Experience 059. Flight Into the Closed Loop. Round-The-World via Beijing.

04/13/22 • 77 min

In this experience Vinod shares his experience of flying to and from Beijing in the first quarter of 2022. Due to Chinese regulations he was required to be in a closed loop separate from the general public. That included flights.

In pre-pandemic times there are many flights between Vancouver, Canada, and various cities in China. Currently there are none. So...how do you get a Canadian (and others working with Vinod) into China?

Due to complexity of the situation, Vinod only got his booking confirmation four days before departure. He needed to follow very specific timelines for COVID testing. The routing had three stops: Vancouver to San Francisco to Tokyo-Haneda to Beijing-Capital. All of his timings for entrance were based off the final leg of his flight. His flights took place in January 2022, while airspaces were still normal. The flight into Beijing was restricted without any general public on them.

Due to China being the end destination, online check-in was not possible. As he departed Vancouver with Air Canada, the region was still under the impact of the Omicron variant and the airport was eerily quiet. When he arrived in San Francisco, it was as if there was no pandemic at all. Then Vinod boarded an ANA flight to Tokyo-Haneda. The amount of legroom was amazing on an incredibly clean plane with impeccable service. Vinod had a very early arrival into Tokyo. He had stayed at Haneda in the summer of 2021. Then he left for Beijing on Japan Airlines and was blown away by the service, an incredible premium economy seat and one of the best in-flight economy meals Vinod has had in a long time. As the plane took off, Vinod could see his hotel room from Summer 2021. The plane took a very scenic route with beautiful views of Tokyo and Mount Fuji.

And then, he landed in Beijing.

Terminal 3 was sequestered for Vinod and other flights coming into the closed loop. There was throat and nasal COVID tests -- Vinod has never had a worse nasal test than this one. Surface sanitizing was everywhere, the ramp crew was all wearing PPE, and all that sanitizing had aged the new terminal vey quickly with corrosion and white gunk everywhere. Plexiglass became opaque -- which made for a humorous moment at immigration. He picked up his bag and boarded a bus.

As an avgeek, the experience was incredible Vinod -- riding airside at Beijing Capital. As they travelled on the highway the bus had a police escort. Two hours later Vinod ended up at his hotel and waited for his test results, at which point he was able to continue in the closed loop.

38 days later...

It's time to go home. There were limited slots and passenger load factors available for Chinese flights. Based on these limitations, Vinod had a round-the-world return to Vancouver -- of about 39 hours door-to-door. Beijing to Doha, Qatar, to Toronto, to Vancouver. Upgrades were available for a reasonable price, so Vinod took the upgrade. And three days before departure, he learned that the Qatar Airlines flight had an upgraded interior. Leaving China was much easier than arriving. Yet again, the airport was empty -- with no services open, except for one solitary water fountain. They boarded early. In Vinod's words, "When I stepped on that [Qatari] aircraft, I thought I was going to cry."

He had a suite with a door with incredible levels of service and quality. The bed, the food, even the lavatory -- Vinod had a pinnacle level of experience. Then he arrived in Doha for early morning transfer rush hour. Vinod had to stand aside for a few moments and let his brain recalibrate.

After some duty free shopping, he boarded his very long Air Canada flight 059 to Toronto. It was February 24, 2022, and normal routing was no longer available over Ukraine. Once the flight reached the Red Sea, it made a hard left turn and then flew up through western Turkey. The flight kept going and going and going...eventually landing in Toronto.

Canadians can be chosen on landing for a random COVID test...Vinod was chosen. Now what? "I have to do the test, but I have connection bags." His bags may have been a bit over the limit and his carry-ons were maxed out. Oh no, Air Canada has a sizer and scale! But he was connecting -- issue solved. After being in a zombie-like state on the last domestic Air Canada leg, Vinod finally arrived home in Vancouver.

News Items:

skift.com article "Canada’s WestJet to Buy Sunwing Airlines."
simpleflying.com article "Woken From Deep Sleep: Lufthansa Resumes Airbus A340-600 Flights."

If you have a story about travel to China during COVID-19, round-the-world trips, or other experiences that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and

And then, he landed in Beijing.

38 days later...

News Items:

skift.com article "Canada’s WestJet to Buy Sunwing Airlines."
simpleflying.com article "Woken From Deep Sleep: Lufthansa Resumes Airbus A340-600 Flights."

Previous Episode

Experience 058. Arm doors and cross check. Inflight safety checks.

In this experience we look into what happens during inflight checks. We hear those announcements "the crew are doing their checks." What does this mean? And what about "arm doors and cross check"?

Before passengers are even allowed to board the flight a crew has to do preflight checks - the previous crew has left the plane and has not checked items when they left. The minimum equipment list has to be met. One thing the staff is checking is safety equipment - like batteries, fire extinguishers and flashlights. Things have to be replaced that passengers may have taken. Coordination occurs with mechanic teams and groomers. The emergency slide has to be checked. If there are life vests, each seat has to be checked. The on-board medical equipment is another item that needs to be checked. In some cases there's a life raft which can take a bit of work to check.

It's easy to replenish an aircraft at an airline's home base. Downline at a remote station is another story. What happens if certain branded equipment or food may not be available?

First flight of the day US safety checks have their own challenges. Vinod had to once complete an entire 737 by himself.

What if a crew times out, or hands over? Has the plane been left unattended? What happens with inoperable seats? What's happening in the flight deck for checks? How are the catering and service levels? How is the lavatory? And if a plane is turning back the same day from a remote station, is there enough food for the return? Vinod shares an experience with checks in Cuba.

It's not just the plane being checked - it's also staff. Is everyone in good flying condition and in proper uniform? Does everyone have their appropriate manuals with them?

Vinod reviews what arm doors and cross check means and shares a story of a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.

News Items:

ch-aviation.com article "Croatia's ETF Airways on war path with Bremen Airport."
simpleflying.com article "Auckland Airport Baggage Handlers Arrested In A Major Drug Bust."
simpleflying.com article "Why easyJet Does Not Operate Flights Where Trains Are 3 Hours Or Less."
simpleflying.com article "Football Fans Stop LATAM Plane Departing After Flight Cancelation."

If you have a story about inflight checks, or other experiences that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you wish to support the show financially, we are on Patreon. Show notes are available online at http://podcast.seat1a.org/

Next Episode

Experience 060. We Appreciate Your Patience. Wait Times and Customer Support.

As the Northern Hemisphere arrives at summer 2022, many travellers are getting things figured out. Travel is back – but it’s a madhouse. People have had long delays and wait times to rebook their plans. From 2020 to 2022 it has been a toss up of who or what is providing support to customers.

Take all of these issues and multiply them "world-fold". There are many customer service issues that will arise.

We ask, "What do you do to plan for customer care"? Why is there a long hold? In many cases the support can only come from the provider - which isn't always the easiest to determine. Is there enough staff to hire, have experienced staff left the industry? The situation of experienced staff leaving an industry goes far beyond just the travel industry. When you call, have the knowledge and the request with you.

Vinod shares a story of getting caught up in a loop with a point upgrade credit. Aeroplan...if you're listening...

Geoff shares an experience of getting stuck in a "shadow ticket" loop and it eventually getting fixed.

Vinod shares a frustrating experience with a gift card and trying to utilize it for control of family seating.

Geoff shares props with Lufthansa for a quick response to a call he had with them.

In most cases, airline call centres are regional. Due to this regionality, there can be a disconnect between global staff and local realities. Vinod shares a story of how he used local knowledge to his advantage and building a personal connection.

These days, patience is virtue. Be adult and cordial – you will likely get further.

We also look at the current situations with massive queueing and lineups in person – in various cities worldwide. Since many people haven’t flown recently their attitudes are amped up.

Take the time to analyze the peak periods of the airports that you are visiting.

If you're liking this episode experience, you may also enjoy Experience 011. Flight delays, cancellations, diversions, and the airline's obligations. It's available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Vinod and Geoff share their travel plans for the summer of 2022. Geoff with Canadian, European and Southern African journeys, while Vinod has a first trip to the UK with a baby toddler.

We’re packing patience - and are making sure to have the paper copies as backup!

News Items:

simpleflying.com article "Ryanair Passenger Spends 5 Days In Zagreb Airport After Traveling With Wrong Passport."
reuters.com article "Canada's busiest airport battles delays ahead of summer travel."

If you have a story about travel customer service stories, upcoming trips, or other experiences that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you wish to support the show financially, we are on Patreon. Show notes are available online at http://podcast.seat1a.org/