China Eastern Airlines

KIX-PVG-YVR (return trip) Economy class. 2.5 hour KIX-PVG departed on time and was serviced by a smaller aircraft with "shared" screens but decent content. Transit at PVG was reasonable no real delays to speak of and most staff were at least agreeable (though I wouldn't specifically say friendly). PVG-YVR also departed on time (arrived early in YVR) and was serviced by a larger jet that had individual touch-screens with an optional pop-out console that could be used for navigation. Selection of TV programmes movies and music was quite good and there were a few games to choose from as well. The food was airline food; nothing to really complain about here just standard fare (pretty bland and nothing special though what do you expect on an airplane). Staff were agreeable and came through at regular intervals with water and you could request other beverages as well. No real complaints. Will use them again.

LHR-PDG-DPS in business class on Jan 23/24 2013 on A330's. First leg on a Skyteam branded plane which had a few more rows of business class and was all very new. Seats were fine full lie flat good blankets and toiletries. Entertainment system was fine slightly limited choice. Food was a bit odd you get to select your main and then they serve a whole menu with different starters depending on the main which they hadn't mentioned when you ordered. Dinner served after take off was very good lunch served before landing was just about ok but choice was limited. Cabin staff were great very polite and quick to respond. The second leg was not quite so good it was just under 7 hours so by no means a short hop but they only served a 'snack' and I was very surprised when they said they had no breakfast. The plane on this leg was slightly older and had China Eastern branding blankets were not quite so thick but apart from that it was pretty much the same as the first leg. Staff were ok too. When I originally booked there was a 3 hour stopover in Shanghai but this was subsequently changed to 8 hours. Business class lounge at PDG is pretty ropey bad food uncomfortable chairs and painfully slow WI-FI. The Skyteam lounge at Heathrow is pretty good though. The only other annoyance was that they didn't have any visa on arrival forms for Indonesia which meant we had to find them when we arrived and then scrabble around for pens. The other thing is that it is impossible to choose your seats before you get to the airport which is pretty unusual in this day and age but having said that they did honour the request on my booking for a window and an aisle together. All in all a 6 out of 10 experience and actually one minor benefit of the changed arrival time is that you avoid the terrible traffic in Denpasar. Could easily be improved by more modern web booking system more food on the Bali hop and perhaps a slightly wider choice of meals. But then it is a lot cheaper than anybody else for this journey.

Flew from Seoul to Dhaka return via Shanghai Hongqiao and Kunming. The price was less than half of any competitor's price. I was pretty satisfied with this airline. The airplanes were modern and clean. The English level of the staff was not high but they were quite friendly and efficient. The food was reasonably good but only Chinese style food was available. The flight out of Dhaka was over an hour late departing and so I missed the connection in Kunming but the staff in Kunming were friendly and reasonably efficient in arranging another flight for the following day and a free night's accommodation in Kunming. No entertainment was available but that doesn't bother me. I don't really have any complaints about this airline.

Return Sapporo to Singapore via Shanghai. I chose China Eastern for the price. Overall I have no huge complaints. The worst part of the flight was transferring in Shanghai but CEA can't really be blamed for that. Most of the flight attendants were relatively polite. I was however not impressed with the food. On the first flight the meal was almost inedible. On the second leg the longest of the two they only gave us a snack pack with a variety of packaged snack foods. Hot meals were offered on both the return flights but they were also pretty bad. The drink selection is also very limited. There is no personal entertainment system that most of us frequent international flyers are used to. There is just a screen a few rows ahead showing Chinese TV shows with subtitles. As it was a night flight and each leg was relatively short it wasn't a problem. Seeing as CEA fulfilled their basic obligation which was to get me to my destination safely while charging almost 300USD less than any other airline I would possibly fly them again. But if I needed to take a flight longer than 5 hours I'd definitely spend the extra cash and choose a different airline.

JFK to Bangkok via Shanghai. We are a family of 4 so the price difference was significant. Had a pleasant experience and encountered no major issues. Biggest challenge was going through China but if you can handle the slow processing and tight security then this airline will serve your needs. Flight attendants were laid back but were nice enough and were helpful when asked. Food was adequate and included fresh fruit. On the flight over there were sandwiches and drinks available throughout the flight at the back of the plane in addition to the regular drinks and meals served. Warm wash cloths were passed out for freshening up. were Not many entertainment screens but most passengers had iPads or laptops for entertainment. The seats were no different than any other economy class seat we have travelled in. Don't expect luxury perfection or extreme efficiency but the price makes any cultural differences worth the ticket price.

Hong Kong to Honolulu via Pudong mid December 2012. Inflight service was terrible as was the food. The crew on board were aloof and a couple of times when I asked for a drink of water I was told to get it from the rear of the aircraft. Even for long haul flights they do not provide snacks other than nuts - even then you have to ask for them. What is more outrageous was their refusal to provide a spare US Immigration form to one of the passengers who had messed it up. Very few of those passengers who boarded at Pudong read or write Chinese let alone English so completing that form was a real challenge. The passenger behind me needed a new one and was told to get it at the Immigration hall at the Honolulu airport. The inflight service on the way back was likewise poor. The plane arrived 2 hours late at Pudong and no explanation or apologies. I will never fly this airline again.

OKA-FRA return - A332. Aircraft was ok reasonably clean however female staff were rude (male counterparts were friendly and helpful). Flight-out was pushed-back 1 day approximately 2 weeks before departure. Flights departed/arrived on-time. Food wasn't great but we flew Domestic so you get what you pay for. Getting a transit ticket in Shanghai was crazy. Almost missed leg from Shanghai to Naha (Okinawa) as gate change was not announced until we asked why our flight was not on the board at the gate originally assigned (gate attendant gave us a dirty look and no answer when we asked why the gate change was not announced earlier). Overall experience (relative to the ticket price which is considerably less than the competition) is acceptable.

Shanghai to Rome on December 20. No online check-in system and no controls at the SkyTeam Priority check- in area where I had to queue for 15 minutes. VIP lounge is below standards and my flight was not called so I was late at the gate. No in-flight entertainment system and the variety and quality of food was poor. A good note is that the quality and friendliness of the staff has improved possibly a sign that the overall level of service will follow.

CJU-PVG-SYD. New 737-800 from Jeju to Shanghai (economy) no food or IFE but it was only a 50 minute flight so that was alright seat decent for a 737 and service was nothing out of the ordinary. Business class lounge at PVG was a bit small and old the hot food section at the buffet was cold. PVG-SYD was on an A330 with lie-flat seats. Lots of movie choices on the IFE and the food was excellent. Flight attendant service was great. Would fly China Eastern again if I had the chance.

HRB-PVG. Good service for a domestic flight. Good legroom and comfortable seats. Flight attendants were very attentive and smiled. However the dinner was a disaster.

OKA-PVG-CDG-LHR return in economy. CDG-LHR leg was serviced by Air France as part of their Sky Team agreement. Delays on most flights with some explanation but did not affect connecting flights. Cabin crew were robotic with very few smiles and very curt English. In-flight entertainment ranged from nothing to HD level in-seat monitors with an excellent choice of movies and games (CDG-PVG only). Was upgraded to business on the OKA-PVG flight and was pleasantly surprised by the food. The economy food was edible. Overall good value for money and much better than I was expecting having read the reviews here. The transit in PVG is an experience I never want to experience again but that is not China Eastern's fault. Would never travel via China again just because of that.

PVG-DEL-PVG in business class. Both flights on A330s but different configs and service levels. Outbound flight was an older plane with 2-2-2 seats that reclined to an angle and did not lie flat. FAs went about their work perfunctorily. The food was very bad - both options were like an economy class meal in terms of taste and quality. They did not have a dessert cart. IFE system had a fair selection of movies. Return flight was better with a newer plane and lie flat seats. FAs were professional and pleasant and spoke English better than the outbound flight. Meals were also tastier. The price for the flight is good but you get what you pay for and quality is uneven.

DXB-KMG 29 Dec 2012 Economy class. Ancient 767-300 still in Shanghai Airlines livery. Overhead video was not working and no audio entertainment provided for this 7 hour flight. 2 meals served both were good for economy class. Seats had generous pitch and were quite comfortable for economy class.

Shanghai-JFK non stop connection in Business Class. Overall an awful long flight. Only two direct flights one of them operated by China Eastern - that's why I ended up with them. Business Class not comparable with leading European or other Asian carriers. Very worn down no flat bed IFE outdated seats rather uncomfortable and service not really great. Overall an OK experience just because it's a non stop connection and much less time consuming compared to stopover connections. Overall experience is just OK not really worth the money though.

SYD-PEK-SYD in Business class via Shanghai Pudong airport. Positive parts are: Good value for money A330 SYD-PVG-SYD A321 PVG-PEK-PVG seats are comfortable angled flat bed proper business class seats for domestic legs as well food and drinks are good in all legs amenity kits are great for international flights not bad inflight entertainment system and you can accumulate sky team member points. Down sides: Consistent bad service in different countries and cities. During the flight it was fine nothing special and staff need more training for attention to details. Lounges in PVG are tiny and dark you have to pass boarding gate to get into the lounge so if boarding in process then you have to wait for 20-30 minutes to go down to the lounge.

SIN-JFK with a transit in Shanghai. Both flights departed on time and arrived early. Cabin clean but a little dated. No personal in-flight entertainment systems even though it was a 20-hour journey. Crew got the job done but did not go beyond that - spoke limited English. Meals served did not always correspond to time (whether at the origin or the destination) - on my flight from Singapore to Shanghai a full meal of rice/noodles was served 2 hours into take-off at 2am and no breakfast was served even though the flight was scheduled to land at 6am. Similarly the 14-hour flight from Shanghai to JFK only saw 2 meals served 2 hours after take-off and 2 hours before landing. Stereotypical airline food served somewhat tasteless but is not inedible. Best to bring your own food on board if you (1) are not inclined towards Chinese food (2) are picky or (3) are easily hungry. Toilets were clean. Many passengers (especially on the Shanghai-JFK leg) were loud and pushy. I had a decent experience with the airline but I probably would not fly with them again if I can afford it.

LHR to PVG. Main gripe is that there is no online check-in which mean turning up at airport 3.5 hrs before flight departs and having to queue to get a good seat. Airplane very clean and good first impression. Seat comfortable and legroom excellent (seat 32D). Service lacklustre without much attempt to be quick. Poor selection (no sparkling water and no white wine). Food edible but little thought for presentation or variety (cold starter warm main and yogurt). Served dinner twice (2hrs into flight and 1.5 hrs before landing when breakfast would have been more appropriate). Staff okay but not especially friendly or alert. Entertainment system excellent with HD-quality picture and lots of choice. Would have recommended but for lack of online checkin.

Beijing to Hong Kong via Kunming. When I checked in in Beijing was told my luggage will not be transferred to Hong Kong which meant that during my 1 hour transfer in Kunming I would have to take my luggage check in again for Hong Kong pass visa control and security control again. Arrived in Kunming on time but waited 10 mins inside the plane. I had to run to get my luggage go to the check in desk arrived 2 mins before the end of check in - told they could not register my luggage because it was too late. They finally let me go with my luggage in the cabin. When I arrived at the boarding gate I was told to hurry up! Finally left 15 mins late (some other passengers arrived after me). Arrived in Hong Kong another 10 mins wait in the plane. Otherwise the flight was good the hostesses were nice and polite the food was ok the seat comfortable.

Flew PEK-XIY. New Airbus A321. Departure was about 15 minutes late due to incoming aircraft being delayed due to ATC problems. Boarding quick but no special arrangements for Priority Customers. Overhead screens showing film in Chinese with very small English subtitles. Aircraft clean and tidy. Complimentary drink/snack offered during flight crew spoke some English and all announcements in Mandarin and English.

I flew from Tokyo Narita to Singapore via Shanghai and I definitely got what I paid for. Three out of my 4 flights were delayed and only one was explained since there were mechanical problems and it left 2.5 hours late. On my last flight we started boarding when we were supposed to be taking off and staff acted like it was normal (no explanation or apology given). The meals and staff were good; I would say the delays were the most aggravating. Probably won't travel with them again.

PVG-JFK-PVG. Old Airbus 340 no in-seat moves as advertised no leg rest as advertised poor food and very dirty planes both ways. Cheap flight but you get what you pay for I do this Asia to North America run 3 or 4 times a year. It's worth the extra $ for a western airline company.

I flew return Paris CDG-Shanghai-Fukouka flights were on time. Aircraft new luggage was checked all the way through from Paris-Fukuoka and arrived no problem. Staff friendly. Paris to Shanghai flight had own entertainment station. There was a wide range of English films. Meals were good and comparable to other economy airline food. It was Chinese food beef and noodles pork and rice seafood and rice dim sum. What else would you expect from a Chinese airline.

Shanghai Pudong-Osaka return with very old B738 and A330 both on time. VIP lounge at Pudong and Osaka airport are small packed nothing to eat cabin crew rude and unprofessional food & drinks are very simple and tasteless can't compare with ANA or Japan Airlines on the same route.

On July 20th I took off from Beijing to Kunming via China Eastern flight #5706 on my way to Kolkata (via flight# 555). The plane leaving from Beijing to Kunming was late by two hours. I missed the connecting flight to Kolkata. There was no guidance or help at Kunming. I picked up my checked luggage and went to the terminal for the connecting flight. I found a lot of confusion at the ticket counter and finally gathered that I had to wait for the same flight next night. The next day after receiving the boarding pass I arrived at the departure gate where the plane was delayed for more than hour - no announcement no apology. My return trip from Kolkata to the USA was to be via China Eastern. Instead I bought a one-way ticket via another airline. I realize I would not get a refund for the unused portion of the China Eastern ticket but I have no regrets.

PEK-NKG in First (which is more like business class in many other countries). Despite the seemingly endless delays at Beijing that are common these days (often due to poor weather) my flight was good. Attention to detail seems to have improved markedly at China Eastern since my last flight with them. Breakfast was excellent and my bags arrived quickly at Nanjing. Only issue was at the special check in for first class in Beijing where the staff member did not seem to understand my electronic ticket. I even enjoyed the quality documentary played during the flight.

HKG - Shanghai - Fukuoka and return: all 4 flights A320 were on time all aircraft's looked new and similar to those of Easyjet. Staff speak fairly good English but lack experience in onboard servicing. Food was poor and looked careless. In general inside the aircraft is cleaner and in better shape than some of British Airways aircraft's I've flown. Seat comfort normal. Customer service has a lot to improve.

Sitting in the so called "First Class Lounge" of China Eastern Airlines in Shanghai Pudong Airport waiting to board my domestic flight to Liuzhou? Checked in one and a half hours in advance and was directed to the lounge. Waiting to be called for boarding. All other flights are being called except mine. Finally 30 minutes after scheduled boarding time I get up and ask when boarding would start. I am being told matter-of-factly that the flight is delayed by three hours as if it was the most natural thing in the world. No apology or empathy. Lounge hostesses could not care less. Do not believe that it is their duty to inform guests of delays. Their job is only to inform of boarding times. China Eastern still don't understand customer service.

KUL-PVG on A320-200 Business Class seat 6J. For a 5hr30min flight this aircraft was not good - an international flight but was treated like a domestic flight. Pre take-off drinks fine and then although departure was 0155 (delayed to 0245) it was a drink after take off and nothing until 1hr 30mins before landing when breakfast was served. Aircraft old and the seats hard and you couldn't sleep on them. No IFE at all not even music! Would not recommend Business Class on this type of China Eastern Airlines aircraft.

JFK-PVG-FOC. Was a disappointing flight. 30 minutes delay after we boarded the aircraft. FA's served few cups of water after the takeoff and weren't seen for the next 4 hours. Seat uncomfortably narrow with very little leg room. No individual IFE and movies were played repeatedly. A cold and tasteless sandwich served before landing. Overall good value for the money but I will not fly this airline again.

Sydney to London return in economy was a major feat of endurance with this airline. No online check-in check-in staff in PVG didn't know which rows were the exit rows IFE was amateurish (two movies repeated endlessly on drop-down screens on both flights except when someone had recorded one over the other cutting it off before the end) toilets were filthy by the end of each 10 hr flight. Even adjusting for the common 30-60 minute boarding delays two of the three flights arrived at times over an hour different to what was on the ticket! The newish A330s were okay if unlike my neighbour your seat didn't break. Biggest hassle was their inability to check through luggage from partner airlines in Shanghai: I had to collect my bag from the KLM flight and then lug it upstairs queue endlessly and check it in again for China Eastern to Sydney even though the bag tag said SYD. The most disorganised airline I've ever flown with!

PVG-DPS return in business class. Check-in is swift in PVG. Lounge in PVG T1 is dated. Both legs are delayed for one hour. Well maintained A333 with pod seats though not real lie-flat comfortable enough for sleeping. Food is very average not up to a business class standard. Service is sufficient but you would expect much more. AVOD works well but the screens on bulk head seats are way too small. I will definitely choose MU J class again if the price is as competitive as this trip (less than USD900 for a 6 hours return flight).

I and my wife travelled from Delhi to Los Angeles via Shanghai return. Our outward journey commenced on 30th May 2012 reaching Los Angeles on the same date. We commenced our return journey from Los Angeles on 28th June reaching Delhi on 29th June in the early hours. The flights were on time. At Shanghai the transfer was smooth. We were impressed by the fact that one official was standing near the transfer desk and calling attention of transfer passengers when we were going to Los Angeles. That was good. The food was value for money in an economy class. But the entertainment in the flight was inadequate as the monitors were not attached to the back of the seats. One more problem that we faced was that we could not reserve our seats online. But our overall experience was satisfactory.

Red eye flight from Narita to HCM was delayed over an hour. We sat in the plane for over an hour waiting for take-off with no explanation. Almost missed my layover flight in Shanghai but yet again was delayed for over 3 hours! When the delay notice was given the crew wasn't even sure when the next departure would be. The plane ended up showing up at 3am. The worst thing about it was there was no apologies and flight attendants were extremely apathetic.

Flight from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai. Was a red eye flight scheduled for 00.50 but delayed for 3.5 hours. No apologies and no explanation given. Seats were uncomfortable and staff unfriendly. A glass of water soon after take off and no flight attendants were seen for the next few hours. Had to get drinks myself from a trolley parked all the way at the end of the plane! A tasteless and unappetizing meal was served one hour prior to landing. Seats were uncomfortable and carpets were dirty. Have a return flight ticket but decided to forgo that and buy a return ticket from another airline.

FRA-PVG Business class. Check in at counter was quick and uneventful (China Eastern does not offer web check-in nor pre-seat reservation). Boarding by zones went smoothly. Airplane very new cabin tidy and spacious. Seat fully flat with comfortable cushion and blanket provided. Service was so-so kind of uncoordinated and slow but the food was decent and the choice offered was correct.

Shenzhen-Shanghai Hongqiao. At check-in was informed my 11.30 flight would be significantly delayed so they would put me on the 12.30 instead. That was then delayed and we didn't start boarding until 13.45. Then sat on the plane for a long time and told the flight was delayed due to air traffic control. Food was served whilst waiting no vegetarian food and no option to pre-order. Eventually took off after 15.00 with very little explanation or apology. Plane was very old and most of the fabric was peeling off. No IFE. Staff tried their best to bring around drinks.

I was pleasantly surprised when I flew LAX to Shanghai. I was expecting a terrible flight but everything went pretty well. The two meals and snack were tasty the airplane was clean and new. The flight attendants were fairly friendly and overall the flight was pretty decent. However the service was slow not sure if they were understaffed or what but most times to get water or get them to collect trash you'd need to buzz them. Also they did show movies on the drop-down TVs but they were outdated and not too interesting. But overall it was better than I thought. Also I am 6'1" and the seats were uncomfortable in coach. But I think that's probably the same with most airlines.

Shangahi to Okinawa in business class. Check-in was efficient with a dedicated sky priority section and staff were friendly and efficient. The China Eastern Airlines Business Lounge is very difficult to find and not worth the effort to be honest. The lounge is a small crowded windowless room with a few food and drink offerings. While I was there the lounge was very crowded and very dirty although they did start clearing plates and tables as I was leaving. Boarding for my flight was very organised. The business class seats on the A319 were 2 2 across and were proper regional business seats rather than the usual economy seat with the middle one kept free that you get with BA. Soft drinks were served prior to take off then hot towels and a second drinks round then a full lunch which I have to admit was the nicest meal I have ever had on any aircraft. Arrived slightly late in Okinawa first off the plane thought immigration and baggage on the belt within minutes. I was very impressed with China Eastern and will try then long haul as I can live with the fact that the lounge in Shanghai is dismal.

PEK-SHA business class. A well-maintained A330 with individual touch screen IFE. Boarding was efficient and orderly. Take-off on time (unusual given PEK airport's terrible air traffic control). Food was nice even with soup noodles on the menu and FAs were helpful. China Eastern is certainly trying hard to improve its services particularly on the "cash-cow" PEK-SHA route. Other routes (PEK-WUH for example) are still sub- standard.

LAX-PVG. Seats were narrow made me feel trapped they were hard and there was little legroom. Which made it a very uncomfortable flight. No personal IFE for the 13 hour flight. IFE on the OV screens were confusing and hard to understand. They also kept repeating the same shows throughout the flight. We were served 2 full meals on the flight as well as snacks. The meals were good for economy class. Service was good except for when a flight attendant rudely refused to clean the toilet. Speaking of restrooms they were not clean at all. There were power ports on the A340 we were on. But the ones in our seats were broken and didn't charge my laptop. The same thing was happening in other seats. All in all the crew was good the food was decent it smelled bad and was uncomfortable. I wouldn't recommend this airline at all.

Fuzhou to Shanghai however the aircraft was supposed to fly Hong Kong. At the time of our flight there were storms around Fuzhou which delayed all flights in and out so we waited in the terminal for an hour. When we got to the China Eastern desk staff were rude and made us wait 30 minutes before some told us that the flight was still delayed. Finally after 5 hours we got fed up and went back to the desk this time they told us our flight was cancelled and said that over 150 people had already been transferred to other flights. Finally after 6 hours they transferred us to a Shanghai airlines flight which was then delayed an hour.

London to Shanghai. We were a little late boarding but made up time and arrived early. Staff were excellent very friendly and efficient. Food was good; we had a western style meal to begin with (beef and potatoes) and it was quite tasty and a Chinese style meal before landing. Inflight entertainment was great with a large selection of films. The seat/leg room wasn't brilliant but for the price we paid I wasn't expecting business class! I would recommend China Eastern they get you from A to B decent service and most importantly attentive staff.

LHR to PVG return. In general it was a nice trip. I had heard that there's no personal entertainment system available onboard actually they do have although the choices are not that abundant but still enough. Got seat in the emergent exit in the outbound flight but not so lucky on the way back the seats are normal. Food and drinks ok. The staff service is much better than 4 years ago but still much room for further improvement. No delay in both parts and consider its price would like to recommend.

PVG-TNA short 1 hour 20 minute flight on relatively old but clean A320 seats were old style with low back but lots of padding though quite narrow widest aisle I have seen on an A320. Service was efficient but not really friendly. A hot meal and small snack along with 3 drink runs were also offered which is great for such a short flight. Good value for money and on time.

FRA-PVG-BKK. FRA-PVG on new clean A330-200. Flight full but departure 20 min early. Y-Seat was comfortable with AVOD but limited choices of IFE. FAs speak limited English. Hot towels and soft drink served accordingly after departure - Lunch (2 choices - Western and Chinese) were hot and tasty but drinks served very late after meal. After lunch Duty Free was offered and FAs were relaxed and smiles came often. 2 Hours before landing breakfast (2 choices) was served. Same experience as lunch – coffee/tea came very late. Transit at Shanghai-Pudong Airport was a horror. PVG-BKK on smaller A320 same experience. Return flight PVG-FRA on old A330-200 aircraft still clean but no AVOD only big overhead TV showing Air Show and a Chinese and English film. Flight again full and FA's were busy - therefore no smiling. No information from cockpit on all legs. All in all a good product at a very competitive price.

HKG-PVG-SHE return. New A320s on 3 flights older A320 on the other. Newer A320s offer slightly more leg room than the older A320 but overall no complaints about leg room or seats even for a heavier person. IFE virtually non-existent (overhead screens showing commercials and infotainment mostly) but not a great issue on the short 2 hour sectors. Service on the international sector is much better than on the domestic sector with friendly crew with decent English and choice of meal which was of decent quality. The domestic sector was much poorer no choice of meal crew less friendly and poorer English. Check in staff have decent English and were quite friendly and efficient. Overall probably better than most American domestic carriers I have flown on. At the price hard to beat.

Sydney-Pudong - what a and terrible experience for 11hrs flight! Booked CX flight on Sydney-Hong Kong- Shanghai however was transferred to MU due to CX flight delayed. Old style A330 no AVOD seat narrow and uncomfortable crew rude and impolite low-quality beverages served food terrible and tasteless (very simple).

Pudong-JFK on MU's old A340s. Old business class seats had not been changed over to their lay flat overall there was lots of leg room. Very poor entertainment system. The food was very poor - flight attendants did not even know how to make a G&T and no nuts to go with the drink. FA's were pushy on the food so it was a rush to get each course finished. No drink service during a 14 hour flight no water offered unless you asked. The biggest problem I found was that it was very hot and stuffy. Overall a very cheap business ticket so it was good value but i wouldn't pay any more for it.

SIN to PVG return. Outbound A340-300 and return 767 operated by Shanghai Airlines. Both redeye flights - serve meals at an awkward time during the flight. Very regimented service. No entertainment even on the big screens. However given the distance well worth the price that paid.

LAX-PVG PVG-REP. Airbus A340 on LA to Shanghai leg and A320 on Shanghai to Siem Reap leg. Although not on par with the best 4 and 5-star airlines it offers value for money. First leg on time and second leg arrived in Siem Reap on time. Service was comparable if not slightly better than most US carriers flight attendants courteous and spoke English adequately. Announcements in English and Chinese. While the planes did not have seat back screens the pull down screens were adequately spaced and showed a variable selection of movies. Seat backs on A340 had universal power outlets. Two complete meals offered on 13-hour flight to Shanghai snack and beverage runs offered in between. Food was edible and arrived warm. Seats were reasonably comfortable leg room adequate and the plane clean.

PVG-TAO Short 1.5 hour flight. A320 was a bit old but clean. Flight on time. A hot meal was served and there was plenty for a lunch. Second time on China Eastern and the good service continues.

China Eastern has the same standards as American carriers at best. Returned from PVG to HKG flight was delayed 2.5 hours. 10 minutes before the plane was due to leave still no info at all. So I go to the desk where a member of staff says there was maybe a 2 hours delay. Finally I went to customer service to complain where I was told to return to the gate for boarding. Onboard in addition to some airplane food which I take a pass on I am able to get a nice warm beer. Overall would not fly them again.

Singapore to Shanghai. Departure delayed 3.5 hours due to a mechanical problem. While we waited no snacks or drinks served. 3 hours later lunch was served while still on the runway. They seem to have plenty of soft drinks and juices but insufficient beers. No snacks or breakfast. Inflight entertainment was the same Chinese movie played on a loop. Crew simply went through the motions no attempt to offer any kind of customer service. Once the meals and drinks were served they made themselves scarce. Arrived in Shanghai at 7.30 pm instead of scheduled 2.55 pm. This is the first and last time I fly China Eastern Airlines.

A flight delay lead to lost connecting flight in Shanghai. We were held in immigration in Shanghai for 4 hours because no CE officials were on hand to explain to immigration who we were. No connecting flight available and airline refused to transfer us to other airlines. A night spent at the airport and CE refusing to pay for hotel. Indifference of desk staff in Shanghai was astonishing. Only through hours of wrangling were we able to secure an agreement with them to partly pay for another airlines tickets out of Shanghai. Their expectation was we should wait around until cancellations came along though they were booked out for days.

We flew this airline business class in February. Very good service and food but the movie selection was extremely limited. Same choices going and coming from the US - and all of them were outdated.

Shanghai-Hong Kong on A320. Departure on time plane looked new cabin crew very efficient pleasant and welcoming. Seat was hard but it was only a 2.5 hour flight so no problem. Lunch was served - juice beef and noodles fruit and mango jelly. Entertainment was on overhead screens. Arrival on time.

PEK-PVG. On time quick check-in good waiting area. A320 - new aircraft efficient crew. However food was not tasty free soft drinks and good leg room.

PVG-XMN. Departure from domestic terminal T-2 very crowded waiting hall very good boarding procedure and taken to the plane by bus. A320 aircraft new condition poor refreshment on time with a good seat.

Shanghai to Beijing return We did not expect very much and were surprised at the high level of service great food and beverages and comfortable seating considering it was only a domestic flight.

HKG-PVG return on A319. First time with China Eastern Airlines and nothing special. Meal presentation was not appealing and poor quality. FA's speak little English but still friendly and attentive. Plenty of leg room and value for money ticket price.

Frankfurt (FRA) to Shanghai (PVG) on Airbus 330-200. I booked this flight because it was by far the cheapest. Boarding was on time and the cabin surprisingly modern. There was in-seat-entertainment (on the flight back there were only overhead displays) though the choice of movies very limited. The cabin crew worked well but they didn't have time for talking or at least smiling. The seat was a little too small for me although my height is average European. Food was okay not more not less. What I liked were the warm towels handed to you twice and the morning work-out presented by flight attendants. In conclusion you get an average flight experience for a good price.

Beijing-Nanjing on a mid-week flight. After what seemed a never ending delay in departure (partly due to a sick passenger) the flight was reasonable except for incredibly uncaring fellow passengers who consistently wandered up to the toilet while the aircraft was still taxiing or put their seats completely into recline before the aircraft had even taken off. First Class on these domestic flights is closer to a cheap business class flight in a country such as Australia. Nevertheless food and service was quite good although the glass of white wine I had must have been the warmest I have ever encountered. The business lounges available at Beijing were extremely rudimentary.

UK to Sydney via Shanghai for Christmas/New Year Dec 2011 - this airline was the cheapest. I purchased an Australian Visa with my flight but had to buy a second visa at Heathrow as China Eastern were adamant I didn't have one and would not issue me a boarding pass until I purchased an emergency one for £35! I would advise taking your own entertainment as the initial first leg of the trip was the only one with a personal TV system every other flight only had communal TV screens showing Chinese films with English subtitles. Food was mainly meat with noodles or fish with rice you may want to consider becoming vegetarian for the trip. I had an overnight stop over in Shanghai nothing was very co-ordinated at the airport - ensure you have a hotel booking slip from your agent. All stopover passengers from my flight didn't seem to have a reservation at either of the airport's hotels the majority of us ended up paying for our rooms on a credit card.

LAX-PDG PDG-LAX and a few domestic flights in China. Seats were comfortable on the transpacific flight and electrical outlets at every seat. The IFE was strange so a laptop comes in handy. Meals were hot and tasty but expect Asian-style cuisine. Obviously FA's speak little English but ours seemed friendly. They brought out hot towels after each meal which was a pleasant surprise. Domestic flights were pleasant and uneventful. Only issue was when a storm the previous night caused out flight to be cancelled. We would have been out of luck if our Chinese-speaking guide hadn't been there to speak with the agents.

Singapore-Shanghai-Seoul. Surprisingly prompt departure and arrival time at all destinations no flight delay as described by other passengers. Food quality was poor and much improvement needed leg-room was only slightly better than budget aircraft's. Service staff were generally helpful.

I am China Eastern Gold (Elite Plus) member and fly with almost every week on Shanghai-Changsha Shanghai-Chengdu Shanghai-Kunming Shanghai-Guiyang and Shanghai-Beijing. Other than the VIP lounge I never got any other special treatment. Most of MU flights have delays from 30 minutes to 1.5hrs very tight legroom for all flights poor quality food served. MU is far behind the China Southern in terms of service quality if you travel within mainland China.

Shanghai-Beijing with A330. The flight from Shanghai to Beijing had very decent hot meal surprisingly. But the return flight from Beijing to Shanghai had only a sandwich. Not sure why it was so different. No individual seat-back monitor available. Both flights were almost on time with only minor delay.

Xi'an to Beijing Capital. Nice Airbus A320 flight with o/h Video playing comedy programmes during short 1 hr 22 min duration. Cabin crew worked hard to serve Lunch pity that the Beef seemed on the tough side and rice was rather cold. Cabin crew give out details of flight progress nothing from flight deck crew which seems to be the norm in China.

Two very different experiences with China Eastern. I recently flew Melbourne to Shanghai and returned three days later business class. First surprise the plane was a Shanghai Airlines B767. Seat 2E was comfortable enough with good legrest and went back to about 150 deg not flat but enough to sleep. Welcome drink was water or a glass with about 1 cm of sparking wine - very odd. Lunch consisted of small salad reasonable main course and plate with four pieces of not so fresh fruit. Dinner consisted of same small salad and same poor quality fruit plate with noodle dish in between. The silliest part was that utensils were the poorest plastic I have ever seen. They were so thin the tines of the fork could not be used to pick up the meat or the vegetables - so I had to eat with fingers which is not terrible just really silly. Business class toilet was out of service but crew did their best to give us access to one of the forward economy toilets. Return flight out of Shanghai was quite different. Same type of plane same seat. Welcome drink was normal glasses of orange juice and white. Toilet worked. Dinner consisted of salad very good appetizer seafood main course and fruit or ice cream for dessert. All served with silver cutlery which debunked my thought that plastic was used out of Melbourne for safety reasons. I do not know how the quality out of Melbourne could be so bad as I have used many airlines out of Melbourne and never had such bad food or accessories as on the Eastern China flight and what makes it so strange is that the airline has such good standards out of Shanghai. It was almost like two different airlines - I would never pay business class to fly the first but I would for the second.

SYD-PVG-LAX. SYD-PVG leg on an A330 - seemed quite new. Flight Attendants aren't overly friendly and quite concise and to the point. Food was okay not overly pleasing. PVG-LAX on an A340. Seemed similar in generation of the A330. Flight Attendants were more friendly on this flight. Some meals were poor quality. Return flight LAX-PVG was extremely similar however meal quality was significantly improved. Return flight PVG-SYD was extremely full due to a ticketing malfunction. Food was quite poor.

PVG-XIY-PVG. Good fare on the outbound leg had to pay 3 times the price for the return due to Chinese holidays. Both flights were A320 and looked rather tired & dated inside. Seat belt signs remain on at all times and the flight deck make no comments. Cabin crew efficient - but not over friendly. Reasonable free food and soft drinks. Return delayed 90 minutes with little information & last minute gate change. Luggage arrived before I did as it was placed on an earlier flight (?)

PVG-CKG. Booked flight at the last minute so was happy to be on flight. Checkin in Shanghai quite organised and fast as well as the airport compared to Beijing much better. No food served on the flight I was surprised as I had d been on shorter flights with Chinese carriers this trip and got more than enough food and snacks so was a bit disappointing as it was too late to get any food on arrival in Chongqing. Drinks were served but only drinks. An ok and uneventful flight apart from this.

BJS-PVG quite old plane but clean. Fast checkin in Beijing although it looked a little chaotic there at first. No airbridge so all passengers needed to wait and stand around on a bus for a while for departure and arrival in Shanghai. Very crowded boarding area in Beijing. The food was good more than enough and was interesting if not a little weird. All in all a good flight that I couldn't really complain about.

Singapore Changi Airport to Harbin via Shanghai Pudong. Changi to Pudong Airport was A330 but it does not have individualised aircon duct for passengers. Food was fine. Inflight entertainment non-existent no radio programme even though headset is provided. Pudong to Taiping Airport an A320 food was fine (typical Chinese breakfast). Inflight entertainment the same for the previous trip. Staff service for both flights were fine.

Sydney to London return. Food poor and often only one option by the time they reached our seat staff efficient but not friendly. Shared overhead tvs showed no english movies (Chinese ones had English subtitles but difficult to read them from a distance). No warning about 3 hour delays but did offer food voucher. Wouldn't fly with them again will pay the extra money for service.

PVG-HKG. As an Elite Plus member I was entitled to First Class Club access. Lounge well stocked and staff very friendly. Loaded on to a bus for shuttle to the aircraft. A321 of recent remodel. Flight staff friendly and outgoing. It was a 2.5 hr flight. Three choices for hot meal. Arrived hot and tasty with an ample portion as well as fruit and ice cream for dessert. First time flying MU but will certainly look forward to the next booking.

Hong Kong-Xian return. On the first leg the aircraft was an Airbus A320 which looked pretty old staff service was warm and kind. Sadly there wasn't AVOD. On the second leg the flight was delayed for almost 2 hrs on second leg because of a mechanical problem with the engine. After the switch of planes we were on a seemingly brand new Airbus A320 with a newer interior. Overall MU is a fine Chinese airline the only letdown is the food the presentation wasn't good but it tasted ok.

Lianyungang-Shanghai. Almost 3 hours of delay at Lianyungang due to some technical problems at Shanghai airport tower. The ground crew offered a small snack box of bread and bottled beverage which was a nice relief from the tiredness of waiting at the airport. No AVOD on this 2 hr flight food was stirred pork with plum sauce which was quite good. FA's had to face complaints from many passengers due to the delay and they seemed to manage their complaints quite well and attentive. Flight OK service good.

PEK-PVG-SYD-PVG-PEK. Price for Business Class was very good angled lie flat seats were comfy a little narrow but generally comfy in sleep and upright positions. Food on the way to Sydney was ok not great but typical of food quality out of China. Lounge in PEK and PVG were both good PVG being better having a variety of hot food and more drinks to choose from. Lounge in SYD for return leg was Qantas lounge so very good excellent food and showers etc. Food on the return leg was much better not only variety but quantity and quality was much better. Service on all legs was good English level was very good from most attendants. Would definitely recommend their Business Class when it is discounted.

ICN-PVG. Check-in and boarding quick. Staff were efficient but unfriendly - some looked glum and didn't seem to want to assist passengers. Tasty meal served promptly after take-off. Announcements made in Chinese English and Korean. Got a free copy of China Daily on request. Appeared to be headphone facilities but weren't given any headsets. No personal TV but newspaper kept me entertained for the short flight. Adequate leg room. Overall considering the cost it does the job but otherwise don't expect too much.

Beijing-Kunming-Lijiang return. Delays here and there but bearable (most due to weather conditions). Planes look outdated. Ok service pretty bad food an average airline for travel.

Shanghai to Okinawa. Flight delayed because of a typhoon. On A300-600R the leg room in Y class is great. The Japanese style dinner is good especially the fish rice. Crew are nice and polite. The service you get exceeds what you pay.

Sydney to Shanghai and on to New Delhi. Sydney-Shanghai flight was surprisingly great after reading some of the reviews. I requested and had an exit seat requested vegetarian meals and it arrived on all sectors without any issues. The seats were comfortable and even offered power outlets for laptops in economy seats! Movie selection was limited. Shanghai - Delhi sector had older planes and no power in the seats and we managed to get exit row seats again and food as ordered. Drinks menu was limited to Chinese beer and french red wines - which was OK.

Chengdu-Henszhou. Nice airline. Hot food okay 2 servings of drinks. Attendants were nice. Reasonable flight.

DPS-HGZ. Seat was comfortable meal was okay. FA's were polite and helpful nice flight with China Eastern.

My wife and I flew China Eastern Airlines from Singapore to Kunming return. The onward flight was delayed by 1 hr. Inside the flight it was a standard A320 seating arrangement. The crew members were nice and warm. The food was generic and nothing much to talk about. There was no AVOD. The return flight was on time. Crew members again were nice and welcoming. The flight was relatively new and clean. Overall it was a good and safe experience. And of course it is value for money.

I was in China for 5 months for a work stint and flew China Eastern around once every two weeks. It was the only carrier available for some rural airports. although there seem to be a negative impression on here regarding its service and delays I have to say that during the 10 something flights I took with them not once was my flight delayed or my bags lost. Their seats are pretty cramped and foods are generic. The more important parts was getting to my destination on time and safe.

Hong Kong-Shanghai Shanghai-Beijing. Both flights delayed the first delay sat for 1hr on the tarmac in Hong Kong while the second was a 2 hr delay due to aircraft change. No information as to reason for the delay or how long we would be waiting. Boarding Shanghai-Beijing was chaos staff seemed to exert little or no control over passengers. Some passengers were on cell phones while we were taxiing to take off. A special meal had been ordered but for some reason was given fruit as my meal. China Eastern has a long way to go they need to learn to focus on staff training.

Hong Kong-Shanghai-New York (JFK) return. At check-in in Hong Kong there was quite a long line with only a handful of agents. However I was still able to clear check-in security and get to the gate 10 mins before boarding. Hong Kong-Shanghai was very comfortable on an A320. Once we arrived at Shanghai we had to go through Chinese customs and back through the metal detectors to transfer. Shanghai-JFK on an A340 was very good. However there was no in-seat entertainment systems and the communal movies that were offered were not very good. In every seat however there is an electrical plug. I saw quite a few passengers plug in iPads and PSPs and such so CEA is allowing you to bring your own entertainment. The food throughout both flights did not offer any non-Chinese food options. On the return flight everything was fine and the food and drink seemed to be of better quality. The flight to Shanghai was about 30 mins late which cut my transfer to HKG close. CEA is good value for money.

Shanghai-London and I saw things I had never seen before on the same route like Twinings and wine. Don't know if it is their recent service upgrade. Hope they can keep that up.

Flew Beijing-Pudong and Macau-Pudong-Bejing. First flight on A330 which was not very full. Seats still a bit cramped and no food served just a very processed drink and I am diabetic! Macau through Pudong-Bejing was on A320 both flights. MU did not listen to my pleas not to check bag all the way through to Beijing and promptly lost it in Shanghai. Flight late and check in at Macau disorganised for a very small airport. Baggage services at Beijing very unhelpful. Would only fly MU again if no alternative.

JFK-Shanghai. A terrific airline for the price. Comfortable seating. Food as good as any Chinese airline. Generous flight attendants. You should have no hesitation flying this airline.

China Eastern has got a lot better since I flew with them 3 yrs ago from LAX-PVG. The modern A340-600 aircraft has roomy space compared to other international airlines and my favourite comfortable 2-4-2 seat configuration. They also have power outlets behind each seat which many airlines don't have they have many music channels. The meals are a great amount. The flight attendants are friendly and helpful as on the way to PVG a PAX lost his wallet somewhere and about 3 FA's tried to help him find his wallet for over an hour and they made an announcement too. Shanghai's PVG international airport is very nice and modern and easy to navigate around. I've seen many negative comments and review for China Eastern and don't understand why. But most of them i've noticed come from Westerners and I understand why. The food and culture and drinks with no ice is Chinese culture. It'll be unfamiliar so bring some snacks. I've heard of many situations where they give Lunch vouchers and hotel room for delayed flights.

Frankfurt-Shanghai-Taipei and return. Very basic with no inflight entertainment. No problem as I had books to read movies to watch and music to listen to myself. Unbeatable price. No online check-in but staff very friendly and arranged good seats for me (even when I showed up 1hr ahead of check-in). The ground staff helped my parents at Shanghai airport with transfer flight I really appreciate their assistance as my parents only speak German. Got a beer whenever I asked for it.

YVR-HKG + return flight. Paid $1000CAD. The service and food was good/excellent compared to North American airlines I have flown. All 4 of my flights (connections) arrived and departed on time. I found the seats comfortable. Also there was a lot of food offered in the flights - my 2 hr flight came with a full meal.

I tried to upgrade on CEA flight Shanghai to Rome. Was told that there was Superior Economy so paid extra at Shanghai airport for a seat with more leg room etc. only to discover that they had sold me another economy seat. Superior Economy Does Not Exist on their aircraft. There was no in-flight entertainment on a 12 hr+ flight and the only good thing about the seats is that there is a small foot rest.