# Air China vs Spring Airlines

The clearest difference is rating: Air China at 4.7 against Spring Airlines's 3.0. Air China also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (16K vs 20). Spring Airlines's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 24%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Air China holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Air China has 16K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Air China's written reviews are positive against 64% of Spring Airlines's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Air China ships an update fortnightly, Spring Airlines every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Air China | Spring Airlines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/air-china/id361964929/reviews)** | [3.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spring-airlines/id460033035/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 23.5% of reviews | **64.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 350 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Air China Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/361964932) | [春秋航空 Spring Airlines](https://appshunter.io/developer/460033038) |

## What reviewers say

### Air China

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/air-china/id361964929)

Book flights, manage your itinerary, and check flight status with this airline's official app. Access member services, redeem miles, and enjoy convenient check-in options. Supports Apple Watch for smart travel.

**Highlights:** Flight booking and reservation, Itinerary management, Real-time flight status tracking, PhoenixMiles member services, Advance seat selection, Self-service rebooking, Apple Watch integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient booking
- 💡 Supports Apple Pay
- 👍 Easy to navigate
- ⭐ Good customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🤯 Confusing UI
- 🔒 Difficult account registration
- 🌐 Not user-friendly for international travelers
- 🤖 Excessive verification steps

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to retrieve booking information
- Verification codes not received
- Inconsistent name formatting requirements
- Seat selection issues

**Requested features**

- Support for non-Chinese credit cards
- Multilingual support
- Streamlined check-in process
- Ability to manage bookings for multiple passengers


### Spring Airlines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spring-airlines/id460033035)

Book flights, hotels, and manage your travel with this airline app. Find exclusive deals and enjoy convenient services like online check-in and seat selection. Your gateway to affordable travel across China and Asia.

**Highlights:** Air ticket booking, Hotel reservations, Flight status inquiries, Ancillary service purchases, Online check-in, Seat selection, Ticket refunds and changes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Air China free?

Air China is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Spring Airlines free?

Spring Airlines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Air China or Spring Airlines?

Air China is rated higher. Air China averages 4.7 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Spring Airlines averages 3.0 from 20 ratings.

### Do Air China or Spring Airlines have ads?

Spring Airlines shows ads; Air China does not.

### Which is updated more often, Air China or Spring Airlines?

Air China ships an update fortnightly, and Spring Airlines every 10 days. Most recently, Air China was updated on November 3, 2026 and Spring Airlines on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*