With minor tweaks, this business class could be one of the world’s best

3 hours ago 3

Christine Retschlag

November 18, 2025 — 5:00am

The airline: China Southern Airlines

Route Brisbane to Guangzhou, flight CZ382
Frequency Daily
Aircraft Airbus A350-900
Class Business; seat 5A (window)
Flight time 8 hours, 30 mins (departs five minutes behind; lands two minutes ahead)

China Southern Airlines is expanding its services around Australia from December.

Checking in

It’s early on a Sunday morning and Brisbane International Airport is so busy, there’s an uncharacteristic line-up of cars to enter the terminal drop-off. Once inside, my business class check-in is swift and security is seamless courtesy of the proffered priority pass. This airline uses the Plaza Premium Lounge, which, today, is next to the departure gate.

Business class seat on China Southern Airlines.

Baggage

Two pieces of checked luggage for business class passengers, each weighing a maximum of 32 kilograms with a maximum sum of length, width and height not exceeding 158 centimetres. One piece of carry-on luggage with a maximum weight of eight kilograms and a maximum sum of dimensions not exceeding 115 centimetres.

Loyalty scheme

China Southern Airlines has the Sky Pearl Club, where members can also earn points on American Airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, MEA, Vietnam Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Sichuan Airlines.

The seat

Seats flatten to a comfortable 180 degrees.

The 28 business class seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration and my window seat 5A is at the absolute front of the cabin. The seats are 23 inches (58 centimetres) wide with 43 inches (109 centimetres) of pitch, and with a comfortable 180 degree recline, I snatch almost three hours’ sleep on this day flight. A stylish grey amenity kit contains cotton buds, toothbrush and paste, a brush/comb combination, eye mask, earplugs and Californian brand Calibio hand cream and lip balm. The business class bathroom boasts Salvatore Ferragamo products. A pair of comfortable chocolate brown slippers (the kind grandpa used to wear) are presented as soon as I sit down.

Entertainment + tech

English films are in short supply.

The individual TV display, which measures 18.5 inches (50 centimetres), comes with noise-cancelling headphones and a vast range of Chinese language movies, shows and music, but limited English selections such as Harry Potter and Titanic. There’s a USB port but no Wi-Fi on this flight. Bring a good book.

Service

Hot towels are consistently given by the ever-smiling cabin crew. A special touch is the order by request “in-flight tea house” where a flight attendant will serve you four types of tea the airline has selected from renowned Chinese producers.

Food

Canapes … beef skewer and chicken waldorf.Christine Retschlag

The beef tenderloin is dry.Christine Retschlag

Two meals are served during this flight. The main meal efficiently starts 40 minutes after take-off. Board hungry, as there are seven courses (not including the hot bread and petit fours). Canapes first; a black pepper beef skewer is dry, but it’s offset by the creamy chicken apple Waldorf mix cold canape. The poached prawn tail and smoked duck slice appetiser is delicious, as is the herb and chicken soup with Chinese yam and wolfberry (goji). The beef tenderloin main is chewy. But the lotus seeds and red bean soup dessert is sweet, and the cheese platter that follows is first class.

The drinks list is impressive, from the Louis Morette Grand Reserve Brut upon boarding to the Sears BIN 189 Barossa Shiraz with meals and the Cognac VSOP before landing. There are also 12 cocktails, whisky, vodka, rum, gin, liqueur and beer, plus soft drinks. The “light hot meal” served two hours before landing is a similar four-course affair of Western and Eastern dishes. There’s also a selection of snacks.

Sustainability

China Southern Airlines claims to be the first in the world to launch “Green Flight” on-demand meal service, where passengers can cancel their in-flight meal up to six hours before departure and receive mileage rewards, saving thousands of tonnes in food. It has also adopted Electronic Flight Bag systems to give pilots real-time fuel-saving recommendations and it has trialled Sustainable Aviation Fuel.*

One more thing

China Southern Airlines is expanding its services around Australia from December during the 2025-26 summer season with four daily flights from Sydney; three weekly flights ex Darwin; and double daily flights from Brisbane, which equates to an extra Suncorp Stadium’s worth of capacity (52,500 people) in the Queensland capital alone.

The price

From about $4500 return from Brisbane to Guangzhou for business class (from Sydney is about $4200 return, from Melbourne about $3400 return).**

The verdict

Address the dry beef, enhance English entertainment offerings and switch out grandpa’s slippers and this airline, with its crew who bow to passengers at the top of descent, rivals the world’s best.