Here’s a new carrier for BoardingArea trip reports– GX Airlines. In this post, I will be covering my flight from Nanning, in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, as well as the sole airport lounge in the international wing of Nanning Wuxu International Airport.
But first, a warm tip for potential visitors to China
China is easily one of my favorite countries to visit … is something I was more comfortable saying pre-COVID 19. But the reason for the shift is simple: if you can’t/don’t want to get WeChat or Alipay, the two Chinese apps that dominant life in China, you might encounter issues paying for certain things. (n.b. it’s actually illegal for any Chinese merchant to reject cash, which in my recent experience means you will probably run into issues anyway)
My last visit to the mainland was in late November 2019, when the ominous QR (payment) code even made an appearance at a random Guangzhou sweet potato street vendor. The COVID-19 pandemic set at ludicrous speed the introduction of WeChat/Alipay mobile payment all over the country; vending machines, tourist attractions, street parking, and many other facets of life have standardized mobile payment acceptance.
International credit cards were never terribly popular in China, save for international hotel chains and choice restaurants. However, to be fair, some of those cards can be added to WeChat and Alipay. In brief, don’t come to the mainland expecting to get lots of points if you’re not going to bother adding them to those Chinese apps.
In spite of the occasional payment hiccup, visiting China is still a highlight for me.
Now let’s get on with the GX Airlines trip report.
Getting to Nanning Airport & Check-In
China is quite good about having airport buses, so I took the route most likely used by other tourists, Airport Bus #1. With the ride taking no less than ~40 minutes, it goes between Nanning train station and Nanning Wuxu International Airport, the hub for GX Airlines.
p.s. if you’re ever in Nanning, visit the Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; although most the exhibits are obviously in Chinese, some nuggets have been translated into English.
I booked the GX Airlines ticket through trip.com, which was the most pragmatic website I could find for travel within China. Not only do they work with hotels and flights, but also e-tickets for trains. As long as the train you want to book mentions e-ticket, the issuance will be almost instantaneous, moreover your passport acts as your train ticket. I prefer using the Chinese version, but the English one is definitely good enough.
The flight was for 19:00, so I took a 15:30 bus from the city. Just my luck, check-in only opened two hours before the flight, and worse yet, the ability to check luggage opened 1.5 hours before the flight. The reason they gave me was that customs was on their break.
And yes, expect the usual mosh pit of folks cutting in line.
Check-in language help:
– 靠过道的位子 (kào guòdào de wèizi) = aisle seat
– 靠窗{户}的位子 (kào chuāng{hù} de wèizi) = window seat
Immigration
Nanning isn’t a busy airport for international flights. China wants it to become a hub for Southeast Asian routes, but on the day of my flight, the GX Airlines route to Bangkok was the only one until another Bangkok route hours later.
More importantly, you have to fill out a “health declaration form” before you depart (and arrive in) China. It’s a goofy form, but what can you do. The most useful way to find it — if you don’t have WeChat to be able to scan the signboards at the airport — is this Emirates link (note: the form doesn’t always load at first). No more health forms as of 1 November 2023.
Lounge
Although there are many more lounges on the domestic front, Nanning has a small “First Class Lounge” for international departures. It’s airside –a very short walk from security — and they take Priority Pass.
It’s a small lounge with just a few snacks and drinks.
Given that there was only one flight at the time, there was plenty of seating in gate area, but the lounge became quite busy up until just before departure. In other words, you could come in to grab a bite and a (non-alcoholic) drink, then mosey on down to the other gates where it was quieter.
Boarding & In-Flight
My GX Airlines flight to Bangkok was delayed by about 45 minutes, so there’s that. Besides the duty free shop, I can’t even recall if there were stores open in the international wing, but I don’t find Chinese airports full of edible food anyway. A quick hop back into the lounge for camel milk bread and a bottle of water, and then I went back to the other deserted gates to relax.
Once the flight was ready for boarding, it was a one-size-fits-all kind of process. In other words, board whenever, especially if someone is next in line.
As for GX Airlines, something that I didn’t realize beforehand was that it’s basically a low-cost carrier (LCC). They had food for purchase (cash and mobile payments accepted), and didn’t even offer water (nothing new for an LCC).
You may have noticed that the flight attendant is wearing a mask. Don’t fret– masks aren’t required, neither at the airport nor in-flight.
Other than the LCC comment, the flight was mostly fine. Two things though–
1) You can’t have headphones on during take-off or landing. In other words, just don’t let them see you do it.
2) As soon as that “your plane has reached its parking spot” chime sounds, you will get smothered. It’s an MMA death match to reach for those carry-ons.
Arrival
The flight landed a shade before 21:00. After the usual longish walk to immigration, it was a surprisingly quick line, taking no more than 10 minutes.
My checked bag made it a few minutes later, and it wasn’t long before I was on the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Express train downtown.
Conclusion
The flight landed. The trip was a success. The end.
My GX Airlines flight from Nanning to Bangkok was alright overall. It may have been an irritating check-in, due to the late opening of the check-in desks, and delays are never fun. But it was nice to have a nonstop flight, as compared to typical last-minute mileage redemptions with two layovers.
I am in the city center now and I pulled up this review to find out what is in store for me on my flight to Thailand in a few hours. This was both very helpful and I also enjoyed the writing style and little jokes throughout. Excellent blog, good info! I was going to leave early but if the check-in counter only opens 2 hours before and I think I will cool my jets a bit. 🙂
Appreciate your comment, Daniel! How was your flight/time in Nanning, by the way? Did the NNG lounge still have just grape tomatoes and sweetened water?
Nanning was very pleasant, and the flight was good! Your post was very helpful. I took a Didi from the Sheraton about 55 yuan. My flight was on GX Airways, but to Phuket. As you posted, the counter opened exactly 2 hours beforehand. I was the only person to line up, but once it opened up people flooded in.
After that there was immigration and a bizarrely strict security procedure. The lounge was slightly different from how you described it: it was totally empty, though there were two flights leaving at the same time. The grape tomatoes are still there, along with a few snacks and some beverages. I was the only person in the lounge.
Boarding was quick. On board, they offered to upgrade passengers to “business class” which is just the front three rows, for 100 yuan. I didn’t want to do this, but the passenger next to me smelled so bad and was exhuding so many fluids from everywhere that I paid up and moved to my own row up front.
Another difference: there was no food for purchase, and everyone on the flight got a beverage and sandwich. I guess they’ve updated that policy, or the policy is different to HKT.