China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern Airlines is one of the most competitive and underrated options for travel between Australia and Europe, offering sharp pricing, solid availability, and access to a broad European network via Shanghai.

As China’s second-largest airline and a member of the SkyTeam alliance, China Eastern connects Australia into a large international network, with key European destinations including London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Amsterdam and Venice.

For travellers looking to try something new, China Eastern delivers amazing value and a massively underrated premium product, especially on its newer A350 aircraft where Business Class is modern, comfortable and often priced well below competitors while still offering a genuinely high-quality experience.

With China Eastern’s newer long-haul fleet, improved premium product, and one-stop services from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide to 15+ destinations across Europe via Shanghai, it has become a far more compelling option in recent years. It offers a strong balance between price, comfort and overall travel time, making it a quality option for travel to Europe.

China Eastern’s long-haul product has improved significantly in recent years, supported by the introduction of newer aircraft across its international fleet.

The airline operates Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, along with Airbus A330 and Boeing 777, with the A350 and 787 typically used on Australian routes.

In Business Class on newer aircraft, passengers can expect fully flat beds in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access. The A350 is the standout, offering a modern cabin that compares well against more expensive airlines, particularly on value.

Premium Economy is available on most long-haul services, with wider seats, increased recline and a dedicated cabin, providing a clear step up in comfort without the cost of Business Class.

Economy Class is consistent with a full-service airline, with China Eastern also including standard seat selection free of charge.

Premium Business – China Eastern (A350)

Premium Business is offered on the A350. China Eastern doesn’t have a separate First Class cabin — instead, they offer a small number of upgraded Business Class seats known as Premium Business.

These are usually the first 4 seats in the Business Class cabin and have a much more spacious, First Class-style feel.

Premium Business features:

• 205cm long flat-bed seat
• Private suite with sliding door
• 32-inch HD touchscreen IFE

China Eastern operates direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide into Shanghai, its primary international hub and gateway to Europe.

Adelaide to Shanghai flights operate on a seasonal basis from 20 June to 1 August 2026.

From Shanghai, the airline connects to a wide range of European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Venice and Vienna.

The standard routing is:
Australia → Shanghai → Europe
or
Australia → Shanghai → Paris / Madrid / Amsterdam, with onward connections to smaller destinations via SkyTeam partners

A key advantage of China Eastern is the ability to add onward connections on the same ticket with SkyTeam partners. From hubs such as Paris, Amsterdam & Madrid, travellers can connect to cities like Toulouse, Nice, Lyon and Bordeaux, as well as destinations across Spain, Portugal and wider Europe.

China Eastern offers Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class across its long-haul network, with Premium Economy and Business Class available on most Australia–Shanghai and Shanghai–Europe routes.

Like many Airfare Geeks deals, fares can be structured as mixed-class without losing overall value. A common approach is flying one direction in Premium Economy or Economy, then returning in Business Class, keeping costs down while still enjoying a flat bed on the longest or overnight sectors.

A key advantage is the routing via Shanghai, where daytime flights are often available both from Australia and onward to Europe. This allows itineraries that avoid overnight flying on the outbound.

For example, you can fly:

• Australia → Shanghai (day flight)
• Stopover in Shanghai
• Shanghai → Europe (day flight)

This approach helps break up the journey, reduce fatigue and maximise value.

As with all China Eastern bookings, aircraft and cabin consistency can vary by route, so selecting the right combination of flights is important to ensure both comfort and value.

China Eastern offers excellent flexibility for travellers heading to Europe via Shanghai, with routing options that can be tailored around cabin, aircraft, connection time and overall budget. It can be particularly strong value in both Business Class and Premium Economy.

Popular China Eastern routings include:

• Sydney → Shanghai → London
• Melbourne → Shanghai → Venice
• Brisbane → Shanghai → Paris → Nice

Shanghai stopovers can also make the journey much more comfortable:

• Sydney → Shanghai (stopover) → Amsterdam
• Melbourne → Shanghai (stopover) → London

Breaking the journey in Shanghai can open up better flight combinations, reduce travel fatigue and, on selected routings, allow us to favour more comfortable daytime flying.

China Eastern really stands out in the premium cabins, where fares can be considerably lower than many competing airlines while still offering a high-quality onboard product and excellent access to destinations across Europe.

These are sample routings rather than fixed-price packages. We build each China Eastern itinerary around your dates, preferred cabin, aircraft and destinations to find the best balance of price, comfort and travel time.