This is the next in the series of posts covering the trip my son and I took to Hong Kong.
Other posts covering this trip:
Delta One 767-300 Atlanta to Seattle
Delta One A330-200 Seattle to Hong Kong
Trip Report – Airport Express Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong, Lantau Island & Macao, Picture Review
Hotel Reviews – Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Hyatt Regency Tsim Tsa Tsui
Delta One 747-400 Upper Deck, Shanghai, China (PVG) to Detroit, MI (DTW)
After a week in Hong Kong it was time for Alex and I to head home. We had booked round-trip business class tickets from Charlotte on Delta for 140,000 Skymiles each.
I’ve had a couple of bad experiences flying China Eastern but business class on this two-hour flight was okay. However based on the experience in Shanghai and subsequent flights, I’m glad it was only two hours.
China Eastern A320 Business Class Cabin and Seat
Boarding in Hong Kong was fine and Alex and I took our seats, 2J and 2L, in the business class section on the A320.
This aircraft has eight business class seats in 2-2 configuration. Economy seats 150. The China Eastern business class on this plane is very similar to a standard domestic first class seats that might be found on a Delta A320. Pitch is 36 inches, and the seats are 20 inches wide.
The seats have power, a medium sized video screen with remote control.
Amenities
The amenities were a nice blanket and pillow and over-the-ear headsets that are not noise cancelling.
Meal Service
This was a breakfast flight. The flight attendants handed out wet towels before the meal.
I tried he Chinese offering.
This was a decent breakfast on a two-hour, essentially domestic route.
The flight arrived on time at Shanghai. We parked at a remote stand, which is not unusual for China Eastern narrow body planes, and we were bused to the terminal to connect to the Delta flight to the U. S..
Final Thoughts
I review this fight only to cover all of the legs of our trip to Hong Kong. While the flight and service in the air were completely satisfactory, issues on the ground gave an impression of an airline not to be flown by most Westerners.
I left an item on board the plane when we got off and spoke to a MU representative to get it back. This person did not understand, or seemingly care about what I was saying. I spoke to other China Eastern employees about this issue with the same result! I’d think a business-class passenger with Skyteam Elite Plus status would get better treatment. I’ve flown China Eastern once since and that flight confirmed my initial impressions.
China Eastern often has low fares for business class and economy, such as Chicago to Bangkok round trip in economy for $466 that I am currently flying. Even as a leisure traveler who pays for my own tickets, good fares aren’t everything.
When this was posted, Delta was expanding its partnership with China Eastern while pretty much destroying it’s relationship with Korean Air, a very good airline. That is not good for Delta flyers who travel to Asia.
The next post will be much more positive and cover our exquisite Delta 747 upper deck flight from Shanghai to Detroit. There ain’t a business class cabin in the sky that beats the DL 747-400 upper deck.
Naturally Delta is abandoning the 747. Sigh.
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