China Eastern 787 Business Class Review (2020)

My China Eastern 787 business class review. Their new business class is a step in the right direction for the airline. Their business class hard product is excellent, and the meal served on a sub 1h30m flight exceeded what some airlines serve on 3h flights. This was one of the last flights I took before the COVID pandemic hit. It was part of a longer work trip where I had a chance to visit Guangzhou. 

Other flights from this trip:

Kenya Airways 787 Business Class Guangzhou to Bangkok

Juneyao Air 787 Business Class Guangzhou to Shanghai Hongqiao 

Note:

Dear Reader,

Before you begin this review journey with me, I want you to know that this review is a bit dated. It is from before the COVID pandemic. I had planned on publishing this one and others slowly during and after the pandemic. However, my job at the time requested I not write them. As some of the airlines were their clients, they explicitly requested I refrain from writing anything that could imply any conflict of interest. Recently, after starting a new job, I have decided to publish this one and others. I will note wherever I can what has changed, and include a year for when the flight happened, in the interest of clarity. Please enjoy this review!

Gate and Boarding

My gate was located just next to the China Eastern Business class lounge. Hongqiao Airport is quite calm that early in the morning, even though it is one of the busiest airports in China. I waited at the gate while boarding was called, and noticed that there were very few people seated. I expected more people to show up closer to boarding, but very few other people came. 

When boarding was called, there were only three people in the priority line. I was the first one on board and was welcomed with a smile. 

Cabin

I boarded through door 1L, so I was able to see the whole empty cabin as soon as I boarded. The cabin is very similar to the Juneyao Air 787. They use the same type of seat, except China Eastern added doors. The cabin felt welcoming, even though it was bland. Much like Juneyao Air’s 787 business class, I found the blandness elegant. 

Seat

I had assigned myself seat 8L, which was the only window seat available when I booked the flight. It is a true window seat, with the seat flush to the aircraft wall. Waiting at my seat was a menu, a headset, a pillow and a blanket. The seat was leather upholstered and it was relatively comfortable. 

Each seat had power ports, USB ports and a decorative lamp. IFE and seat controls were in the seat console. 

Departure and Take Off

While we waited for the remaining passenger to board, one of the flight attendants came by to offer me a choice of beverage and ask me what I wanted for lunch on the short flight. She also let me know of our flying time. 

The aircraft was almost full in economy, but basically empty in business, I saw only 5 other seats taken. The captain came on the PA system before we began our taxi, and addressed passengers in Mandarin and English. Our taxi to the runway was short, but I was able to see some unique Chinese airlines while we made our way to the runway. 

Dining

The menu for the 1h30m flight was as follows:

I was informed they did not have a daily special on this flight, I was flying on a Saturday, so I selected the beef main course. 

The meal began with a cup of hot Pu’erh tea and a hot towel, followed by some packaged nuts and soda. 

The meal was presented in a single tray, with a chicken salad and a fruit plate for dessert. I was offered a bread roll and chopsticks for the meal. 

The salad was pretty tasteless, but the chicken wasn’t dry. The main course was tasty, but then again, I was just happy to have a full meal on such a short flight. 

Sleep Comfort

I did recline the seat for a short while to see how comfortable it was in lie flat mode. I found it to be fine for a medium haul flight, but for an overnight flight I would prefer some form of bedding or mattress pad. 

IFE 

Each seat had a high resolution IFE screen, with a selection of movies. I was surprised to see almost not Western TV shows, but a handful of Western recent releases. There were many Chinese cinema options, and some propaganda films. 

Notes on Service and Wi-Fi

The aircraft was equipped with wifi, and it was reasonably fast. I was worried about the usual Great Firewall, but I was able to circumvent it via good VPN software. The crew were also excellent, very kind and attentive. There was an obvious language barrier, but they truly tried their best to make sure I was well taken care of.

Landing and Arrival

About 45 minutes prior to landing, the captain came on the PA to ask the crew to prepare the cabin for landing. We hadn’t even begun our descent, but that seems to be a consistent China air travel policy. Our eventual and slow descent had us fly some 2200-2500 feet above downtown Guangzhou. The views were simply stunning. The photos don’t do it justice because of the forced dimming by the crew. It was one of the most spectacular approaches I have ever had on a plane. 

Conrado’s Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by China Eastern. Their service was top notch and friendly, especially considering a full meal on a short hop. The seat itself is pretty good, but not the best in the industry. With some modifications to the soft product, the airline can truly be a contender for the best airline in China. With Hainan Airlines’ fortunes unknown, China Eastern’s 787s could be the new benchmark.

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