Questions re Business Class

[Francesca]

Hi,

I'm new to this whole frequent flyer thing, but I've booked a Business Class flight from Melbourne to Paris using Qantas FF points, which includes a 2.5hr stop over in Shanghai.
This is via China Eastern Airline (797-9 and a 777-300 are the types of aircraft), and it pretty much only cost me $250 in tax.

I just have a couple of questions I'm hoping this community can help me with!

Firstly, as my stop over is only 2.5 hours in Shanghai, do I need to arrange for a VISA?
Also, as this is technically not Qantas, does my ticket still allow me to use the Qantas Lounge in Melbourne (and whatever the equivalent is in Shanghai)?

Secondly, I've read many terrible reviews about this airline! Does anyone have any insights into the business class flight of this airline?
Is check in pretty straight forward, are the staff still rude in business class, or is that just towards economy passengers (which is still a pretty cough attitude by the airline staff).

I guess what should my overall expectations of business class with China Eastern Airline be?

Much Thanks!
Francesca

 

[JessicaTam]

Welcome to AFF @Francesca. You won't need a visa for the transit.

 

[Forg]

As a b-grade airline, you’d expect the food to be average & the service will be only average. But that doesn’t mean bad service; it just means they’ll appear deferential, but not predict your desires like might happen with the top airlines. No $200/bottle champagne, but the wine & spirits choices should be reasonable; they won’t know how to make a good G&T.

Take your own entertainment, there will be no TV shows and the movie selection will be very average.

Check if they’re part of One World, if they are you can use the QF lounge. Dunno if there’s a QF lounge in Shanghai, if there is it’ll be about a billionty times better than the lounge of any Chinese airline.

You won’t need a visa as you’re not leaving the airport.

 

[JessicaTam]

I just had a quick look at the QF website, and you will get access to the Melbourne and Shanghai lounges as you are flying J.

Airport lounge locations | Qantas

Discover Qantas airport lounge locations, including features, business facilities and eligibility.

www.qantas.com

 

[Matt_01]

@Francesca welcome to AFF as @JessicaTam details you will not need a visa and should get access to the lounges based on your travel class.

Now as for the question are MU bad it can depend on the crew, I have flown MU J both internationally and CN domestic. I did not have high expectations of MU but was actually surprised. In my experience the food was not well presented but tasted better than I expected and staff were attentive. It will all depend on who you are comparing MU against, in my recent experience I would consider MU international better than QF but not as good as QR, SQ, JL or CX but that is just me.

I do not agree with @Forg that MU is a B grade airline, the CN carriers are getting much better and in my experience are on par with many of the US carriers. Don’t waste any time checking to see is MU is part of OW, they are not and as you are rewards you will be on an MU flight number so OW is out of the question.

Selecting seats with MU can be a be hit and miss and there are other threads on this site detailing issues travellers have experienced with MU. Be prepared for longer than expected transfer times in PVG, in my experience any transfer through CN or airline checkin/ security experience just takes longer with CN carriers.

All that said $250 in J to Paris is in my opinion worth it.

 

[Forg]

I do not agree with @Forg that MU is a B grade airline, the CN carriers are getting much better and in my experience are on par with many of the US carriers.

Are there US airlines that aren’t b-grade?

Definitely agree that $250 in J is well worth it!

 

[Dr Ralph]

Firstly, as my stop over is only 2.5 hours in Shanghai, do I need to arrange for a VISA?

No.

does my ticket still allow me to use the Qantas Lounge in Melbourne (and whatever the equivalent is in Shanghai)?

Yes

Secondly, I've read many terrible reviews about this airline! Does anyone have any insights into the business class flight of this airline?

Are you sure you aren't confusing this airline with China Southern?

I've used China Eastern twice so far this year to get to the US. No drama. I'd put the service on par with Cathay Pacific.

 

[get me outta here]

Thanks, informative. (Where is the informative ‘i’ button in that post, I only see a ‘like’ button?)

No.


Yes


Are you sure you aren't confusing this airline with China Southern?

I've used China Eastern twice so far this year to get to the US. No drama. I'd put the service on par with Cathay Pacific.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

China Eastern has a very competitive seat - better than anything Qantas currently offers. The crew are also pretty good. Their lounge in Shanghai beats the Qantas Melbourne business class lounge by a mile (the QF melbourne lounge being in the dark basement with limited food offerings).

IFE is not so good. But the food isn't bad (per se), just it will be served differently.

Only one airline that I know if has $200 bottles of champagne in business class, being EVA Air (they serve Krug as standard). All other airlines you'll have champagne in the $30-80 a bottle range. China Eastern is no different.

But for paid fares they are also very competitively priced, so overall quite good value for money. (And they have award seats available, which is a huge plus).

A visa is not required for transit in China provided you are flying onwards to a third country (which francesca will be doing). If for some reason you need to enter China during this transit (for example a flight delay), a transit without visa entry permit will be granted at the airport. No need to arrange anything in advance.

 

[Limewood]

We took the plunge and booked 2 x J+ (called 1st) award seats one way SYD to PVG on MU using QFF points, fees were just $200, its a new A350 should be interesting!.

 

[JessicaTam]

Thanks, informative. (Where is the informative ‘i’ button in that post, I only see a ‘like’ button?)

put your mouse over it the like button (on a desktop) or click on it (on a tablet/phone)

 

[get me outta here]

Thanks, I see that now.

 

[Francesca]

Oh wow, thanks everyone for taking the time to reply to my queries.
It is very greatly appreciated!

The visa answers were exactly what I was hoping to hear, and considering it's my first time in business class, I'm sure everything they do will just blow my mind. Can't wait!

Have been to the qantas lounge in various states across Australia before (through work), so knowing that I can use the lounge in Shanghai is awesome. Gives me something to do in my stopover of 3 hours!

 

[Forg]

When’s the flight?

Looks like Cathay Pacific will have a new lounge open in Shanghai late this year; feom my better-half’s review of other CX lounges opened in the last couple of years, that Shanghai lounge could be worth a look.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Different terminals. China Eastern is T1, Cathay is T2. You can’t move freely between them,

 

[Cruiser Elite]

are the staff still rude in business class, or is that just towards economy passengers (which is still a pretty **** attitude by the airline staff).

Where did you ever hear that MU cabin crew would ever be rude? - 'business class, or is that just towards economy passengers ' ?
Nothing could be further from the truth - whilst MU crew (and other mainland Chinese carriers) might lack the English skills of other Asian carriers their politeness, respect towards pax and intent to serve and please is UNQUESTIONABLE.

I guess what should my overall expectations of business class with China Eastern Airline be?

Don't expect too much - don't expect the same degree of polish or conformity to standards that SQ / CX etc might deliver and then you won't be disappointed. As others have pointed out food should be ok - wines will be second rate - IFE will be poor to intolerable - BYO IFE - set you expectation bar low and you will not be disappointed.

 

[Matt_01]

@Forg just a question why are you banging on about CX (post 3 and 14).

The OP stated they on a booking travelling MU, booked using QF points. MU is *ST not *OW so CX is not in the mix.

Alliances, partnerships and what ever VA do are not the same, it is not a level playing field.

 

[Forg]

@Forg just a question why are you banging on about CX (post 3 and 14).

The OP stated they on a booking travelling MU, booked using QF points. MU is *ST not *OW so CX is not in the mix.

Alliances, partnerships and what ever VA do are not the same, it is not a level playing field.

I don’t think there’s a CX reference in post #3?
Post #14 was because I wasn’t aware you could book tickets with another airline (outside of OW) using QF points; I thought it must have been a QF ticket but on MU metal.

 

[Matt_01]

Check if they’re part of One World

This is what I would have picked up on. I am fully aware that MU is not part of *OW however there is also a MU/QF partnership and lounge access rules can become complicated.