My flight from Shanghai Pudong to Shenzhen is scheduled for 23:10.
Once I got at the airport the airline people said that it would be possible to perform the check-in from 22 o’clock.
Given the check-in usually close 40 minutes at least before departure the time seemed extremely tight. Also considering the security check (Pudong is the major airport in Shanghai, even if so late there are not many flights) and the long walk to the gate (it took me 15 minutes and I walk always fast) the opening time for the check-in looked suspicious!
In China as in the rest of the world the boarding starts about 30 minutes before take off, so for a flight at 23:10 it means more or less… now!!
Considering there is no plane outside but the monitor at the gate still shows:
…I wonder how can they manage on-time departure…
But then I notice a detail on the ticket:
Then their math does make more sense suddenly: a check at 22 is not too late with departure around 01:20!!!
I must add that for me it doesn’t matter at all this delay: I’ll sleep at Shenzhen airport again… A delay shorten my bench time waiting the opening of subway at 6 am!
What I really hate though is the complete
Lack of info from the monitors (still on-time departure) and there is no people at the gate so one must trust the ticket boarding time and hope. At the check-in also the operator did not tell me anything about delays. This is Chinese service!! 😦
Dreaming of... Asia 