One of China's Premier Airlines

Founded in 1988 in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is today renowned as one of China's big three airlines. With its main hubs being the Shanghai airports Hongqiao and Pudong, not to mention Kinming Airport in southern China, the airline boasts a far-reaching flight network that stretches hundreds of routes to dozens of international destinations. In 1997, China Eastern Airlines became the first Chinese airline to offer market shares to foreign investors, seeing an impressive hike in fortunes that continues to this day.

From the 1990s onwards, numerous lucrative ventures and successful takeover bids saw China Eastern Airlines emerge as a heavyweight in the aviation industry. Strategic mergers with the likes of Shanghai Airlines and the Qantas Group have also opened up the service offering of China Eastern Airlines, seeing the operator become an industry-leader in everything from luxury travel to no-frills flights. An impressive fleet of Boeing, Embraer and Airbus craft ensures that this airline can cater to an extensive flight network that covers Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. As of 2011, the operator joined the SkyTeam Alliance.

Today, the airline boasts a fleet of 462 aircraft and operates flights to 217 different destinations. Annually, China Eastern Airlines carries in excess of 80 million passengers to destinations across China and beyond, with more and more passengers checking in every year.

Flying with China Eastern Airlines

The company offers conventional dynamic pricing, meaning that flight prices are dictated by demand. Those looking to make the biggest savings on travel are advised to look for flights that depart early morning or late in the evening, with these off-peak services offering the biggest possible discounts. Passengers planning long-haul trips to far-flung destinations are especially advised to leave plenty of time to book their tickets, with prices rising significantly the closer the date gets to the departure date. The operator offers economy, business and first class tariffs, although some domestic services only offer a single economy class cabin. If you're looking for frills when you fly, make sure you check what's on offer before booking.

Practical Information

Check-in: To enjoy less stress and hassle at the airport, make sure you check-in ahead of time via the online check-in facility. In most cases, online check-in is available 24 hours ahead of your scheduled departure time and closes 2 hours before your planned departure time. Once you've printed off or downloaded your boarding pass, you can use drop-off desks at the airport to quickly dispense of your baggage, pass through security and unwind in the lounge or waiting area ahead of boarding.

Luggage:

• Most services allow for a single piece of carry-on luggage, with some extra items occasionally allowed if essential.
• Business and first class services allow for additional pieces of carry-on luggage and increased allowances for checked luggage.
• Passengers subscribed to loyalty schemes can enjoy additional baggage benefits.
• For more information on baggage rules, see here [http://hk.ceair.com/muovc/main/en_HK/Static_pages/Baggage.html].