My review is for CHINA AIRLINES of TAIWAN. I see that many people are reviewing various other airlines based in China. This was for an expected trip to Taipei from Tokyo. OMG. I had to make all my reservations online, and that was fine. However, a couple of months before my trip I checked online to make sure our reservation and flight were all fine, and saw that our seats had been changed. This was because, according to them, the aircraft that we were supposed to use was changed to a larger plane. That of course was not a problem. The problem was that we had chosen two seats together, both window and aisle, and now we would have to share the row with someone else. But for the 3.5 hours trip I was able to make that exception. Then, a few days later, I looked again and saw the same thing had happened for the return trip. Once again, no email, no call, no nothing. Well, I didn't like it. I then called to cancel but was told that I would need to do everything online and request my refund online, which I did. The next time I plan a trip to Taipei I will spring the extra bucks for Eva Air or JAL or ANA. I don't like sudden changes, and especially don't like being told on the phone that this is something that everyone should expect! No, it isn't if you fly by any respectable airline! I also don't like surprises sprung on me. China Airlines is cheaper than the other airlines I mentioned, but it is not a budget airline by any means. I expected more than being told to "do it yourself" when I called them. I mean, really??? I can't comment on the food or inflight service as I wound up not going. However, if you have a choice, look for another way to travel. It's better to be safe than sorry. I know I will. read more

China Airlines - China Airlines Tail Pic - Airlines Near Me - Jamaica, New York

I feel like when I think about which airline to fly back to Taiwan with, I usually go with Eva Airlines BUT I decided to take China this time and the experience honestly really surprised me. Here were some of the highlights: - I think they remodeled the inside cabins from the purple look they had before which was great. - The seats, I feel like, are able to extend back a lot more than the seats from other airlines. - I think what surprised me the most was definitely the meals. I do think that out of the two options I feel as if I chose the better one, but the food was actually pretty good. For dinner I had this rice noodle chicken dish and for lunch I had beef and rice. For both of the dishes, the vegetables were pretty tasty and not overly drenched in sauce. Also the flavor profile was on the lighter side and both of the meats were quite tender. However I do still think that they have some things to improve on such as the fact that their usb chargers don't actually work unless you are constantly pressing it at all times. Also, I don't like the headset set up as they don't have a normal input port and so you must use their headsets when you're in economy. But overall, its a lot better experience than I anticipated and will be flying with them more back to Taiwan. read more

China Airlines - Chicken and rice noodles - Airlines Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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Giving 1* coz negative is not possible. They cancelled the flight , my brother had an exam and they replied in very rude manner that I can have my mo ey back. Wft is wrong with them. Never ever fly with this airlines. read more

It's all about the business class! I can understand the discomfort of economy with any airline. The upgrade is worthy for any flight exceeding 5 hours. The service I received on 1/3/18 from Shanghai to New York was phenomenal. I was well fed and often checked on. My experience was more like a 5-star hotel. My rest was comfortable and the 14 hours seemed too short...a rare feeling. This is now my preferred airline to and from Taipei. read more

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I flew China eastern airlines from JFK to PVG. The flight was on time upon departure. Service wise, my side had a male flight attendant that does not seem to be too happy serving his guests. Throughout the whole flight he did not have one smile on his face. He made me felt uncomfortable asking for his services. He also automatically assume we spoke Chinese. Anyways, besides him, all the other flight attendants were fine. The food was okay for dinner and breakfast. Your standard Chinese food. Don't expect amazing food, you are paying a budget airline ticket. I also flew from PVG to Singapore with China eastern. They provided a meal even though it was a short flight. Coming back to JFK, we had a horrible experience at the shanghai airport. We arrived three hours before departure and was waiting in line to check in our bags when we notice that the line wasn't moving at all. It turned out all the guest service representative at the counter were having a meeting in front of all the passengers waiting to board. We were literally standing in line for the longest time before someone stepped up to them and ask how long are we suppose to wait for you guys to talk? You are suppose to check in our bags first? It was then that all of them returned to work. I was at the point on if they don't reach an agreement I will go up and tell them to look at the time because the flight was about to depart and there is no way they can check in all the passengers bag in time. In conclusion, I like the price of the ticket I paid for but expect mediocre service. read more

It's like a subway car with wings. Let's start at the beginning. I flew China Eastern recently to Shanghai and Cambodia (JFK-PVG, PVG-PNH, REP-PVG-JFK), went in with very low expectations, and was not disappointed. For starters, a 15-hour nonstop from New York to Shanghai on one of China Eastern's new Boeing 777s could be a delight except for the presence of many caterwauling passengers, brusque in-flight crew who seemed to have received their training at a gulag, and oh yes, the extremely tight seating arrangement (most 777s are typically 3+3+3 in Economy, but China Eastern's at 3+4+3). As for the experience, it was passable. In-flight catering and beverage service are decent (the food was good, though drink service is limited - get the Asian/Chinese options whenever possible), the in-seat entertainment was extensive if you can get past the bizarre Chinglish translations for all the movie descriptions, and they managed not to lose my luggage so that was commendable. China Eastern's seats have a decent recline, even in Economy, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it comfortable. A few other things of note: Shanghai Airport (PVG) is rather crappy (at least Terminal 1 International which is served by China Eastern), and if you have an overnight flight into Shanghai with an international transfer as we did when we flew from Cambodia to Shanghai to get our flights back to the US, you will experience what is effectively Beelzebub's lair aka the "International Transfer Area" at PVG. I and approximately 500 other people (not exaggerating) were penned in this part of the airport for almost three hours before the "airport opened" and they finally let us into the actual terminal. So pack your patience, kids! The staff employed by both China Eastern and Shanghai Pudong Airport are not proficient in English (like, at all) which can lead to frustrating exchanges, particularly when you actually need a question answered (I deign to imagine what they'd do in a real emergency). China Eastern's passengers are on the less-well-behaved side and my friend and I were confident that we smelled cigarette smoke repeatedly on all four flights we took with this airline including ones originating or terminating in the USA (bad!). So, what's the takeaway from all this? China Eastern's pricing on routes to Southeast Asia (particularly Cambodia and Thailand) is fiercely competitive, and money talks. Other Asian and American carriers charge 30% more and up for the same routes, so I guess you kinda get what you pay for. Even I will admit that I'd fly China Eastern again if the price were right. Just bring no expectations, a sense of humor, and most importantly, ear plugs. read more

China Airlines - China Eastern Boeing 777-300ER at JFK Airport - Airlines Near Me - Jamaica, New York

I should know better when I saw how cheap the tickets were. Going to Beijing, I was stuck last row in the middle for over 13 hours. The first thing I found on my seat what someone else sitting there. Apparently other passengers here find it okay to loiter in the back since there aren't usually passengers there. Except for me. And a really loud obnoxious man. Am I spoiled when I was shocked not to find my own entertainment screen at my seat? There were some weird movies playing at a distance screen with Chinese subtitles, but I had no idea where the output was. That and I watched some of those movies already anyway. Oh right, I forgot the most important detail: my seat had an ashtray. That's how old the place was. read more

A the counter top: man asks the woman what the code was for my frequent flier program was. Later I find they got it wrong at a different airport and China Eastern Airlines rep asked me to call another airline to fix their mistake. In the airplane, New York to Shanghai to Bangkok. Seats are the most uncomfortable aspect of the journey. No cushioning whatsoever makes me sleepless I had to drink on the way back. Stewardesses' English is inaudible they should simply use a recording. Traveling long hours between different time zones can be confusing: they should just call it "meal" service as opposed to saying it's lunch/ dinner/ breakfast every 5-6 hours. Snacks/ drinks once or twice during the 16 hour flight. Garbage pick up once. Found a woman's hair on my pillow on my first flight. The only plus side is that I got my luggage (after trying to figure out which carousel it came out for 15 minutes since there was no indication of it on my ticket) and the meals themselves were pretty good. Next time, pay a little more for a better airline (such as Cathay Pacific). read more

::Shudder:: China Air. I still have nightmares. It was a double decker to Beijing. A week before the Chinese New Year - packed to the gills! Seats were in rows of 12 - in 3 sections of 4. I had a window seat. The woman next to me picked and ate the scabs off of her face for 14 hours. The few times I had to pee, the 3 other women in my row grabbed and pushed my ass. I'm sure this was in an effort to help me, but it was not expected. The food was awful. Not enough drugs and alcohol to improve this trip! read more

The most UNPROFESSIONAL airline in the United States and in the world. Do NOT book with this airlines, unless you would like to end up with stolen and delayed luggage. I found out from my baggage insurance company that one of my luggage was stolen, and China Eastern failed to provide me with this update. Originally, they had contacted me saying they found this one piece of luggage and that it would be delivered immediately, only for the delivery carrier to contact me saying they could not find the luggage at the airport, but the airline staff was unreachable. When I finally did get in contact with them, they told me they "do not know anything". Staff picks up phone calls only whenever they feel like picking up, answers emails only when they feel like answering, and provide you with 0 updates unless you continuously ask for it. They lie about calling you back and providing you with updates, and have probably the worst customer service. The luggage that was supposed to be delivered has been stolen by an "unidentified male", according to my baggage insurance company, and yet China Eastern is unreachable at this point in alerting me of this issue and how to proceed with this. When I went to go pick up my delayed luggage at the airport, the China Eastern staff said, "you're so unlucky, what did you have in there anyways?" The level of unprofessionalism, and lack of apathy shown exhibits how much they truly care. Oh, and I'm still waiting for a reply. Take your flights with another airline. read more

I bought RT NYC-BKK back in March this year, with one stop in Shanghai. The flight was pleasant and the crew was very attentive and helpful. I'm lactose intolerant so I requested a special food and it was the first time flying that the food was good. Bathrooms were cleaned as crew checked them all the time. Water and goodies were offered all the time during the flights. I was surprise for the quality of the service. I'm recommending China Eastern to my friends and family. read more

My flight was from NYC to Shanghai with a connection in Shanghai to Phuket trip was from 4/20-4/29/17. Checking in at JFK was easy no issues till it was time to board, the line was at a stand still.. after some time I came to find out the flight was delayed ok fine it happens right? problem is nothing was said & no one knew why the flight was delayed in the end the flight was delayed by 2 hours the delay in NYC caused myself & other passengers to miss their connection in Shanghai. As I made my way to the counter the fun just kept on coming not only did I miss my connection I couldn't leave Shanghai till the next day at the same time (910pm) they had no other flights out this caused me to loose my vacation time in Phuket. Hotel & transportation was provided for the night even thought this could have been avoided had they just delayed the connecting flight. The flights in between Shanghai & Phuket were handled by Shanghai airlines a partner of China Eastern. These flights were a little better with service not so much with customer service all around they seemed to be bothered by the fact that u don't speak Chinese which is not cool although it is an Asian airline not all travelers are Asian the staff should be able to handle all types of passengers I didn't feel this was the case to me the staff out of Shanghai spoke better English than the staff out of New York. With my return flight from Phuket to Shanghai my flight was schedule to leave at 310am tell me why boarding started at 100am & we were out by 125am? Not a bad thing of course but again no communication had I not been at the airport early simple by chance I would have missed my flight. Once In Shanghai there were 4 flights scheduled out of the same gate it's my personal opinion that this added to the delay of the New York flight, this time they at least told us that it was due to air traffic control... ahhh not sure I buy it. Since so many flights were out of my gate I kept a close eye on my flight by the THIRD hour mark I noticed the message board still said "delayed" & no announcement was made found this to be weird so I asked the people on line ...YUP u may have guessed it the flight was boarding even though the board still indicated "delayed" This flight was delayed by 3 & half hours!! Checking in with the airline is not easy & extremely time consuming it takes double the time every single time it took about an hour or more. My flight back home I explained to the agent what had happened & he was like "what am I asking for" I said I'd like some sort of compensation for all the aggravation the delay in NYC cost me.. Frankly I asked to be upgraded the least in my opinion that they could have done here they couldn't do much just gave me an emergency window seat, not bad because of the extra leg room the agent told me they would help me once I got to Shanghai plus I had to check in again .. Ok sure, except when I reached Shanghai the agent looked at me like I had 3 heads & told me they didn't do that & I had to call their "hotline" in other words ..GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. I am a frequent traveler & I have never had such a terrible experience but what pisses me off more about the whole situation is that the same way the airline delayed my original flight in New York with no explanation they could have easily delayed the connecting flight in Shanghai saving myself & about 7 other travelers a lot of aggravation & time what could have been a simple solution turned into a terrible flying experience zero to no chance I would fly with them again. read more

China Airlines - Airlines Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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NOTE: Review is for AIR CHINA (Mainland China carrier, not China Air (Taiwanese carrier). Could not find China Air flight at this terminal anymore. WORST airline service ever. Showed up for a 12:50 flight to PEK from JFK for a business meeting. Flight was delayed FOR 6 HOURS due to a technical issue, so they have us all line up to rebook tickets and give us a $10 lunch voucher. $10 doesn't get you much at JFK. Air China is disorganized, has poor customer service, very difficult rebooking rules, and planes that have technical issues?!? Do NOT recommend. 非常不满意。 read more

China Airlines - Queued up for a couple hours just to change flight ticket because of 6 hr delay. - Airlines Near Me - Jamaica, New York

My luggage is still lost because my baggage ticket was in my passport book which much have fallen out ? I thought airlines should be able to match your name with your luggage? You really have to have a PIN ? In this day of heightened security , I find this hard to be true? I never had this happen with other airlines. Im devastated. I checked in at Chang Mai and was told my luggage would be checked on to JFK. We had a long touch down in Kunming but was told my luggage would stay on plane . Still no luggage ! Please make me a believer. Im due to fly to China again . read more

Hands down worst airline ever. Crappy food with no vegeterian options. wifi didnt work Annoying and useless staff. read more

Third night back in New York and I'm still jetlagged and unable to sleep. So I've decided to channel my frustration over the ever so elusive REM cycles to express my dissatisfaction with China Eastern! Positive out of a negative, yet, comes another negative - the review: My oriental adventures made possible, not, by a magic carpet, but a dreadful airline. China Eastern is one of the few airlines that offer a direct flight from New York to continental China, and it's cheap [unless you plan on flying on CE during the World Expos]. But the pros end there. 15 hours of pure torture on board an Airbus in seats "designed for Asians', read: cramped, which was fine for the 2 hour flight from Shanghai to Beijing. I'm not super American sized, but sitting in those seats for a 15 hour trans-continental US + the Pacific Ocean flight, anyone would feel more than a little claustrophobic. The service - ground and on flight - was shoddy. I was scheduled to leave New York in one of the worst storms ever. With 2 friends already stranded at JFK, I was worried about the status of my flight. No one to address my concern - China Eastern offers two contact numbers: one for web support and another for ticket sales. It was just horrendous under the circumstances. I wasn't personally shafted in this but service, in many instances, was more favorable to non-Chinese customers. I have my ideas as to why, but I won't get political here. Also, the only 6+ hours flight I've been on where there was no individual video screen entertainment, only 3 tiny screens per section. You wouldn't think that's too awful until you finish the book on your carry-on at hour 10 with nothing else to distract you except the distorted faces of sleeping passengers. And you would think that the lack of mindless entertainment would be a pro when your luck seats you across the aisle from an Italian dreamboat who looks like he just came from Pitti Uomo. But you'd be wrong again, when you realize his heavily accented English drags the conversation like molasses, which leaves you to sit awkwardly next to hot stranger for the next 10 hours, with nothing to distract you but the silence of each other! Considering the amount of work done in Shanghai in preparation for the Expos, I'm surprised that China Eastern, being official partner, hasn't tried to upgrade itself for the momentous occasion. A note: most domestic flights with China Eastern are combined with China South, which is a much better airline, imo, hence domestic flights with China Eastern is a ok. But I would think long and hard before I book an international flight with this airline. I would rather pay more and take a 3 hour layover in Incheon or Narita. read more

The best thing about this AirLine is that you can't beat the price! I read some of the other reviews before flying China Eastern and I must agree with everyone. I flew from JFK to Shanghai. The seats are dirty and very uncomfortable (no leg room what so ever). My electrical outlet in front of my seat did not work, neither did it work for half of the other people. The TV's are aisle TVS, which did not work properly (they had too much static). The food was not appetizing at all! I ate it because I was starving. I had a big meal before boarding the flight and took some for the road (it was gone in the first few hours). I suggest bringing a few sandwiches and water with you. I would also suggest bringing entertainment that does not require an electronic device. I was fortunate to be on this flight with 5 friends, so we were allowed to stand in the aisle and talk to each other. However even us doing that annoyed those trying to sleep... I would fly this airline again, because you save a good $1,000.00 or so. But just keep in mind the other inconveniences and ways to remedy it for yourself. Oh and everyone gets a blanket and pillow! Yay! read more

This review is long over due I flew China Eastern going to Okinawa, Japan. And it went JFK-PGV , PGV-OKI on October 2016 and I had a window seat. The food was okay breakfast and dinner/lunch (which wasn't so bad, come on the flights are dirt cheap and its airplane food). The flight attendants seemed nice but they may also want to work on their accent and pronunciation. You also cannot use your phone while on the plane even if it's on airplane mode! they will yank it out of your ear (talk about rude). The best part of the experience was the TV with the choice of movies and music (or lack of). By the way I was not flying first class or anything. Also a tip the line at the JFK counter takes FOREVER!!!!! read more

China Airlines - Landing in Shanghai - Airlines Near Me - Jamaica, New York

Where should I start. How about AAAHHHH GET ME OFF OF THIS PLANE!! I took China Eastern Airlines for my trip to South Korea. What made me have a bad experience with China Eastern Airlines were the small seats and lack of leg room. I mean the whole point of a flight is sitting down and feeling comfortable during the plane ride. If an airline cannot do that, then they do not deserve to be in business. I'm 5'7, I have long legs. I was dying on the flight because my knees were in pain. My legs could barely function by the end of the flight. Oh my sorry, I forgot to tell you the length of my flight. It was 16+hr flight from JFK to NYC and via versa. 17+ hours of pain!! Worse, the China guy in front of me push his seat back so HE can have a comfortable sleep. The same experience coming back from my trip. I assume because I'm a young female and African-American travelling alone, the two men (going and coming back flights) who sat in front of me felt they could do whatever they wanted. I asked them to put their seat in an up-right position so my legs can fit. They couldn't ignored me and the flight attendent did not help fix the situation. Sorry, this is pure racism! The minor things that ruin my experience: TV entertainment - There's no No individual seat-back monitor. Just a small tv for every 4 yards of seats. The movie choices were terrible. The same movies they play going to Shanghai were also played going back to New York. WTF!! Language - hard to understand their english announcement. Food: The food was okay. The noodles were oily. Food I had on Korean Air was way better. Transfer - My layover was in Shanghai Pudong Airport and unfortunately they does not offer airside/sterile transfer facilities. Instead, you must exit the airport, clear immigration, collect your baggage, and clear customs; and do the reverse of the above including security check. I had to carry around my two luggages as I sightsee in Shanghai. The only positive thing was the price of the ticket. Very cheap. But I guess I got my money worth. read more

Recently took China Eastern for a direct flight into Shanghai, China all the way from NYC& a domestic flight from SH to HK. The review below was absolutely right while the seats are small as hell, I really have no idea how an average American or anyone taller than 5'2" can possibly fit comfortably into these seats. My poor father is 5'11"....think about the pain he was going through, his legs were splayed out and he still couldn't get comfortable. On my way home, I literally slept in 30min intervals and during a 17+hr flight from HK to NYC, it was an absolutely terrible experience. I would, in no way, shape or form, call the stewards or stewardesses bi-lingual. They're monolingual at best. Their English is pretty much incomprehensible and I'm convinced they just mumble through the announcements just to get through it. I believe they understand it and are able to listen to English, but probably not equipped with the language skills to respond. The stewardesses are hot though. The stewards, not so much. I wouldn't call the food edible. I mean, it is but not exactly appetizing, I wouldn't CHOOSE to eat any of it if it weren't for a long ass flight. Bring your own, if you can! Makes your life easier. On my way there, I saw people request a big bowl of instant noodles and on my way back, I requested it and they said they had none. Ugh. The meals are tiny, tiny, tiny and they're just..yuck. I did smell cigarette smoke coming from the bathrooms...it says a lot about the passengers, type of clientele, and the fact that the airline didn't do anything about it. I'm not really surprised either, given the reputation that CE has. I've read a lot of reviews on CE and while I was scared pre-flight of the possibility of crashing and burning, it's definitely exaggerated. Just be forewarned, there's a lot of uncovered coughing, sneezing, screaming babies-just like any other flight. Once the flight lands, I hope you're ready for the huge free for all. Secure all your belongings, children, and carry-ons on top of your head because there's a possibility of you being trampled and every other passenger not caring. They will bumrush the doors and aisles once they feel the wheels touch the ground. Whether or not the plane has come to a full stop...you get to compete in a race to see who can get to the exit first. You're competing with a bunch of anxious Chinese people so your toes are in danger, so are your eyeballs, your dignity, you'll get nudged, shoved, probed and have your personal space invaded. If you're not Asian, you won't be used to it. It's like crowd surfing, baby...just go with the surge. As for the service, our gate number changed while I was en route from HK to SH, with a transfer back to NYC and nobody told us. Nobody knew what was going on. And the people at the CE desk didn't know anything and eventually, you'll get wind of it from the other passengers. Informative? definitely not! They answered us in blank looks and if you speak Mandarin, GOOD FOR YOU. The only pro is the price tag. I'd suggest booking ahead of time and flying with another airline. **The domestic flight from SH to HK was good, I got an ice cream cone, post-lunch. A+ in my book. read more

I heard and read nothing but negative comments about this airline. My first personal encounter was when I visited their office on Avenue of the Americas before my flight to Shanghai. I had called the airline several times but no one ever picked up. When I arrived, I was someone taken back that the office has two seats to wait and there were two people also waiting. The woman at the reception was very nice and got me a rolling desk chair upon which to sit but she was also very slow. I learned that she was new and when my turn came, she had to look up how to check if my Delta number was listed on the ticket (it was not) and how to enter my delta number (which the person who books the tickets where I work had assured me was already posted). She was looking through a notebook with hand written notes when I learned that she was new. She was alone at the front desk. So much for thorough employee training and support programs. Knowing from the Yelp and Trip Advisor reviews that the seats were going to be small and cramped, I arrived a bit early and asked to change to an emergency exit seat where there is more leg room (but you give up control of the lunch table). Again the people at the check-in counter were very nice and I was switched to an exit row seat next to one of my colleagues with whom I was traveling. I knew the seats would be small but I was not expecting huge sinking areas where the seat was worn out. It was like sititng on a toilet bowl without the seat...for 15 hours! In fact my friend lay on the floor where it was more comfortable to sleep (they later made him return to his seat). So the flight takes off and again the flight attendants are quite nice but the economy cabin is cramped, crowded and has a stuffiness caused from too many people being in one confined area. The flight attendants did their best to get out the meals and still monitor the bathrooms. Luckily an elderly later took it upon herself to wipe down the floors every 30-40 minutes. The food in economy was edible but way under-seasoned. They played the same set of movies over and over except during the couple of times the system shut down and needed to be reset. On the way back, I flew business class. Having the airport lounge access, special boarding, much bigger and somewhat more comfortable seats made a huge difference. BUT the planes are still OLD and the mechanical foot rest on my seat did not work properly, the pull up TV screen in my seat only offered a few channels. The food was served on plates and the flight attendants were again friendly. The menu said there was a choice of entrees but they kept telling me that what I ate was all they had. Portions were small and quite tasteless (the red wine was the exception - it was quite good). I awoke from one nap and was served a snack that I realized afterwards must have been one another passenger had returned because the flatware was not wrapped in a napkin, there was no knife and one of the parts of the snack (a shredded pork roll) was missing. I feel badly because the people at this airline work hard but the planes need replacing and more attention to the quality of the food is desperately needed. read more

I just completed a trip from New York to Chiang Mai, Thailand via Shanghai, China. I went into the journey with extremely low expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of service. From JFK-PVG: The vegan meals I had requested were adequate, only having to discard a granola bar and piece of butter that was not vegan. I had a seat in front of the emergency exit leaving me plenty of leg space. The only downside to this was being so close to the bathroom and people bumping into my seat as they passed. On the Boeing 777, every seat has its own touch screen TV with movies, games, and music. The movie selection was great and I watched Wild, Interstellar, and some sappy romcoms to pass the time. This flight alone, I would give 5 stars! Despite getting extremely agitated around hour 8 of the 16 hour journey. From PVG-CNX: I would compare this flight to the quality of a US domestic flight on an airline such as Delta. My vegan meal requested was received and accommodated. 5 hour journey. Nothing special but the experience was the best it could have possibly been. This flight alone, again, would get 5 stars! From PVG-CNX: I initially booked a flight with a 22 hour layover so I could explore Shanghai but after sleeping in the airport, I was cranky and NEEDED to get home as soon as possible. I elected to fly standby on a flight that would save me 8 hours of wading at the airport. I was finally given a seat and believe I was the last person to get one and made it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare. The process was daunting but I was happy with the outcome. I did not have to pay any fee to get on the earlier flight. This flight home was seemingly endless. I had a window seat and felt extremely cramped. My vegan meal request had not been received but the flight attendant scrapped together meals for me. Overall, I do not understand the negative reviews. It seems they come from people who need to make alterations to their booking after they have booked a low-cost non-refundable tickets. The cost is absolutely worth it should you not expect to make any changes to your travel itinerary. I paid less than $1000 to fly to Thailand! Shanghai Pudong airport was mayhem, packed with tumultuous travelers and even more chaotic employees. It is unclear where to go and when you ask, you will be sent to 4 different counters before you find the correct place. But, considering the price and safety of travel, I might fly China Eastern again if I can handle the 16 hour long-haul flight through Shanghai. I WOULD RECOMMEND. read more

This Airline sucks they never pick up the phone when call and never reply your email . I got my stuff stolen from them in the past while flew to VN from US. Guys whatever you do don't flight this Airline unless you don't care if you stuffs get stolen . read more

WORST 2 FLIGHTS I'VE EVER TAKEN IN MY LIFE. I bought a round-trip ticket from China Eastern and they lost my luggage both times!! I arrived in Sydney Australia with no fresh clothes or underwear and had to live that way in a hostel for 2 days before they finally found it. No apology, no money refunded. Coming back home they lost my luggage again! I'm still waiting for them to find my 2 bags, their phone numbers either are out of service or just keep ringing with no option to leave a message. Besides having the worst phone service and losing my luggage constantly, the plane is dirty, completely uncomfortable, puts pork in your vegetarian meals!, the flight crew have terrible attitudes, they only show Chinese commercials or Chinese movies with no subtitles, and yes the plane does have a certain putrid smell. I'm never using them ever again!! read more

Flown China Eastern a few times. Ghetto airline, low fares. Just completed TSA-SHA, uneventful and almost on-time. The smell on the plane is one not usually encountered, but this is low cost, crusty old jet airline. My most recent experience is regarding a cancelled flight. I am scheduled on a flight next week and received email that it was cancelled. Offered flight for next day (despite fact that there are three other flights on same day as my cancelled flight). This is where the legendary lack of customer service kicks in. Try getting a refund or even getting ahold of anyone at this airline. Customer Service simply does not exist. After being on hold for two hours - yes, two hours, I gave up. Used Skype to phone and have screen shots of the timer showing the two hours. I finally filed a fraud claim with my credit card company. There are other options that are much better, even at similar prices. No reason to go so low as to fly China Eastern. But, if you like constant re-scheduling, cancelled flights, late departure, even later arrival, crusty old planes with funky smell - this is the airline for you. read more

My friends and I flew China Eastern from JFK to Shanghai to Bangkok, roundtrip. On all four of my flights on China Eastern, there was a fresh smell of cigarette smoke. China Eastern is well aware of this illegal smoking issue based on recent blog postings that have gone viral and have drawn the attention of their customer service: 1) http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/07/26/china-eastern-flight-smoke/ 2) http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2016/07/27/smoking-on-china-eastern-airlines/ 3) http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/07/27/flight-crew-smoking/ 4) http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/07/29/china-eastern-email/ The only redeeming part of the flight was the business class lay-flat seat. read more

I will never fly China Eastern Airlines period, they do not tell you the reason nor status of delay. Customers are better left in dark! Same bad attitude in Shanghai, now in New York! read more

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We had a family trip and took China Eastern Airline to Shanghai to Manila. It was delayed on departure and delayed on arrival. No one knew English its very hard to communicate. The customer service sucks and they are rude. It was cheap therefore you get what you paid for. Horrible do not book from this airline. The passengers were very loud, they put their foot on your head behind you therefore watch out. I believe they should be only for their own people if they refuse to learn English so what is the point of serving other nationalities. There is no manner at all, and shoving is the norm. Very cheap......never again...my first and my last. Cathay Pacific, Japan Airline, Eva Air , PAL, Korean Airline and probably more are way far far better. Remember DO NOT TAKE CHINA EASTERN AIRLINE read more

Flew China eastern to Taipei and back with my wife in early May. Despite some bad reviews we wanted to try it out. Fair was great so that we are in the business class of a new 777. Nice expierence all the way. VIP launge at JFK was good with food and drinks. In flight service was good so were the meals. Launge in Shanghai was so so. Return trip is similar except launge in Taipei was better. Would fly with them again. read more

This a flight review on my Sep 09 trip JFK-ANC-TPE-CGK. I found my tickets to Indonesia on kayak dot com. I haven't flown on China Airlines - a Taiwanese carrier, before but knew my uncle did awhile back. Yes, it was the least expensive fare by as much as 150 dollars from the next air carrier. After I booked the tickets, I called central reservations for special meals and wheelchair-assist for my dad. The agent was helpful and thorough in the arrangements. We boarded the aircraft at Terminal One with our party being first. The 747-400 offered only movies screened the old manner vs. AVOD. The FA's were attentive, multi-lingual and skillful. They manage my meal arrangement well and was very tasty considering it was vegetarian. Our layover in ANC http://www.yelp.com/biz/ted-stevens-international-airport-anchorage#hrid:86wB3jH1G-KvlwkNrlM4ZQ was prompt and efficient. Unlike at JFK, the gate agent offered to mail my correspondence for me before I board. Second leg out of TPE offered the 330-200 which is ten times better.Like the 747, the seat pitch was wide enough to cross my legs and I have AVOD. Got to watch the Hangover and the Proposal. In Jakarta, I had to call customer service to change my ticket. The phone rang without anyone answering. Tried several times during the week with no avail. Picked myself up and made my way on to their office at Wisma Dharmala. The agent again was helpful and had my e-ticket arranged without a fuss. I thought to myself - "Lucky I'm in Jakarta to be able to change this ticket but boy, what do you do if I were anywhere else?" I was able to accumulate NWA miles albeit less than 100% of miles flown. They didn't charge extra for bags unlike the American carriers but they were strict on size of the carry-on. Overall, I would fly with them again. read more

I was very nervous about our flight from JFK to PVG, then Japan, especially with two little kids, but it was not bad at all. It is definitely a lot better than some of the western airlines. The crews might not be as attentive or polite as you would like them to be, but you cannot beat the price. We will definitely fly again. read more

We just did a long haul 4 segment trip from JFK to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and then Siem reap, Cambodia back to JFK on a tour. All 4 flights were on new and beautiful airplanes, all on time or early. Unlike other reviews, we found the crew to be courteous, trying their best to speak English and accommodate our needs. The seats were as comfortable as any other international coach (meaning cramped) and the food equally average- the main thing is we arrived safely. While we don't know the price of the trip as it was bundled in the tour price, I gather they are very price competitive and thus would be a decent choice for travel to Asia. read more

My review is based solely on my experience with China Eastern. I was able to secure a flight from JFK to Manila via Shanghai for a total of 329usd round trip. I was skeptical as Delta my normal choice was almost 2k. I also saw so many negative reviews so had low expectations. I contacted China Eastern via fb messenger to request a special meal. They responded in hours on how to do. I called spoke to a agent and there was no language barrier. I gave my sky miles elite status and it was noted on my profile when I verified online. I get to airport line as at most for check in are long but it moved quickly. The 777 ER was the typical 3 4 3 nothing special.i I gave 3 stars as I arrived safely no delays on either leg. My issue is with cigarette smoke from crew in resting quarters. It could be smelled in cabin. I have ashma so had to get my inhaler. I also think the staff needs to freshen up bathroom more often. I have been spoiled by the cabin upkeep of EVA staff in the past. On all my other carriers they offered kits that had the basics toothpaste toothbrush sleep mask and slippers. None were offered. I am glad I packed my toiletries bag. Because of China Civil Regulations no cell phone panes are allowed powered up even in airplane mode. I had same thing occur on Air China and China Southern in the past. They did offer free wifi just register prior to flight as its limited to 100 passengers. This may change so verify. I requested a special meal and was pleased with the taste. There were sufficient snacks between meals in the galley. The staff constantly bought water throughout the flight to keep patron hydrated. The Entertainment system was ok and my charging port on display and plug in device on seat worked. In future if I were able get a great fare would take again. read more

I wish I could give China Airlines a negative star. My husband and I purchased flights from Saigon to Taipei for our honeymoon in August. In the fine print, it states to bring the original credit card when checking in. Our honeymoon was last month so we totally forgot and this isn't a standard airline requirement to bring the original card. We get to the Saigon counter really early and were told that we could not check in because we didn't show the original credit card. We had to purchase new sets of tickets if we wanted to check in. The counter barely explained in broken english what we had to do. Since we had to make it to Taipei, we purchased a whole new set of tickets. The counter promised us that all we had to do was call the Taipei branch office and they would process the refund. We get to Taipei and the nightmare continues..We called the branch office and the person we spoke to could not understand our english. We only know some chinese and she kept shouting.."online! online refund!" We figured out that she meant that we could process our refund online. We submitted on 11/20. Once we got back to NYC a week later, I called the China Airline NY office and we asked that they process our refund. I had to call several times and even submitted a quite harsh customer response until i received a response. I also did not receive the full refund. They took off $100 from the refund because we processed it online. I refuse to accept this and will continue to call their office until I receive the full refund. This is awful customer service and I will never fly china airlines again! Do yourself a favor....fly another airline in Asia. read more

PLEASE avoid this airline at all costs. It may be the cheapest option flying to Asia but you will regret it in the end. Had a cancelled flight from Shanghai back on Jan 4, and they made everyone find their own way back home (JFK) & promised reimbursements for any expenses. Well it is now March 1 and i have yet to receive my money back from this company!! They do not answer the phone at NYC AND LA offices and if/when you finally speak to someone they are rude AF and no help. They just tell you "it's being worked on". This is so unacceptable. I am now taking this to court and not 1 representative will give me a contact name. Oh yeah and they literally hang up on you once you start calling them out. This company needs to be shut down seriously. Disgrace. You've been warned read more

Terrible customer service at check-in at JFK. The counter at JFK cannot rebook flights and can only do check-ins. There was a small discrepancy for my daughter's middle name between the booking and he passport, and they could only change three characters with a small fee. They told us to contact our travel agent and Expedia told us to the contact China Eastern hotline. This went back and forth for hours while we were hoping to get resolved before we missed the flight, and they both told us to rebook the flight. The airline says that the Chinese Gov't is strict and does not allow for name discrepancies. We have traveled to many countries and this has never been an issue. read more

I recently flew China Eastern airlines round trip JFK to HKG (transit at PVG). I got it at a great price $550 R/T tax included. I found no issues with check in counter at JFK or HKG. JFK & HKG check in staffs are nice and accomodate what I am looking for. As for the seat and service I found China Eastern seat is more comfortable than Cathay Pacific or Delta. Food and drinks are ok as well. The only thing is the transit at Shanghai was a little confuse ... make sure you follow sign and if you have any questions just ask. This is not a CEA problem. Next time if I fly to HK and if they able to offer good price I definitely take this airline again. read more

Scam artists!!! Getting here was fine, except for them being cheap and not having the express checkins that print tickets like other airlines. My boyfriend and I are completely stranded in Phuket for 2 days because they departed 5 hours early with no notifications whatsoever. So we need to pay for 2 more nights of hotels and food with most likely no reinbursement and missing work on Monday. read more

For a Jan 4th review, Flight CI12 Taipei to JFK (Chicago). A long read.. Landed in Chicago 2039 - 2040 on Jan 4th. My families flight was re-routed to O'Hare in Chicago due to inclement weather in JFK. We were stuck on the tarmac for more than 45 minutes due to limited open gates and not enough manpower to support our unexpected arrival. There was no communication between China Airline management team to the Flight crew on the course of actions needed to console the already uneasy passengers. The flight crew tried their best to answer all of the questions but still, we were clueless on what to do. Flight crew had stated that all of our luggage would stay on the plane and we should just get processes through immigration and customs then somehow return to the plane. They had stated that we should go to customs and then wait for further directions, US customs and immigration officers knew nothing as well. We continued on with the process and just waited around carousel 2 in hopes of some further information. Everyone was uneasy and were guessing the next course of actions or gathering useful information from other passengers to piece up the puzzle. About midnight or so we finally received information from an Unknown Gentleman(UG) who slightly knew more than we did, tried his best to answer most of our questions. Still no certainty if we were leaving Chicago anytime soon. Many people were exiting the US Customs area and into the main terminal with just their carry-on. UG came back with the information that we would now receive all of our luggage and to stay close to be updated with further guesses! Also UG offered $30.00 voucher for toiletries...lol...From flight crews telling us that the luggage would stay on the plane to now we need to get our luggage, what a cluster! Received our luggage on a different carousel that was already populated with another unexpected flight's luggage, we exited to the main terminal 5 where we felt the -8 degree winds from the main exit. China Airlines wanted us to wait on uncomfortable seating arrangements in the freezing lobby for more guesses. Like most passengers we planned a alternative course of actions. It was 5 am on Friday and we had decided to rent a car and drive the 10-12 hours back to NJ. I am not going to allow my kids to freeze for the unknown. Felt bad for the elderly slouched over with no blankets trying to fall asleep. Just imagine if that were your parents, dam. Driving through snow storms, traffic, while fatigued, we made it home. Now back to work and less angry at the entire situation, filed a complaint to China Airlines. Now it will take 2 weeks in hopes to receive some sort of feedback. Mostly dissatisfied on how every passenger had to suffer due to how China Airlines management team handled the whole ordeal. Satellite imagery of the storms in JFK and news outlets from most of the Northeast stations, and somehow China Airlines couldn't plan accordingly? Honestly, what would it have cost to delay the flight in Taipei, purchase hotels for the passengers, and then assess the situation for a better outcome? A lot of questions and little to no answers from China Airlines throughout the endeavor. Poor management, communication, and damage control. Also customer service is non-existent when it comes to complaints. I had to go through customer feedback to file my complaint online. Honestly, this would have been bearable if communication was better. The fact of not knowing and lack of support from China Airlines, with the exception of $30 voucher for toiletries (from the last piece of information from UG we heard prior to 5am), never again. Now $400-500 in unwanted expenses to ensure I make it to work on monday. I believe that flight returning to JFK left Chicago Saturday night with several iterations prior to leaving...lol..good thing I drove. read more

The worst airline experience ever. We barely made our transfers because EVERY FLIGHT WAS DELAYED. Had a horrible time rushing around Shanghai Airport TWO TIMES. The long flights home were full of loud and obnoxious Chinese people and the staff wasn't easy going either. I will never fly with this company again. Pay a little more and use a real airline!!!! read more