FIRST IMPRESSIONS There were already a few people in Air China’s business-class line when I arrived at the airport, and every one of them appeared to have a problem at the counter, making the wait longer than I expected. But once I had my ticket, the attendant told me where to find the lounge and politely directed me toward security.

The security lines were long, but moved quickly, and I found the lounge in no time. Inside, several stations offered a selection of beverages, Chinese wines and spirits, light snacks and Asian specialties, including spicy beef, fried rice, chicken curry, sushi, and (my personal favorite) made-to-order noodles.

BOARDING I noticed a throng of people spilling around the corner as I approached the gate and soon realized they were all boarding my flight. Fortunately, there was a dedicated business- and first-class line, which had me on the plane’s upper deck in little time.

Once I was seated, however, it was hard to ignore how hot the cabin felt, which was underscored when the attendant offered warm water and Champagne. I asked her to adjust the cabin temperature and put a bottle of Champagne in the cooler so that it would be chilled after we took off. Unfortunately, trying to convey this was almost more trouble than it was worth, since most of the crew didn’t speak English very fluently.

After a short while, amenity kits, newspapers, menus, and hot towels were passed out, but the cabin only got warmer once we started to taxi. I still wasn’t confident that we were bridging the language barrier, so when flight attendants took our meal orders, I again requested that they chill the Champagne and turn on the air conditioning. This time, the attendant called a colleague over to help us communicate, and I was assured that the air conditioning would be switched on shortly after takeoff.

SEAT COMFORT The upper business-class deck on this B747-400 had 21 seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration, with a 60-inch pitch, 21-inch width and 170-degree recline. I found the seat to be very comfortable, and I was able to sleep soundly.

THE FLIGHT I finally felt the temperature begin to cool just as my appetizer of five-spice sautéed black fungus with spring onion was served, but when I received another warm glass of Champagne, I decided to trade it for a glass of white wine. Unfortunately, this was also warm.

I held on to the wine until having my main course—beef slice in oyster sauce with steamed pearl rice and vegetables—then exchanged it for a glass of red wine. I reasoned that if I was going to drink something at room temperature, it was my best option. While I enjoyed my entrée, the flight attendant delivered an ice-cold glass of red wine, and I decided to cut my losses and order a Coke with ice.

I dozed for a few hours after eating and watched a movie when I awoke. The cheese plate I ordered halfway through the movie came with a cold glass of Champagne, and although it seemed that this might have been from the original bottle, since it was completely flat, the gesture was nice.

ARRIVAL We landed on time, and first- and business-class passengers were allowed to exit the aircraft first. This was a definite perk, since I was sitting in the upper deck and would have had to wait some time if not for this courtesy.

VERDICT Although there was an obvious language barrier, I would recommend Air China, but suggest bringing a few cards with key words or phrases to make communication easier.