China Eastern Business Trip Report

[anchew]

When I found out that I was flying to Shanghai on China Eastern, a wave of nervousness came over me. I tried to work out in my mind how I could justify flying SQ instead, which was just slightly higher in price (QF was around 50% higher in price). But due to the extra flying time required for SQ, there was no justifiable reason. So naturally, I turned to AFF for a trip report on MU in J to try and placate my uncertainty about MU but a trip report was nowhere to be found. What I did find was that there were quite few people here who were also looking for a trip report. So I thought it is my AFF member duty to suck it up, fly MU and write a report on it.

 

[anchew]

MU 562 SYD-PVG
ETD 1200
ETA 1920
We arrived around 2.5 hours prior to the flight and there were no one in priority check-in lane so we only had to wait less than a minute before we were called over. Check-in was uneventful, except that the check-in agent asked me and my colleague if we wanted to sit together and moved us to first row bulkhead adjoining widow seats (6J & 6L). We were given our boarding passes and QF J lounge invitation card then were on our way. Being a non-One World airline, I didn’t have access to the F lounge so had to find a way to fill 2 hours slumming in the J lounge. What do people do with all that time in the QF J lounge?

At around 1140, the screens showed ‘Go To Gate’ for our flight. By this time we were really bored, so we decided to make our way to the boarding gate. When we arrived, boarding had already commenced and we marched down the empty priority boarding lane and were settling in our seats in no time.

As we were flying from SYD, the bird that greeted us was an A330. MU uses 767s from MEL, which by comments on here should be avoided. While settling in our seats and waiting for the rest of the passengers to board, we were offered water or orange juice. Then at 1200 on the dot, we pushed back. While taxing, hot towels, newspapers (Australian and Chinese) and amenity kits were handed out. The safety announcement was played fully in Chinese first, then in English, but it was quite soft, barely audible. Congestion at SYD meant that we were sitting on the taxiway for around 20 minutes before taking off. Then less than 10 minutes afterwards, the seatbelt sign went off.

The remainder of the flight went something like this:
1245 Headsets, menus and hot towels (again) were handed out
1255 Drink and lunch orders taken
1310 Drink, nuts and canapé served at the same time o_0
1325 Selection of bread was brought around
1335 Soup served
1345 Appetiser served
1410 Mains served
1420 Fruits and cheese served.
1430 Ice cream served
1435 Bottled water handed out and chocolate bars offered.
1445 PJs and doonas handed out (even though it was a day flight)
1450 Lights dimmed
1505 Lights out

Part way through the fight, chocolate bars, nuts and chips were offered.

1600 (PVG time or 1900 SYD time) Lights on
1615 ‘Light meal’ orders taken
1630 (coldish) Towels handed out
1640 Appetiser served
1650 Mains served


Approaching PVG:
1850 Headphones collected
1900 Started descending
1932 Landed into PVG
1940 Arrived at the gate
2950 After a long walk through the terminal, cleared immigration and customs
2000 Bags arrived at the carousel

View of the cabin:

 

[anchew]

The Seat

The seat on the plane is similar to the QF Sky Bed Mark I. For a day flight it was quite comfortable, and being seated in the bulk head, we had ample of leg room.

Bulk Head Seat:




Non-bulk head seat:

 

[anchew]

Seat fully reclined:






My return flight is an overnight flight so would be interesting to see how the seat is to sleep on.

 

[anchew]

The seats are quite narrow though and there's not much storage space.

 

[anchew]

Slippers are placed in the pocket in front


Amenity kit








Amenity Kit contains:
- Body Lotion
- Lip Balm
- Mouth wash
- Comb/brush
- Eye mask
- Ear pugs
- Shaving Kit

 

[anchew]

Menu

DINNER/LUNCH

Canapé - Smoked Salmon​

Chinese Style

Appetizer - Poached Chicken with Vegetable Salad
​

Soup - Night Blooming Cereus and Figs in Pork Broth
​

Entrée [sic] - BBQ Port and Duck Combination/Steamed Rice/Vegetables Or Pan Fried Barramundi with Black Bean Sauce/Steamed Rice/Vegetables
​

Dessert - Ice Cream Or Cheese Cake Berry
​

Fruit - Seasonal Fresh Fruit
​

*Assorted Bread Roll and Selected Cheese are served in Chinese Dinner/Lunch as well​

Western Style

Appetizer - Prawn Asparagus and Shaved Fennel Salad
​

Soup - Lobster Bisquie Cream Soup
​

Bread - Assorted Gourmet Breads Served with Butter Rosette
​

Main Course - Grilled Tournedos of Beef in Red Wine Sauce/Potato Gratin/Vegetables Or Sauteed prawn with chilli flakes/Ratatouille/Linguini Pasta
​

Cheese - Cheddar/King Island Blue Wedge/King Island Triple Cream Brie/Crackers
​

Dessert - Ice Cream Or Cheese Cake Berry

​

Fruit - Seasonal Fresh Fruits
​

LIGHT MEAL

Appetizer - King Prawn on Jellyfish and Korean Green Seaweed Salad
​

Bread - Assorted Gourmet Breads Served with Butter Rosette
​

Main Course - Chinese Style Lamb with Black Pepper Sauce/ Steamed Rice/Vegetables​

Or Proscuitto [sic] Wrapped Chicken/Buttered Broccolini/Vegetables
Or Traditional West Lake Vinegar Barraumundi [sic] Fillet/Steamed Rice/Vegetables
Or (Veg) Stirfried [sic] Noodle with Vegetables
​

Fruit - Seasonal Fresh Fruits
​

 

[anchew]

To be continued...

 

[jetlagger]

Thanks for the TR thus far.. Looks quite nice.. Look forward to the rest.

 

[RB]

Thanks for the report. One of the photos certainly makes the seat look narrow!

 

[PLC]

Much nicer than their domestic "first"!!!

 

[Flying Fox]

Amenity kit
View attachment 12960

View attachment 12962

View attachment 12961

View attachment 12964

Amenity Kit contains:
- Body Lotion
- Lip Balm
- Mouth wash
- Comb/brush
- Eye mask
- Ear pugs
- Shaving Kit

V. impressive amenity kit. SQ should take a few pointers from here!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yes thanks for TR anchew - I did actually do comprehensive TR of the MEL-PVG route with MU on the old wet leased Shanghai Airlines planes.

Those flts cost me 2.2K MEL-PVG/PEK-MEL - what did you pay for this trip?

I would not be surprised if we see some more agressive pricing from MU post Chinese New Year as the 3K MH flts to / from China are just too good value wise.

 

[Dalescott]

Wife and I flew out of melb to Lon in J on China Eastern, 2 years ago. Plane was an old Shanghai Airlines, this looks like a big improvement.

 

[anchew]

Meals

As you can see, the order that the meals came out didn’t match what was on the menu which made confused me a little. Also, at the start when the soups and appetisers came out, they got me and my colleague’s choices mixed up. We only realised this when the appetisers came out, but it was too late for the soup.

Overall, I found the meals a little dry and bland. The rice that came with the main was cold. I didn’t end up finishing the main. One thing that annoyed me though was that they brought out the fruit platter before I finished my mains. Though the highlight of the meal service was the ice-cream at the end – the flavour was ‘death by chocolate’.

Another thing, I was sitting on the window seat and the F/A kept on passing the dishes over my colleague to me individually rather than coming around (there was plenty of room in front of us) and placing it on the table. One thing that didn't help them was that they don't use trays to serve the food. But instead of placing the cutlery and plates on my tray table, they handed them to me individually. It was just a minor thing but didn't look very professional.


Tea and nuts:


Canapé - Smoked Salmon:


Garlic bread and self served table setup


Soup Losbter Bisquie Cream Soup

 

[anchew]

Chinese Appetizer - Poached Chicken with Vegetable Salad


Western Appetizer - Prawn Asparagus and Shaved Fennel Salad


Chinese Main - BBQ Port and Duck Combination/Steamed Rice/Vegetables


Western main - Grilled Tournedos of Beef in Red Wine Sauce/Potato Gratin/Vegetables


Ice Cream

 

[jetlagger]

Thanks for the ongoing pictorial..
It is the refinement of service standards that at times annoys me somewhat on several airlines, especially in premium classes.
As you mentioned re: the passing of dishes over the neighbour.
The worst case scenario would be the serving of warm/hot dishes that are cold/ish, inclusive of soup :evil:, & the Champagne & white wine served warmish, & in the wrong glass. :evil:
& it has happened on SQ in J as well.. I did mention in a polite fashion that I do expect better, as well as a better knowledge of the Champagne & wine varieties being served.
But on a positive note, most of the China carriers are trying hard, just need to tweek their service & knowledge a tad higher.

 

[anchew]

"Light Meal"


King Prawn on Jellyfish and Korean Green Seaweed Salad (this one was actually very nice)

Traditional West Lake Vinegar Barraumundi [sic] Fillet/Steamed Rice/Vegetables


Fruit plate

 

[anchew]

Entertainment

The inflight entertainment was an AVOD system with a good selection of English movies. There were no English language TV series available, but there were Discovery Channel type short features. However, there wasn't any entertainment guide.

On this flight, the Hollywood movies available were:
The Avengers
Wrath of the Titans
Journey to the End of the Earth
21 Jump Street
Happy Feet 2
Anonymous
The Ideas of March
Margin Call
50/50
One Day
The Debt
The Way
Prom
Cat & Dogs 2
Cop Out
The informant
John Carter
War Horse
The Muppets
Harry Potter … Part 2
Jane Eyre
Beginners
Colombiana
Terri
Green Lantern
Paul
Mars Needs Moms
Legend of the Guardians
Universal Soldier Regeneration
Invictus
Ninja Assassin
Flipped
Alice in Wonderland
Toy Story 3
The Prince and the Frog
Up
The Dark Knight
Curious Case of B. Buton
Evan Almighty
High School Musical 2
Oceans Thirteen
The Borne Identity
The Borne Supremacy
The Borne Ultimatum
The Chronicles of Narnia 1
Cars
King Kong
The Matrix Revolution
Pirates of the Caribbean 1
Harry Potter 1
Training Day
The Shawshank Redemption
The Artist
The Last Station
The Reader
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Brother Bear

 

[jetlagger]

OMG.. QF have some work to do with their IFE then.. :mrgreen: