China Eastern Airlines Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  10 March 2009 : by R McCarthy

SHA-CAN, Economy Class. This was my first time flying China Eastern, and it was a fairly okay experience. The airport experience at Beijing Hongqiao wasn't all that nice - I was the last person boarding my flight, due to being unable to work out exactly where we were boarding (this was partly my fault, though the flight monitors at Hongqiao are quite hard to read). I was pleased to hear that MU was offering upgrades to Business Class after boarding to passengers willing to pay, but the 500 RMB cash-only payment is inconvenient - no credit card facilities. At any rate, Economy Class was fine, though I would suggest they serve a hot meal for the two and a half hour flight to Guangzhou - they certainly do have the time. The flight attendants were friendly and professional and did two rounds of drinks services, however. The plane was quite modern, but it was irritating that my seat reclined automatically and I had to constantly re-adjust.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  16 February 2009 : by G Dufoyet

Guangzhou - Shanghai, very few airlines are capable of messing up a short 2 hour flight and China Eastern just did that. I had printed my own boarding pass and got rejected by airport security. When I went to the check in counter, a very disinterested MU staff said it is not possible and asked me to push forward with the public security. I asked him whether he could print out a conventional boarding pass for me and got snarled at. Flight delayed for 30 minutes but considered usual for MU. On the plane, 4 surly, definitely 'need to pay attention to their grooming' MU employees barked out orders to passengers. People were using mobile phones and they couldn't care less. Never in my life have I encountered a service personnel who could be so rude to scream out " JINK (drink), you want JINK (drink) or no choice, you want meal or not". They are employed for maintaining cabin safety and security but they don't seem to be capable of doing either. No wonder they lost so much money and airlines like this should just close down. Return sector on Shanghai Airlines, and truly a world of difference! My advice is to avoid any flight by China Eastern, you will do yourself a big favour!

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  16 February 2009 : by J Singh

Planned to take flight from Shanghai (PuDong) to Narita Japan, early morning flight so left home 6am got airport 7'ish. Got there checked in, usual below average service got to gate. Flight was supposed to leave 9am - 5mins to boarding time sign displayed at gate as delayed. No information, just wait. Time ticked on, then 2hrs so later told to come back at 5pm - we could not go anyway as we were at boarding gate and luggage checked in. We were given no drink, information or food so we had to just walk around a very small airport until 5pm.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  5 February 2009 : by H Yin

Round Trip AUS-LAX-PVG-PEK. Flights were delayed both ways (LAX-PVG). First delay forced me staying in Shanghai overnight. Second delay made me stay on the road for 6 more hours and one more connection. In both cases I missed my connection flights. The food/drink and service on airplane are OK. Airplane are newer than US airlines. Asked around on plane, most people had bad experience of delays in the past, I guess the only reason they come back is because China Eastern fares are cheaper. Both delays put extra exhaustion to me on an already very long flight. This is first time for me to fly with them and will not do it again.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  31 December 2008 : by G Chew

Beijing - Shanghai - Shenzhen in Economy. I was unable to check in for both flights together, which was annoying, and staff seemed very disinterested, and asked no security questions etc. The first flight on a new A330 was very pleasant, thanks to the light load, and friendly staff. Food was tasty. Upon arrival in Shanghai, I collected my bags, then went to check in again. I asked to be put on an earlier flight (there were two earlier ones). They said if I wanted the first flight, I'd have to pay, but it was delayed to the same time as the second one, so I didn't pay. As it was, my original flight was cancelled. My new flight was delayed too, so I ended up leaving only 30 mins before I was originally meant to anyway. Service on this leg was worse, and the food was poor. There was no beer on offer either. Arrival into Shenzhen was fine, and the bags were out promptly. Despite the hassles, the price was good (half that of a direct flight), just don't expect too much, or to be able to be checked in all the way.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  11 December 2008 : by G Rosa

Nanjing-Shijazhuang-Shanghai, fare reasonable. Reserved flight was cancelled two days before departure, moved to different time. Airplanes clean even if not new, standard seat pitch, meal and drinks minimal. I consider China Eastern the "average" airline for domestic flight.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review :  1 December 2008 : by Colin Pay

LHR-PVG return on an A340.Both flights left on time. Outbound almost full, return about 100 spare seats allowing people to spread out. FAs fine, food and drinks OK. Overall a good experiEance. PVG-XIY-PEK-SHA in economy on A320s and A330.All flights on time. FAs efficient. Seat pitch on a par with other airlines. Food not very good, the breakfasts not to European tastes.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 23 October 2008 : by L Codr

Customer Rating : 4/5

PVG-SYD-PVG on 330 in Y. Check-in smooth and friendly on both places, flight to SYD 100% full, flight to PVG 70% full. Very little entertainment onboard (no personal IFE, just a few LCD screens scattered around the cabin), only uninteresting movies and Chinese news. FAs friendly and drinks abundant. Food reasonable, although it was the traditional rice/noodles choice. Seat pitch decen. Overall a pleasant experience, my only concern would be about many Chinese pax ignoring the "fasten seatbelts sign". On the way to SYD one lady even unbuckled and went to the toilets carrying her baby while the airplane was still in a full climb (not more than 2 minutes after takeoff). FAs still sitting in jump seats saw it but did not do anything.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 10 October 2008 : by L Austin

Customer Rating : 3/5

SYD via SHA to PEK. Aircraft clean, service from staff was good. You need to be prepared for not much inflight entertainment. The screens are scattered throughout the aircraft. A couple of old movies shown, however, not much else. Take reading matter with you. Red and white wine is dreadful, which is the only alcohol served. Food reasonable. Chaos on arrival in SHA, as were connecting with last flight to Pek. Ground crew had us sprinting through airport to catch connection. As long as your expectations are not high, they are okay.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 18 September 2008 : by M Labanich

Customer Rating : 4/5

LAX-PVG First class, A340-600. The first class cabin has 8 lay flat pods in a 1-2-1 configuration which is nice change from the 16 on an AA 777. Bathroom and cabin spotless. The flight attendants were very responsive and helpful but did not go out of their way to be overly friendly. Amenity kit was dumb containing a plastic comb, shoe horn and tooth paste. A nice touch to hand out pajamas for the flight and blanket and pillow more than adequate - but no "fresh linens for turndown" as I had expected. At 6'4" in the fully flat position I was comfortable. Food was more of a disappointment than usual these days and the alcohol was provided, but slow. IFE was confusing to work and consisted of a few out of date movies, and no western inflight magazine. The true value here is price. Compared to the American domestic airline prices to Shanghai the first class cabin on China Eastern is a steal.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 12 July 2008 : by B Li

Customer Rating : 3/5

JFK-PVG-CTU. JFK-PVG attentive crew members, empty seat next to me on a A346 on 2-4-2 layout. Food was the usual bland varieties you would expect from airlines. The entertainment was lacking with only movies shown on the big screen. However power outlets are provided at the seats, although mine was not working. Only other complaint would be the passengers constantly opening the window shades. PVG-CTU is what prevents this airline from shining. Flight is on an old decrepit looking A300-600. After boarding we were held in the plane for almost 40min. Temperature was over 90 degrees inside, and no explanation was given to the delay as we sat on the hot tarmac. Domestic crews seemed to be less attentive.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 3 July 2008 : by B Stewart

Customer Rating : 4/5

PEK-SHA in First Class. Finding First Class check in was a little problematic at PEK T2 and once located we found an exceptionally disinterested agent - did not bode well for the rest of the experience. Through Fast Track and in to the new MU lounge in minutes. Escorted to the waiting A330 and found the cabin clean and spacious with lie flat seats. Inflight service excellent with several main course lunch options on offer and full bar service if you wanted it. The 1.48 hour flight passed without a hitch and we had our bags and were in a taxi within 20 minutes of landing. Worth the extra $ for First Class on this shuttle service - only flaw was the mood of the check in staff.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 2 July 2008 : by Ewan Barr

Customer Rating : 2/5

CAN to SHA return. A mixed view. Outward flight on tidy A320 that was punctual, however breakfast was a miserable sandwich served by sullen crew. Arrived 10 mins early. Return leg had already been rescheduled to an earlier flight some days earlier by the airline, due to a flight cancellation, and we arrived to be told that there was now a small delay. Once into the departure lounge we were told that bad weather at CAN had resulted in delays all over, which was true, however our flight was eventually delayed 5.5 hours. Other airlines only had 1-2 hour delays for the same routing and China Eastern even had the bravery / gall to allow a later flight for the same route to leave 30 mins early from an adjacent gate, rather than take us back! We got served a small meal with a drink but communication was poor and staff very unfriendly. Having been in China for almost 4 years I have to say that China Eastern experience the most delays of any domestic airline and the hub of SHA does not materialise into any decent contingency plans when things go wrong. Heaven help us if they get into OneWorld, as they are attempting. Avoid.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 28 June 2008 : by Victor Garg

Customer Rating : 4/5

Shanghai Economy. Check in very efficient and friendly. Surprised with the cleanliness of aircraft, very attentive FAs, courteous and they tried and went an extra mile to make the trip very comfortable. What a pleasant change and I wish that it will continue.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 4 June 2008 : by O Ayben

Customer Rating : 1/5

I had booked China Eastern to fly from Australia to London (with a Shanghai stopover). With my stopover in Shanghai, I had ticketing complications. The staff could not sort it out and wouldn't let me board the plane. I missed my plane and had to stay overnight. I was only expecting to be in Shanghai overnight, so didn't look into obtaining a visa. By not allowing me to board the plane, I had now been in Shanghai for 2 days. The maximum is 48hrs without visa. I tried to get an emergency visa but no one could understand me. They are very poor with their customer service and english. Even on the second day, they couldn't sort out the ticketing problem, so i had to purchase another ticket. I wasn't happy at all as the ticketing complication was not my fault. I wasnt allowed to board a flight which I had already paid for. I couldn't get a visa to stay in the country to sort out the ticketing situation. Aside from the above complications and lack of professionalism, the aircraft only have 1 television screen for every 12 seats. I think this is unacceptable for long haul flights. The food is terrible. I will never fly China Eastern again and wont recommend them to anyone either.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 4 June 2008 : by J Grayland

Customer Rating : 3/5

China Eastern is ok if you are flying domestic. I have used them for many years and their service is acceptable and offers a good set of connections for those travelling to/from Shanghai. I promised myself I would never fly them long haul, however I recently joined a new company who booked my PVG-LHR ticket with Chinese Eastern. The flight was nearly on time, but apart from that it was not a journey I'd like to repeat. Service basic to say the least. Food acceptable, entertainment is dire and the seats are hard with relatively little leg room. Only fly with China Eastern if it is cheaper and there are no alternatives.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 29 April 2008 : by John Kou

Customer Rating : 5/5

PVG to HKG economy class. Check-in and Security at Shanghai quick and efficient. We were bussed to our aircraft. A321 clean. No audio or video entertainment even though those systems were installed . We were given two meal options. The cabin staff always came around the cabin refilling water cups.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 23 April 2008 : by James Edwards

Customer Rating : 3/5

Xian to Beijing (domestic) - Plus: left and arrived on time, fairly cheap fare - so basics covered for a short domestic flight of 2 hours. Minus: Airbus A300 felt quite tired, seats were rickety, food was pretty grim, entertainment screens invisible/broken. Not a problem on this short flight, but I probably would avoid the airline long haul.

CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES review : 23 April 2008 : by James Ling

Customer Rating : 3/5

I initially booked CX from MEL to PVG but flight was delayed due to the typhoon in HK. So CX arranged an alternative flight. Check in not an issue. Initial impressions was that plane was clean and appeared well maintained. This is not a direct service but via Sydney. Signage and information in SYD not clear for transit passengers. No proper info was provided for pax. Flight was smooth and arrived in PVG close to schedule. No personal entertainment unit. Would be seriously annoyed if I paid full fare to sit in this airline. Inflight movies were started and stopped for no reason. Case in point-movie was interrupted halfway for exercise video and then never restarted. Choice of movies fairly dated. Seats fairly comfortable, but slightly on the hard side. Food provided was sufficient. and average. Strangest thing I had was a bun wrapped in tin foil for the MEL to SYD leg. No menu provided and lack of drink choice. Features a little lacking compared to CX, SQ, QF etc. Seem to cater more for Chinese passengers rather than international passengers. Would be annoyed if I paid full fare for this (which I didn't).

CHINA EASTERN review : 22 April 2008 : by H Jockers

Customer Rating : 3/5

I recently have taken MU from S hanghai Hongqiao to Seoul Gimpo, as well as Tokyo Haneda (HND). These two destinations are being served with new A321's. Coach seating is tight, I usually get the exit row seats in either row 8 or 21. At least half the flight attendants are native Korean or Japanese. Very convenient airports in terms of check-in, immigration and local access. Highly recommend this connection and MU on this sector. We look forward within the next months to fly Shanghai Hongqiao to Taichung Taiwan, both sides are gearing up for that it seems. MU on the shuttle flights Shanghai Hongqiao to Beijing PEK are also fine, using new A330, no thrills flights but international standard. Pity the deal with Singapore Airlines (SQ) failed, still no alliance membership (I am SQ Sol. PPS - Gold, thus usually prefer Star Alliance).