long wait. Unfortunately, this hotel stay became impossible because airport staff could not agree on visa regulations. Air China had no representative to assist us with this confusion, even though many passengers needed overnight accommodation.
It is important to note that Air China did not adhere to its own policy under section 8.2.3, which states that passengers are entitled to meals and, if necessary, accommodation during long delays caused by airline-related issues. This requirement was clearly not met in my case. Furthermore, it could be argued that Air China also failed to fulfill section 8.2.2 of its guidelines, which specifies that passengers should be kept informed during delays. Despite the extensive waiting times, I still have not been informed of the reason for the delay.
Customer service communication has further been extremely confusing and inconsistent. I received an earlier email offering 300 CNY compensation for the missed hotel stay, but in later responses, this was omitted, and Air China claimed that the 10,000 yen from Tokyo should cover everything. This seems unreasonable and unacceptable, especially given the lack of support and information provided.
I hope this message will encourage Air China to reflect on their treatment of passengers during extreme delays and consider improvements to their service. Based on this experience, I unfortunately cannot recommend Air China to other travelers.

My recent experience with Air China regarding a refund has been nothing short of appalling. I was forced to cancel my flight from London Gatwick to Phuket via Chengdu after the airline cancelled it with no explanation provided. I immediately initiated a refund request through their website. But it has now been over 16 days, and I have yet to receive my refund of approximately £500. My customer reference number is 40-485725660.

My attempts to contact their customer service department have been met with endless frustration. I spent over an hour on hold only to be disconnected. My emails have gone unanswered. I spoke with an agent who offered no solutions and simply told me to wait longer. This complete lack of communication and accountability is outrageous.

To date, Air China has failed to provide the refund, offer adequate customer support, or even offer a basic explanation for the flight cancellation. This is unacceptable. Because of this ongoing situation, I have had to miss my holiday and still be out of pocket. I strongly urge Air China to take immediate action to improve their refund process, customer service, and communication with passengers. This level of service is simply not acceptable for an international airline.

Paying 7x more for a business class ticket is not worth it. Seats are good, food is good but staff and attentiveness is far beyond acceptable. Lousy service and either ignorant or incompetent staff compared to other airlines. I would avoid this airline unless extreme necessary. Sorry AirChina..you have a long way to go.

Avoid. They take your money, then cancel, then do not refund. They work through disreputable online agents such as Opodo and Edreams -- which in fact are the same company. The fraud is this: you book a return flight from London Gatwick to Shanghai 4 months ahead of your holiday; then 2 weeks before your holiday they cancel just your outward bound flight but not your return flight. They do not do refunds. They partner with companies like Opodo and Edreams, provide no customer service alternative, phone or email. In the end you have to claw the money back through your credit card provider. Its what you should expect from a Chinese parastatal company.

They have no email address for correspondence so you must phone them. No help whatsoever. They cancelled my flight and are saying the booking agent (kiwi.com who I have also reviewed) cancelled my booking. Both companies are blaming each other. Dare I say they are both in on the scam. I have lost a lot of money I can’t afford. I think that is their plan, steal from vulnerable people.
Ref: 9999310719101

Very unfortunate experience with this company. On our flight from London to Beijing, the luggage did not arrive. Since we were in Beijing for just one night, they did not know when they could deliver the luggage to our next destination, so we had to agree to pick them up at another airport ourselves. We only got the luggage 3 days later. To make the story short, the staff does not speak (or speak very very limited) English in China. We asked locals to communicate with the company, and it was also very confusing and difficult to come up with solutions. We had to detour and lost time and money to pick up the luggage at another airport (1h-1:30h from our original destination). Upon our return home in the EU, I contacted the company to ask for compensation, and they refused, stating that more than 21 days had elapsed for the claim (note: contacting the company is an adventure because if you email them, they ask you to call. When you call, they say they cannot handle your complaint and will send it to another person, maybe returning the call later...). However, we were not informed of this 21-day restriction when we filled the complaint at Beijing airport. Furthermore, it's not possible to send emails and find information while in China due to online restrictions/ban on standard emails/services used in the West. The company should have more understanding of the situation and willingness to compensate for costs. They gave us 600 CNY at the airport, but we had to spend more than 2000 CNY on transportation and basic clothes. Not to count the amount of time lost of our trip.
As a side note, we were in two in the same booking, but we could not change the separated allocated seats via the call centre or online during check-in. The flight itself was OK, but this whole nuisance with the luggage was a nightmare. The customer service is very bad...

La peor compañía con la que he volado.
Empezando porque cuando fuimos a hacer el check in online con 24 horas de antelacion en la página web esta no lo permitía y como solo se pueden sacar en el mostrador hasta 3 horas antes de la salida del vuelo tuve que gastarme 100 euros en un tren que me dejase en Madrid antes, a mayores del que ya habia pagado, y por supuesto nunca voy a recuperar ese dinero. Después en el avión los azafatos NO SABIAN INGLES. La primera compañía en la que tengo que entender por señas con el personal. Cosa que no fue fácil porque además, a pesar de haber puesto en la solicitud de comidas especiales que soy vegetariana, en ninguno de los 4 vuelos que cogí con ellos me dieron la comida que me correspondía. Tuve que batallar con ellos enseñándoles los tickets para que vieran que era su fallo. Cuando ya todo el mundo había terminado de comer a mi me traían algo y me lo daban como de favor. Conclusión, comida escasa y fría. Lo mejor de todo fue cuando nos dijeron que para el hotel de tránsito no quedaban plazas, entonces que si tal lo cogieramos nosotros. Se entiende por esto que te lo reembolsaran. PERO NO! El si eso cogedlo vosotros es: o lo cogéis vosotros y lo pagáis vosotros o dormís en la calle. NUNCA MAS VOY A DAR MI DINERO A ESTA COMPAÑÍA.

The worst company I have ever flown with.
Starting: when we went to check in online 24 hours in advance on the website it did not allow it and since you can only get them at the counter up to 3 hours before the departure of the flight I had to spend 100 euros on a train that would leave me in Madrid earlier, + the train ticket I had already paid, and of course I will never get that money back. Later on the plane the crew DID NOT KNOW ENGLISH. The first company in which I have to understand by signs with the staff. Which was not easy because, in addition, despite having put in the request for special meals that I am vegetarian, in none of the 4 flights that I took with them did they give me the food that corresponded to me. I had to battle with them showing them the tickets so they could see that it was their mistake. When everyone had finished eating they would bring me something and give it to me as a favor. Conclusion, little and cold food. The best of all was when they told us that there were no places left for the transit hotel, so if that were the case, we would take it ourselves. It is understood by this that they will reimburse you. BUT NOT! If that is what you take, it is: either you take it and you pay for it or you sleep on the street. I WILL NEVER GIVE MY MONEY TO THIS COMPANY EVER AGAIN.

TERRIBLE BOOKING EXPERIENCE. The online booking system had several problems such as giving different prices, having to start over instead of going back. Due to a mistake the wrong date was booked and I immediately contacted Air China since it is not possible to change the booking online. They were not at all helpful and did not want to help me. Not only did they want to take a 150 euro charge for changing the ticket, they also wanted to take extra money for "price difference". There was no difference in price online which they could not explain, they could only say that the system gives them the price. THIS IS A COMPANY WHICH DOES NOT CARE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.

It’s a freaking site. Firstly, during booking, I registered my account on their site. Secondly, you can’t log in with email or mobile No. until you enable it from. Their site a/c, so you have to remember their membership No. otherwise it’s a depressing experience getting back to them after booking.
After payment on convenience store in Jp, I got email from ‘No-reply@amadeus’ with subject ‘ confirmation email from AirChina’ stating ‘ pl find enclosed herewith air ticket in pdf…..,’ but there was no pdf attached in email. I tried to call them, after 7 min of continuous wait, couldn’t contact them, pissed off experiance…