CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES (Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, MU5306) AIRBUS A321

8/21/2012

An A321 belonging to China Eastern Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Shanghai Hongqiao Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 08:30am in July 2012

Flight Number: MU5306

Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A321

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed around 55 minutes late due to strong winds and rain in the Guangdong region. As we sat in the plane, one could feel the A321 swaying gently side to side because of the wind.

The flight route provided some fabulous views across to the horizon once we had departed. The skies over Shanghai provided splendid views when coming into land at Hongqiao.

Once we landed on the ground in Shanghai, the visibility was very clear. From the terminal building you could get a clear view of Pudong (IFC and the Jinmao Tower) with the naked eye. Photos are shown below.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- I only had hand luggage.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Guangzhou airport despite the bad weather. There was no rush and everyone was very professional in what they did.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee.

Comments regarding the first meal:

For this two-hour flight, a choice of Chinese or Western breakfast was offered in the Economy Class cabin. I opted for the Western breakfast.

A tray containing hot dishes including:

1.     A warm omelette, two cherry tomatoes, a soggy piece of lettuce, and sautéed potatoes.
2.     A warm cake containing almonds and vanilla.
3.     A bread bun

The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. There was also apple juice as well.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew seemed proud to work for China Eastern Airlines, and were very welcoming.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort):

The brand new A321 aircraft belonging to China Eastern Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class, and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was very clean, felt fresh, and the toilets showed signs of a new plane out of the factory.

Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats)
First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

A plane takes off on a clear day at Shanghai Hongqiao: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

About Airline PR

This is a special section on Airline Branding, and Airline Public Relations written by me on all the flights I have been fortunate enough to have been on. These are not records taken from somewhere else, but are actual flights I have been on. Most of the flight trips are officially sponsored by the airline companies in order to promote their certain routes, and aircraft. Airline promotion and PR related work in the aviation industry is one of my expertise.

This section of the website will grow in time, and will include detailed reviews of the in-flight meals, the airline seats, the comfort of the overall trip, the customer service both at the check-in-desk as well as by the Cabin Crew; and how good the assistance has been by the airline staff. All the reviews are honest, fair, firm, and non-biased.

I am proud to have worked with some of the largest PR agencies, and some of the most powerful airline brands in the world, including but not limited to: Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Air China, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Air Malta, Air France, KLM, CityJet, and many others.

All the flights I have taken in my life are documented on this weblog except for any flights that were taken before 2003. These included Syrian Airlines (747SP in 1985), British Airways (2003 to Dubai), Aeroflot (IL-62, and IL-86 in 1989) and a few others. I regret not documenting them because I never thought of doing that back in those days.

I am hoping to bring to life the joy of reviewing airlines.

Note Regarding Photos

For all media reviews, special permission has been granted from the airline authorities, and even from airport authorities for the photos/videos taken on-board the aircraft and on the ramp because it is strictly forbidden to take photos and videos on and around the aircraft without permission.

The purpose of this blog is to provoke thought, inform, intrigue and amaze you.

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Click on the particular airline below and see my flight review. When you click on an airline, it should list all of the flights taken with that airline.

Navjot Singh at a Chinese Military Airfield

Watch exclusive videos below taken in the cockpit of a Boeing 777-300ER in-flight over Chinese Airspace.

Special thanks goes to
Turkish Airlines