Like Tree21Likes

Flying to Mainland: HK vs Shenzhen

Closed Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast
  1. #21

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    11,711
    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    Nobody in their right minds goes through lu wo if your destination is the airport! Most of the buses go via Shenzhen Bay port or Futian - much easier.

    I use Shenzhen airport for China destinations. If you live in the NT then the "hassle factor" of getting to the airport can be no different than HK depending on where you live. If you live in Tuen Mun, for example, with a 10min bus or 5 min taxi to the border, it's a breeze.

    For me, the price difference doesn't have to cancel out hassles, it has to cancel out the benefits of flying Cathay/ Dragonair as a frequent flier! So for that, at least HKD2000 saving is needed.

    but it's not as simple as that

    The fact that Shenzhen does not have a dedicated airport train link does not help

    even from lok ma chau/futian, takes 60mins ( according to website), thus, still a hassle

    though from Shenzhen bay, it's only 35 mins

    http://jt.sz.bendibao.com/bus/xianlu_38.htm

    http://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=12225943

    btw, from tuen mun to border (whether it's nanshan/shekou or futian), it takes over 55mins via b3 ( Shenzhen western express)

    http://hkbus.wikia.com/wiki/%E5%9F%8...%B4B3%E7%B7%9A

    even a taxi will take 15 mins from tuen mun to border at Shenzhen bay

  2. #22

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Tri-State
    Posts
    11,644
    I assume you land in a Chinese airport at the other end.....

    When I'm scheduled to, yes. :-)

    I actually think Shenzhen is fine - very modern, well run, good facilities. What's the issue? Dealing with Chinese AIRLINES... that's another matter .. but they fly out of HK too!

    Issue is that everything is China is more chaotic and language can be a barrier. HKG is the best airport I've flow in and out of. It also has the most efficient transportation to/from airport into the city. There simply isn't a value proposition that would persuade me to choose Shenzhen over HKG.
    Last edited by huja; 22-04-2014 at 02:15 PM.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    6,180
    Quote Originally Posted by huja:
    Issue is that everything is China is more chaotic
    ...start with the airport website and check with some stuff you take for granted, up to the minute ETA and ETD, transport, restaurants.... Last month the website of the Pudong Airport had no flight arrival information other then 'contact airline'.

    The Maglev works fine, trains look like like 30 years old though, but never mind. Nobody thought about a city check-in... Recently I was looking up transport from SZ Airport to Jiangmen, nothing complete, no times, no bus stop. Exactly what one expects in China.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323
    Quote Originally Posted by imparanoic:

    even a taxi will take 15 mins from tuen mun to border at Shenzhen bay
    I've never done it in a taxi but since the bus takes 10 mins, I'm really struggling to imagine a taxi is slower! It's only just round the corner, on a freeway!

  5. #25

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    13,099
    Quote Originally Posted by huja:
    Issue is that everything is China is more chaotic and language can be a barrier. HKG is the best airport I've flow in and out of. It also has the most efficient transportation to/from airport into the city.
    While I dont disagree with anything you are saying, are you forgetting that we are talking about travelling *TO* China. No matter where you start from, you will end up in China dealing with China.

    If you hate the experience that much, why are you doing it (from HKG or from SZ). Find something else that you enjoy; life is too short....
    HK_Katherine likes this.

  6. #26

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Tri-State
    Posts
    11,644
    Quote Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:
    While I dont disagree with anything you are saying, are you forgetting that we are talking about travelling *TO* China. No matter where you start from, you will end up in China dealing with China.

    If you hate the experience that much, why are you doing it (from HKG or from SZ). Find something else that you enjoy; life is too short....
    Travel is unpleasant in most situations. Add China to the travel and it can become a grind. Anything I can control to avoid likely hassle, I control. I didn't say I hated the experience per se, I just know I can make choices that will make the experience less crappy.

  7. #27

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323
    Quote Originally Posted by huja:
    Travel is unpleasant in most situations. Add China to the travel and it can become a grind. Anything I can control to avoid likely hassle, I control. I didn't say I hated the experience per se, I just know I can make choices that will make the experience less crappy.
    I pretty much agree 100% with this statement, but for me this drives the airline I choose more than the airport.

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    6,745

    for example, I have wanted to fly to PEK, stay a few days and then on to Polska.
    from experience I know that flights from SZ to PEK are cheaper, sometimes as cheap as a US$100+,
    or even under US$ 100.
    However, then I would have to determine my schedule well in advance, which I don't like.

    So I decided for a ticket that allowed me few days stopover in PEK and then straight into WAW.
    It cost me US$ 580, so the "felt cost" TO ME is like 580 minus a normal ticket SZ to PEK, say US$ 150.
    besides, flying out of PEK to EU is generally more expensive

    If I had to fly to PEK, only then I would go to SZ if I could save HK$ 250 or more, after deducting bus costs, I usually travel light and have a HRTP

    Last edited by Morrison; 22-04-2014 at 03:49 PM.

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    4,040

    I've flown out of both Shenzhen and Hong Kong airports many times. It used to be that Shenzhen flights were a lot cheaper than departing from Hong Kong--not as much anymore. Now it seems flights to Beijing are pretty similar in cost whether leaving HK or SZ.


    Options for getting to SZ airport are many. You can take bus from Kowloon. You can take train from Lo Wu station if time is not a factor. It is a straight shot, I think about 27 stops, and takes about an hour.


    The best way in my opinion is to take a taxi to the Huanggang border, then from the Huanggang border you have coach travel into many places including Central/Wan Chai.


    A taxi from the Huanggang border crossing to the SZ airport is about 60 kwai and takes about an hour or maybe a little less with no traffic.




    I don't understand why people think Chinese airports are that bad? Honestly most of them are very nice. Kunming, Shenzhen, Haikou (intl), Beijing, Guangzhou etc are all very nice airports in my opinion. Shanghai Pudong is a pain in arse I will admit that.

    Watercooler and HK_Katherine like this.

  10. #30

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    5,110
    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    I assume you land in a Chinese airport at the other end.....

    I actually think Shenzhen is fine - very modern, well run, good facilities. What's the issue? Dealing with Chinese AIRLINES... that's another matter .. but they fly out of HK too!
    The last time I used Shenzhen (earlier this year on a business trip-company paying so had no choice), their new terminal was actually pretty good, spacious and modern (with clear signage). Of course, I only used Shenzhen a total of 5 times in the 13 years since I came to HK, so I don't fly enough from there to always get every little detail or transportation option that frequent flyers/insiders from Shenzhen would know, hence this thread.

    As for Chinese airlines, its actually ok (not great by any means-but not always as bad as they say), provided there are no issues with delays. Safety-wise, its actually pretty good and alot better than the 90's, when the Chinese airline industry suffered from a spate of accidents. Since then, with the help of the FAA from the US, tighten regulations and improved pilot training have brought safety standards way up, in fact rivaling some developed countries in terms of safety record.

    As for in-flight service, its obviously not that great compared to international premium carriers (i.e. Qatar, Emirates, Singapore, Cathay etc). The cabin can be a bit dirty sometimes and the food often inedible. And the English language on-board announcement is often incomprehensible garble. That being said, you still get complimentary drink and meals, the frills that are no longer available for North American carriers when you fly domestic US or Canada routes. The seating, while nothing spectacular, is reasonably comfortable and gets the job done. So all in all, in terms of service, while its clearly inferior to many international carriers, I would say its actually better than domestic flying on North American carriers.

    The problem with the Chinese airlines is their contingency planning (as in flight cancellation, delays etc). When there is a change of gate for your flight for example, the announcement is only in Chinese so you have to guess where the new gate is by following the passengers. And that is a minor issue. If other things don't according to plan, then the situation can get quickly get out of hand. Pilots don't announced reason for delays nor update the progress of the situation. Coupled that with first time flyers, uncouth manners of country bumpkins and frustration, air rage incidents tend to spike rapidly upwards whenever delays happen.

    Heck, I personally witness a fight onboard once on a shenzhen flight. The reason? The usual seat reclining during meal-time issue. One was complaining about the seat reclining while he was eating, and the other guy ignored him, and it quickly escalated from there.