I am writing you today from China. A week ago today I did not know I would even be in China but a business opportunity led me to the far east. My trip this week starts off in Hong Kong then to Shenzhen, a quick trip to Guangzhou and at the end of the week ends up in Shanghai when we fly home Saturday. This is a whirlwind business trip that is both exciting and exhausting. Here are some basic obserations about my trip so far to China. (Top)
Delta airlines has great service to China and Asia –
It is still hard to realize that Delta Air Lines has such a large worldwide reach. When they merged with Northwest Airlines a year ago they became the largest airline in the world. If you look at the map of the cities they serve around the world it is truly amazing. Northwest Airlines used to be the king of U.S. airlines with service to Japan and Asia. Now Delta and United Airlines both have great service throughout the region. (Top)
My 15 hour flight from Detroit to Hong Kong -
I left the states on Saturday morning and flew from Omaha to Detroit to jump on a non-stop flight to Hong Kong. That is a lot of time in an airplane. When you think that flying from the east coast to Europe can sometimes be only 7-8 hours this flight looks and feels long. Our flight is on a Boeing 777 and this is a wonderful airplane. The service and food was wonderful. I was very impressed with Delta and feel that they have a very good product and service levels to Asia. Now for my secret. I flew business class. I will tell you more below. (Top)
Using my frequent flyer miles to fly business class -
The smartest thing to do with your frequent flyer miles is to use them to upgrade or purchase business class tickets on long-haul international flights. This trip I used 240,000 miles and got a business class seats from the U.S. to Hong Kong. This 15 hour flight was amazingly easy when traveling in business class. Delta has new "lay-flat" seating in business class on this flight and that allowed me to sleep for over half the trip. These amazing new seats are almost like driving a sports car. They have all the bells and whistles. Movies on demand. Great food and service. When you are 6'4" tall like me traveling in business class is really a dream come true. But please understand if you have to buy a ticket in business class the cost is almost $3,000 to $5,000 more than traveling in coach class. (Top)
China Tip #1 - Business class seats open up at the last minute to use your frequent flyer miles
When I check 30 days before departure I have a difficult time finding business class seats using my frequent flyer miles. Checking 3 days before departure and there they are. (Top)
China tip #2 - Hong Kong should be your gateway to China
Hong Kong is one the best cities in all the world. Be sure to either start your trip in Hong Kong or end it there. I sinned this trip and only stayed one night. HKG is a three day town for sure. P.S. Stay in Kowloon by Nathan Road for all the action, day and night. (Top)
China tip #3 - Take a taxi in HKG
Don't forget that HKG has a strong British influence and so everyone drives on the left (wrong) side of the road. Take a taxi so you don't mess up big time. (Top)
China Tip #4 - Hire a driver/guide for doing business in China
Driving and doing business in China is complex. Traffic jams are everywhere. If someone says that a business is 2 hours away from the hotel it may only be 10 miles away. Road construction brings traffic to a complete stop. Monday I spent almost 4 hours stuck in traffic even with a driver who knew where he was going. (Top)
China Tip #5 - GPS driving a mess in China
I am usually very confident that a good GPS system will let you drive in almost all countries around the globe. China is very different as there are new roads popping up everywhere and not even mapped yet on your GPS system. Add to that many roads are not yet complete and closed to traffic. If you drive in China you better take a big dose of patience before you hit the road. (Top)
China Tip #6 - Cell phone service is frustrating in China
Before I traveled to China I made my normal call to Verizon to confirm that my blackberry would work in China. They said yes. You can imagine how frustrated I was to get off the plane in China and find my phone would not work. After a few frustrated hours I finally shut off the phone and removed the battery and started the phone up again. This time it worked. Arriving in Shenzhen I once again had my cell phone go silent. I finally figured out I should change the network on the phone from Global to GSM. This got me going on the China network and I was a happy camper once again. P.S. You can buy a cheap cell phone and SIM card for about $40 to call around the world in China if your cell phone goes on the blink. (Top)
China Tip #7 - Skype is your best friend when traveling
I have recently started using Skype. This internet based service lets you call anyone using your computer for pennies. You can talk and video anyone on Skype for free. (Top)
China Tip #8 - Where are all the bicycles?
Ten years ago you would have battled waive after waive of bicycles when traveling China. Today those bikes have been replaced by scooters and cars. By the way there is no such word in China for "yield". You might be surprised to see that the Chinese love Buick cars. I have seen many of these on this trip. (Top)
China Tip #9 – Chinese don't think in hours, days or weeks
My friend Brad Harse (aka Confucius) who is traveling with me on this trip reminds me that businessmen from America don't understand that things work differenty in China. He says that the Chinese don't think in hours, days, or weeks. They think in years, decades and centuries. He says they don't wear watches on their wrists but calendars. (Top)
China Tip #10 – China is young people
We have been meeting with factory owners around the country and the one thing that stood out to me is that they are all very young (20's and 30's) and they are all very educated (many with engineering degrees). It would appear that there is an amazing generation of entrepreneurs in China that will fuel their growth for decades to come. (Top)
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