zlacker

Urumqi is a quite big transit hub, but I opt to never buy flights through it for the chance of winning a free cavity search. That's another reason to keep away from that place.

>>baybal+(OP)
I visited Xinjiang and Urumqi back in 2005, before smartphones... Feeling nostalgic all of a sudden.

>>baybal+(OP)
I don’t think you would have much problems in Urumqi these days, the problems only start when you leave the big city.

Is Urumqi really an international hub? I can’t imagine anyone flying through that city for any trip that didn’t originate or terminate in China. Chengdu is much more of the hub these days.

>>seanmc+Og
Well, it is. The airport is past gigantic for the city of its size, and landing fees are said to be quite low. I think nearly all companies flying narrowbodies from Europe to China do stopover here, except for Central Asian airlines who have a natural option of doing stopover in home countries.

I flew through it once, and now I will never do it ever again...

I do feel that bigger name European airlines opting to reroute flights to China through Chengdu had all of above in mind

>>baybal+9j
Who is flying narrow bodies between Europe and China? Moscow (via Aeroflot or whatever) works better for trips to Europe given earth curvature. The only nonstops I can find are Moscow, St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Baku, Astana, Tbilisi, which all makes sense, most of those are Central Asia or almost so, and then Russia. What am I missing?

>>seanmc+Ht
Russia is one of few countries not giving a "freedom of air." Overflight rights are only given to flag carriers at extortionate rates, most EU-China flights have to take rather weird routes.

There used to be flights through Urumqi on EU-China routes just 2 years ago with stops just in it or in Almaty by quite a number of airlines.

The accursed flight I was on was done by China Southern

>>baybal+Ly
Unless someone else is paying, I always fly Aeroflot via Moscow when going between Beijing and Europe. Not only are the fares very reasonable, but Moscow airport is a fairly nice lay over (they serve beer at Burger King).

I’ve flown out of Urumqi once on a domestic. Even that domestic flight required a one night layover in Xian. Annoying.