China Eastern Airlines is a major Chinese carrier headquartered in Shanghai, with Shanghai Pudong as its main hub alongside Kunming and Xi'an. It flies to 230+ destinations in China, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. China Eastern is a SkyTeam member, and its scheme is Eastern Miles. Long-haul jets can carry First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy.
China Eastern Airlines is one of China’s three major airlines, headquartered in Shanghai. Founded in 1988, it flies a large fleet from hubs in Shanghai, Kunming and Xi’an to more than 230 destinations and is a SkyTeam member. Its subsidiaries include Shanghai Airlines.
Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with China Eastern Airlines. Routes, schedules, fleet and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.
China Eastern Airlines is one of China's three largest airlines, headquartered in Minhang, Shanghai, with hubs at Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Kunming and Xi'an. It suits travellers flying within China, from Shanghai to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, and on long-haul routes between China and Europe, North America, Australia and South America. Founded on 25 June 1988 and majority owned by the Chinese state, it carried about 140.57 million passengers in 2024.
China Eastern serves about 232 destinations. Shanghai's two airports, Pudong and Hongqiao, form the main hub. Kunming in the south-west and Xi'an in the north-west are hubs for western China and routes to South and Southeast Asia. Secondary bases are Beijing Daxing, Chengdu Tianfu, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao and Wuhan.
Long-haul flights reach North America, Europe and Australia, and since November 2024 China Eastern has flown from Shanghai to Lima via Madrid, its route to South America.
Shanghai Airlines and China United Airlines, a low-cost carrier, are part of the group, along with China Eastern Yunnan Airlines and China Cargo Airlines. China Eastern also holds a 4.58 percent stake in Air France-KLM. It joined SkyTeam on 21 June 2011 as the alliance's 14th member, together with Shanghai Airlines, and works with partners such as Delta, Air France and KLM.
Shanghai has two airports, so check whether your connection uses Pudong, Hongqiao or both before booking. Check transit visa rules for China, and the baggage allowance for your fare, on the official China Eastern website.
Checked against trusted sources:
China Eastern official website
China Eastern Airlines (IATA: MU, ICAO: CES) is a major Chinese airline headquartered in Shanghai. Founded in 1988 and a SkyTeam member, it flies Airbus A320-family, A330, A350, Boeing 737, 777, 787 and Comac C909 and C919 aircraft from Shanghai, Kunming and Xi’an to more than 230 destinations.
| Headquarters | Minhang District, Shanghai, China |
|---|---|
| Fleet types | Airbus A320 family, A330, A350, Boeing 737, 777, 787 and Comac C909 and C919 |
| Frequent flyer | Eastern Miles |
| Official website | ceair.com |
Flight routes
Shanghai (PVG) departures9 destinations
Shanghai (PVG) departures13 destinations
Shanghai (PVG) departures6 destinations
Shanghai (PVG) departures11 destinations
Shanghai (PVG) departures10 destinations
Shanghai (PVG) departures4 destinations
China Eastern has about 680 aircraft. The Airbus A320 family (A319, A320, A320neo, A321 and A321neo) and the Boeing 737-700, 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 fly most domestic and regional routes. Long-haul flights use the Airbus A330 family and A350-900 and the Boeing 777-300ER and 787-9. China Eastern was the launch customer for the COMAC C919, China's own narrowbody. It had 17 C919s in service with 88 more on order, plus 32 COMAC C909 regional jets. If you want to try the C919, check the aircraft type shown on the schedule when you book. Card figures are as of December 2025, from published fleet records. First class is offered on the A350 and 777. Business Plus is on the A350 and 787. Every widebody and narrowbody has a business cabin, premium economy is fitted on selected aircraft, and economy fills the rest. On a long-haul booking the aircraft type tells you which of these you can buy. Card figures are as of December 2025, from published fleet records.
China Eastern sells four cabins, First Class, Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The aircraft and route decide which China Eastern cabins you can book.
Private first class
Offered on Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s.
Business class
Business class across the network.
More space
Offered on selected long-haul aircraft.
Standard seat
The main cabin.
China Eastern’s loyalty programme. Join Eastern Miles online before you fly so the trip counts.
Eastern Miles members earn miles on China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and SkyTeam flights, and redeem them for award tickets and upgrades.
The loyalty programme is Eastern Miles, which covers China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and China United Airlines. SkyTeam status earned with Eastern Miles is recognised across the alliance.
Check your e-ticket for the exact China Eastern allowance. It is set by the fare type, the cabin and the route, whether you start at PVG or another airport.
Expect the allowance on China Eastern to change with distance and cabin: higher cabins include more than basic economy on the same flight. Look up your route on the baggage page of ceair.com.
Getting through check-in for China Eastern is simpler in this order. Start online and finish at bag drop.
Where your flight allows it, check in on ceair.com with your surname and booking reference or e-ticket number.
Booking ref + surnameInternational China Eastern passengers need a passport and whatever visa, residence permit or entry documents the destination requires. Domestic MU passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.
Passport · visa · IDEach airport has its own China Eastern check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international MU departures.
Check your deadlineHand in checked luggage at the China Eastern counter or bag drop, then keep your boarding pass and passport ready for security and the gate.
China Eastern counterChina Eastern fares out of Shanghai move with the season and the fare brand. These habits help keep the price down.
Compare a full week of China Eastern departures; midweek days are often priced below Fridays and Sundays.
Midweek flightsFares rise around Chinese New Year, the May Day holiday and the October Golden Week. Book early or avoid those dates.
School holidays · festivalsThe lowest MU fare is not always the cheapest trip once bags and seats are added. Compare the fare types before you pay.
Baggage & changesOn busy China Eastern routes such as PVG to Guangzhou, booking several weeks ahead usually leaves more fares to choose from.
Popular routesMembership of Eastern Miles lets your China Eastern trips count towards rewards, and members hear about offers first.
Before you flySearch China Eastern alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.
Search China Eastern flightsOthers of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
MU is the IATA code you see on tickets and departure boards. CES is the ICAO code used in air traffic control, and pilots use the radio callsign CHINA EASTERN.
Its main hub is Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) in Shanghai, and its head office is in Minhang District, Shanghai, China.
Yes, SkyTeam, so China Eastern flights can share one ticket with partners such as Vietnam Airlines or Saudia.
Airbus A320-family jets make up the bulk, 392 of them in December 2025, followed by 141 Boeing 737s and 49 Chinese-built Comac C909s and C919s. The 103 wide-bodies are 56 A330s, 20 A350-900s, 20 Boeing 777-300ERs and seven 787-9s.
Yes, it is called Eastern Miles. Add your Eastern Miles number when you book a China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines flight so the miles are credited.
Open Manage Booking on ceair.com or check your e-ticket. China Eastern sets the allowance by route, cabin and fare type.
Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown China Eastern.
Everything travellers ask before flying China Eastern Airlines.
We checked these China Eastern answers with the airline’s own pages and public airline records on 10 October 2026.
General
Booking
China Eastern Airlines flies to 230+ destinations. They are listed by region, with fares and route guides where we have them, in the destinations section of this page.
Getting there
China Eastern Airlines uses the IATA code MU and the ICAO code CES. Its radio callsign is CHINA EASTERN.
China Eastern Airlines is headquartered in Minhang District, Shanghai, China. Its main hub is Shanghai Pudong International.
The China Eastern Airlines baggage allowance depends on your route, cabin and fare. The Baggage allowance section of this guide gives 4 figures, by cabin and route where they differ. Check the allowance printed on your ticket before you pack.
Check in on ceair.com. The Check-in section of this guide walks through it in 4 steps.
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