Extremely disappointing experience with China Eastern — think twice before booking
I’m leaving this review so other travellers can hopefully avoid the experience I had with China Eastern. I booked a flight from Auckland to Paris, and it was cancelled the night before departure, with only an email saying it was due to weather. No real explanation, no useful instructions, and no assistance with alternatives. I had connecting flights and a four-hour drive to reach the airport, so I immediately contacted Flight Centre NZ. Over the following two days, I spent around 10 hours on the phone trying to get information, rebook or obtain a refund. Communication between the airline and agency was extremely poor. I was eventually offered another flight, but it sold out before it could be confirmed. I asked for a full refund and had to book another airline myself, losing time and money and having to rearrange accommodation and other plans. What made the situation even worse was being charged NZ$400 for the refund, despite the fact that China Eastern had cancelled my original flight. Unfortunately, I still had to use China Eastern for our return journey because of other bookings. Even the VIP lounge experience in Shanghai was frustrating: after waiting around 1.5 hours for a shower, I was told I had to pay again because my two-hour lounge allowance had expired. They eventually let me use it after I complained. I understand that bad weather and cancellations can happen. What matters is how an airline handles the situation afterwards, and in my experience, China Eastern handled it extremely poorly. After 12 years of travelling, this was one of the worst airline customer-service experiences I’ve had. I will never fly with China Eastern again and would not recommend them.