China Eastern Airlines is one of the newer additions to the SkyTeam airline alliance. As Delta continues to shrink its service out of Tokyo, it has strengthened its relationship to China Eastern and its hub at PVG. Delta puts China Eastern in the top group of airline partners for earning Delta miles, bonuses and qualification dollars.
I booked this trip in business class for 140,000 SkyMiles. Now, thanks to an unannounced, no-notice, mega devaluation, it requires 160,000 SkyMiles for a business class trip to Asia on Delta and a whopping 170,000 SkyMiles on China Eastern.
Other posts about this trip from Charlotte, NC to Bangkok, Thailand via PVG:
Delta CRJ 900 First Class, Charlotte, NC (CLT) to New York, NY (JFK) and a “Midfield” Takeoff
Delta Airlines SkyClub, New York, NY (JFK) Terminal 4
Quick Look, Korean Air Lounge, New York, NY (JFK) Terminal 1
Transfer at Shanghai, China (PVG) and China Eastern VIP Lounge, Terminal 1
China Eastern 777-300ER Business Class, Shanghai, China (PVG) to Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
Bangkok Hotel Review – The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, A Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel
JW Marriott, Bangkok, Thailand — The Best Hotel Lounge Buffet
Review — Air France/KLM Lounge, Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Bangkok, Thailand
Korean Air 777-300ER Business Class, Bangkok, Thailand(BKK) to Seoul/Incheon, Korea (ICN)
I’d flown economy and a short business class flight on a China Eastern 737-800 and was looking forward to a long-haul business class experience on this airline.
Update: In 2018 I flew four flights on China Eastern 777-300s between PVG and LAX. Those flights provided a much different experience. Check it out Here.
MU 588 from JFK to PVG, a China Eastern 777-300ER, was scheduled to depart at 16:25. The flight was delayed slightly. I remained in the Air France lounge in T1 until after the boarding announcement. It was a short walk to the boarding gate on the main concourse at T1.
There was no one in the Priority boarding lane. I presented my China Eastern (not Delta) boarding pass and my passport and went right on board to the business section. Boarding through the second door from the front, a flight attendant (FA) offered a warm greeting and directed me to my seat, 8A.
China Eastern 777-300ER Business Class Cabins
China Eastern 777-300ERs have 52 business class seats in two cabins, a small, intimate cabin of eight seats (two rows) between the second boarding door and first class, and a large cabin of 44 seats (11 rows) just aft of the second boarding door. I prefer the smaller cabin. Those seats were unavailable on this flight when I booked my ticket. From PVG to Bangkok (BKK), I was able to reserve a seat was in the small cabin.
China Eastern 777-300 Business Class Seat
Business class seats are 23.5 inches wide and have 75 inches of pitch. I like these seats. They are essentially the same seats as on American Airlines 777-300s and Cathay Pacific 777-300s that I have become familiar with.
On China Eastern seat 8A is a bulkhead window seat on the port side of the aircraft. In business class, bulkhead seats usually have a flat shelf at the bulkhead that I use after takeoff for things like pillows and blankets.
On night flights, proximity to the galley and/or lavatory can be bothersome. Noise-cancelling headsets block the noise, but light from the galley in particular can be annoying when the cabin lights are off. Seat 8A also has only one window. It affords a limited view when seated. Avoid 8A.
Seat Features
This seat has plenty of room to stretch out when reclined or sitting up right. 
The video screen swings out for viewing. Not my ideal arrangement since viewing during takeoff and landing may be denied. The tray table deploys horizontally in a very simple fashion.
Storage was adequate although there were no enclosures for things like wallets and glasses. Seat controls, USB power, reading light, and video remote were within easy reach. 
Amenities
As pictured above, there was a soft pillow and warm quilt on the seat when I sat down. Slippers and the amenity kit were housed in the storage compartments near the footwell.
The Clarins amenity kit was stocked with an eye mask, dental kit, comb, ear plugs, lip balm, and hand lotion.
The slippers were very nice and came in a pouch that said “Carry me home.”
China Eastern also provided bottled water and headphones. The headphones weren’t very good.
Even though the flight would last for more than 14 hours, there were no pajamas or mattress. A mattress would have been appreciated given that the leather seat cushions were hard.
JFK Departure
Pre-departure Service
Not long after boarding the FAs offered non-alcoholic beverages.
They then handed out menus. Five minutes later, the FAs returned to take my order. Just before the door closed, the FAs distributed warm towels.
At 16:49 we pushed from the gate and began taxing to the active runway. The taxiways were busy.
Takeoff was at 17:11 on runway 13R (One Three Right), a chunk of grooved concrete 200 feet wide and just over 14,500 feet long. Visibility was over 10 nautical miles with a ceiling of high, thin cirrus. A great day for flying.
The fully fueled Boeing needed much less than half of the runway length to launch itself skyward for the 14-hour journey to the other side of the world.
Two minutes after takeoff, the video screen was activated. It showed a total distance to PVG of 7,666 miles and an estimated travel time of 14 hours and 11 minutes.
After leveling at our initial cruising altitude, I moved across the aisle to seat 8D.
In-flight Service
Shortly after takeoff, I contacted a FA to change my dinner order from a chinese selection to a western one. While waiting for dinner, I reviewed some of the features of the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. As I recalled from a previous flight in economy, China Eastern offers on-board upgrades.
To upgrade my business class-seat to first class on this flight, China Eastern charges “only” 30,000 yuan (about $4,350). The amount to upgrade was the same regardless of the amount paid for the ticket or if the ticket was a frequent flyer award. In fact, if memory serves, this is the same amount a coach passenger would pay to upgrade to first class.
After quickly concluding that upgrading to first class was not worth the asking price (although next time I should see if this price is negotiable), I settled in to enjoy the experience in business class.
This was the wine list:
Mixed drinks and liquor:
Other beverages:
Menus
The dining section of the IFE system displays some of the entrees that are available on various flights. 
First Meal Service
Actual service began 40 minutes after takeoff at 17:50. I had a 12-year-old Chivas.
At 18:00 the FAs served the appetizer. There seemed to be a discrepancy between what was on the printed menu, the IFE menu, and what was served. Or perhaps I was confused by which month I was looking at on the menu. In any event this is what was served. 
The beef fillet entree followed at 18:26.
The food tasted good and the steak was prepared medium, which is about the most one can hope for in business class on most airlines. The service was professional and courteous. I liked that all courses were served on linen and not fake wood trays as used to be the case on China Eastern’s SkyTeam partner, Delta.
The FAs then brought a cart with dessert options. 
As usual, I tried a little bit of everything.
There was no porto so I had a glass of Mouton Cadet bordeaux blend.
After the dessert cart, ice cream was offered in a small container with a plastic spoon. 
After dinner I watched the Accountant and then was able to nap for a couple of hours on the stiff cushioning. Flying above the Arctic Ocean north of Barrow, AK, a FA woke me for “breakfast.”
Breakfast and light meal menus:
This is what the FA brought.
WTF! I had to pinch myself to ensure I was awake. Two grapes, a biscuit, a tiny piece of cheese and a bit of melon. No beverage was offered. Clearly this was not breakfast as the FA claimed. It also clearly was not one of the light meal options. The english skills of the crew were so bad that they could not (or would not) explain what was going on.
I’ve observed that a lack of english skills and a seeming lack of desire to help is a problem generally with China Eastern although primarily in its ground staff. With this crew it appeared that there was only one FA in business class that had had more than a few english lessons and she was off duty.
After “breakfast” I asked for chivas on the rocks, and was told they had no more. Instead I enjoyed a couple of glasses of cognac while brushing up on my thai and learning a little mandarin on the Berlitz Word Traveler language system on the IFE.
This was probably the best part of the flight. Not many airlines have this system on their IFE. Delta, China Eastern, KLM, Singapore Airlines and a couple of others are the only airlines I know of that carry it. Write down a few phrases and keywords for use after landing. It is amazing how knowing only three or four things in the local language makes a positive impression.
A real breakfast was served with two hours and 17 minutes to PVG. This was the only meal that was as stated on the menu.
It also came with a french pastry and choice of juice. Breakfast was very good.
Lavatories
During the flight I visited the business class bathrooms that are immediately forward of the second boarding door.
The bathrooms were always clean. The only amenities were Goji hand wash and body lotion.
Arrival at PVG
After breakfast there was plenty of time to stow personal items and prepare for landing. The approach to PVG deviated around the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). Not even Chinese aircraft enter that airspace.
We flew past PVG and made the final approach from the south. We landed at 19:38 local time, about 15 minutes later than scheduled and 42 minutes later than the projected time at takeoff. The total flight distance was 7,799 miles.
We deplaned at a remote stand and were bused to Terminal 1.
Overall Impression
Given the discrepancy between dinner and the menus, the absurd mid-flight meal, running out of scotch halfway through the flight, and a very hard cushion on the seat, not to mention the problems communicating with the crew, I was disappointed with this flight. Those flying a Chinese airline probably should speak a little bit of chinese, but, in turn, a crew on a SkyTeam airline needs to have a better command of english.
I am extremely happy that Delta chose Korean Air rather that China Eastern as its joint venture partner across the Pacific. China Eastern would get one more opportunity to impress on the next flight from PVG to BKK.
UPDATE: In early 2018, I had several flights on China Eastern trans pacific and intra Asia. Those trips were much better experiences and changed my evaluation of China Eastern. Posts coming.
Salsaworldtraveler'sblog 
Hi! Thanks for this review. I recently booked a flight in China Eastern business class from New York to Singapore via PVG. While I had read many unimpressed reviews such as yours, I just couldn’t resist the low fare. China Eastern was charging around $3,000 versus $4,500-$5,500 for pretty much all other airlines. I have been waiting for your update on China Eastern to see specifically what had improved since you wrote your review in 2017. Can you provide any details? I’ve started to hear rumblings that China Eastern is steadily improving from consistently negative or non-plussed reviews in the past. Thanks!
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Thanks for your comment Justin. China Eastern seems to have low business-class fares that makes flying them very tempting especially if you post the flights to a Delta account. I’ve been behind but should post new reports on China Eastern 777-300, A330 and 737-800 business-class trips in the next couple of weeks. I liked the A330 seat a little more than than the 777 seat. The 737-800 seat is similar to a domestic first-class seat. It is a let down after the widebodies. On all of those trips, compared to this flight, the service improved greatly as did the language skills of the crews. I’ve heard that smoking can be a problem on China Eastern, but I’ve never noticed that on any flight. I would not hesitate to fly MU again particularly where it has a substantial price advantage. Next posts cover trips with my son on A350-900 in Delta One suites outbound and Premium Select return.
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I look forward to reading your next reports. We will be flying the 777 to PVG with the new reverse herringbones and then an A330 to SIN with the older business class seats. I am flying together with my partner so the savings for two people combined was about $3,000 compared to the next lowest fare we could find (which was Etihad at the time of booking). Not small money! I have also noted some reports about smoking, but have decided to chance it and have even booked the forward most seats in the business cabin as I much prefer the privacy of a 2-row mini-cabin. I must say one of the things that helped turn my perception a bit was China Eastern’s new lounge at PVG which looks quite up-to-date and decent. We have some fairly long layovers (3 hours outbound, 6 hours inbound) so the lounge matters.
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Searching for flights for my elderly parents from JFK to MNL, they prefer Korean Air, which they usually fly, but China Eastern and China Southern keep popping up with much lower fares for Business class. My mom would need wheel chair assistance, so the language barrier worries me a bit. Is the savings worth it, in your opinion, to chose China Eastern or China Southern, over Korean Air?
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Thanks for your question. Korean Air is a very good airline for westerners, and connecting in its brand new Terminal 2 at ICN is a treat. Since this post I’ve had several very good experiences taking advantage of low fares in business class with China Eastern on 777-300s, an A330-300 and 737-800s (to be reviewed). So my overall impresion of MU has improved substantially. Business class on the 777s and A330 is pretty comparable between KE and MU although I’d still prefer KE and Terminal 2 all other things being equal. On 737-800s KE has much more leg room in business class. KE and MU now have the same earning chart in business class for Delta miles and MQDs.
I’ve only flown China Southern once (to be reviewed) and that included a great flight in first class on an A380 from Guangzhou to Beijing! I booked business class using SkyMiles from BKK to PEK connecting in CAN. The 737-800 flight from BKK to CAN was on a 737-800 and was very comparable to MU. Since CAN to PEK is a domestic flight, I was automatically bumped up to first class on the A380. Suite (pun intended)!
I think the choice turns on how large is the difference in fare, the type of aircraft flown, and how your parents handle new experiences. Let me know if you have other questions.
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Hello
My name is Haim Amir Fram Israel
I was talking to you in the Beijing Air Port.
I would like to tell you it was nice talking to you, also it was amazing to see someone which leave in US know about Israel so much
this is led me to think you have a large amount of knowledge.
we had not agree about nothing in our discussing about the middle east and i think it is ok to have a different opinion.
one thing is bothering me (and i tolled you about it) you asked me why in Israel there is no separate between religious and the state.
i am not sure i explain my self.
The Judaism and Jewish people are/is one, since 2000 years ago when Jewish people have been expelled from Israel
they where pray to come bake to Israel every day. people which left the Judaism did not pray to come back to Israel. In 2000 years many many people left the Judaism (in a different from other religions we do not ask outside people to be come Jewish only if you want, if you want, you need to study and after test you can be Jewish) so you can not disconnect between Israel and Judaism because without the Judaism there were not Israel and without Israel there is no Judaism. so Jewish and Israel is one.
I hope I explain my self.
Haim Amir
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Thanks for your comment. I also enjoyed our discussion at PEK.
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Nice sharing of China Eastern experiences. For the money, I would take that over 2X or 3X priced AA or UA.
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Thanks for the comment Mimi. I recently flew MU again on a Delta Medallion Qualifications Dollars run in business class TPAC and the experience was much better. I will post about it soon. Although Delta hides its award charts, it recently lowered its lowest rate for business class on a partner airline to China from 95,000 Skymiles to 85,000. American charges 80,000 for its lowest rate on partners. As far as availability with AA or DL miles, that is unknown.
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My experience was exactly the same…..nice write up
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