Air China to fly Brisbane-Beijing direct from December 2017

By David Flynn, September 18 2017
Air China to fly Brisbane-Beijing direct from December 2017

Air China will begin direct flights between Brisbane and Beijing from December 11, shortly after Qantas partner China Eastern shifts to daily Brisbane-Shanghai flights.

The moves mark a dramatic uptick in business and corporate travel opportunities between Brisbane and China's two largest cities.

Travellers will also be able to take advantage of visa-free stopovers in Beijing for up to 72 hours before continuing on to other Air China destinations across Europe and North America.

Air China's Brisbane-Beijing flights will run four days a week – on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – with the overnight flight departing Brisbane at 7.30pm.

Air China's Airbus A330 will soon be a familiar sight at Brisbane Airport
Air China's Airbus A330 will soon be a familiar sight at Brisbane Airport

Passengers at the pointy end of the Star Alliance member's Airbus A330-200 will be grateful that the business class seats – even if they're arranged in a 2-2-2 layout – convert to a flat bed.

Air China's lie-flat business class seats adopt a 2-2-2 layout
Air China's lie-flat business class seats adopt a 2-2-2 layout

Looking to book the best business class seat on the flight? We're fans of 15D, 15H, 12D and 12H 

Read more: The best seats in business class on Air China's Airbus A330-200s

AusBT review: Air China's Airbus A330-200 business class, Melbourne-Shanghai-Beijing

David

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

QF

24 Jan 2016

Total posts 25

Just to point out this paragraph: "Travellers will also be able to take advantage of visa-free stopovers in Beijing for up to 72 hours before continuing on to other Air China destinations throughout mainland China, across Europe and North America." You can only take advantage of the 72-hour visa free stopover if going to another destination OUTSIDE mainland China. If stopping in Beijing and heading on to another Chinese city you still need a visa. 

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2555

Good point and quite so, fixed thanks.

02 Mar 2013

Total posts 32

Has Beijing not moved to 144 hour visa free stopovers. Shanghai certainly has. 

18 Sep 2017

Total posts 1

Beijing will be moving to 144 soon.  Not long to go

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

25 Mar 2014

Total posts 219

More competition better deals for travellers.

Excellent news. 

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

17 Mar 2016

Total posts 43

Hainan Airline's flights from Brisbane to Shenzhen starts this weekend. So connections to all of China's major Tier 1 cities is complete. 

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

02 Apr 2017

Total posts 134

Great to see all the expansion on Chinese routes. Not too long ago getting to secondary cities (or even Beijing) used to be an inconvenience. Now too much choice, it's overloading!!

Air New Zealand - Airpoints

05 Nov 2014

Total posts 60

I've often wondered how to snag cheap Air China Business Class deals to Europe.


If you go by the website, fares are always similar to Singapore Airlines and dearer than EVA Air, both of which offer superb, refined products out of Brisbane.

So how do you go about finding competitive Air China fares?

19 Sep 2017

Total posts 10

forget about EVA's poor 330-200 business class, not even 180 degree.


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