China Eastern Airlines Review - Flight Ratings

Our personal China Eastern Airlines review

China Eastern is the second-largest airline in China by passengers, behind only China Southern. It is based in Shanghai, flying from hubs at both Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA), and China Eastern Airlines serves more than 200 destinations of its own across Asia, Europe, North America and Africa, with cabins split into economy, business and a small first class. It has been a SkyTeam member since 2011, so your miles and status carry over if you already fly Delta, Air France or Korean Air.

After flying a few Chinese carriers, we were keen to try China Eastern, the Shanghai airline known for competitive fares between Europe and Australia. The journey started in Beijing and check-in was quick. On boarding, staff greeted us at the door and pointed us to our seats. The cabin was full, but once everyone was down the door closed and the safety briefing ran. One dated habit is finally gone: for years Chinese airlines banned phones outright, even in airplane mode, but the regulator lifted that rule in January 2018 and China Eastern was the first carrier cleared to allow it, so handsets, tablets and laptops in flight mode are fine now. Overall the flight was smooth and trouble-free.

What are the pros

• Price. China Eastern is one of the cheapest airlines in Asia on both domestic and international fares. If you are traveling on a budget it is worth a look, and its business fares can undercut economy on some rival carriers.
• Easy booking. The website loads well and works in several languages, so you can book from home or the office without a fight.
• Fare transparency. You see available tickets and fares side by side and pick the cheapest, with the rules, promotions and offers listed on the site.
• Entertainment. Long-haul flights are well served with music, ceiling screens and seat-back TVs, though this is a long-haul perk. Domestic and regional flights have little to none.
• Fleet. China Eastern runs one of the youngest large fleets in the world, roughly 800 aircraft and heavy on widebodies, so on international routes you usually get modern metal rather than something tired.

The economy cabin, seats and comfort

Economy is where most readers will sit, and it is the airline’s weakest link. On the long-haul 777-300ERs the layout is a tight 3-4-3, with about 32 inches of pitch and a seat a shade over 17 inches wide. That is standard on paper, but the cushions are firm and the lumbar support is thin, so after the first eight hours the seat starts to feel hard. Older aircraft are worse: worn padding, limited recline, and a cabin that shows its age. The airline has been refurbishing, and a newer jet is a different experience, but you cannot always pick your aircraft when the fare is this cheap. If comfort matters more than the headline price, this is the trade-off to weigh.

China Eastern business class

The business class is the part of China Eastern that has genuinely moved on. On the newest A350s, 777-300ERs and refreshed A330s the seats are a staggered 1-2-1 layout, fully lie-flat at 180 degrees, roughly 60cm wide and 190cm long, and the latest suites add a sliding privacy door. Bedding is soft, the controls are simple, and there is proper storage and a do-not-disturb setting. Independent 2025 reviews call it “surprisingly good” and a real step up, while being honest that it does not reach Qatar Qsuites territory. What makes it interesting is the price: China Eastern routinely sells long-haul business to Europe and North America for well below what the Gulf and European carriers charge. If you want a flat bed across ten hours without paying flagship money, it earns a look.

Lounges and check-in

At its Shanghai hubs, China Eastern gives premium passengers a separate check-in area and access to its own lounges. The flagship spaces at Pudong are the ones worth planning around: hot buffet, a live noodle station, and shower suites on the bigger lounges. Elsewhere in the network the lounge offer is thinner and more variable, as it is with most carriers, so temper expectations once you leave the home base. SkyTeam status opens the door to partner lounges where China Eastern has none of its own.

Food and drinks

Meals and drinks are included, with a printed list of options that lean Chinese and Asian. The reality is mixed. Long-haul economy usually offers two mains, a chicken-and-noodle and a beef-and-rice, and if you did not pre-order a special meal you take what is left. Some dishes land well, particularly on the Japan routes, and others are bland and overcooked. It is airline food doing its job rather than a highlight. Business class eats considerably better, with a multi-course service and a wider choice. Drinks come round regularly on the long sectors, and nobody goes thirsty.

Cabin service and staff

Cabin crew are efficient and keep the operation moving, and most speak enough English to handle the basics of a long-haul flight. What they are not is warm. The service is procedural rather than personable, and on domestic sectors the English thins out, so announcements and finer requests can get lost. If you value smiling, chatty crew this is not the airline that will win you over. If you just want your meal, your drink and to be left alone, it does the job without fuss.

China Eastern Airlines safety

Any honest China Eastern review has to address flight MU5735. In March 2022 a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 dived into terrain in Guangxi and all 132 people on board were killed, the deadliest crash in China in nearly three decades. More than four years on, the CAAC has not published a final report. Data reported by US media in 2026 appears to point toward the fuel to both engines being cut off in flight, which some analysts have interpreted as pointing to a deliberate act rather than a mechanical failure, though the official cause remains formally unresolved and China has withheld the interim reports. Outside that single event, Chinese carriers as a group have a strong modern safety record and China Eastern flies one of the youngest fleets anywhere. We would fly it again, but pretending 2022 did not happen would not be a review worth reading.

Should you fly with China Eastern?

For the fare, it usually stacks up. Economy is unremarkable and the seats are the main weak point, but the fleet is modern, the meals are adequate, and the business class is a genuine bargain for a flat bed on a long route. Skytrax rates the airline three stars, which is a fair reflection: competent, cheap, and short on polish. If you want a budget flight within Asia or a cut-price lie-flat to Europe, you will likely come away wondering how the fares can be so low without feeling short-changed.

Flying China Eastern in to source product? Get a Chinese interpreter booked before you arrive so factory visits and price talks don’t get lost in translation.