Aeroflot – Russian Airlines vs Air China

Overview

Aeroflot – Russian Airlines is the flag carrier of Russia. According to Wikipedia, it was founded on 25 February 1932 and is headquartered in Moscow. It is the parent of the Aeroflot Group, which also includes Rossiya Airlines and the low-cost carrier Pobeda. Aeroflot was a SkyTeam member from 2006, but its membership was suspended on 27 April 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Network and hubs

The main hub is Moscow Sheremetyevo. Wikipedia also lists Krasnoyarsk International and Saint Petersburg as hubs, with focus cities including Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Sochi, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg. The Group served 104 destinations according to the same source. The Group carried 55.34 million passengers in 2025, essentially flat on the previous year, with international traffic growing. Western sanctions and airspace closures have restricted its international network since 2022.

Fleet

The mainline fleet uses Airbus A320 family, A330 and A350 aircraft and Boeing 737 and 777 aircraft. Wikipedia gives 171 aircraft excluding subsidiaries (112 Airbus and 59 Boeing); the date of this figure is not stated. The Aeroflot Group as a whole was reported at 352 aircraft at the end of 2025, including three wet-leased. The airline plans to introduce the Yakovlev MC-21, with deliveries expected from 2027.

On board

• Cabins: Economy, Comfort and Business, depending on aircraft and route.
• Seat pitch, meals, entertainment and Wi-Fi: not confirmed from the sources consulted; check the Aeroflot website for the specific aircraft and fare.

Good to know

• Baggage: third-party sources (for example Deep Arrival, updated June 2026) report a 10 kg cabin bag in Economy and Comfort and 15 kg in Business. Most Economy fares include one 23 kg checked bag, while Business includes two bags of up to 32 kg. The cheapest fares may be cabin-bag only. Confirm with the airline before travel.
• Loyalty: the programme is Aeroflot Bonus, which has four levels.
• Sanctions: flights to and from Russia are restricted for many travellers because of sanctions, airspace closures and government travel advice. Check current rules before booking.

Overview

Air China is China's flag carrier, founded on 1 July 1988 and headquartered in the Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone, Shunyi District, Beijing. It is listed in Shanghai, Hong Kong and London. Its parent, Air China Group, holds 53.46%, and Cathay Pacific holds 18.13%. The airline is a member of Star Alliance. Its frequent-flyer programme is PhoenixMiles.

Network and hubs

According to Wikipedia, the main hubs are Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Chengdu Shuangliu and Chengdu Tianfu, with Shanghai Pudong as a secondary hub. Focus cities include Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Hong Kong, Kunming, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Wuhan. The airline serves 218 destinations in total (Wikipedia, 2026). The group also includes Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Air Macau and Dalian Airlines, and Air China holds 29.9% of Cathay Pacific.

Fleet

Flightradar24 reported an active Air China fleet of 533 aircraft in February 2026, a mix of narrowbodies, widebodies and regional jets. This makes it the third-largest Chinese airline by fleet. The wider Air China group operated 972 aircraft at mid-2026 (Airbus 452, Boeing 471, COMAC 46, business jets 3), according to the 2026 interim results presentation. It added 17 narrowbodies in the first half of 2026. In July 2026 the board approved the introduction of 15 more A350-900 aircraft (2026 Interim Report).

On board

Air China began offering free on-board Wi-Fi on 15 November 2011, the first Chinese carrier to do so, according to Wikipedia. Cabin layouts, seat pitch and entertainment differ by aircraft type and route. Check the airline's website for the aircraft on a specific flight, as no verified figures were available for this profile.

Good to know

• Cabin baggage: MyBaggage gives the Economy limit as one piece of up to 5 kg and 55 x 40 x 20 cm. Business and First Class passengers may carry up to two pieces of up to 8 kg, according to Stasher.
• Checked baggage: It depends on the route and fare. Third-party guides report 20 kg in Economy on domestic flights. They report two free bags on most international Economy fares such as US–China, but only one on some basic fares. Confirm the allowance on the booking.
• Loyalty: PhoenixMiles is linked to Star Alliance.
• Lounge access, change fees and punctuality figures were not confirmed in the sources used.