Review: China Southern Los Angeles Airport First Class Check-In

Well it can be useful, for some Mr Chow or Zhou or whatever who don't speak English or have never been to LAX...

When you look at the departures board, do you think about all the different varieties of toilets you can photograph?

the new terminal looks gorgeous. would you say it's on par with HKG?

Mixed results with U.S Escort services? Hmmm... interesting. 😉

You sure it was "101" and not "one-on-one"?

@ Jason -- Hah, I might have misunderstood her, that could certainly be. 😀

At that time of the day the far security checkpoint is quicker than the nearest security checkpoint.

The old skyteam lounge used to open about 1845. I'm not sure about the new one.

Do you tip these services? How much, if?

"First class? You mean business class, yes?" It amuses me when they underestimate you.

You do set us up with some perfect lines to comment on such as the one Patrick referred to.

I don't know how you'll improve on the preview story you gave us about the next leg. I had friends laughing out loud as I recapped it over drinks. 😉

We'd be hearing about how racist the agent was if she assumed you weren't Mr. Chow or Zhou.

And there are only 3 F passengers. Odds are you aren't one of them. Simple math.

@ 100K -- Not generally, no.

@ The Global Traveller -- We used the far checkpoint and the queue really wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. The checkpoint doesn't really get crazy busy again till later in the evening.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Cracks me up that they named a terminal after a quarterback who doesn't even play in LA! Crazy Americans.

It's Tom Bradley not Tom Brady

I like reading your reviews but the "I'm not going to lie" verbal graffiti should go. By using that expression, everything else you say that doesn't have that qualifier is a lie!?

@Eric: The expression is used to introduce a notion that would typically be considered unbelievable. Most people don't prefer to hang out at airports, especially those without lounge access.

Next time you are in China you need to visit this "A380". No ticket necessary:
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/a380-themed-restaurant-lets-you-experience-airplane-dining-without-the-turbulence.html

Korean Air has 2 flights departing within 20 minutes of each other? Interesting.

@Pat Bucher,

You should see the looks I get when people over hear me talking on the phone saying stuff like "Yeah, I don't know when I'll be there, I have a layover at the Atlanta Hartsfield Michael Jackson International airport..."

😉

Why do you always smirk at people? I've noticed that in a few of your posts now. Surely there are politer ways of dealing with people than coming across as arrogant and self-important, even when you're in the right.

@Daniel, if you're not happy with Lucky's blog, why don't you go back to where you crawl out from, huh? Lucky has tons of fans, one fewer low life hater won't make a difference.

So this is the prelude to the in/famous trip lucky posted last week that had a whirlwind of responses.

@Lucky, please do LAX-GRU on KE and GRU-JFK on TAM.

@GoAway, you should take your own advice and do as your user name says.

@peter - I suspect it had less to do with them "underestimating" him than with the fact that there were probably 10x more business class passengers than first class passengers.

@ Pat Bucher - Tom Bradley is also (coincidentally) the name of a former American politician and mayor of Los Angeles.

@ Daniel - Everyone smirks. Even two year olds. (Hey, who created internet memes?)

@ Pat Bucher There is no, and never has been, an NFL quarterback (I'm assuming you were talking about American professional football) named Tom Bradley. Crazy Pat Bucher...

@Daniel, if that's your best comeback, you must be so dim, if you had another brain, it would be lonely.

So let me spell it out s-l-o-w-l-y for you this time... I was telling a jerk/troll like you to GET LOST!

I guess this one-on-one escort is for travelers not very familiar with the airport and the location of the lounge.

IMHO, a more appropriate way for a check-in agent to find out who you were would've been to just ask for your name. It'd also avoid revealing the names of other F pax.

I love checking out people and the flight departure board at TBT, as well.
Call me crazy, but I kinda miss the "old" departures board that would flip the letters over, making a pretty loud noise every time it "refreshed."

@GoAway, LOL. Impressive debating skills there. Your parents should be so proud THIS is the best their combined genetic material could offer the world.

@ Craig -- Not crazy at all, I totally agree!

@ Daniel @GoAway - Break it up, will you? I'm just a reader but scrolling through comments is becoming harder and harder.

This is an airline that tries but does not always execute well. Still, I give them very high marks for trying -- I was on a flight Beijing to Guangzhou and asked for some tape. The flight attendant asked why and I said the end of the zipper on a small bag had come loose. The flight attendant then asked for it and five minutes later came back with the bag with the zipper end sewed back on - she did it herself. The example of the escort service is in many respects similar. The staff really want to succeed -- when I see some of the things management has done like the reaction to the post on LAX-CAN, I wonder whether management needs to change.

Hello Mr. Ben! I don't know if you remember me, but I was one of the agents that spoke with you when you flew the HU 7924 flight to CSX. I hope all is going well for you. Too bad I was in the arrivals area when you were checking in for CZ 328, so maybe I'll see you arriving instead this time.
Regarding the escort through TSA, we use to cut the line to the very front of the scanner, but due to recent TSA regulations, we're only allowed to do it case-by-case. Such as flight is about to departure, agent escorting you has an escort icon, or if the TSA Officer allows us to cut the line up to a certain point. Since we have a lot of Chinese passengers, escorts is now primarily helpful for them because of language barriers and such to get through TSA and to the lounge smoothly.

I hope to see you soon! Have a safe trip and a pleasant flight.

Not sure if you covered it in another post, but there is a TSA security screening in the International Arrivals area at TBIT that is always empty. No line at all. I always use it in my travels overseas