China Eastern Airlines (Hangzhou Xiaoshan to Beijing Capital), Airbus A320

5/9/2015

Route: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Beijing Capital Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 07:30 on the May 9, 2015, 2015

Flight Number: MU5131

Flight duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

This was one of the first flights out of Hangzhou Airport. As opposed to the big airports in China, Hangzhou airport is relatively quieter in the mornings. Because this was an early morning flight, I had to take a taxi from Binjiang District (around a 30-minute drive away in the southern part of Hangzhou), and if you are not connected through an app with the Kwai Didi (mobile app used to call for a taxi), then it is almost impossible to get a taxi in the morning. All the roads around the outskirts of the town are empty…not a whisker in sight (kind of reminded me of my time when I used to live in Suzhou- you could end up waiting for an hour or more for a taxi!). The taxi fare from downtown Hangzhou to the airport is around 120RMB (£12, US$18), any more than that, then you know you’ve been conned!

The journey from downtown Hangzhou to the airport gets the taxi to be dragged along the empty, and sometimes dusty/rocky, roads. Keep the window open and try to breathe the ‘fresh’ air if you can!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Drinks, excluding alcohol, included tea and coffee were served. The beautiful thing about flying with China Eastern is that they are one of the few airline companies in China that offer sugar and milk powder separately.

Comments regarding the first meal:

A delicious helping of pork and congee (hot meal) was served straight after take-off. This was accompanied with a tray containing an orange slice, a simple empty bun and a slice of ham, along with two seeded-olives.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol was served, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. Loved it.

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

The IFE system was only activated once during this flight- prior to take off (for the safety demonstration). The PVT screens are not placed behind every seat but overhead.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. The level of English spoken was good, too.

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

This Airbus A321 aircraft for China Eastern has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all economy seat set up. The plane was very clean and had the latest IFE system installed. The staff were professional and could speak some adequate amounts of English.

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

Meal tray: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

The seeded olives and the ham slice: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Can't beat an amazing congee in-flight...authentic! Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

A lovely/typical view of Hangzhou's Binjiang District, along with the new Olympic sized stadium: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

A massive mine somewhere on the outskirts of Hangzhou: 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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Turkish Airlines