Jump to:
- Shenzhen Airlines Review Introduction
- Shenzhen Airlines Review & Guide
- Shenzhen Airlines Review Summary
Shenzhen Airlines Review Introduction
Shenzhen Airlines
Founded in 1992, Shenzhen Airlines is a Chinese airline based at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in southern China. The airline caters to domestic travellers, and international flyers, with a strong focus on reliable connections across China. Popular routes link Shenzhen with major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Guangzhou, alongside international services across Asia and a small number of long-haul routes to destinations such as Europe and Australia.
Our Journey
We recently flew with Shenzhen Airlines to Bangkok, Thailand via a 7 hour layover in Shenzhen over the Christmas period. The flights were a fraction of the cost of other airlines, and despite the longer journey and never having heard of the airline before, a quick Google search had us booking our flights.
Departure: Sat 20 Dec – 21:10 – (LHR) London Heathrow Airport
Arrival: Sun 21 Dec – 17:15 – (SZX) Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
Duration: 11 Hours
Plane: Airbus A330-300
— 7 Hour Layover —
Departure: Mon 22 Dec – 00:15 (SZX) Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
Arrival: Mon 22 Dec – 02:15 (BKK) Suvarnabhumi Airport
Duration: 3 Hours
Plane: Airbus A320
What This Guide Covers
We found a real lack of information online, especially for non Chinese speaking passengers. There were lots of questions and forums, but little clear information on several key areas. Shenzhen Airlines website and customer services is also tricky to navigate if you are an international passenger outside of China.
Therefore our Shenzhen Airlines review & guide covers everything you need to know. From booking & checking in, contacting customer services, transit, and the overall flight experience.
Shenzhen Airlines Review & Guide
Booking
The actual booking process for us was easy, as we booked via Booking.com. We use Booking.com a lot for hotels, flights and transfers and overall have been very pleased. If Booking directly with Shenzhen Airlines you can do this on their website.
When booking, we did have seats allocated to us for the first long haul flight, but for the shorter second flight seats were allocated at check in.
Customer Service
You may wish to contact Shenzhen airlines to check your booking, request meals, seats or upgrades. Rather annoyingly, our understanding and experience was that you can’t manage your booking easily online outside of China, which does make things a little difficult. Booking through an agent did allow us to contact them, and get some support. We were able to request vegan meals and check the status via Booking.com .
Contacting Shenzhen Airlines was fairly challenging, but it is possible! We found the best way was to phone Air China UK, and they would then be able to transfer you to the Chinese Shenzhen office. This was the number we phoned: 02032750200 . They were fairly helpful and spoke okay English, however you can be on hold for a long time. We found calling first thing in the morning (UK Time) best.
They do also have an email, but we didn’t get a reply: ecommerce@shenzhenair.com
Check In
Check in was something we didn’t find much information on, and were slightly concerned as we couldn’t do this online. However, don’t worry you can check in at the airport on the day of your flight, and we had no issues doing this. We were issued tickets for both flights when we checked in at Heathrow.
The self-service check in machines didn’t work for us at Heathrow, so we had to go to the counter to complete this.
Luggage
The luggage allowance included with our tickets was very generous and we were allowed the below each. However, we only took hand luggage, which is something we usually do. We have a full Hand Luggage Only: The Ultimate Backpacking Packing List if you are interested.
1 personal item: Fits under the seat in front of you
1 cabin bag: 20 x 40 x 55 cm · Max weight 5 kg
1 checked bag: Max weight 23 kg
Flight One
Boarding was straightforward, the standard process, and we sat down in our seats ready for the first part of our journey. The flight was very comfortable and we had decent leg room and space by today’s standards. On the first flight the sides are only two seats per row, so as a couple this was perfect to have a row all to ourselves! We had a pillow and blanket, and the plane was definitely clean. The toilets were standard plane toilets, not much to say about them.
On the plane there was a USB port and a multi-adapter charging plug, headphones are also provided. Don’t expect much, but the headphones provided did the job. The entertainment system is mainly in Chinese, there was only an option of 3 films in English, which we hadn’t heard of before. If you like a movie on your flight, download something!
The cabin crew were kind throughout and we were happy with the overall service. They also spoke English, which was helpful! The majority of the flight announcements were both in Chinese and English too.
Meals
We had requested vegan meals, and were happy when we boarded that one of the cabin crew checked this with us and confirmed it. We were given one meal within an hour of boarding, and another in the last few hours of the flight.
Both were a decent size and quality and included fruit and bread. The first was a mild vegetable curry and rice, and the second a chickpea stew with spinach and mushrooms. We honestly enjoyed both!
Drinks were provided mainly around meals, and from our understanding were only basic soft drinks.
Transit
The transit was also something we didn’t have much information about what to expect. It was surprisingly easy, and Shenzhen airport was one of the better airports to spend a 7 hour layover.
After getting off the plane, we followed signs to international connections and there was a short queue to the desk. At the desk they checked our boarding passes and passports, and then there was a small security and we were through within about 30 minutes. If the queue was longer, beware you might have a long wait as it did move slowly. With our passports, we had visa free transfer for China, though check your requirements before travelling.
There are plenty of restaurants and places to get a drink at the airport, as well as plenty of seating. Overall food options were quite affordable, with dishes from £5. It’s a large, modern airport and was very clean throughout. There are plenty of toilets, water fountains, and even showers you can use. Our biggest issue was that none of the internet options would work at the airport, maybe we were unlucky, but a bit annoying.
Because we had 7 hours, and also because we had never done it before we decided to splash out on a lounge. This cost £35 per person and included showers, food, massage chairs, and reclining chairs to sleep. It’s not massively needed, as the airport facilities are already great, but for £35 we were happy with our first lounge experience.
Interestingly, when we contacted customer services after booking, they did mention that we had a hotel included in our transit. However, the information was mainly in Chinese and we didn’t fully understand. Considering the location looked about a 1 hour journey from the airport each way, we decided it wasn’t worth trying to get the hotel. The time it would take to go through border control, get to the hotel, then back to the airport, back through immigration and security would leave us with hardly any time at the hotel.
Flight Two
The second flight was only 3 hours and a much smaller plane, very standard to most airlines operating short flights these days. There was no entertainment unit for this part of the journey, but again it was comfortable, and we had no issues. We also got a small water and a snack box which included some nuts, a banana and a small cake.
Punctuality & Reliability
Both flights were on time, and our experience was very positive. Shenzhen Airlines has decent reliability and safety ratings, so we had no real concerns with this.
Shenzhen Airlines Review Summary
We would definitely fly Shenzhen airlines again, and we hope our Shenzhen airlines review and guide has helped you if you are considering flying with them, or currently trying to navigate your way with them. Below are our main pros and cons to give you a quick summary of our experience. If you have any questions, please leave a comment!
Pros
- Cost effective
- On time and reliable
- Meals were decent
- Cabin Crew were friendly and provided a good service
- Transit was easy
Cons
- Unable to manage booking or check in online
- Unable to easily contact the airline
- Cabins are getting a little tired and could be upgraded
- Lack of English (& other languages) films and tv shows
