China Eastern Reviews 313

Absolute disgrace to passengers. Propping up a subpar airline that treats customers like afterthoughts. Call centres = endless holds. Website's a clunky nightmare, glitchy and user-unfriendly, far from modern standards.

bought ticket 2 times from this airline, Spent one hour trying to check in, never success, Had to check in at the desk. never again.

I booked a China Eastern flight for November via 'worldairfares' for which I paid £617.08. A couple of weeks later I received a message that the flight itinerary for part of the trip would not be possible any more, so I could get a 'full refund'. At first I was told that the airline would make a full refund but his could take 4 to 6 weeks. I complained to worldairfares and they said they'd contacted China Eastern who had paid them so I could get the refund in 3 to 4 days. The amount of the refund is said to be £605.08. Apparently £12 of the fare I had paid was for 'non-refundable taxes' - hence I would not be getting a 'full refund'.

I write to China Easter vis their suggestions and complaints contact from on their website about the 4 to 6 week waiting period earlier, and have now done the same regarding the 'tax' I seem to have been charged - for what?? (nothing back at all so far). No record was sent to my email to confirm my complaint had been received. It seems their customer support is literally non-existent.

Appalling experience with China Eastern Airlines

On 11 August 2025, I travelled with my two minor children on flight MU685 (Shanghai Pudong → Tokyo Haneda). Upon arrival, my large grey suitcase with zipper (tag MU061247) had disappeared.

The suitcase contained all my personal belongings, important documents, clothes and a significant amount of cash. I immediately filed an official Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at Haneda, but since then there has been no real assistance, no follow-up and almost no communication.

Being left alone in Japan with two children, without resources and without any help from the airline, is unacceptable.

Non-existent customer service, total lack of support, and complete indifference to a distress situation. I strongly advise against using this airline, especially for family travel.

Overall not a great experience with some very frustrating time wasted on the phone to China Eastern customer service and attempting to use their website. A layover hotel is mentioned for long stopovers between China Eastern flights, there is a page on their website to book the complimentary hotel, however this page and the majority of their website is horrendous to use and lots simply doesn't work. Customer service simply directed me back to the website when I asked for assistance with this. Food was very average. Inflight entertainment on Auckland to London flights via Shanghai was dire. Which would have been OK but when traveling with 2 kids this became a total pain not having any cartoons in English and generally very limited options. Also we were not seated together on some flights as a family of 4 with young children. Would not fly with them again unless significantly cheaper buy thousands.

I canceled my ticket within 24 hours and then the company approved it, but I haven't received any refund from the company after 2.5 months

I took 2 flights with china eastern airlines in a time frame of one week. Everything went fine, but the planes were really uncomfortable: basically a bus that flies. Can't even recline the seat. I don't know if they offer long flights, but I would not book one with them. For a couple of hours it's fine.

Worst airline I’ve ever travelled with, they lost my luggage and will not accept responsibility or provide any assistance whatsoever.

They ignore emails and have been extremely unhelpful, they even lied and claimed I received my luggage but don’t have any documentation to support their false allegations

AVOID THIS AIRLINE AT ALL COSTS

I would give 0 if possible. Our flight got cancelled while we were back waiting at the gate for the second time for boarding (after 10 hours in total and 3 hours waiting in the plane). During the waiting time we did not receive any food or drinks, no accommodation or taxi, resulting in additional costs. I spoke to their Chinese customer support many times and was promised a response via phone but have never received a phone call back. It is now one year later and we still have not received anything back from the airline - do not book with them!!!

I flew these guys from kunming to laos and while I'm aware of their flaws they do over alot even on economy class short hall flights you still get a meal and they offer 2x 24 kg of luggage for free which is massive for a small journey and something that shouldn't be forgotten , food quality an't great but for everything else its good

Had a good flight. The seating is comfortable. Free food and drink. A free pillow, blanket, earphones and entertainment onboard. Shame there was no wifi.

Prolonged Delays and Lack of Closure – Disappointing Customer Service

I feel compelled to share my experience with China Eastern Airlines regarding my request for mandatory reconsideration. Although I eventually received a response—it took several weeks, an unacceptably lengthy wait for any customer service process—the situation became even more unsatisfactory thereafter. When I politely sought clarification regarding the outcome of my case, my enquiries were wholly ignored. Despite making repeated attempts to obtain a clear decision, I received no further acknowledgement or closure.

This pattern of delayed communication, followed by a complete lack of engagement, reflects a worrying absence of accountability and professional customer care. As a passenger, I expected reasonable timelines, straightforward communication, and proper respect for my concerns. Unfortunately, China Eastern Airlines failed to meet these fundamental standards at every stage.

I would urge prospective travellers to be extremely cautious when considering this airline, particularly if you think you may require assistance beyond a routine booking. My experience suggests that, although you may eventually receive some form of contact, meaningful follow-up and resolution may well be lacking. Professionalism and transparent communication are critical qualities in this industry, and my case highlighted disappointing shortcomings on both fronts.

I've flown for 20+ years across all kinds of airlines. Nothing comes close to the absolute disgrace that is China Eastern Airlines.

They unilaterally changed my flight, adding a 60-hour layover, without offering any fair alternative. I asked repeatedly and politely for a rebooking on the same date with a shorter connection. They refused, told me to "just cancel and buy a new ticket", and outright ignored basic European passenger rights.

Their staff gave me contradictory answers, passed the responsibility to my travel agent, and claimed EU law didn't apply, even though my trip originated in Amsterdam.

I've now filed a formal complaint with Dutch aviation authorities and am pursuing a chargeback. China Eastern doesn't just offer bad service - they show outright contempt for customers and international law.

Avoid this airline at all costs. Pay more to fly with literally anyone else. You'll thank yourself for not stepping into the bureaucratic black hole that is China Eastern.

Beware this airline. Every airline I have ever flown with advertises a price (which can change from one minute to the next) but, when you press the “book” button the price gets locked in. This is NOT the case with China Eastern. While you are booking the flight (after thinking that you have locked in a price) they can (and will) change the price without your authorization. They charged me a full $150 extra (on a $350 flight). FORGET ABOUT GETTING ANY SORT OF CUSTOMER “SERVICE”.

Customer service does not exist, no reply to mails and access to hotline service not possible in English.

I am not reviewing the flight, because my flight has not even happened yet, and China Eastern has managed to hook me onto buying a ticket by a major convenience that my ticket should qualify for, but they are denying me, citing hidden rules that are NOT available to customers prior to purchase.
Explanation: I booked a transfer ticket that, by their own website rules qualifies for a complementary transfer and accommodation service in a major city. In order to qualify for the service, I studied the ticket rules, the kind of ticket I purchased, and I was sure I checked every rule. After paying for the ticket I went to the part of their website where I should apply for the free service, and typed in all my data, however I kept getting the error message that the data boxes were "empty" even though they were not. I saved the screenshot and immediately wrote to China eastern emails I found on their website. My message is still being ignored - and by now I am no longer able to cancel my ticket for a refund. Whe I tried to request the free service again a few days later, their website had been surprisingly changed! However, I immediately get the automated message that my ticket does not qualify. This is simply impossible, because all the rules that are on their free transfer service are valid for my ticket. I managed to get hold of the "Human service online chat," who quoted me the rule stated nowhere on the site, and only available to members, after log-in. It is so invisible, that the "human service" had to send me a screenshot as proof that it exist, because I could never open any links to it.
So, my trip has not even begun, and my first experience with China Eastern is bad, simply because they refuse to abide by their own promises and standards they advertise. This hidden rule allegedly requires that the ticket cost must be $ 1800 in order to qualify. This was never mentioned anywhere on the website visible to customers. Therefore, I believe that this is a standard practise of false advertising in order to hook customers to purchase a bad ticket (16 hours layover in my case!), and then deny them the major convenience that was promised.
Now I am stuck with a nonrefundable ticket with a 16 hour layover and have to fund it myself.
Definitely do not trust anything China Eastern promises you, because they are sure to dig an invisible "rule" out of their a......e just to avoid giving you what they promise before you give them your money.

Last time the flight was quite difficult, so I was bracing for the worst again. But unexpectedly, everything turned out completely different. I was checked in very quickly and without any issues, even though I had oversized luggage with a bit of excess weight. But the biggest surprise was on the plane — I hadn’t paid attention to my boarding pass, and it turned out they had upgraded my first leg from Singapore to Shanghai to business class for free. I was able to get some decent sleep lying down, which was great. The food and drinks were excellent, of course.
How could I not write a good review after that? :)

WORST WEBSITE I'VE USED IN MY WHOLE LIFE. THE MOST BUGGY WEBSITE EVER, CAN'T LOGIN ONE SECOND, CAN THE NEXT, CAN'T CHECK IN, CANT DO ANYTHING. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!! HOPEFULLY THE FLIGHT TOMORROW IS NOTHING LIKE THE SITE

Absolutely unacceptable customer service and accountability from China Eastern Airlines.

On April 14, 2025, I was wrongfully denied boarding on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Shanghai, despite holding a valid U.S. Emergency Passport and a legitimate Chinese visa issued by the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt. This was a business trip to the Shanghai Auto Show, and I had all required documentation confirmed in advance.

Their staff at the gate, completely misinformed, claimed my passport was not valid—even though I showed proof from the consulate. As a result, I missed my flight, incurred over €2,300 in last-minute travel costs (a new airline ticket, car rental from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, accommodation), and lost crucial business opportunities.

Even after China Eastern formally acknowledged in writing that my documents were valid and apologized for the error, they offered only a €600 compensation under EU261 and a vague partial ticket refund—ignoring the full financial damage they caused.

I submitted all invoices, followed up multiple times, and have now waited over a month without response.
Let this review serve as a warning to international travelers and business professionals:
China Eastern Airlines does NOT take responsibility for their own mistakes, and their customer service is unresponsive and evasive.

I am now pursuing legal action and will report this to EU and Chinese aviation regulators.

To China Eastern management reading this: If you value your international reputation, I strongly urge you to address this issue professionally and reimburse me in full. I am more than willing to share this story across social media, business networks, and press outlets until it receives the attention it deserves.

Great Experience with China Eastern – Surprisingly Smooth!

I travelled to Fukuoka, Japan for a six-month stay and booked my flights through Trip.com. It was my first time flying with China Eastern, but the price was very reasonable and I wasn’t too bothered about the 5-hour layover in Shanghai. I figured I could relax, stretch my legs, and grab a drink.

I departed from Gatwick’s North Terminal and everything ran on time. I flew economy and was genuinely impressed by the quality of service. The staff were attentive, and the overall experience was smooth and comfortable. The food and snacks provided were much better than expected, which was a pleasant surprise. There was also a good selection of entertainment and movies, and I had a good amount of legroom, which made the long flight much more bearable.

One of the best perks was being allowed two large checked bags for free, which was fantastic given the length of my stay.

The only downside was the airline’s online system. I was able to select my seats in advance, but I couldn’t check in online, which was a bit frustrating. However, checking in at the airport turned out to be no hassle at all.

All in all, a very good experience and I would certainly consider flying with China Eastern again.

4/5