Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Can anyone who has flown China Eastern on long-haul Trans-pacific flights speak to the rumor of it being the worst airline ever? I'm flying with the family and we've always taken comfortable Taiwanese carriers like China Airlines, EVA, etc. However, China Eastern is $1000 cheaper (in total) so I'd like to hear from someone who has experience with it.
Compared to the Asian carriers with a better reputation (EVA, China Airlines, Cathay, ANA, etc.) how much worse is China Eastern economy class?
If anyone has specific knowledge, how far do the seats on the 777 recline compared to, say, China Airlines? China Airlines has really nice recline which makes for easy sleeping.
Well I can’t compare China Eastern to the other Asian carriers because I haven’t flown them, and it’s been a while since I flew Korean Air. What I do know is that when I went to Berlin this past summer, I flew LOT Polish which was over 1,000 dollars less than Lufthansa or United. The service or food wasn’t as good, but I assumed it wouldn’t be. I’m glad I pocketed the money, and I would advise having the extra thousand dollars to do something fun with your family.
Yes, there's connections and layovers and such, but the extra travel time and discomfort are probably worth it. However, it is about 30 hours of time in the air, and I've heard people directing me to avoid China Eastern at all costs.
But it's a new 777-300ER, so maybe those were experiences with the old long-haul aircraft?
I'd suggest you consult Seat Guru for info on seating.
China Airlines 777-300ER has a 10-abreast Economy seat with 32"pitch 17"width, and 120 degree recline.
China Eastern's seat appears identical (same width and pitch) with a 6" recline, whatever that means.
EVA Air has 773 versions with 9 and 10 abreast seating; obviously the 9 abreast cabins are going to be more comfortable and less crammed. However, I don't know if those are going to be reconfigured for the economics of it.
Service-wise, the Taiwanese airlines are going to be a bit better. By comparison with its mainland counterparts, China Eastern is probably better than Air China, but behind that of Hainan Airlines.
Skytrax has a perfectly reasonable review of them. They're ok. Very Chinese, which means meh food and sometimes questionable service, but they're not bad.
If you are making a transfer at PVG (China Eastern hub) to other destinations, i.e. LA to Manila via Shanghai, then I advise you'd better not. Because the entire Chinese airspace gives priority to its air force, so whenever there is a drill, PLAAF will close the airspace for hours and it is quite frequent. So there is probably over 50% chance of delay that you may miss your connecting flight (but most likely that flight is delayed too).
And there are some unpleasant stories that China Eastern stuffed 4-5 unrelated passengers into a hotel room.
Actually UA is the second cheapest to China Eastern besides those budget airlines on Asia routes. But I also refrain to fly UA.
My biggest question is the difference between 6" recline and 120-degree recline. Because 120 degree recline is awesome! I don't mind 10-abreast. We'd probably take the entire center row, if we can get it.
Can you connect through PVG without a Chinese visa? If there is a delay, can you stay overnight without a visa?
My biggest question is the difference between 6" recline and 120-degree recline. Because 120 degree recline is awesome! I don't mind 10-abreast. We'd probably take the entire center row, if we can get it.
Can you connect through PVG without a Chinese visa? If there is a delay, can you stay overnight without a visa?
Yes. Shanghai and Beijing now have 144 hour visa free travel.
I wouldn't anticipate PVG being closed by the military. Far too busy for that to happen. They get in excess of 70M travelers a year. Some smaller province out in the winds, sure, but the second busiest airport in the country? Not likely.
I've flown China Eastern long-haul trans-Pacific, because it was such a good deal at $1400 for business class! Got a lie flat seat, and for what I paid, I was very very satisfied. I can hardly compare my other trans-Pacific flights because those were all in economy. Yes, they're very "Chinese". Food is not that great, even in business class, but I wouldn't say it's bad either. I can still smell/taste shiitake mushroom in the Western meal, which is a bit odd to those not used to it. The IFE selection can use some improvement as well.
I don't think China Eastern is that bad though, as I also flew their short-haul flights. I certainly agree that they should rank lower than Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, or Korean Air. From my experience with Chinese domestic flights, they're a bit lower than Air China or China Southern, but not by much. For me, China Eastern is at par with Vietnam Airlines and Philippine Airlines. Skytrax has upgraded the latter two to 4 stars, a rating which I don't agree with.
Anyway, I can't specifically answer your question regarding the recline but I wouldn't think it will be that different from other 777-300ER planes. Not sure how many people are traveling with you and where you are going to, but if you get a non-stop flight or much shorter layover for less than $250 per person, it's probably worth paying a bit extra. If all other things are similar, I will gladly save that $1000.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
