China Eastern Airlines Enhances Premium Experience With Lounge and Inflight Upgrades
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China Eastern Airlines has upgraded its First and Business Class services with renovated airport lounges, new inflight dining options, and improved digital services. The carrier has added more than 400 lounge seats, launched new menus on 12 international long-haul routes, and expanded onboard amenities and Wi-Fi services. The upgrades extend beyond the aircraft, with new ground transportation options, baggage assistance, and dedicated customer support for premium passengers.
China Eastern Expands Premium Lounges and Inflight Dining
China Eastern has renovated more than 32,300 square feet of lounge space at several airports, including Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi’an. The renovations include dedicated seating areas for First and Business Class passengers, personalized assistance, and boarding support. At Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Lounge 118 now offers an overnight rest area for premium passengers with connecting flights.
Expanded lounge food and beverage options include seasonal drinks, fresh fruit, pastries, desserts, and snacks. Passengers can enjoy China Eastern’s signature MU Noodles, featuring flavors from different regions of China. Other changes include new tableware, updated food displays, and a signature fragrance called Oriental Yayun at select lounges.
On October 20, China Eastern launched new First and Business Class menus on 12 international long-haul routes departing Shanghai. These include flights to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Paris, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Vancouver, Madrid, and Amsterdam, along with its Auckland-Buenos Aires service.
The menus feature ingredients such as caviar, abalone, foie gras, and lobster, combining Chinese flavors with Western cooking techniques. Passengers receive appetizers, soups, main courses, cheese, and desserts as separate courses.
Through a partnership with Shanghai restaurant Xiaduo, China Eastern has introduced desserts such as lemon cheesecake and chestnut cinnamon cake. Chinese-inspired afternoon tea selections feature pastries shaped like goldfish, peonies, magnolias, and pomegranate flowers.
Domestic passengers can enjoy dishes inspired by regional Chinese cuisine through the airline’s “Nourishing Everything” dining program. Flights from Xi’an feature meals inspired by mountains, rivers, forests, seas, and farmland, while Beijing routes highlight traditional local flavors. Special menus departing Qingdao and Kunming feature Chinese tea and Yunnan cuisine, respectively, along with seasonal meals inspired by China’s 24 solar terms.
From October 25 through November 1, China Eastern introduced lighter meal options on eight domestic routes. These include flights between Shanghai Hongqiao and Beijing Capital, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu Shuangliu, Xi’an, and Chongqing, as well as services between Beijing Daxing and Guangzhou or Shenzhen. Designed for shorter flights and travel outside regular meal times, the options include Shanghai-style pastries, Beijing pork pancakes, and Xi’an-inspired snacks, along with yogurt and nuts.
New onboard beverages include Chinese red and white wines, customized Shaoxing yellow wine, coffee developed through partnerships with Nestlé and Starbucks, and sparkling tea. The carrier has expanded its selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic specialty drinks across select international and domestic routes.
New Amenities and Digital Services Improve Passenger Convenience
On international long-haul flights, First Class passengers receive customized amenity kits from Shang Xia, a luxury brand associated with Hermès. The kits come in brown, vermilion, light blue, and dark blue, with designs inspired by traditional Chinese culture. China Eastern plans to introduce additional customized amenity products in the future.
Through its updated mobile app, First and Business Class passengers can view their available benefits and access dedicated online customer service. A telephone hotline provides assistance with flight changes and travel questions. During disruptions, airline representatives can contact passengers directly to help them adjust their travel plans.
Across its wide-body fleet, China Eastern offers complimentary high-speed inflight Wi-Fi for First and Business Class passengers. Planned improvements include one-click browser access without additional authentication and multilingual support to make connecting easier. Cabin crew can use digital devices to identify Wi-Fi problems and help passengers connect during their flights.
Eligible international First and Business Class passengers can book complimentary airport transfers through China Eastern’s app. The service covers participating cities across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Premium passengers can arrange door-to-door baggage collection, delivery, and check-in assistance through the app.
China Eastern has established a passenger feedback program that invites travelers to evaluate different parts of their journeys. The airline holds discussions with premium passengers to gather suggestions and identify areas for future improvements.