Across the Pacific

Historically, the Bay Area has been a perfect location to “resupply” for ships traveling to the eastern part of the world. Nowadays, this unique location offers international students from Asia and Oceania shorter, more convenient flights from San Francisco International Airport than on the East Coast.

School breaks at Stevenson mean opportunities for international students to return home, but they also pose a tough decision for me and many students: which airline should I fly? As someone who has trouble sleeping and eating on planes, I’ve flown various airlines to pick the one that offers not only the best experience but also a reasonable price.

United Airlines

United Airlines was the first airline I flew with for most of my 9th-grade year. For me, the round-trip price is around $1,200 when you purchase in advance from SFO to PVG (Shanghai Pudong International Airport). Also, the airline offers multiple destinations, including Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and more. Every time I board, the airline passes out handwipes to each passenger, which I find quite nice. The entertainment system is similar to those offered on domestic flights, and the screen works perfectly well! However, one unique thing about United Airlines is that during the flight they turn the air conditioning to extremely low, and I sometimes couldn’t sleep because of the cold, even with a blanket. Now, let’s move on to the most important factor: food. The airline often serves comparably normal flight meals, such as beef or chicken. Personally, the food isn't my favorite, and I sometimes buy food before the flight to avoid airplane meals.

Many Stevenson students also mention that they avoid choosing United Airlines if possible. However, some students say they choose to fly United Airlines for the mileage they’ve been collecting for over a couple of years. If you already have mileage with United Airlines and genuinely don’t care about the services offered, United Airlines’ wide range of destinations might be a good choice for you. (Unlimited ice cream sundaes if you fly business and if they have leftovers!)

China Eastern

The first time I heard that China Eastern was launching flights from PVG to SFO was in my 9th-grade year, when Alan Wang came up to me and asked if I wanted to fly China Eastern with him. I said yes. Sadly, he was flying business, so I was alone in economy. Stepping on an airline that’s operated from my home country feels familiar and nice. However, I did encounter some problems during the flight. I always have my AirPods in before taking off, so I can listen to music and relax. However, there is a rule stating “no earphones allowed during take-off” to protect passengers’ ears. The food is similar to United Airlines’. I also didn’t like eating on China Eastern because the food makes me a little sick. I still fly China Eastern because I prefer it to United Airlines, since I can earn mileage, and it’s one of the most convenient options for me with the direct flight. One trade-off for both United Airlines and China Eastern is that I never get good sleep on these airlines. As a result, every time I land, I either feel very sick or extremely tired.

12th-grade student Mia Gu responds similarly. Gu states how she prefers direct flights over layovers and mentions how “China Eastern offers a gorgeous 13-hour flight straight back to Shanghai from SFO on Saturdays.” Although she is neutral about the food offered during the flight, Gu expresses strong opinions about the movie selection and WiFi availability on China Eastern. She mentions how “instead of A-Z movies like a lot of airlines do, China Eastern has this weird, extremely limited selection of their own movies that is usually comprised of canons like Coco, Moana, or just movies you have never heard of in your life and can't bother trying to watch because you judged it by its strange cover poster.” Additionally, Gu states that the WiFi is “highly unstable and only enables basic texting, so you won't be able to watch anything on your phone,” which I totally agree with. So, if you don’t want to “suffer multiple flights flying layovers” and live close to Shanghai, China Eastern may be a good fit for you, despite the high possibility of daydreaming or sleeping during the flight.

Asiana Airlines

My first flight with Asiana was simply a coincidence; it was the Thanksgiving break of my 10th-grade year, and I forgot that I had only bought a one-way flight from SFO to PVG. I was in trouble because all the direct flights back to SFO were sold out. I glanced through my remaining options, and the only available flight was a layover flight from PVG to ICN (Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea), then to SFO. This flight completely changed my view of layover flights, and I began flying Asiana most often. The hours during the connecting flight allow me to explore everything at Incheon Airport: the food, the duty-free shops that sell colognes I love, and most surprisingly: a shower room for $5! I absolutely loved the food options at the food courts, ranging from traditional Korean meals like Kimchi-Jjigae to sweet treats like ice cream hotteok (Unfortunately, I think the airport doesn’t offer this dessert anymore, but they should bring it back!). Boarding was an interesting experience; I don’t speak Korean, but the flight attendants replied to me in Korean. However, they were super friendly and made the flight experience even better. The legroom is one of the most spacious I’ve had in standard economy. I could sit and stretch very comfortably. What impressed me the most is the food. They offer either Bulgogi (a Korean dish consisting of beef and rice) or Bibimbap on each flight. The food is the best among all of the airlines I’ve flown. Additionally, I am always able to get a good amount of sleep on this airline. Once, I even slept from after the first meal until landing!

Having flown with family members on Asiana Airlines, Amie Kim describes the flight from SFO to ICN as “perfect.” Kim states that “Asiana offers midnight flights, which Korean Air doesn't,” so it is no doubt easier for her to sleep and get used to the jet lag. Kim also agrees that the food options are solid and that the corndog is her favorite item. The spacious bathrooms and leg spaces allow her to sleep comfortably during the flight. Despite not seeing many Koreans flying Asiana, Kim notes that many international students choose Asiana for layover flights. Our students’ choice to fly Asiana for connecting flights also shows that Asiana is a popular option among students! If you want to explore more at a different airport, fly comfortably, and don’t necessarily need to fly direct, Asiana may be a perfect fit for you!

Korean Air

As Asiana Airlines opened the doors of connection flight options, I decided to try flying Korean Air, which has an overall higher rating than Asiana Airlines, as commented by many Stevenson students. The price for a one-way flight from PVG to SFO was about $750, which was pretty “high cost-performance.” Korean Air was even operating wide-body aircraft (Boeing 787-10) on short flights from PVG to ICN, which was impressive because wide-body aircraft are usually used on routes of 6+ hours. Additionally, the legroom was incredible, and I was able to lie down more comfortably than on other airlines, even in economy. Moving to the food: I genuinely received the largest portion of a meal on Korean Air. The meal included Korean bulgogi with rice AND a cold noodle served with jelly. I enjoyed the “doubled mains” a lot. I did get around 5 hours of sleep on the plane, which I was grateful for. If you enjoyed Asiana Airlines and would like to try a newer version, Korean Air would be an excellent choice.

Cathay Pacific

Flying back home already takes around 12-13 hours, so I’ve never thought about flying to Hong Kong, which is an additional 1-2 hours away, for connecting flights. Things changed this March, when I suddenly decided to go home for the second week of the spring break. The usual flights were either sold out or extremely expensive again, and I had no other choice but to try Cathay Pacific. I first tried to soothe myself by thinking about the delicacies and comfort back home, but the flight experience was one of the best trips I’ve been on. The food was amazing (even though it was served about 2-3 hours after takeoff, so I was starving). I still remember the economy options: chicken with black bean sauce or barbecue beef. It was my first time wishing I could get both meals. Despite the amazing entrees, most Stevenson students, myself included, agreed that the best part about Cathay Pacific is that they offer Häagen-Dazs, even for economy passengers!

12th-grader Howard Chen, who lives in both Shanghai and Hong Kong, states that Cathay Pacific is his “go-to choice” and that it “makes long-haul flying incredibly enjoyable.” Flying often with his friends, Chen expresses his opinion: “The seats offer generous legroom that allows you to stretch out and truly relax, while the overall onboard experience is exceptionally comfortable. To top it off, they serve excellent food with high-quality meals that make the hours in the air fly by.” Even if you don’t live near Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific is always a solid choice (ranked 3rd globally by SKYTRAX) for its pricing and services.

Collecting mileage is indeed important, and I do regret not flying one airline consistently. However, I do encourage you all to experience different airlines and find the one that truly fits you. Nothing matters more than a comfortable meal and a good night's sleep on a long flight!