Experiences – Life – Inspiration 🇨🇭🇯🇵

Traveling by airplane used to be exciting for me — but something changed this year.

I booked a flight to the Netherlands at the end of the year to celebrate Christmas with my mother and sisters. Getting there from Japan isn’t exactly quick, so I wanted to find the fastest route possible, with minimal stopovers.

And here’s the thing: I really try to avoid flights that go through China. Sure, Chinese airlines are cheap, but their airports are a nightmare. The stopovers are often at the most inconvenient times — when all the shops and restaurants are closed.

Then there’s the internet. It’s so heavily restricted that I can’t even use WhatsApp, YouTube, or anything connected to Google or Meta. That means I can’t message friends, watch my favorite edutainment videos, or even write and update my blog during layovers.

To make matters worse, my credit cards often don’t work there. They expect you to use local mobile payment apps that foreigners can’t easily sign up for. I refuse to exchange money just for a few hours’ layover — especially at those ridiculous exchange rates.

And the travel times? Some of those “cheap” Chinese routes take between 21 and 36 hours to reach Europe. It’s insane. Who wants to spend almost two days just getting there — disconnected, hungry, and half-asleep in a closed airport?

For comparison, my entire trip from Nagoya to Amsterdam takes about 17 hours and 25 minutes, including a short one-hour layover in Seoul. The return flight is even quicker — around 15 hours and 45 minutes.

That’s half the time of some routes over China — and all for just €200 more. Honestly, that’s an easy choice for me. Time, comfort, and a smooth experience are worth far more than saving a bit of money for a miserable 30-hour journey.

So, what do I do instead?

I pay a bit more for comfort and convenience. This time, I booked with Korean Air — fast, efficient, and with a smooth transfer at Incheon Airport. A 15-hour trip with a short, pleasant layover in South Korea is so much better than being stuck overnight in a closed, disconnected Chinese airport.

No thank you, China.

Thank you, Korea.