Find cheap China Eastern flights

China Eastern Airlines is one of China’s “big three” carriers, so if you’re heading to Asia, there’s a good chance you’ll see their name pop up in your flight search. As a member of the Skyteam alliance, it’s a major player with a massive network. But what’s it *really* like to fly with them?

From fancy lie-flat seats to the realities of in-flight Wi-Fi, we’ve got the inside scoop. Here’s our expert take on everything you need to know before you book.

China Eastern Airlines recognises five distinct service classes: First Class, Premium Business Class, Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class, though you’ll find a maximum of four on any single aircraft. The lineup ranges from exclusive First Class and Premium Business products on select long-haul planes to standard Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy options. Even on planes without Premium Economy, you can usually purchase extra legroom add-ons to improve your economy experience.

First Class

First Class is the most exclusive experience on China Eastern. Available only on 777-300ER and select A350-900 aircraft, first class features individual suites that convert to lie flat beds, equipped with doors in a 1-2-1 arrangement. If you fly first class, you’ll enjoy chef-crafted meals and luxurious perks including caviar and high-end champagne service.

Premium Business Class

Premium Business Class (marketed as the “Air Living Room”) sits between First Class and Business Class in terms of ambiance and comfort. You’ll find it on all A350-900 aircraft and Boeing 787-9 planes, where it is located in the front row of the Business cabin.

These four premium seats feature sliding doors and can be reconfigured by the crew. The two middle seats can transform into a shared community space for up to four people, effectively creating a family “living room” or meeting area. They come equipped with exclusive amenities including individual mini-bars, 32-inch touchscreens, and personal storage lockers, along with enhanced catering compared to standard Business Class.

Business Class

If you’re flying longhaul on China Eastern, whether to Europe, North America or Australia, you’ll be on a plane that features the standard Business Class product. It always consists of lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access for all passengers. I personally prefer the product on the A350-900 and 787-9 aircraft, which features doors for enhanced privacy. However, even if you’re on older 777-300ER or A330 planes, you’ll enjoy direct aisle access and a comfortable “reverse herringbone” seat.

On regional and domestic flights, there is some variation in Business Class seats. Regionally configured Airbus A330 aircraft have angled-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. On these planes, I make sure to assign an aisle seat so that I can have easy access to the lavatory. Narrowbody aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, which serve primarily domestic routes, feature recliner seats in a 2-2 configuration.

Premium Economy

Like many airlines, China Eastern only has Premium Economy (often marketed as “Super Economy”) on certain aircraft, specifically the 787-9 and A350-900. You’ll also find Super Economy on some domestic routes using the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (with 18 dedicated Super Economy seats). The seats are a nice upgrade, with more legroom and recline. On domestic routes with this product, the seats feel a lot like what you’d get in domestic first class in the States.

Economy Class

China Eastern’s Economy Class product is comparable to what you find on other airlines on transpacific flights. Seats are in a 3-3-3 configuration on A350-900 and 787-9 aircraft, and in either a 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 configuration on the 777-300ER. Depending on your flight, you may be able to purchase extra legroom seats in exit rows or at the front of the cabin. Given the flight times between the UK and China, I highly recommend the extra legroom option!

Here’s what you can expect onboard a China Eastern flight.

Wi-Fi & entertainment

China Eastern offers Wi-Fi on most of its long haul aircraft, though you should be aware of a few facts before you purchase it. First, this service uses a Chinese IP address, which means that Western social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are blocked (unless you use a VPN). Secondly, coverage over certain regions may be limited, and the crew might not announce outages before they happen.

If you fly longhaul on China Eastern airlines in any class of service, you’ll be able to watch movies and TV shows on a personal media screen. Older A330 and 777-300ER aircraft have smaller screens with lower resolution compared to modern A350-900 and 787-9 planes. Additionally, Chinese entertainment options will likely be more plentiful than Western ones, so I recommend not watching all the “New Releases” at once.

Amenities

Prior to covid-19, I often found myself underwhelmed with China Eastern’s business class amenity kits, which were usually un-branded and only featured a very basic range of products. However, since the pandemic, I’ve noticed toiletries from brands like L’Occitane en Provence (typically including shea butter hand cream and lip balm) and Clarins, packed in much more stylish cases. It’s a small touch, but it makes a difference.

Pre-flight experience

Here’s what you need to know about the airport experience when flying with China Eastern.

Baggage policy and fees

Compared to airlines in  Europe and North America, China Eastern has a relatively permissive baggage policy. With the exception of the most restrictive ‘Basic’ economy fare classes, all long haul passengers are entitled to a free baggage allowance of at least 20 kg.

If you’re flying in Premium Economy, Business Class or First Class, you can check multiple bags. All passengers on all flights can carry one small bag and one personal item onto the aircraft. This is true even if you purchase deeply discounted economy class fares. When it comes to ‘Basic Economy’ passengers, China Eastern is not as punitive as many European carriers are.

Check-in

If you’re flying from Shanghai Pudong (PVG), you’ll notice that China Eastern offers dedicated check-in counters for both First Class and Business Class, as well as a Premium counter for Premium Economy passengers and elite members of both its own Eastern Miles programme and for Skyteam elite flyers. At airports overseas and elsewhere in China, you may notice only a single Premium counter, as well as a standard check-in counter.

Here’s a heads-up: online check-in technology for China Eastern is unreliable. I’ve had instances where I completed check-in but couldn’t get a boarding pass (neither a mobile/QR one, nor a printed one). Because so many passengers end up needing to avail airport check-in, I recommend arriving at the airport at least three hours early, especially if you’re flying in economy class.

Lounges

In spite of being a relatively large airline, China Eastern only operates one flagship international lounge, at its home airport, Shanghai Pudong (PVG). Accessible to passengers in First Class, Business Plus and Business Class, plus elite members of both the airline’s own Eastern MIles programme and those of its Skyteam partners, the lounge features a food buffet and limited bar service. Premium passengers will be able to use partner lounges when travelling on China Eastern from outside of China.

There are also several domestic China Eastern lounges within China, including at Shanghai Hongqiao Terminal 1 (with lounges V01, V02, and V03). The food and drink options are more limited at these domestic locations. Access to these is generally restricted to First and Business Class passengers on domestic flights, as well as Eastern Miles Gold and Silver elite members.

Loyalty programmes, miles & credit cards

China Eastern’s loyalty programme is known as Eastern Miles. Frequent flyers on the airline and its partners can earn one of three elite statuses: Platinum, Gold or Silver. Since China Eastern is a member of the Skyteam alliance, it’s possible to earn Eastern Miles when flying on partner airlines, and also to redeem them for travel on other Skyteam carriers. Although travellers who reside in mainland China can earn Eastern MIles using credit cards, this is not otherwise practical.

Eastern Miles

You can earn Eastern MIles while travelling on China Eastern and also while traveling on China Eastern’s Skyteam partners, including Delta, Air France, KLM, and Garuda Indonesia. Make sure your fare class is eligible for earning miles and that you’ve added your Eastern Miles number to your booking.

Just as you can earn Eastern Miles while flying on a variety of airlines, you can also redeem them for travel on all Skyteam carriers. However, keep in mind that availability and pricing on China Eastern’s own flights may be better. Additionally, I do find the Eastern Miles website can be less user-friendly than those offered by airlines in the US and Europe.

Credit cards

Only travellers who reside in mainland China or are Chinese citizens can currently earn Eastern Miles purely based on credit card spending. However, you can indirectly use credit card points to book travel on China Eastern via the airline’s Skyteam partners. This could be by making American Express Membership Rewards transfers to your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Air France/KLM FlyingBlue accounts, for example.