A few weeks ago I flew from Shanghai to Harbin with Spring Airlines. Let’s have a closer look at the crazy promo fares and the interesting things I noticed while flying China’s first and North Asia’s largest low fare airline.
Inflight exercises with the crew
One thing I liked about Spring Airlines is that the crew shows some in flight exercises and invite all the passengers to join. Below you can see a facial massage technique.
This is how much legroom I had
As a tall guy I did not have much leg room, my knees touched the seat in front of me. For a short flight it’s fine but if you take flights over 3 hours then it will be a struggle.
Shopping mall with delivery at 30.000 feet
A lot of low cost airlines sell sandwiches, drinks and some cosmetic products and watches. But Spring Airlines has a whole shopping mall, you can buy pots, pans, cleaning products, pretty much everything you can find in a real mall. Don’t worry about carrying all that stuff, your goods can be delivered to your home or hotel while you go sightseeing.
I am not entirely sure what the facial fitness device is but it might be a bestseller!
If you need a new tea pot then you are covered as well.
The food pictures are for illustration purpose only
Feeling hungry, why not order some beef curry rice? It’s quite fair from Spring Airlines to mention that the items on the menu might be slightly more like boxes of food rather than nicely presented dishes on the pictures.
Wave at the teddy bear on the luggage belt
To remind passengers to only take their own baggage there is a teddy bear holding a friendly message.
I have never seen other airlines do it but I guess it makes sense. Even when you leave the luggage belt in most airports in China there will be someone checking the baggage sticker and compare it to the label attached to your ticket, so do not throw it!
14.8 USD promo fare to Bangkok
The prices on the Spring Airlines home page look crazy cheap. Just 14.8 USD for a flight from Shanghai to Bangkok (4h 30min). And I have heard they sometimes even offer much lower prices!
And I can even find a promo fare after a few clicks in the calendar. Which is very positive, a lot of airlines publish fares but then it’s impossible to find it. Just note that the price is one way.
Once I clicked through the tax is added, auwch 😮 My 14 USD ticket just jumped to 99 USD, which is still super cheap, let’s be honest but it is a bit disappointing after seeing 14 USD. Keep in mind you can only take 5 – 7 kg carry on luggage for free and there is no food / drink included in this price.
If you are just focused on budget then go for Spring. But if you want free checked baggage, food, drinks and more legroom then Thai airways will be a better option.
Beware of the luggage weight restrictions
Make sure to travel light and make sure to check Spring Airlines luggage allowance before you fly.
Carry on luggage
- 5kg – international / regional flights
- 7kg – domestic flights
Checked luggage
- not free, unless you are flying “Business” or “Spring Plus”
Spring Airlines Review Summary
If you like traveling cheap & light, are not tall and don’t mind paying for food & drinks then you will love Spring Airlines. If you want some more comfort then this might not be an airline for you.