China Eastern Airlines - by Jason Yau
26 January 2007

Wish I had known about this site sooner. Flew MU Vancouver to HKG via PVG. Business class YVR to PVG so I made sure to enjoy the business lounge at YVR first which was not bad. Business class in MU was ok, not a full flight so everyone had the row to themselves in business class. Food was good - FA attentive during the early stages of the flight but then nowhere to be found until the 2nd meal was served. The entertainment most definitely needs improvement so bring a book. MU staff were helpful in assisting in the transfer process in PVG. although you get what you pay for, I would fly China Eastern if they would improve in-flight entertainment.

China Eastern Airlines - by Brian Cokayne
22 January 2007

Heathrow to Sydney via Pudong return trip. Food was very poor. No alcohol served, and inflight entertainment in Chinese with English subtitles - which we were unable to read due to the position of the tv. On landing of one flight, we had people sleeping on the floor which the FA ignored. we have never flown an airline that flaunts the inflight safety regulations as this airline does.

China Eastern Airlines - by Kenny Yu
19 January 2007

JFK-Pudong Round trip. The flight going from JFK to Pudong was fine although the restrooms started to smell into the 8th hour of the flight. I was able to select the seat I wanted from the Airport. The flight home from Pudong to JFK was horrible to say the least. I arrived to the airport 3 hours before EST take off and I was 10th in line to check-in. I arrived to the counter asking for exit- door seats and the person told me it was all gone. Then I proceeded to ask for 3 seat rolls or seats with no front seats and he told me they are all gone. I know at this point he was lying because I was 10th in line. So I asked to be placed in the back of the plane and he said fine. Later I found out I was in the middle of the plane after a 2 hours delay I was frustrated to say the least. I complained to the flight attendant to make my final efforts known with little to no help. I won't be flying this Airline and the food was horrible. This is truely a 2 star airline with 3 star prices.

China Eastern Airlines - by Garrad Wayling
19 January 2007

London to Sydney via Shanghai - flight from London was cancelled. China Eastern put us up in an airport hotel and indicated that they would try to get us out as soon as possible. Since we were travelling to a wedding in Sydney and were meant to be arriving on the same day, it was crucial to arrive on the same day. After indicating our dilemma we were told that they would do all they could to get us out soon. We suggested that they try to get us on another airline since the layover in Shanghai would otherwise be 12 hours and would only get us there on Sunday. The following day we were advised that we had been put on a QANTAS flight, which would arrive during the wedding reception. This was satisfactory. QANTAS flight was faultless. Returning to London, the flight was delayed in Sydney by an hour. Once in the air, food very ordinary. The entertainment was OK. The aircraft was new and the seats well spaced. The flight attendants could speak good English. Rather than stay at the Shanghai hotel paid for by the airline we decided to stay in town and see some sights, which was a great idea. Shanghai to London was again delayed by about an hour. The food was again terrible (the second meal inedible). The aircraft was OK, though not as good as on the Sydney leg. The films were worse on this leg. I don't think I would travel with the airline again unless they noticeably improved these negative points.

China Eastern Airlines - by Greg Palini
19 January 2007

Sydney-Shanghai, Shanghai-Beijing, Beijing-Kunming, Lijiang-Kunming- Shanghai, Shanghai-Melbourne-Sydney. It was much better than I expected but not fantastic. But it was still not as horrific. The staff English skills in mainland China was limited but was sufficient enough on the international flights. The economy class seats were acceptable but the entertainment was very lacking. The food from Sydney was delightfully nice while the food catered in China was to another acceptable standard. Now it may sound like I haven't been in good airlines but compared to Qantas or Cathay Pacific economy it has a bit to go until they can match but it's not impossible.

China Eastern Airlines - by Nick Blearely
10 December 2006

LHR-Shanghai-Sydney return. Aircraft OK; food catered for the Chinese as expected. Entertainment odd but not so bad. Found the Chinese habit of hawking and spitting in to the sick bags very wearing. Left and arrived on time. Left Pudong a little late and arrived Sydney on time, to sit on the aeroplane at Sydney for 1.5 hours! No reasonable communications as to the delay. Most frightening thing on the flight was the passenger going to the rear of the aeroplane for a smoke! Flight attendants couldn't care less - they even ran to turn off the smoke alarms at one point. Leaving Sydney late - arrived in Pudong and was transferred to the disgusting Jin Li Hua Hotel - rooms OK but food, cleanliness, manners and the 'mini bus' were awful. Avoid at all costs. Pudong airport is modern, expensive for beverages and snacks but is OK - the bureaucracy is a little overwhelming that contributes to ridiculous queues; the manner in which the airport people deal with passengers is brusque, even rude, but I suppose that is a cultural thing.. Goodness knows how they will cope with passenger traffic for the 2008 Olympic games. Late leaving Pudong and stacked over LHR for nearly 45 minutes. Very cheap flights £510.00 return each - there is a reason! We will not fly China Eastern again primarily for the 'blind eye' to the smoking at the rear of the aeroplane - just too much of a safety risk.

China Eastern Airlines - by H To
10 December 2006

Hong Kong to Shanghai. I usually choose Dragonair but the China Eastern has an offer which half price what Dragonair is charging for the same period of time. Turns out what you pay for is what you get. China Eastern planes are old. There wasn't really any entertainment but for a 2.5 hour flight, you can't complain. The worst is the quality of their food. During the flight to Shanghai, they were serving some mystery meat which nobody on the plane seems to know what it is. Spoke to 3 different FA and they all gave me different answer (1st say Pork, 2nd say it is Beef and the 3rd simply don't know). What you pay is what you get.

China Eastern Airlines - by Mandy Tucker
7 December 2006

LHR-Shanghai-SYD return. Staff friendly and attentive and could speak enough English to get by. Plenty of drinks offered throughout flights. Food catered for the Chinese as you would expect. They seemed to like water melon a lot (at least we liked it too). Husband had beer on the way back from Sydney, but none available from Shanghai..no explanation given. In-flight entertainment was mixture of english and chinese films and we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 3 times in all! Toilets were kept very clean and all in working order. Minor delay coming home. Stayed at the Pudong Ramada overnight on return journey (we booked it ourselves as we weren't sure about the other hotel) very reasonable price in pound sterling for the standard of service and right by airport...other hotel turned out to be 45mins bus ride away in a little town (but nice hotel apparantly). Travelled economy and was good for price, but when we go again we would probably use another airline that wasn't Chinese.

China Eastern Airlines - by Christian Valdes
27 November 2006

London-Sydney-Melbourne return. Comfortable and excellent services both ways. Although staff didn't speak good English at Shanghai Airport, transfers were done without any problems. Information and direction in English were supplied at arrivals and departure and staff available to direct passengers to the correct destination.

China Eastern Airlines - by Carly Steggles
18 November 2006

Where do I start? The food was inedible, the staff rude, the same film was played twice on one flight and again on the way home, alcohol was served on one leg of the journey but not the next and no explanation was offered. Flight from Shanghai to London took 2 hours longer than reported on the itinerary. Piped 'elevator' music was played through the planes speakers on one flight for the entire 11 hour journey, despite requests to turn it off. It might be cheap. There's a reason.

China Eastern Airlines - by Joel Willers
17 November 2006

FRA-PVG, CTU-PVG and PVG-FRA in Economyclass. 30Kg allowance on both international and domestic! Trip from FRA Airbus A330-300. At FRA additional security check at boarding - reassuring. Cabin crew friendly and courteous. Security instructions by monitor, but crew diligent when checking security before take-off. Cabin service friendly - came by regularly offering drinks. English language ability of the crew is satisfying, also on the domestic flight. Cabin seat comfort okay (2-4-2 disposition) - but aisles are quite narrow. No individual entertainment, only movies and Airline channel (which is boring and redundant), earphones are terrible. Food quality okay - kind of chinese style, but better than Air China.

China Eastern Airlines - by Ailing Gauthier
15 November 2006

PVG-HKG return numerous times, once in business, rest in economy. 9/10 times the flights were late and we were made to board/deboard via buses and steps (typical for Pudong, though not so much for HKG). Attendants tended to be nice at the Shanghai gates, but awful in Hong Kong - constantly demanding the boarding pass throughout the waiting period and speaking in pidgin Mandarin or English. The flights tend to be equally awful, though this is due to the passengers and not the attendants. Food is bland and the rice dishes always run out first. Despite knowing this, they never order more rice than noodles. Unless you can easily access a ticket office (and call beforehand, as they are forever closing and moving), changing flights is a three-hour plus pain, as the phone representatives (rude) require that you fax them a copy of your ticket (the number changes each time) and then "call back in 10 minutes." Thereupon you are forced to wait another 10 minutes while they find your fax, and then rattle off information at speeds unknown to man, trying to be as unhelpful as possible.

China Eastern Airlines - by Darrin Laing
15 November 2006

Shanghai to Sydney via Melbourne on an A330. Flight was a code share with Qantas. My ticket was purchased for me as it was work related travel. I found the service to be very poor, as did other people from their comments on the flight. I asked for a beer however was refused and told that no beer is available. I do not drink any other alcohol so I left it at that and thought it strange as I was given no explanation for the lack of beer, so a Coke it was. The passenger next to me was served by a separate flight attendant and he too asked for a beer - and was declined. He then asked for a wine and was also declined. He was then told that there was a no alcohol policy on all flights from November 1, 2006. He, like me was not very impressed and informed the flight attendant that even though it was not his fault, he would not be flying with them again. The flight attendant did not respond. It was observed that passengers in business class were drinking wine. My travelling companion felt that he was being discriminated against in economy class by not being served alcohol when business class was. Is this normal practice for China Eastern Airlines? There was no inflight entertainment really - the screens played mostly advertisements for motor vehicles in Chinese as well as a Chinese move with subtitles, although you could not read them fully due to a logo appearing on the bottom of the screen in the left hand corner! No personal seat back TV's either. Food was edible, not the usual standard I have had with most other airlines. I was surprised when the flight attendants did not ask passengers to sit upright for the meal service. English levels of the flight attendants ranged from poor to average. Overall, not a pleasant flying experience.

China Eastern Airlines - by Marc Williams
12 November 2006

LHR - Sydney Business Class Return. No real complaints given the competitve pricing. Old and tired looking A340's covered three of the 4 legs. New A330 used for Sydney - Shanghai with much better seating. Food and entertainment poor but lets face it you are not on a plane because it has a great cinema or restaurant! Overall, this route falls below par purely because the A340's don't cut it. I would use this airline again once the new fleet of A330's have been rolled out across all sectors and as long as ticket pricing remains low ( I paid £1,300 each for myself and daughter).

China Eastern Airlines - by John Hall
5 November 2006

I escorted a group of 24 in Business Class from Sydney to Shanghai and return. We found all aspects to be quite good. The toilets were clean. The meals were good although we were a little amused to have the smoked salmon entree served together with the chocolate pudding dessert! The staff spoke acceptable English and were attentive. The on-board entertainment was poor, but take a good book! Not surprisingly, the departure from Sydney was delayed by several hours but left Shanghai on time. This is the one aspect that MU have to do better - take off on time. Overall, I would travel with them again, especially as their pricing is so competitive.

China Eastern Airlines - by Michael Kiepert
1 November 2006

Beijing - Shanghai Hongqiao in First Class. The Check in as quick, but we (3 people) were seated way apart. The premium channel for the security control was very efficient with friendly staff. The (domestic) first class lounge is nothing worth mentioning - very basic and very full. Announcements in the lounge were only made in chinese. The flight on a new A330 was half an hour late, information in english was available from the counter. On board, the service was flawless. The seats (two class configuration - i.e. international business class seats - lie flat style) were comfortable. There were only 7 passengers in a 30 odd seating cabin - so we could change seats easily. The flight attendants all spoke english very well, food was good - an enjoyable flight.

China Eastern Airlines - by Maggie Ni
27 October 2006

Heathrow to Sydney via Shanghai, and was pleasantly surprised. Food was tasty, drinks offered frequently, the cabin crew had varying degrees of ability with English, but were pleasant. Inflight entertainment was a bit jaded, but okay. Shanghai was efficient, we were met, labelled, and sent through. No delays on the way out, half an hour delay at Sydney coming back, 2.5hr delay at Shanghai, which I thought was quite reasonable. Return journey on a newer plane, which was an improvement, food was very tasty. The overnight stay at the Jah Jing was a little interesting, but not unbearable, not a place I would have chosen, but again they did their best. The worst part was coming into Sydney when the passengers and plane were sprayed liberally with something (I guess to get rid of bugs). For a 2star airline, I think they performed excellently - for the price paid and service received I think it was a real bargain.

China Eastern Airlines - by Kate O'Hara
27 October 2006

SHA-FOC-SHA, all in all unspectacular flights. Meals were served on a 1 hour flight. FAs efficient, but seemed to be quite bored. Flights on time, even on the FOC-SHA leg 15 minutes before scheduled arrival time.

China Eastern Airlines - by Kate O'Hara
22 October 2006

Vancouver - Hong Kong in Economy. I was hesitant to fly with them, but the $900CDN (inclusive) fare, compared with $1500 from other airlines, convinced me. I was pleasantly surprised. I think the company has addressed many of the complaints I've read about on this site. Check-in was quick, friendly and staff spoke English. Some inflight crew speak English. Inflight messages were given in English. Two hot meals offered during the flight. Even during the brief (2 hr/20 min.) Shanghai/Hong Kong flight a hot meal was served. Breakfast was served on the Shanghai to Vancouver portion and it was a cooked hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, as opposed to packaged pot noodles at 5am on Air Canada. Drinks offered frequently and crew were friendly and helpful. Various newspapers available. Many passengers were able to have four seats to themselves on the A340 so they could spread out and sleep. Vancouver to Hong Kong and return includes an approx three-hour stopover and plane change in Shanghai. Previous passengers have complained about the complicated and frustrating transfer experience in Shanghai. The airline has addressed that problem by having staff meet the incoming plane and personally walking ongoing passengers through the transfer process. There were staff members available for each transfer point, so Sydney, New Delhi, Hong Kong, etc. had a staff member waiting for them. There's a circuitous route through the airport at Shanghai to ongoing flights and, although signs are in English, I can imagine it would be difficult without this assistance. All flights left on time. The Shanghai to Vancouver flight arrived early. I paid little attention to inflight entertainment, but it seemed rather poor. A movie was shown on the trip from Vancouver to Shanghai, but on the return it seemed to be mainly Chinese television programs and some English-language programs such as Just for Laughs. Earlier this year I made the same trip with Air Canada. Apart from the fact that Air Canada offers the preferable direct flight, I would choose China Eastern for my next trip. The price difference is huge and I had a more pleasant experience with China Eastern. I have found Air Canada's land and air crews to be sullen and surly, unhelpful, and I'm left with the feeling they really wish they were somewhere else. A flight attendant on Air Canada actually threw a sugar packet at me when I asked for one. On China Eastern the air crew,. in my experience and what I saw around me, were pleasant and willing to do whatever they could to make their passengers comfortable.

China Eastern Airlines - by T Lewis
17 October 2006

Singapore to Shanghai (Pudong). Out of the five bathrooms on the flight, three of them clogged up and were unusable for most of the flight. Many Chinese just went in them anyway, causing a wonderful odor to waft through the cabin. When I spoke to a flight attendent, they said that it happens all of the time and were unconcerned. The flight left on time, which was good, but with mystery meat provided in the meal, no entertainment, and unusable bathrooms, it is not China Eastern next time. Five hours is too long to have to wait in line for the bathroom on a very full flight.

China Eastern Airlines - by Geoff Cook
15 October 2006

Sydney - Shanghai - London. Return leg was Paris - Shanghai -Sydney all Business Class. Planes out of Sydney are old style business class with no legroom when the seat in front is reclined - in fact you can't get out of your seat when the seat in front is reclined. London and Paris legs were A340-600, still with old style seats but excellent seat spacing. One of our seats kept seizing and had to be manually adjusted by cabin staff 5 times during the flight. Consequently ended up a 12 hour flight seated virtually upright. It was all too much trouble for cabin staff in the end, upon requesting to see a customer service representative on landing we were taken to customs and told to go through - no one met us on the other side. On check in for our return Sydney leg I requested again to see a Customer representative, after one hour of talking to several different supervisors we were told there was nothing wrong with the seat. Tell that to my wife who spent 12 hours sitting upright! I have flown extensively to and within China with China Eastern, but after this experience I am changing my Chinese flights.

China Eastern Airlines - by P Jennings
13 October 2006

Flew on group booking LHR to Shanghai Pudong to transit there for Beijing (delay out of Heathrow compounded by less than helpful cabin attendants and lack of adequate refreshments on outbound flight. Transit time increased due to delay in arrival of outbound flight - finally arrived Beijing more than 24 hours after leaving London. Internal flights Beijing - Xian and Xian to Chonqing and Wuhan to Shanghai had better legroom and comfort than long-haul flights - meals on short-haul okay but not really appetising. Entertainment on long-haul not functioning on outbound from LHR which served to make the flight almost interminable. Inbound from Shanghai marginally an improvement on the outbound two weeks previously - still very limited selection on on- board beverages to be obtained and although meals were no worse than some other carriers they were certainly not to most European carriers standards. All in all, take sandwiches if you can and have a long flight! All my flights were group bookings for a tour so this may have been an influence and the inability to choose seat position may also have contributed to overall feeling of dissatisfaction.

China Eastern Airlines - by Robbie Francisco
12 October 2006

PEK-PVG. Flight attendants in the A300-600 were friendly and professional. The flight wasn't full, so other passengers were able to stretch out in the other empty rows. Business Class seats were from the old style but looked fine. Movies in the video screens were only for the Chinese passengers so bring a book. English interpreter seemed to struggle with her diction but I appreciated her effort. Considering it was a holiday in China, everything before, during and after the flight ran smoothly.

China Eastern Airlines - by Steve Corry
10 October 2006

Shanghai - Hong Kong return. To HK was on an A330. Flight was full. Food was not too bad (rice, vegetables and chicken) but no entertainment. Return flight on the usual cramped A320. Similar food and slow service as only two attendants covered the entire economy cabin. Headphones were provided but with no sound - asked the flight attendant who suggested perhaps wasn't working on my seat but could not change me due to full flight. However nobody else was using them either and I suspect there actually wasn't any music, and the attendant wasn't aware. The video shown on overhead screens was the usual obnoxious candid camera show, fortunately volume was completely turned off as I find the background noise that is just loud enough to be heard but not clearly audible a distraction. Had to put up with that on my last two domestic flights with this airline.

China Eastern Airlines - by Barbara Cundiff
10 October 2006

Over the last few weeks we have taken six China Eastern Airline flights. From Vancouver to Shanghi return and four flights within China. Every flight left right on time and a couple actually arrived early. Aircraft cabin condition and service matched any other more star airline. Food and beverages better than anticipated. Airport check-ins were friendly and efficient. We received our baggage promptly and intact on each trip. And all this for economy class clients.

China Eastern Airlines - by G Chew
11 September 2006

URC-(LHW)-KMG-SYX and HAK-NKG (Urumqi-Kunming-Sanya, Haikou-Nanjing). The flights in general were okay, with food ranging from excellent on the flight to Kunming, to non-existant of the 2hr flight to Sanya. Seat comfort varied a lot : KMG-SYX on a very comfortable and clean B737 and URC-KMG very uncomfortable. KMG-SYX flight was cancelled so I was put up in an airport hotel for 24 hours, which was a pain, but the staff were fairly pleasant and apologetic - pity that they had no printed documentation in English to explain the situation to foreign passengers. Seat pitch was best on the A320.

China Eastern Airlines - by J Liu
6 September 2006

Shanghai PVG to Paris CDG, return LHR to PVG business class. For the price, business class on China Eastern is really not bad. PVG-CDG route featured the new business class seats, really excellent with nearly lie- flat recline, ample legroom, good choice of on-demand video. Lacked an amenity kit but cabin staff did provide slippers. Food was bland but edible, presentation and service efficient but a bit rushed, typical for China Eastern cabin service. LHR to PVG business class had an older A340-300 with old business class. Legroom more cramped but seats were still very comfortable. Cabin staff on this flight were genuinely warm and friendly, best service I've experienced on a CEA flight. Both flights left and arrived right on time so no complaints there.

China Eastern Airlines - by Herward Rohde
6 September 2006

Frankfurt-Shanghai-Frankfurt in economy class was a really satisfying experience. The cabin of the A340-600 was meticulously clean and flight attendants cleaned the washrooms every 30 or 40 minutes. Legroom was better than on many other airlines, even for a big guy like me. The cabin attendants spoke English. An ordered special meal was available. What could be improved is the entertainment.

China Eastern Airlines - by Oscar de Gouveia Pinto
30 July 2006

I am presently sitting in the First Class lounge of China Eastern at Pudong airport in Shanghai, bound for Dalian. The flight is delayed, and I' m in this so called "first class lounge" which is one of the worst ever for service. There is no coffee (the attendants say the machine is broken), they have canned congee, the Microwave does not work, basically nothing works. This is what First Class service is all about in China. The selection of snacks (lunch time) is only candy! Flight is delayed (no timing given when it will go) and no provisions for any eats etc at the First Class lounge. How can this airline ever be competitive?

China Eastern Airlines - by Matthew Furneaux
13 July 2006

Hong-Kong to Shanghai - Business Class. Lounge at HKG was shared but nice with a good view of the runways. Flight on a new Airbus A320, nicely fitted out. The small business class cabin had leather seats. Good i flight service, chinese food and Australian wines. The only problem was that that the flight left one hour late, with little communication of this at Hong Kong airport. I speak not a word of Chinese and this was never a problem. However the fare was very inexpensive (£160.00 one way) so nothing to complain about.

China Eastern Airlines - by Christopher Liptau
11 July 2006

Qingdao to Shanghai and back, just last weekend. I arrived at the airport on time only to be told that my flight was delayed. There was no explanation and no timeframe when the flight might leave. After sitting at the gate for some time we were given some simple food and water. After several other planes went to Shanghai just on the next gate some passengers started complaining. Three hours after the scheduled delay we were told that it was possible to change the tickets for another flight. The total was a more than three hour delay. If noone would have asked then we would probably still sit there. There was hardly any information given in English. On the way back it looked more promising and we could board the plane on time. But once in the airplane we were told that we had to wait for some time. It turned out to be 90 minutes. Again no real explanation was given. In total I am very unsatisfied with this airline and will try to avoid it. The ground staff is not always qualified and as one of the other commentators above me wrote, they are very "economical with the truth". If you can't speak any Chinese then traveling on domestic routes with this airline will not be a great experience.

China Eastern Airlines - by Shrikant Jajodia
5 July 2006

New Delhi-Shanghai-Beijing return. Plane was old with not much attention to any kind of decor. Inflight service so so. Meal was okay on this sector - drinks resticted to soft drinks and juices only. I was informed by a fellow traveller they do serve chinese beer and wine. On enquiry I was explained they had run out of beer and wine as they had exhausted it all in the inbound flight to Delhi (very odd). IFE consisted of one large screen in each section showing mostly chinese sitcoms/ tourism clips and a few English documentaries. We stayed in Shanghai for a day and caught our next flight to Beijing from the old Shanghai airport. Check in was smooth although the staff had major English problem. At the assigned gate there was chaos. Another flight scheduled after us to a different destination was boarded first. The television screen showed our flight as first in sequence but it was the opposite. There were confusing announcements about gate change which nobody could understand. Finally a small door leading out on the tarmac from the aerobridge was opened and we all came quite literally tumbling down the narrrow service staircase of the aerobridge with our handbags trying to keep our wits about us. We were then crammed into a bus and taken to another end of the airport - where a very sorry looking 737 was parked. The seating was extremely cramped. The food was chinese only, quite bland but not so bad. The coffee was quite good. On the return flight from Bejing we had to change flights at Shangahi (the new airport). The transfer was chaotic to say the least. They may have made a very modern airport but they just don't know anything about running it. We were made to walk on and on through numerous security checks and even a reasonably fit person like myself was exhausted by the end of it. The flight from Shanghai to New Delhi although packed was smooth. I finally did get to try the chinese beer and wine. In the absence of any other choice of hard drink it seems most people were gulping what was available and that probably explained their running out of it. The food was terrible. The staff on all the flights were polite but were not very comfortable with English. A big problem if you have any special request. I would try and avoid China Eastern if I can.

China Eastern Airlines - by Frank Walsingham
21 June 2006

Shanghai PVG to SIN. Having read many warnings about this airline, I was careful to confirm my flight within 72 hours of flight time. There was no apparent early checkin so I had to wait around the awful Pudong terminal for an hour and a half until the flight number appeared on the checkin line. This airline provides almost no information in English, so you are on your own if you don't understand Chinese. After a 20 minute bus journey out to the plane sitting on a remote area of Pudong airport we boarded the plane the old fashioned way. This was, actually, a good opportunity to photograph a plane up close -- something you can rarely do these days. The seat pitch was quite roomy. I was able to stretch out a bit. The seats, however, were as hard as boards and a bit shabby. The plane was showing its age. We sat on the tarmac for another hour while waiting for a takeoff slot. The crew did apologise for the delay and explained that this was due to busy airspace over Eastern China. This was a five hour flight. The IFE was an overhead screen which did show images of what appeared to be cartoons and some sort of comedy show, but the only sound available was static. Lots of bemused looks from passengers trying to get sound. No explanation form the crew as to why the IFE was not working. The food was unexceptional. I had a beef and rice dish. The beef was rubbery and tasteless. It might as well have been chicken. The crew were inefficient and I think poorly trained. There was quite a bit of turbulence on the flight but they continued to fumble about with the drinks cart pouring hot coffee despite the plane pitching up and down sharply. They could also be quite officious and petty with some passengers who didn't have their seatbelts tight enough or who kept property on empty seats beside them. The crew seemed to think of themselves as quite superior and privileged as if the passengers were their to serve them rather than the other way around. I would have to rate China Eastern the worst airline I have ever flown with. Granted, it is cheap, but it is budget bus travel by air. I will try to avoid this airline in future, but if for some reason you have to fly it because it will get you where you want to go when you need to be there, then go in with very low expectations.

China Eastern Airlines - by Keith Chapman
18 June 2006

Giving these guys two stars is a compliment! I was booked First Class from Shanghai to Tianjin and got bumped despite being at the airport over two hours in advance. Although I had a fully paid for ticket in my hand they could not find my reservation (despite me calling my travel agent in the UK who gave me the confirmation number). The best offer was standby which I rejected and transferred to Shanghai Airlines (who were very good by the way). The China Eastern customer service was non existent and they later told the travel agent that the reason I could not get on the flight was due to the flight being cancelled (in which case I watched something closely resembling an aircraft being boarded and then taking off !) Learning to be economic with the truth seems to be an important criteria for being employed by this company! My first experience of these guys will certainly prevent me from using them again and I certainly would not recommend them to anyone flying in China.

China Eastern Airlines - by Jochen Rundholz
25 May 2006

Used China Eastern 3 times on domestic routes within China in May 2006 on economy. We had an infant with us, each time they didn't give us a seat where we could have a bassinet, we never were able to get a infant seat belt (we were told that is too dangerous, we should use our own!?). Asking why we didn't get a bassinet seat we were told that there are already 2 infants on board - only to find out that they didn't have a bassinet seat either. China Eastern and infants? Never again!

China Eastern Airlines - by Allan Laurie
24 May 2006

SYD-PVG-SYD in Economy. Needed to get to Shanghai fast - only direct flight from Sydney and back. Dragon Air / Qantas cancelled flights going in and out of Shanghai due to Typhoon - China Eastern didn't. Flew economy, seats have good pitch, very old but comfortable. Old overhead TVs - not impressed with food (one meal was cold although supposed to be hot) - service was very attentive - stewards throughout the flight were offering refreshments and responded quickly to the buzzer. Noticed business class and first on the way through - not worth the money - more legroom but that's it - overhead TV even in first class. I understand they are going through an upgrade at the moment to new seating and entertainment system. First and Business then economy. As mentioned entertainment system was very poor - two movies on the overhead, one in French and one in English. Funniest thing is just before you land, they show an exercise movie - all the Chinese in the plane, including the stewards follow each movement to the letter - even us pale faces got into the act! If you are looking for a budget service that retains a high level of customer service, don't mind a no frills food service and entertainment then I suggest you look at China Eastern.

China Eastern Airlines - by J Liu
9 May 2006

Shanghai PVG to Tokyo NRT and return via KIX, economy class. Both flights uneventful on aging A300-600 aircraft - definitely tired and look the part. On 3 hour flight, no inflight entertainment but meal service adequate - typical China Eastern standards where the food is hot and edible but the drinks don't come until you've finished your meal. FA service was good but not up standards of top-tier Asian airlines.

China Eastern Airlines - by Peter Payne
22 April 2006

Heathrow - Shanghai - Sydney return with overnight at Jin Li Hua Hotel Shanghai. Slightly unwelcoming at check in Heathrow due to staff inexperience with new (?) computer system but helpful. Economy standard excellent with attentive flight staff thru to Sydney. Met at Pudong Airport by China Eastern rep and sped thru slightly complex Chinese formalities. Cannot echo previous comments about huge queues & long waits. On return to UK long delay for take off caused by breakdown of baggage belts at Sydney. Not China Easterns fault. Further delay before reaching Shanghai due to electrical storm meaning 2 hour plus unofficial put down & wait at Xiamen airport. Jin Li Hua Hotel - found it fine with large suite superb 18th floor view and acceptable local breakfast. Friendly helpful local staff whose command of English was impressive. Transfer back and forth from airport to hotel fine. Slight delay on take off down to air traffic control. Comfort fine - food fine - inflight entertainment, dont watch it myself but I can see that those relying on it would feel it lacking.

China Eastern Airlines - by Carl Crossett
8 April 2006

I flew LA into Shanghai business class. Flight was over an hour late departing, arriving almost two hours late. Kept waiting at departure gate with no announcements, then finally herded onto a bus to be taken to plane. Aircraft was new, clean and bathrooms kept pretty well. Food was good, drinks difficult to obtain. Staff okay though very hard to communicate with. Seats were horrible compared to other airlines business class. Didn't recline far and cut into legs. It has been 5 days since I arrived, but my luggage still hasn't. China Eastern customer service is non existent. Daily I have been told my luggage is coming on the next flight!

China Eastern Airlines - by Geoff Wright
25 March 2006

Have Skytrax not noticed the pattern of some recent comments - looks very artificial !? My trip was back to LHR this week, and have to agree that C/Eastern standards are very similar to US domestic as stated by Louis further down - poor to say the best. Shanghai transit chaos, staff onboard flights try hard, but the service is so amateur compared to other Asian carriers. Inflight entertainment terrible, and tired of my neighbouring passengers - two of whom spent the flight clearing their throats loudly, and another seemed to spit into his sickbag every 20/30 minutes - uuugh! Next time, will pay a bit more and try Cathay or Thai Airways.

China Eastern Airlines - by Bryan Hartnell
25 March 2006

LAX-SHA-BJS. Average food and average seating. But the plane was not old, was in a standard Airbus configuration. The good part was that the price was half of the competitor's. Kind of like Southwest Airlines. We would fly it again. The domestic legs were much more cramped. Although it was a Boeing 737 they must have added a couple of rows. Employees friendly and the service good.

China Eastern Airlines - by Paul Pinckney
25 March 2006

Economy class Shanghai to LAX was almost full, with smallish seats and close spacing between rows. Overhead storage space was adequate. Service was friendly and very efficient , and food was as usual for such flights, as was entertainment. Overall I feel we received good value for money spent. If we fly Eastern China again, we'll try to organize Business Class seating with ample leg room, as my spouse and I are each much taller that the average Asian we observed on the flight.

China Eastern Airlines - by Louis Fetherolf
25 March 2006

LA to Shanghai/Beijing return. The airplane was clean, flight attendants very accomodating, and food was no better or worse than I have experienced in over thirty years of flying domestic US flights. I brought my own music and DVD player to amuse myself with tunes/movies I wanted to see - it was great!

China Eastern Airlines - by Alan Hart
15 March 2006

Heathrow to Shanghai. A340-300 not full in either direction - clean and tidy, as were the toilets which were checked frequently during the flights. Cabin crew for the most part were smiling and helpful although one or two were inscrutable - probably lacking adequate English. Food was no better or worse than other airline food, although for one of the main meals the alternative dish had run out. For individuals buying tickets themselves, it seems to offer extremely good value fares.

China Eastern Airlines - by Gareth Dyer
5 March 2006

London to Melbourne. I travelled out at the beginning of February and back at the end with a business class ticket which I paid a little over £1,300 for. Quick check in, use of lounges, more or less on time, plenty of food and drinks of all sorts. The only downsides are the older aircraft, poor inflight entertainment and limited English. For me, it represented good value compared with BA Worldtraveller Plus.

China Eastern Airlines - by Peter Keitel
5 March 2006

Business class Sydney to London via Shanghai. Sydney to Shanghai plane was a new looking Airbus A340-600. It was comfortable and the food was some of the best I have ever experienced in business class. I don't know who supplied the food to China Eastern in Sydney but they do an excellent job. There was a limited selection of films some with English audio others with English subtitles. The staff were very helpful and attentive. Flight to London an older A340 300. Food was acceptable. The staff helpful, polite and friendly.

China Eastern Airlines - by Gareth Dyer
28 February 2006

My fiancee and I flew China Eastern to Sydney from London and paid bottom dollar for the flight, so expected some comfort short cuts. Flight was fine and we enjoyed a row each, to spread out and sleep. Food basic and service was satisfactory - liquid of all kinds was abundant; water, juice beer all available. We had our doubts because we were carrying a wedding dress and needed space to hang it. When we first checked this with the airline they suggested that it would be okay at an excess baggage rate of 27 GBP per kilo. However on the flight the crew were happy to take it and hang it for no extra cost. I paid a 300GBP for a trip that my mother has shelled out 860 GBP for on an alternative airline and I would be very surprised if she had a trip as enjoyable as mine.

China Eastern Airlines - by Patrick Mountain
21 February 2006

My wife and I flew first class to Sydney and back via Shanghai on 19th Jan and 18th Feb. We upgraded mainly because of the many adverse comments read on this site and in truth we did get good value for money (saving some £1400 each in First Class against Qantas Business Class.) The lounge at Shanghai is basic and with an 8 hour delay out to Sydney we were given no food although beverages were plentiful. The girls in charge refused to admit that any food was available except nuts and biscuits so I took it upon myself to raid the 'fridge and found it stuffed with sandwiches and croissants - obviously little take home presents for the staff! Comfort depends very much on whether you get the A340-600 or the older A340-300 series. The former is much better with lie flat seat/ beds and lots of space. The latter is more like a normal business class with poorish food. Service excellent and it is a pity that the food provided was not better cooked and prepared. Bar service and general attention was very good. Maybe we would fly with them again but not until their fleet is all re-equipped with 600 series aircraft and they get their departure times sorted out. Incidentally- again after reading this site - we refused the Jinlihua hotel and instead paid extra for the Ramada Inn which turned out to be a rather splendid hotel with a superb breakfast buffet. Curiously you have to pay for a second breakfast if you travel as a pair. Transfers were quick and very efficient.

China Eastern Airlines - by Tien-Lun Yao
20 February 2006