MU - MEL-PVG - just for wilco

[Cruiser Elite]

And - Diesel T Shirts - RMB20:



Armani / Burberry / Boss pants - RMB80



Many many jeans / pants stores - 80RMB gents or ladies will get you over the line. Of couse by now i am way over 2 suitcases so off to buy a genuine Chinese Samsonite suitcase - RMB120:



By now I am so overweight - total of 3 suitcaes 50kg - D'Oh!

PEK-PVG on CA I am up for RMB360 fees - thats less than $60 so no biggie. Check into MU PVG-MEL and I am up for RMB2,930 = A$450 - DAMN.

Still you can't let a few excess baggage fees interrupt a good days shopping huh ladies?

 

[moa999]

The problem with China markets.
You just tend to avoid even considering clothes shopping for a long time (maybe a good thing for females)

that said some of that stuff (partic the polo shirts) appear obvious fakes.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

that said some of that stuff (partic the polo shirts) appear obvious fakes.

You are seeing them at their worst - amazing what a difference an iron and a decent camera / photographer would make.

cough I said I putchased some items for my No 1 man here - his wife runs Calvin Klein stores here - a real fashionista - she says some of the items you just cannot differentiate from genuine - at these prices I'll take the copies any day.

 

[TheInsider]

If you are QF Plat, I presume you can access the QF F lounge in Syd as MU are part of One World?

No First lounge access, only business lounge access and only if travelling business class on MU.
MU not apart of OW, only a QFF partner, so points earning only.

 

[elan]

Some of you guys will be aware of the ongoing fascination and love affair betweeen wilco and a few others with China Eastern.

I flew MU MEL-PVG / PVG-MEL Jan 10 / 17 - just thought i would share a few pics with you of this newcomer to the Oz - Sino route - J class $2,300 return.

Check-in

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Hi Cruiser Elite,
great report here, I typically fly once a year to Mel-PVG, never really considered MU, I like the idea of a non stop leg.
I know that you as a QF member you do recieve FF points, how about SC in J class?

Cheers
Ray

 

[mannej]

Hi Cruiser Elite,
great report here, I typically fly once a year to Mel-PVG, never really considered MU, I like the idea of a non stop leg.
I know that you as a QF member you do recieve FF points, how about SC in J class?

Cheers
Ray

MU = points only on MU flight number.

 

[moa999]

No SCs for any non-oneworld airline (ex Jetstar and Air Pac)

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yes you can earn QF pts but I joined CE FF program Eastern Miles - they had great promos running when I joined whereby 2.5 ret J flts would qualify you for free J ret - those promos gone now but still worth membership and earning if you fly there regularly.

I will finish this report soon but I now have picture posting issue which Admin are looking into.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Time to head home so flew CA PEK-PVG - landed T2 - undertook that little underground trek T2 to T1 to check into MU flt - $450 excess baggage later I am heading to MU Business Lounge.



And the interior:



I had intended to get a few more pics of MU Business Lounge but this poor little dude almost left his seat as my flash went off so I thought it best to refrain:



So headed straight to the bar - my what a broad selection the Chinese lounges offer:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Now lets take a closer look at those wines - AH YES - the famous Imperial Court label - rates right up there with other famous Chinese Labels such as Great Wall, Dynasty and Golden Seal - hmmmm - delicious:



Well I will basically drink anything - so lets have a crack at the red:



Now for those wanting spirits - choosing the right mixer can be tricky:



Kunbudong? (Chinese for I cannot read this) - nah just kidding - english on other side:



And to put the size of the wines glasses in perspective:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

No 767 this leg - replaced by A330 due to increased number of pax - 36 seats in J and 31 pax - amazing how numbers balloon in lead up to Chinese New Year:



And



Pre take-off Champagne - again check the glass:



And the obligatory slip ons:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

2 meals served - dinner and breakfast. I would suggest you make a point of trying to eat prior to this flight - dinner is nothing special at all. And yes I know it is very difficult to get anything remotely edible anywhere in Pudong Airport - but that is something you will become accustomed to the more often you pass through.

3 choices for dinner - Seafood and Rice, Chicken and Rice and Pork and Rice. I moved seats from 8D to 10G - 10K was empty so again I had plenty of room. I moved seats because a group of 6 Chinese girls wanted to sit together - no biggie - until ordering meals - aft to rear ordering of main course - left aisle first - means I was one of last to order - only Pork and Rice available - I re-iterate - eat before boarding if possible.

But oh well - that Imperial Court red is gonna destroy your tast buds anyway - and now I have the little FA's bringing me Taittinger at a rate they have never previously experienced so all is good:



The pork was totally inaccurately described - a better description would have been Blundstone Boot Sole and Rice - if there was ever one little piggy that should not have gone to market it was certainly this one - this little piggy should have stayed home for sure.

And what would a Chinese prepared meal be without a plate of fruit:



And I had been a very good boy so I got 2 x Haagen Dazs ice cream:



You guys know what its like - long flight - finished your meal - sitting there all content - what are you left with - yep your red and your water - sigh - so many flights - such repeated behaviour.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Oh I forgot to include pics of the BVLGARI amenity pack - well BVLGARI on outside - contents questionable:




Opened:



Contents:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

After demolishing last bottle of Taittinger and attempting to destroy all reds on board got a good sleep on angled bed (sorry no pics) and awoke to brekky 2 hours before landing in MEL:



Breakfast was quite ok - total flight experience quite satisfactory also.

 

[TonyHancock]

Excellent report. Love the photos.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Just a few points to finish this TR off:

1. I am not an employee, promoter or indeed in any way a fan of MU – I am only attempting to show others what I experienced on these cheap MU J flights.

2. I am not stupid enough to attempt to suggest that the MU J product is in any way comparable to QF, SQ or CX. Apart from what was IMHO a very comfortable seat to SIT in – the MU product is very basic / very old / very spartan by modern J standards. There is zero facilities / amenities in and around your seat – zero IFE - seat recline is just acceptable for sleeping but ample legroom on 767 and marginal on A330.

3. Clearly MU is not the type of product many premium pax will desire. I know many of you will hold the view you will never get on a service operated by mainland Chinese carriers due to either safety concerns or general product standard. I fully understand that – I have no death wish either (although I did start riding bulls at 12yo) – but having used ALL Chinese carriers domestically in China for 12 years or so you do become accustomed to them.

All my travel is self-funded – I do 10 trips a year to China – my next 2 flts are J saver redemptions on SQ – indeed I will probably have 5 or 6 return J saver flts to China this year with SQ – at least 1 x VA J flt to USA this year – so I get plenty travel at the premium end of the market - but I have no hesitation in saying if all my flts were paid I would probably fly exclusively with MU into / out of China if I can continue to get these rates for these direct flights.

4. One thing that does stand out on MU J is the preparedness and willingness of cabin staff to offer any assistance they possibly can to pax. Whilst the product delivery by Chinese carriers is quite different to what premium pax have become accustomed to on QF, SQ and CX – ALL cabin staff I have encountered on MU so far have bent over backwards at every opportunity to serve me.

Little things like stopping you from entering toilet until toilet cleaned after previous occupant leaves / stopping you on exiting toilet and handing you damp towel to wipe hands / the continual head popping around galley curtains to see if I had finished the thimble of Taittinger they kept serving me – ALL cabin staff were fantastic.

These MU rates of approx. A$2,300 for direct flights into / out of PVG are a steal IMHO. The product in general lacks polish and sophistication but for a 10 to 11 hr flt that gets me direct to China and back again MU suits me just fine – YMMV.

 

[markis10]

- aft to rear ordering of main course

Rear to Rear ordering, I feel sorry for those in the fore .

On a more serious note, if you are doing that many trips to China, for similar costing you could be flying CX J and have WPbanked pretty quickly, admittedly not direct, but the point haul from the extra status miles would soon add up to the odd direct PVG JASA!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

aft to rear ordering - sorry for typo

On a more serious note, if you are doing that many trips to China, for similar costing you could be flying CX J

If you can please point me in the direction where I can secure CX J at anywhere near A$2,300 I would be eternally grateful.

Just checked BF - here is what I found:




And:




And from CX web site:



Now am I seriously missing something here?

 

[markis10]

You need to broaden the definition of china, start there and it's by no means direct, but as I said if you are a frequent Asian visitor you can organize it to actually work out cheaper than MU (with the help of JASAs thrown in from all the points you earn averaging across all the trips). Each trip has the potential to accrue 300 to 500 SC.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

You need to broaden the definition of china, start there and it's by no means direct, but as I said if you are a frequent Asian visitor you can organize it to actually work out cheaper than MU (with the help of JASAs thrown in from all the points you earn averaging across all the trips). Each trip has the potential to accrue 300 to 500 SC.

Well I would never debate this with someone smarter than me - so what $$$'s are you prepared to accept as a consultancy fee to make this happen?