This year, we have flown twice with a Chinese airline from Melbourne, Australia, to Qingdao, China. The latest airline we used is Beijing Capital Airlines.
My family’s recent flight on Beijing Capital Airlines’ Melbourne-Qingdao route offered a glimpse into what budget Chinese carriers bring to the table. Beijing Capital Airlines, the low-cost subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, operates this 11-hour route with an Airbus A330.
I booked the flight to China through Trip.com because I could not make heads or tails of the official website. The official website had issues with translating Mandarin to English and its functionality was limited, which i later found out when trying to book seat allocations on the flight.
Beijing Capital flies an old Airbus A330 on its route between Melbourne and Qingdao. How do I know it’s old? It looks old and feels old, and a sure giveaway is the lack of any USB charging ports anywhere.
Where do I start with the flight? I was delighted that the plane was an old-school 2-4-2 configuration. After travelling together for the last 26 years to over 45 countries, this configuration takes me back to the good old days of flying where there is typically more room on the wide-body planes set up this way.
The seats in economy were what you would expect on this type of plane, more on the firm side which had you wanting to stand and stretch every few hours. We did have a pillow and blanket waiting for us on our seats which is always a nice touch these days.
Now the downside to flying old planes on an 11-hour flight. The entertainment system was terrible and to be honest that may not be the plane’s fault. It probably has as much to do with airlines trying to save money as the plane itself.
Still in the end you cannot rely on just a plane full of Chinese nationals — it certainly wouldn’t hurt to appease the Australians onboard with some English language options.
There were a total of zero movies that were in English. After playing around, I got one of the Chinese movies to play with English subtitles. My fallback to usually having poor entertainment is to watch the route map, but it was also not working. Luckily, I had read about their underwhelming inflight entertainment and came prepared with downloads on my tablet.
After 1 hour, the first meal came around. It was a choice of chicken, beef or fish rice accompanied by a bread roll and a chocolate lava cake. The beef rice was tasty and filling while the lava cake was moist and moreish. The middle galley was open during the flight so you could grab a drink and a small packet of chips while stretching your legs on this 11-hour journey to Qingdao in northeast China.
It served as a place to stand and stretch on this long journey to China and was appreciated by all on the flight from Melbourne Australia. The plane was what I would consider to be hot — easily more heating than air conditioning, which I felt was uncomfortable at times.
Watch our YouTube video review of the flight
The staff were attentive and had many English speakers among them, which made the experience all that much easier. Earlier in the year when we used Xiamen Air, there was only one stewardess who spoke English.
To be fair, few Westerners use the Chinese airlines and to be honest, our family was the only one onboard who was not of Asian descent. Two hours out of Qingdao the lights were turned back on and our final meal service on the flight was started. Strangely enough, the dinner meal service included a meal with an omelet, bacon and baked beans — i guess it was breakfast time somewhere in the world at that time.
I am a bit of a fan of aeroplane food, maybe it has more to do with the way it’s set out and its regime of service on the plate. I like it that you get a main meal then little servings of salad, dessert and a bread roll — in my mind it’s ideal.
The plane was 1 hour late landing in Qingdao — maybe this is a thing as the last time we visited Qingdao our flight landed late as well. What was more frustrating about travelling on this plane was the fact we had to sit on the plane for a good 15 to 20 minutes after landing while we waited to be allowed to access the terminal at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport.
What did I make of the flight, and would I fly it again? It was pretty much what I expected and, honestly, the late departure and landing probably makes me remember it as a far worse flying experience than it was. I would fly it again if the price were right — it is budget friendly for couples. Most Chinese airlines I checked were of a similar price, it was the direct flight that made Capital Airlines stand out. The 2-4-2 configuration makes it worth it any day of the week for travel couples who can sit together — the 11 to 12 hours straight is what makes it a pain to experience.
Our daughter is flying from Qingdao to Melbourne with Beijing Capital in the next few weeks. I will ask her what her thoughts on the flight are.
We’ve been giving straight-up travel advice for midlife couples for over 26 years. Take a look at the story behind Street Eats & Window Seats — and for more on flying to China, check out our China travel guide.
Is Beijing Capital Airlines good?
Beijing Capital Airlines is a budget carrier and the experience reflects that. The aircraft we flew was old with no USB charging ports and a very poor entertainment system. That said, the staff were attentive, English speakers were available, the meals were decent and the price is competitive. If you go in with realistic expectations it is a perfectly acceptable way to fly between Australia and China.
What is the Melbourne to Qingdao flight like?
The Melbourne to Qingdao route with Beijing Capital Airlines takes around 11 hours on an Airbus A330 in a 2-4-2 configuration. There are two meal services, the galley is open mid-flight for drinks and snacks, and pillows and blankets are provided. The entertainment system is very limited with almost no English language content so bring downloads on a tablet or phone.
How do I book Beijing Capital Airlines from Australia?
The official Beijing Capital Airlines website can be difficult to navigate in English. We booked through Trip.com which was much easier to use and gave us access to the same fares. Seat selection through the official website was also problematic so be aware of that when booking.
What is the seat configuration on Beijing Capital Airlines?
The Melbourne to Qingdao route uses an Airbus A330 in a 2-4-2 economy configuration. For couples this is a good setup as you can sit together in a pair of seats without anyone else in your row. It is one of the better configurations for couples travelling together on long haul flights.
Is Beijing Capital Airlines direct from Melbourne to Qingdao?
Yes — the Beijing Capital Airlines route from Melbourne to Qingdao is a direct flight with no stopover. This is one of its main advantages over other Chinese carriers which may require a connection through a hub city. The direct routing makes the 11-hour flight more manageable despite the basic onboard product.
