P class on China Eastern?

[Isochronous]

Doing some internal China flights in a few months and clicked on to the MU website for the first time. I noticed that for Beijing-Xian, discount economy is quoting around RMB680 each way but a 'discount First' is available for RMB840 instead of the usual RMB2630. According to QFF P and F fares also earn a 50% cabin bonus.

I was wondering if anybody here has had any experience with these P fares? The page seems to suggest it guarantees a seat in First or is it more like a YUPP 'instant upgrade' on domestic AA where there's a chance you might get bumped down to economy? Also do MU have a First Lounge that the P fares allow access into?

 

[Sprucegoose]

This may assist. Not that flash apparently.

China Eastern Airlines Customer Reviews | SKYTRAX

 

[mushypeas]

I'd strongly recommend you book via ctrip or elong, my preference is ctrip as their service is phenomenal plus i've had great success at obtaining cheap business/first class fares.

I flew MU from Hangzhou to Xi'An in an a319 and found their service sensational, food of good quality and drinks were flowing - when I was about 2 mouthfuls short of finishing they'd ask if I'd like another. At meal time when I had finished they asked if I wanted more and kept the bread and whatnot coming. I had a similar experience Xi'An to Beijing

For a 2.5 hour flight it was perfect for my needs - no IFE but seats were leather and had similar if not better pitch/recline than domestic QF J.

My favourite domestic airline in China though has to be Hainan Airlines, wow... their lounges are great, service makes Qantas look like amateurs and the quality of the cabin, food, drinks etc are just great. I snag a great J Beijing > Shanghai fare (was actually contemplating using the train but fare was too good) for Y990 in very new a330 with full lie flat bed. I also used Hainan Xi'an to Chengdu and back to Beijing in Y and again, top notch service and new 737-800's....

 

[mushypeas]

oh and to answer your question... you are guaranteed the class you booked air service but not that class ground service.

ie: you'll get a seat up front and be able to get the meals, drinks and everything on board but on the ground you must check in at the economy line, no lounge access or priority boarding and generally you'll have the economy class check in baggage restrictions (although in china that means **** since they'll put a 55" roller in the overhead bin that weighs 55kg lol).

 

[Isochronous]

Do Hainan have cheap First fares too?

 

[mushypeas]

Do Hainan have cheap First fares too?

yes.

have you visited ctrip or elong ?

 

[Isochronous]

yes.

have you visited ctrip or elong ?

Yep. So far not much luck finding P fares on Hainan.

Also on one route ctrip is only showing China Southern flights. Is it true that China Southern has a better product than MU?

 

[mushypeas]

chinese domestic flights have a sweet spot about 14 days out from departure... for example, i just punched in a quick date for june 27 to july 4 (pek>xiy) and hainan has y1050 first class on their a330-300 - first class seat, economy class ground services.

in saying that, i got my discounts all about 28-35 days out via ctrip.

 

[Isochronous]

chinese domestic flights have a sweet spot about 14 days out from departure... for example, i just punched in a quick date for june 27 to july 4 (pek>xiy) and hainan has y1050 first class on their a330-300 - first class seat, economy class ground services.

in saying that, i got my discounts all about 28-35 days out via ctrip.

I'm looking at mid-August flights, so I should wait another few weeks then?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Different airlines seem to offer the super heavy discounted first class fares on different routes. I haven't seen Air China offer the ~1200 fares in F on SHA-PEK for example, but I have seen MU do it. On other routes, Air China may offer the super heavy discount, but the other carrier will only offer 'standard'* fares.

It seems pretty much to be a case of choosing which route you need to fly, then having a look at which carrier has the super heavy discounted fare. You will usually (from my experience) be stuck with that one carrier (that is, the other one won't match the heavy discount ever).

*including the standard discounts such as -20% and -35% but not the -66%