Review of Air China flight Rome Beijing in Economy

Airline Air China
Flight CA940
Class Economy
Seat 39L
Aircraft Boeing 787-9
Flight time 09:40
Take-off 12 Aug 17, 22:00
Arrival at 13 Aug 17, 13:40
CA 186 reviews
Carlotherocks
Published on 1st September 2017

INTRODUCTION


Hello everyone
The 24th July my parents celebrated 20 years of marriage and they decided to make a family trip for this special occasion
About 2 months before leaving we started to evaluate all the possibilites and in a week we made a sort of round-the-world journey: USA, Caribbean, Fjords' cruise and so on…
After all this we finally decide the destination: CHINA
We booked an organized group tour with one of the best Italian tour operator with departure date 12nd August.
The tour comprised 4 cities: Beijing, Xi'An, Guilin and Shanghai for a total of 12 days
Personally I was very happy because of the many different airlines and planes we would have tried. And obviously also because I've never been to China and it had always fascinated me.
Here is the itinerary:


12nd August Roma Fiumicino - Beijing Capital with Air China Boeing 787-9 (YOU ARE HERE)
16th August Beijing Capital - Xi'An with China Eastern Airlines Airbus A321
18th August Xi'An - Guilin with OKAirways Boeing 737-900ER
20th August Guilin - Shanghai Pudong with Suparna Airlines Boeing 737-800
22nd August Shanghai Hongqiao - Beijing Capital with Air China Boeing 747-400
22nd August Beijing Capital - Roma Fiumicino with Air China Boeing 787-9



photo mappa voli

AT THE AIRPORT


We left home around 5.30PM because we had to meet the rest of the group at 6PM. Usualy it takes about half a hour to reach the airport from home. While on the motorway my father and I noticed airplanes landing over Rome and this was strange because usually landing planes don't fly over the city. Checking on FlightRadar I understood that only RWY 7/25 was in use. Usually it's used for take-offs only.
Since the usual parking we use was full we book Aeroporti di Roma's parking, about 400m far from the terminals.
photo fco-pek 1photo fco-pek 2

FIDS heading to Terminal 3, showing our flight delayed from 20.55 to 21.25
Maybe this was due the limited runway's operations
We will later discover that a fire broke out near the border of the airport and therefore runways 16R/34L and 16L/34R were closed
photo fco-pek 4

Heading straight to Terminal 3, which hosts all international flights at FCO except Alitalia
photo fco-pek 3

Terminal 1, AZ base
photo fco-pek 5

Terminal 3 has been improved so much and the new facade contributes to spread a lot of natural light
photo fco-pek 6photo fco-pek 7photo fco-pek 8

CA's check-in desks…most of the passengers seemed to be Chinese
photo fco-pek 9

My boarding pass and passport
photo fco-pek 12

Before heading to the security checkpoint I went out to smoke a cigarette and to see the new facade from outside.
The design is based on the original one, being this part of the Terminal 3 the first to be built in 1961 when the airport was opened
photo fco-pek 13

Old-style FIDS showing our flight to have 30' delay
photo fco-pek 14

Our way to the security checkpoint
photo fco-pek 15photo fco-pek 16

Despite of the crowd there was no queue for the checkpoint and we were airside in no time
photo fco-pek 17photo fco-pek 18

Time to turn left to Gate Area E, used for all non-Schenghen flights
photo fco-pek 20

Even the passport control made in no time thanks to eGates
photo fco-pek 21photo fco-pek 22

After the passport control there's the entrance to the "Isle of Wonders", the new Boarding Area E, opened in December 2016. It contains a lot of luxury shops and high-level restaurants.
The building is made of 3 floors: remote gates E1-8 on the lower floor, shops on the main floor and Food court on the upper floor
All non-EU gates are located here
photo fco-pek 24

Obliged passage through the duty free
photo fco-pek 25

The building is really impressive and makes FCO worthy to be at the same level of other european airports
The main floor is like a big mall with the most famous Italian luxury brands


We went upstairs to the Food Court to eat something. The F&B choice is very wide and based on Italian food excellences.
Unfortunately this big "mall" lacks of good spotting places except a big window that looks towards the Pier
Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus and Alitalia A320s
photo fco-pek 34

Turkish A320 departing to IST
photo fco-pek 35

Meanwhile our plane from PEK landed on RWY 7/25 with one hour delay
It has been the first time for me to see a plane landing on this runway
photo fco-pek 37

Immediately after our gate was reported to be E22, at the far end of the Pier


This structure is impressive and well done, no doubts, but it lacks of good spotting points XD
Alitalia Boeing 777
photo fco-pek 42

Our gate area was already full of people
The plane seemed to be full
photo fco-pek 46photo fco-pek 47

Time to go…
photo fco-pek 48photo fco-pek 49

China Eastern A330 to PVG
photo fco-pek 50

And our bird for tonight flight…Air China Boeing 787-9
B-7898, delivered in September 2016 (0,9 years old) is the 6th Air China's Dream)Liner
photo fco-pek 52

THE FLIGHT


Boarding a Dream)Liner for the second time
photo fco-pek 53

I took my seat 39L, a window seat
The seat was quite comfortable but a bit tight for me in pitch (I am 182 cm tall)
The IFE screen was fixed, a bit boring if the person in front moves the seat
photo fco-pek 55photo fco-pek 54

The view from my seat with Alitalia 777 and Satellite Terminal
photo fco-pek 57photo fco-pek 56

The cabin immediately after boarding ended
photo fco-pek 58photo fco-pek 59

While ushback started the safety video was shown
photo fco-pek 60photo fco-pek 62photo fco-pek 67

Mood lighting was lowered for TO
photo fco-pek 63

Korean Air Boeing 747-8 while taxiing to the runway
photo fco-pek 65photo fco-pek 66

We took-off 65 minutes after the scheduled time
photo fco-pek 68

The airshow featured the distances from origin, destination and major cities
photo fco-pek 69photo fco-pek 72

After the TO the mood lighting changed from blue to purple for the start of meal service
The dinner was delayed due to a turbolence that lasted about half a hour
At the end of the turbolence the crew distributed something to drink before serving the dinner


Cucumber salad with shrimps and olive
Chicken with rice or Duck with mashed potatoes and beet
Bread
Fruit salad


I choose Duck, which was quite tasty
photo fco-pek 75

After dinner lights were lowered to let passengers sleep
photo fco-pek 76photo fco-pek 77

Since there was nothing interesting among movies I tried to have a nap
Outside the view was quite boring
photo fco-pek 78photo fco-pek 79photo fco-pek 81

I woke up here
photo fco-pek 87

The only view outside was a sea of clouds
photo fco-pek 83photo fco-pek 84

I love 787 raked wingtip with Air China logo
photo fco-pek 85

A lady of my group had some pressure problems and all the crew helped here
Lights went on and doctor was called among the passengers
Fortunately it was nothing serious and the journey continued without any other issue
photo fco-pek 82photo fco-pek 86

One hour and half before landing breakfast was served


Omelette with tomato sauce and meatballs
Eggplant salad
Croissant
Tiramisu


photo fco-pek 89

Unknown plane going somewhere
photo fco-pek 92

As soon as I was a bit tired and had legs pain I took a walk
The middle cabin of economy, located between Door 2 and 3
photo fco-pek 95

One hour before landing we started to see mainland under us


Approaching PEK the only view was a grey blanket of smog and humidity covering the city


While landing on Runway 36L we saw the impressive Terminal 3, built in 2008 for the Olympics and designed by Norman Foster to resemble a dragon
photo fco-pek 109photo fco-pek 110

Terminal 1 and 2
photo fco-pek 111photo fco-pek 112photo fco-pek 113

WELCOME TO BEIJING…Landing was a bit bumby and braking a bit hard
photo fco-pek 114
Than it started one of the longest taxi I have ever experienced…20 minutes and 9,7 km (calculated with Google Earth)
photo mappa pekphoto fco-pek 115
Air Mauritius A340
photo fco-pek 117
Air China 777
photo fco-pek 118
Amazing Terminal 3
photo fco-pek 119
Plane taking off from runway 18L/36R
photo fco-pek 120
GrandStar Cargo 747-400F
photo fco-pek 121
China Eastern Airlines A321 taking off
photo fco-pek 122
Terminal 2 apron beyond the runway
photo fco-pek 123
China Southern A380 parked at Terminal 2
photo fco-pek 124
XiamenAir 787
photo fco-pek 125
Sichuan Airlines A330
photo fco-pek 126
Approaching Terminal 3 we entered Air China's land
737, A321 and 787
photo fco-pek 127
Many tails
photo fco-pek 128photo fco-pek 129photo fco-pek 130
A321
photo fco-pek 131
A330
photo fco-pek 132
SAS A340 and Air Canada 777
photo fco-pek 133
Our stand was next to an Air China A330
photo fco-pek 134photo fco-pek 135
Desembarking I asked the flight report to the Purser and also if it was possible to visit the cockpit but he told me that the Captain was busy
However the flight report was well-filled
photo fco-pek 157

ARRIVAL IN BEIJING


I took a lot of photos from the glass jetway since I wasn't able to take some in Rome
photo fco-pek 136photo fco-pek 137photo fco-pek 138
Going to the immigration and baggage claim
photo fco-pek 139
The plane from the arrivals' mezzanine
photo fco-pek 140photo fco-pek 142
Terminal 3 is really impressive and full of light
photo fco-pek 141photo fco-pek 143
The departure lounge seen from the passport control hall
photo fco-pek 145
There was a little queue for passport control and in about 10 minutes we made all the formalities
photo fco-pek 144
Since we where in a satellite terminal called T3E we had to take an APM to reach baggage claim area
photo fco-pek 146photo fco-pek 147photo fco-pek 148
Terminal 3C, which hosts domestic flights and landside access
photo fco-pek 149
The baggage carousel was number 38, just in front of the exit from the APM
Baggages were already there
photo fco-pek 150photo fco-pek 151photo fco-pek 152
After taking our baggages we went through Customs and Exit where our guide was already waiting for us
The meeters and greeters hall was very crowded
photo fco-pek 153
Exiting the airport to take the shuttle bus we had a little shock for the temperature and the humidity
The airport is very big and it looks like a cathedral
photo fco-pek 154
Ground Transportation Center
photo fco-pek 155
Welcome to Beijing 欢迎来到北京
photo fco-pek 156
The road to the hotel, located near CCTV Headquarters, was a bit busy but in less than one hour we reached our destionation, ready to visit this amazing city
TO BE CONTINUED…
See more

Verdict

Air China

7.5/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering7.0

Rome - FCO

9.0/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness9.0

Beijing - PEK

8.1/10
Efficiency9.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness7.5

Conclusion

It has been the first time for me on Air China and my impression was overall good...the crew was professional, but not so warm, airplane comfortable and food tasty enough to be on a plane
FCO is an airport that I keep in my hearth. Every time I depart from there I see enormous improvements and the new boarding area E is very impressive
I liked the big choice of shops and restaurants and obviously the hassle-free experience for passengers
Even PEK is an efficient airport despite of his size

Information on the route Rome (FCO) Beijing (PEK)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 3 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Rome (FCO) → Beijing (PEK).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Air China avec 7.1/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 10 heures et 10 minutes.

  More information

6 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !

Login to post a comment.