Melbourne to Vancouver
Air China Business Class: Melbourne to Vancouver
An affordable business class option from Australia to Canada.
Air China Business Class Review
Air China has direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) in China. From Beijing, there are connections to destinations in Asia and North America plus to over 20 European cities.
Route: Melbourne to Vancouver via Beijing
We flew Melbourne to Beijing (CA166, flight time of 10 hours 35 minutes) on a Boeing 787-900 and Beijing to Vancouver (CA 991, flight time of 10 hours 15 minutes) on a Boeing 777-300W. The Beijing flight took off on time but the Vancouver flight left 45 minutes late. Both were night flights so the lie-flat bed was a game changer.
Check-in at Melbourne (Tullamarine) was via a priority queue with two dedicated staff. We only waited five minutes but there was a long queue for Economy passengers.
Lie-flat bed
For us, the number one reason to fly Business (given the significant extra cost) was a lie-flat bed. On Air China, this is a winner as it is easy to use. Merely push the button with the lie-flat bed symbol on it. There are other buttons too, for instance to adjust the recline and the footrest but they are all easy to understand and use. No cabin attendant needs to flip over the seat (Singapore Airlines looking at you) nor explain how the buttons work.
There was no padded topper provided for the lie-flat bed but the seat was upholstered and a pillow and quilt were provided so sleep came easily. I thought the bed was very comfortable but my taller husband found the footwell to be a bit narrow when he was sleeping.
Both lie-flat beds extend to 193 centimetres (6 feet 4 inches) with a seat width of 53 centimetres (21 inches).
Air China Cabins
The seating configuration on each flight was the same, namely 2-2-2. Collins Parallel Diamond seats to be precise. 30 seats on the B787-900 and 35 seats on the B777-300W with three dedicated toilets in each Business Class cabin.
If you’re travelling solo, pick one of the middle seats or you will have to jump over your neighbour or they jump over you. In the middle section, you will be very close to your neighbour but you will each have full aisle access so this is a vastly superior option.
We had done our research so we chose the middle section on both flights, sitting in 13D and 13H on the Beijing flight and 12D and 12H on the Vancouver flight.
On both aircraft, there was a large, seatback screen featuring both touchscreen and remote control functionality and a universal power outlet. There was also a USB-A charging port beside the screen and a handy shelf for the provided over-ear headphones.
The retractable table was nifty, extending from underneath the armrest rather than within it so no more pinched fingers.
On the B777-300W, the cabin was slightly different with a handy mini compartment beside the seatback screen, perfect for holding a smartphone. The seatback screens varied ever so slightly in size, 40 centimetres (16 inches) on the B787-900 and 38 centimetres (15 inches) on the B777-300W.
Both Business Class cabins were very clean.
Dining on Air China
On both flights, we were handed a warm towel and offered a drink upon boarding. “Sparkling wine,” was my request and I was brought a glass of Albert Lebrun French champagne. A good way to start each flight!
Before take-off, a cabin attendant took everybody’s order, explained what meal services were being offered and when on the flights and asked if we wanted to be woken for meals. This level of personal attention was lovely and it wasn’t just lip service. My husband asked not to be woken for breakfast on the Beijing flight and I asked not to be woken for breakfast on the Vancouver flight. Our wishes were followed.
What I didn’t like so much was that the menus were not in our seats nor given to us. We were shown them by the cabin attendant and asked to order our two meals on the spot. No wine list was offered either.
Each meal service began with a hot towel. For lunch and dinner, a fruit and nut snack was offered with an aperitif followed by an amuse bouche.
There wereChinese and Western options.
Inflight Entertainment
There was no inflight entertainment until 30 minutes into the Beijing flight but it did work until landing. I was reading on my iPad but was told to put the iPad away before we took off so I was stuck twiddling my thumbs for a while. Given the inflight magazine was nearly all in Chinese, I was a tad bored.
Once we took off, I browsed the entertainment options. Most of the entertainment options were in Chinese although there were movies in multiple languages. I found a very enjoyable, 2025 historical drama “Miss Austen” about the sister of Jane Austen, Cassandra Austen. I watched a couple of episodes, had dinner, slept for several hours and then watched the remaining episodes so the flight passed quickly.
On the Vancouver flight, I slept for a good portion and did not bother with the inflight entertainment options, choosing to watch a movie that I had downloaded on my iPad. Again, the flight passed quickly.
According to the inflight leaflet in my seat, there should have been WiFi on both flights. I never saw the network appear on the Beijing flight. On the Vancouver flight, the network did appear but the WiFi didn’t work on any of my attempts. Moral here – take a book and/or downloaded entertainment with you.
Lounging around
In Melbourne, we had an Express Pass through Security screening and entry into the Marhaba Lounge. Fun fact – we find Tullamarine Security pretty efficient these days but we always have a to queue. On the Sunday evening we travelled, there was no queue at all so the Express Pass was wasted on us.
We found plenty of space in the Marhaba Lounge and had a choice of seats. We chose two seats and a table with a view over the runway. This was a major plus for me as I don’t like windowless lounges. The Lounge did fill as the flight to Beijing approached but it was never full. There were self-service drinks and a buffet of food options with an emphasis on Asian food.
In Beijing, we had a nine-hour layover. We knew this when we booked the flights and, given the layover was during the day, we planned to do some work in the Lounge, shower and wander the airport shops to get some steps in for the day. On the way home, we are deliberately breaking the trip with a couple of days in Beijing, a city we have not visited since 2008. Turning lemons into lemonade!
The Air China Lounge at Beijing (PEK) airport is on the second level. Accessed by lift or escalator, it is vast and “open air”, atrium style with views over the shops and the runway. There is plenty of natural light which is a major win for me. There was also plenty to eat and drink and WiFi is available via a coupon which we were given at reception.
We had travelled overnight so my husband elected to shower when we arrived. I chose to shower and freshen up before our flight to Vancouver departed. By this time, we had been travelling for almost 24 hours so it was lovely to clean my teeth. The shower facilities are marble and huge with amenities including: a shaver kit, dental kit and comb.
Amenities
On each flight, we were given slippers and a L’Occitane amenities kit. The kit contained: L’Occitane lip balm and body lotion plus foam ear plugs, an eye mask, a dental kit, a hair brush and a refreshing towelette.
Loyalty benefits
Air China is a Star Alliance Member.
Verdict
Whilst the entertainment could be improved a little, the food was very good and the lie-flat bed was super easy to use which made this long journey a breeze.
Given the ease of BYO entertainment these days and the fact that both flights were night flights so food was never going to be our highlight, we found Air China Business Class terrific.
Just remember that, if you’re not travelling with a buddy, pick one of the middle seats. In fact, even if you are travelling with a buddy, pick the middle two so that you don’t hop over and wake your buddy (or vice versa) for a toilet visit.
Space and a lie-flat bed. That’s all I need for a long-haul journey so that my trip starts with a refreshed me rather than an exhausted me. That’s luxury.
Handy to know
- Business class passengers are allowed two checked bags of up to 32 kilograms (70 lbs) each plus two carry-on pieces up to 10 kilos in total (22 lbs) and one personal item.
- As at the time of writing, holders of ordinary Australian passports do not need a Visa to enter China for a stay of up to 30 days, whether for personal or business travel. You only need an Australian passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date.
- If you are flying within or departing from China, your power bank must have a visible China Compulsory Certification (CCC) mark and a scannable traceability QR code. Any other type of power bank will likely be confiscated at security points.
Leonie Jarrett flew at her own expense. You can follow her on Instagram @we_like_to_cruise_and_travel and on YouTube @We-Like-to-Cruise-and-Travel
