Singapore to Vancouver via Xiamen. Note that my rating here is for XMN-YVR, not considering SIN-XMN, and not taking into account the visa issues at XMN. If you are not a holder of one of the 53 countries' passports that qualify for visa exemption by the Chinese government, then you need to apply for a visa before flying. XMN does not offer visa services at the airport. The main reason for the need of a visa is, XMN does not have a usual transit arrangement, which usually doesn't require you to go through immigration. At XMN, in order to transit, you have to go through immigration, which means you are entering China and then leaving China officially, just to transit between flights. This is why people transiting with passports that do not qualify for visa exemption have to apply for visa. If you are unsure, please make sure you email your local Xiamen Air representatives to check. Regarding SIN-XMN, it was below average. It was an older aircraft, without individual IFE system. The stewardesses were willing to help and respond to demands, but they were typically brisk and curt with their responses. Food was okay, not remarkable. XMN-YVR was excellent. The economy seat was comfortable, and leg room was good. Food was excellent and more than sufficient. In fact, the stewardesses made rounds between meals to ask if people wanted snacks, like bread rolls, sandwiches, or peanuts. The stewardesses were very friendly and approachable, very willing to help the passengers. It is unfortunate that their command of the English language is below average, but if you speak Mandarin, then you are fine. All in, it was an excellent flight at a very cheap price. I think, if you are travelling on Xiamen Air's Boeing 787, then there is a good chance that your flight will be a very good one. But if you are travelling on Xiamen Air's older aircraft, then you may not get to experience the better side of the airline. Finally, there is no online check-in services for international flights for Xiamen Air. You can choose your seats only if you spend some money. Otherwise, you have to request for your seat at the counter at the airport. So, if you want to choose your seats, either pay for it, or go to the airport and check in early (I went 2.5hr before flight) to get the seats that you want.
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