Fly Conveniently With China Eastern Airlines: Understand Its Policies

China Eastern Airlines is among China's top three aviation groups, owned by the state government, after China Southern Airlines and Air China. The Chinese government holds a significant stake in the airline, 61,64%, whereas the public holds the other shares. H shares hold 32.19%, and A shares hold 6.17%. The main office of China Eastern airline is situated in Changning, Shanghai. The airline is increasingly focusing on increasing the network coverage for its people; thus, becoming a member of the SkyTeam Airline Alliance is one of many steps in this direction. 

China Eastern Airlines' Popular Hub

China Eastern Airlines focuses on connecting the world with Shanghai and thus aims to fly to a wide range of destinations, which is unlikely possible from a single destination. Hence, the airline operates its flights from several hubs to smoothly board all its flights. Here are some of the well-known centres for China Eastern Airlines: 

• Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG), Kunming
• Shanghai Haonqiao International Airport (SHA), Shanghai
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Shanghai 
• Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), Shaanxi
• Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), Beijing 
• Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU), Sichuan
• Hangzhou Xianshan International Airport (HGH), Zhejiang
• Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), Jiangsu
• Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (TAO), Shandong
• Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH), Hubei
• Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN), Fujian

China Eastern Airlines' Top International Destinations 

While aiming to connect the world with Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines operates its flights, with over 800 aircraft, to around 1050 destinations in 166 regions and countries. However, there are some crucial and top international destinations of the airline to which it flies more regularly than any other destination. Some of the top global destinations of China Eastern Airlines are:

• Narita International Airport (NRT), Japan
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), Malaysia
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York
• Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Canada
• Heathrow Airport (LHR), London
• London Gatwick Airport (LGW), London
• Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Germany
• St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Florida
• Melbourne Airport (MEL), Australia

China Eastern Airlines' Code Share Partner Airlines 

Though it covers many destinations through its over 800 aircraft, the airline still wants to offer more to its passengers by providing them access to their desired destinations through its platform only; thus, it has signed various code-share partner agreements with multiple airlines. Some of the top-most code-share partner airlines of China Eastern Airlines are:

• China Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Etihad Airways
• Qantas
• Virgin Atlantic
• British Airways
• Aerolineas Argentinas
• WestJet

China Eastern Airlines' Types of Classes and their Facilities 

China Eastern Airlines focuses on providing excellent services to its passengers, based on their preferences and tastes. Thus, it offers four different fare classes for its travellers based on the airline's different facilities and charges, from which passengers can select the one they find best. Some of the crucial features of China Eastern Airlines' fare class include:

• First Class:

  • The first class of China Eastern Airlines is only available on selected aircraft.
  • It is the most costly fare class of the airline.
  • A minimal number of seats are available for this fare class.
  • The first class seats are fully reclineable, allowing their passengers to provide a flat seat where they can lie.
  • In the first class, passengers are provided with a personalised space, as there is ample space between the two seats of the cabin. 

• Business Class:

  • The number of seats and rows varies from one aircraft to another. Some may have eight seats, while others can hold around 26 seats. 
  • The cost of the cabin is generally high, as the airline offers various facilities to the class. 
  • The reclining angle also changes depending on the aircraft, which may be as low as 6 inches in some and as high as 180 degrees in others. 
  • Your seat pitch is great and varies between 39 and 44 inches, depending on the aircraft you are flying. 
  • You are guaranteed an aisle seat or a window seat on your flight, regardless of the aircraft you are flying on.

• Premium Economy Class:

  • Premium Economy fare class is available on a few China Eastern Airlines aircraft.
  • It is among the best seats for both budget travellers who also want to experience the comfort of the airline, as this cabin class is not too costly but offers a comfortable seating area for its passengers.
  • The angle at which the seats recline is approximately 7 inches. 
  • The seat pitch in this fare class is around 38 inches with a 19-inch inner width of the armrest. 

• Economy Class:

  • Economy class holds the highest number of seats in every aircraft of China Eastern Airlines.
  • This class is available on almost all of the airline's aircraft.
  • It is best for those who want to travel in a budget-friendly manner.
  • The seating arrangement in the Economy Class typically consists of a 2-3-2 layout on most planes. 
  • The angle at which seats recline ranges from 3.5 to 7 inches, depending on the aircraft you are flying. 

China Eastern Airlines' Online Booking Process 

Being one of the major airlines in China, offering services between Shanghai and the rest of the world, China Eastern Airlines is a popular choice for travellers travelling on its prescribed routes. Thus, it is required for you to learn about the online booking process of the airline through which you can book your China Eastern Airlines flight with ease, which can be seen as follows:

• Visit China Eastern Airlines' official website at ceair.com
• Under the "Book" section, provide them with the required basic itinerary details and search for your flight.
• Pick up the flight and the fare class according to your preference and budget.
• Log in to your Eastern Miles account or create one if you don't have one.
• Enter your required personal information and the contact information at which the airline will contact you in case of any updates regarding your flight.
• After moving forward, you can select the add-ons for your flight, if you want.
• Enter the payment card information.
• Finally, you must make the final payment based on the services you have selected with the airline and receive your final itinerary at your registered email address. 

China Eastern Airlines' Change and Cancellation Policy 

Though China Eastern Airlines offers excellent facilities and services to its passengers, it may be possible that you have to amend your flight itinerary by changing the flight or cancelling it altogether. Then the airline allows you to do so, but you must be aware of the airline's change and cancellation policy for a hassle-free experience, which can be seen as follows:

• China Eastern Airlines' change or cancellation fee depends on your fare class and when you made the changes before your flight's departure. 
• If you modify your flight ticket and a fee for multiple changes is applicable, China Eastern Airlines will impose the maximum change fee, irrespective of whether you have utilised that flight segment.
• There is no change or cancellation fee for the infant who doesn't occupy a seat with the airline. 
• The voluntary change fee is non-refundable. 
• The airline allows you to cancel your flight, which has been flown partially.

China Eastern Airlines' Change and Cancellation Process 

It is easy to amend the flight schedule or cancel it altogether with China Eastern Airlines. Thus, if you want to make such changes, you can follow the steps as provided below:

• Visit China Eastern Airlines' official website at ceair.com
• Log in to your China Eastern Airlines account.
• Retrieve your flight itinerary.
• Look for the option to make changes.
• Choose the flight for which you want to make changes. 
• Click on the amendments you wish to make.
• Follow the instructions on the screen based on the changes you want to implement. 
• Confirm your changes.
• Make the payment, if required. 
• Get the confirmation of your modifications sent to your registered email. 

China Eastern Airlines' Loyalty Program

Eastern Miles is known as China Eastern Airlines' loyalty program. Along with China Eastern Airlines, the program also includes China United Airlines and Shanghai Airlines. To earn miles in the Eastern Miles card, members can fly to any of the airlines mentioned above and make purchases with China Eastern's credit card. You must earn points in the program to spend them for your benefit. The airline allows its passengers to earn more and more reward points in their program and provides three different tiers to them, each with increasing benefits. The Eastern Miles program consists of three levels: 

• Platinum
• Gold
• Silver

Process to join China Eastern Airlines' Loyalty Program

There are various advantages of joining Eastern Miles memberships of the airline, including using it to purchase your flight, so that you have to pay less money for your desired travel. However, to earn the miles in your membership, you have to join the program, which can be done in the following easy steps: 

• Visit China Eastern Airlines' official website at ceair.com
• Select "Eastern Miles." 
• Tap on "Join Us."
• Insert your "ID number/People's Republic of China Foreign Perm" in the provided space.
• Mark a tick in the "I have read and agreed" column, and click "Next."
• Kindly supply them with all the necessary details regarding yourself. 
• Follow the instructions provided by the airline.
• Receive the confirmation of your Eastern Miles membership number and password at your registered email address. 

Benefits of Joining China Eastern Airlines' Loyalty Program 

The flight covers 1050 flight destinations and offers ample opportunities to earn and receive various benefits from its loyalty program, Eastern Miles. Some of the benefits of joining the program can be seen as follows:

• The airline allows you to earn miles even for non-flight activities, such as using China Eastern's credit card for shopping, or using the services of its partner hotels, restaurants, or car booking. 
• You can book an award flight for your travel with China Eastern Airlines and its partner.
• The airline will enable you to upgrade your seat using the miles points.
• The airline may allow you to carry extra baggage for your flight based on your tier status.
• You may get access to the airport lounges, based on the tier status you have attained with the airline. 
• You would be treated as a priority on the airline during check-in, boarding, and baggage handling. 

China Eastern Airlines' Refund Policy 

If you cannot travel with China Eastern Airlines for any reason, you would like to get the amount back from the airline. For the refund, the airline does follow some specific policies, which are essential to understand so that at the time of the cancellation of your flight, you would be aware of what part of the fee would be provided to you at the time of the cancellation. For the refund policy of China Eastern Airlines, you can refer to the following section: 

• The refund policy of China Eastern Airlines consists of two parts:
  • The first is the refundable ticket fare and fuel surcharges.
  • The other is fees and refundable taxes collected on the government's behalf.
• You would be refunded after deducting non-refundable fares, fuel, government taxes and fees, and the cancellation fee. 
• After purchasing the ticket, you can determine whether your airfare class is refundable during your booking or flight itinerary. 
• If you have booked a non-refundable airfare ticket, your fuel surcharge also becomes non-refundable.
• At the time, when you cancel your airfare ticket, such that your fuel surcharges and refundable fare become zero or less than that, you are not required to pay any additional payment to the airline. Moreover, China Eastern Airlines will provide you with a refund of the refundable government taxes and fees for the segment that you haven't travelled. 
• Change fees that you have used before applying for the refund are non-refundable. 
• You are not entitled to a refund for the segment you have travelled. 

China Eastern Airlines' Seat Upgrade Policy 

You booked your flight with China Eastern Airlines in a lower fare class, but now you want to upgrade your seat to a higher class to enjoy the services and facilities offered in that cabin. Though you are allowed to upgrade your seat with the airline, you must learn about the charges you have to pay to the airline for the upgrade through its seat upgrade policy, which can be seen as follows:

• If you want to upgrade your seat with China Eastern Airlines, you must pay the applicable cabin class charges and the difference between the ticket price before and after the change.
• If the charges charged after the change are equal to or less than zero, you are not required to pay any charges. 
• If you switch the flight or the date of your travel along with the upgrade, the airline will recalculate your fare price, including any difference in fares, fees, fuel surcharges, or taxes, apart from the change fee.
• If you change your flight ticket again after upgrading your cabin class, the fare rule of your new class will apply. 

China Eastern Airlines' Pet Policy 

Little furry friends can be part of a family for some. They hold a special place in the hearts of their owners. Thus, they want to travel with them to different destinations, even if it takes a flight. However, not all pets can be travelled with China Eastern Airlines, and the animals that can travel are subject to some restrictions. Thus, you are required to know about the pet policy of China Eastern Airlines before you book a flight with it, which can be seen as follows:

• The airline only provides transportation services to small domesticated pets, such as dogs, cats, birds, etc., as checked baggage, with some restrictions. 
• Only one small pet can travel with a passenger. 
• The pet travel service is only provided on flights operated by airlines that operate direct flights to the desired destination, and travelling with a pet on connecting flights is likely impossible.
• You will probably need to notify your pet about its travel at least 48 hours before your flight. 
• While travelling with your pet, you must check in at least 120 minutes before departure. 
• You must pay the pet travel fee to the airline at the airport based on the animal's weight and its container, considering baggage and other relevant regulations.

China Eastern Airlines' Name Change and Date of Birth Change Policy 

You may have seen some errors in your airfare ticket after the ticket had been purchased. Thus, it requires immediate ticket correction to travel hassle-free with your loved ones. However, China Eastern Airlines doesn't allow you to make any changes you want. Thus, if you're going to make changes in your name and date of birth, you have to consider the following points:

• You will unlikely be able to change a substantial error in your name or transfer your airfare ticket to someone else with China Eastern Airlines. You must cancel your ticket and book it again using the correct name.
• However, after providing the required documents, a minor's name and date of birth may be corrected by calling China Eastern Airlines' customer service centre.
• The airline may charge a correction fee to make the essential changes in your airfare ticket. 

China Eastern Airlines' Group Booking Policy 

While travelling with your loved ones either for leisure or work, you can learn about the group booking policy of China Eastern Airlines, so that you can manage a smooth conduct of your trip. Thus, the group booking policy of the airline can be seen as follows: 

• With 10 or more passengers, you can book a group booking with China Eastern Airlines.
• You must call China Eastern Airlines' call centre to book a group flight. 
• Change and cancellation fees for group bookings can vary based on the terms you agree to during the booking.
• However, if you travel partially with China Eastern Airlines with your group booking, you are not entitled to receive a refund from the airline. 
• If you haven't travelled any segment of your flight in a group booking, but the number of passengers in the group booking is less than the specified minimum group number, you are only entitled to a tax refund. 

China Eastern Airlines' Types of Discounts and Offers

Everyone likes it when they are entitled to a discounted ticket from the airline. However, not all passengers can get such an offer from the airline. So, some specific groups who can get a special fare from China Eastern Airlines can be seen as follows: 

• Student discount: Students flying with China Eastern Airlines receive a 50 per cent discount on the standard adult fare, provided that the selected travel class is F/U/J/W/Y. However, the airline's refund and change policy is the same as that of an adult in the same cabin. 
• Military discount: Disabled revolutionary servicemen or police officers injured in the line of duty are entitled to a 50 per cent discount on the standard adult fare, provided that the selected travel class is F/U/J/W/Y and that they present a Certificate of Revolutionary Disabled Soldiers of the People's Republic of China or the Certificate of Disability Pension of People's Police of the People's Republic of China at the time of booking. The airline exempts these personnel from paying any change or cancellation fee. 
• Special fare discount: China Eastern Airlines occasionally offers discounts to its passengers, irrespective of any specialised category. This special fare discount is provided to everyone flying on its discounted flights. You can learn about the airline's special fare discounts through its official website. 

China Eastern Airlines' Coupon (Festive Coupon) 

To make the festive season delightful for its passengers, China Eastern Airlines provides the coupon code, which they can use to make their flight and festival travel budget. However, there are some terms and conditions for using the coupon, which can be seen as follows:

• You can find the coupon code for China Eastern Airlines during holidays or any special events.
• The airline allows you to use the coupon code to get your airfare ticket at discounted rates.
• You only have to buy the ticket from China Eastern Airlines' official website to use this coupon code. 
• There is a deadline for using the coupon code by which you have to use the code to make your flight cheaper. 
• The coupon code can be applied to get a discount on the ticket fare price, but not for the refund, change, or upgrade fee.
• You are not allowed to use the promo code with any other offer provided by the airline.
• If you have to cancel the flight booked with a promo code, the voucher is not returned to you, and you have to pay the change or cancellation fee according to the fare rule.
• The airline doesn't allow you to exchange the promo code for cash. 

China Eastern Airlines' Last Minute Deals

However, a last-minute flight booking is generally costly and burdens the traveller's pocket. But there are some simple tricks which you can use to make your last-minute flight with China Eastern Airlines within your budget, which can be seen as follows:

• Subscribe to the newsletter of China Eastern Airlines: After subscribing to the airline's newsletters, you can learn about any new deals and offers promoted by the airline at the earliest. So, you can book the flight to the destinations to which the deals have been offered at the last minute at a great price. 
• Join China Eastern Airlines' loyalty program: After joining the airline's loyalty program, you can book your last-minute flight at the best price. The airline often provides you with an award ticket; at other times, you can buy your last-minute ticket using the miles to make it less costly. 

China Eastern Airlines' International Travel Rules 

There are various things to consider while travelling on an international flight, including international travel rules. To make your travel process easy, China Eastern Airlines provides some international travel rules, which can be seen as follows:

• All international travellers, including infants and children, must carry their passports. 
• At least 6 months' validity should remain in your passport when you travel to an international destination.
• You are required to have a visa to enter various countries.
• If you are changing your flight from one country to another, you must have a visa for that specific country.

China Eastern Airlines' Cheapest Time or Date of Booking Flight

The cheapest time to book your China Airlines flight is during the off-peak season to the destination you are flying to. As the demand for airlines during the off-peak season is low, the price of the aircraft also goes down. This helps you travel at a budgeted price, and your overall trip would become cheap, as even the accommodation costs are low during that time. Moreover, if you want your flight to be more affordable, you can book it 1 to 3 months in advance for domestic flights and 2 to 4 months in advance for international flights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I carry my small pet onboard with China Eastern Airlines?

No, China Eastern Airlines only allows you to transfer your small pet through the hold; thus, you cannot bring your pet onboard. 

I do not see the Manage Booking section on China Eastern Airlines' home page. What do I have to do to retrieve my booking?

You must log in to your Eastern Miles account to retrieve your booking online. 

Can I downgrade my China Eastern flight and get a refund from the airline?

Yes, China Eastern Airlines allows you to downgrade your cabin class and get a refund from the airline.

I have found a coupon code for China Eastern Airlines. When does the coupon expire?

Every China Eastern Airlines coupon has a deadline, which is found along with the coupon code only.

I have changed my China Eastern Airlines itinerary once, and now want to cancel my travel. Do I have the right to receive a refund for the modification as well? 

No, the change fee with China Eastern Airlines is non-refundable, and thus, you are not entitled to receive it after your flight is cancelled.