China Eastern out of Melbourne

[Dalescott]

Is China Eastern Airlines still using the very old and poor Shanghai Airline planes out of, and into Melbourne. Has anybody got any idea if they are going to be replaced with better or newer planes.

 

[TheInsider]

Yes still using that old a/c.
Should be around FEB/MAR for the A330 to return, or whatever they use.

 

[Sprucegoose]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

they haven't had a crash in china for a while now, things might be on the up?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

SERVICE: Firstly understand that eastern (Chinese) concept of service is somewhat different to western (Australian) concepts and expectations. If you understand this - then service is SENSATIONAL - all staff will try their hearts out to deliver what theyh believe is BEST service delivery.

Seats:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

Amenity Kit MEL-PVG:






Amenity Kit PVG-MEL:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

And they give you the obligatory Chinese slippers in a fantastically souvenierable and reusable show bag complete with shoe horn - ity's a Chinese thing - this is what I mean about Chinese service.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

Wine list MEL-PVG.




So first time I flew them I ordered Taitnger Champagne- champers comes and it as warm as cough - send it back and say I want a cold one - 10minutes passes and she returns with a nice cold glass of flat wine - no good - I want Champagne - she scurries back to galley and returns 10 minutes later - same esult.

I get up from seat and go to galley - show me the cold champagne please? She shows me a warm bottle of Taitinger and a large polystyrene cup full of ice - yep we pour the Taitinger into the large cup of ice - let it sit and cool for 5 minutes - then pour into glass and bring to seat. NO NO NO - you cannot do thatr - so I proceed to show them MUST chill inside bottle - after they understood this all was well.

2 meals served MEL-PVG - lunch and dinner. Lunch menu:




Lunch - yes my choice was eye fillet- was not the worst I have ever eaten either.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

Dinner menu:




Dinner - note pictures starting to lose quality - I did my best to drink that plane dry of Taitinger Champagne.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

IFE - non existent - zilch / zero / nada - BYO entertaiment a must.

The portable IFE decice they provide:







OK so I have the portable IFE device - I go through meny - maybe 20 choices movies TV etc - NOT 1 SHOW - NOT 1 SHOW was in english - so bring your own. (I flew with them in May and JUne - they did say IFE was scheduled for upgrade in 2nd half of year)

And this was what was playing on overhead screens:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

whats the service, food and IFE like on these things?

Breakfast PVG-MEL.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I have flown MU MEL-PVG twice - in May and June this year - I am booked again Jan 10.

Bear in mind these flights cost $2,300 return. Overall IMHO the experience is rather ordinary - but it is direct MEL-PVG - I am self funded to / fro China 10 times a year - the staff REALLY try their best - TBH I find it quite acceptable.

A lot will depend on your expertations and your understanding of the Chinese - first flight I was on I had a guy next to me whose company paif $4,300 for his seat - mine was $2,300 - he had never been to China or had experience with Chinese before - I can guarantee tyou he will never ride MU again - god he hated it.

 

[goldfishinabowl]

Interesting photos!

 

[reductionist]

So first time I flew them I ordered Taitnger Champagne- champers comes and it as warm as cough - send it back and say I want a cold one - 10minutes passes and she returns with a nice cold glass of flat wine - no good - I want Champagne - she scurries back to galley and returns 10 minutes later - same esult.

I get up from seat and go to galley - show me the cold champagne please? She shows me a warm bottle of Taitinger and a large polystyrene cup full of ice - yep we pour the Taitinger into the large cup of ice - let it sit and cool for 5 minutes - then pour into glass and bring to seat. NO NO NO - you cannot do thatr - so I proceed to show them MUST chill inside bottle - after they understood this all was well.

Good god. :shock:

 

[harvyk]

SERVICE: Firstly understand that eastern (Chinese) concept of service is somewhat different to western (Australian) concepts and expectations. If you understand this - then service is SENSATIONAL - all staff will try their hearts out to deliver what theyh believe is BEST service delivery.

Could you define a little better what you mean? Having been to china (although not on MU) I have to say I didn't really notice too much of a difference between western concepts and expectations of service and what I received when I was there.

There was certainly things I noticed such as water was served warm (or even hot) but that's a local preference thing as much as anything else.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Could you define a little better what you mean? Having been to china (although not on MU) I have to say I didn't really notice too much of a difference between western concepts and expectations of service and what I received when I was there.

There was certainly things I noticed such as water was served warm (or even hot) but that's a local preference thing as much as anything else.

Ok things like whole meal arrives at once - don't expect entree then 1st course then main course etc - just like any restaurant in China complete meal arrives all at one time.

Meal can even arrive before you are served a pre-dinner drink - that is very common in China.

And the warm / in-galley / polystyrine chilling of Champagne - again such a chinese approach - lots of little things you will see on Chinese carriers that you will not see on SQ, CX etc

 

[harvyk]

Ok things like whole meal arrives at once - don't expect entree then 1st course then main course etc - just like any restaurant in China complete meal arrives all at one time.

I usually fly in Y so used to that...

Although (slightly OT) I never found that in China that the whole meal arrived at once, from what I remember meals where usually staggered, with each dish coming out like a course in it's own right. (This included rice coming out as it's own course, not just as a side dish to go with the meat like it is here in AU). Then again I hung around Shanghai so I'll accept things may be different out in the sticks.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Shanghai / Beijing / Tianjin / Chengdu / Nanjing / Suzhou - no matter where - chinese meal in chinese restaurant will consist of 1,000 bowls of various foods all stacked on table at same time - they even make pyramids out of the bowls as insufiicient table space to accomodate all bowls.

And a big bowl of the wateriest soup you ever saw comes last - just different.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I usually fly in Y so used to that...

Good luck flying Y on a 10 hr flight on a chinese carrier - memo to self - take gum boots for toilet visits - you are gonna need 'em.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

A few more pics - here is the Chinese Champagne flute that the Taitinger was served in - note sixz compared to iPhone.



Here is the red wine on offer in MU Dom Biz Lounge in PEK - I had to fly PEK-PVG to return to Oz - no bubbly of any description.



And the glass offered for consumption:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

PVG-MEL - Dinner menu:



Dinner: I hate Abolone at best of times - this was seriously leathery



As you can see am kind a steak man



And ice Creal always a hit for desert IMHO



On this particular flight I think there were only 6 pax in J - 28 seats I think - the lovely little FA's came out all 'a gigglin' as a group and showed me the empty Taitinger bottle after I polished it off - apparently I was the only 1 drinking champs and it was a bit of a novelty to them one pax drinking a whole bottle by oneself - told them not to get too excited and get back to the galley and skin another one for me.

Slept like baby that flight.