This is the second review in our Australia trip series: a report on China Southern first class from Sydney to Guangzhou. The theme in one sentence: comparison really does make the differences painfully obvious—especially compared with China Southern business class. The full itinerary was QF138 CHC-SYD in economy and CZ326 SYD-CAN in first class, with a total cost of 50,000 AA*2 miles for two people. Under normal circumstances, they should have been able to access a Skyteam lounge in Sydney, but because they could not get the China Southern boarding pass directly at CHC airport and had to pick it up at the gate in Sydney, plus some language issues, they ultimately did not visit the lounge. Thankfully, their bags were checked through to Guangzhou.
Seat
The aircraft was an A380, and the 1-2-1 seat layout felt very spacious. The semi-enclosed design also provided a decent amount of privacy, and the two center seats had a small divider that could be raised to separate them into more private spaces. That said, privacy was completely irrelevant on this trip for my parents, because they were the only two passengers in first class on the return flight—so they can officially say they once had the entire first class cabin to themselves. The seat was very comfortable, with a good balance of softness and support. The pillow and blanket were also very comfortable, and my mom, who gets motion sickness easily, was finally able to get a good sleep on the plane.
Amenity Kit
The amenity kit was by Ferragamo. Other than the logo, it was basically the sister version of the Chopard kit from business class. How did they end up with two bags that look so similar? =.= It seemed like the contents maybe included one extra bottle of perfume, but otherwise it was broadly the same.
Bar Area
They were also warmly invited upstairs to take a look around the business class cabin. Getting to experience a double-decker aircraft was pretty cool too.
Food
Next comes the area where first class absolutely destroyed business class from every angle: the food. Of course, that had a lot to do with the unlucky outbound flight where everything they wanted was unavailable and they ended up having to eat vegetarian meals. But even setting that aside, the catering and presentation in first class were truly on another level. That pot of soup in particular just looked incredibly comforting—such a perfect touch. The steak was cooked very well, tender and smooth, with great flavor in every bite. Since I have never experienced it myself, all I could do was stare at the photos and feel jealous.
After the meal, it was time to get some comfortable sleep and head home.
Summary
This first class ticket cost only 10,000 more miles than business class, which made it a very solid value by comparison. You could also tell from the big difference in photo quality between the two flights that my parents really enjoyed this first class experience—though that was also thanks to my repeated reminders on the return trip to take more pictures. As long as they were comfortable, I was happy. China Southern may not be the absolute best among first class products, but first class is still first class: both the food and the service were very good.
PS: On their return trip, this was right when nonstop discussion about the pandemic had just started flooding in from every direction, and everyone was nervous and on edge. Guangzhou was also considered one of the hardest-hit areas, so I was so anxious during their journey home that I could barely eat or sleep. Right after the plane landed, on-duty staff rushed onboard and said that one of the flight attendants had a fever. Fortunately, after questioning and examination, it was judged to be just an ordinary fever/cold, and it was later confirmed that there were no infected passengers on the flight. A false alarm in the end. Hopefully the fight against the pandemic would be won soon, and hopefully everyone can avoid excessive anxiety and arrange life rationally.