✈️Flight Review: Osaka to London in Economy with Shanghai Airlines & China Eastern Airlines (Boeing 737-800 & Boeing 777-300ER)

Disclaimer: To ensure an authentic review, we purchased our tickets at full price. The airline was not informed that a review would be published.

Read also our China Southern flight review >>

Osaka – Shanghai Pudong (Economy Class) – flight operated by Shanghai Airlines on behalf of China Eastern Airlines

Scheduled Departure: 12:00; Scheduled Arrival: 13:55; Estimated Duration: 2h55m – Aircraft: Boeing 737-8

Check-in at Osaka Kansai Airport

My journey began at Osaka Kansai Airport Terminal 1, where I arrived approximately three hours before my flight. While the flight was sold by China Eastern Airlines, this first leg was operated by Shanghai Airlines, so I proceded to the Airline counters. The check-in process was smooth and efficient, with five desks available: one dedicated to Premium/Business passengers, one for bag drop, and three for Economy passengers. As an Economy passenger, I was pleased to find that the fare included two checked bags per person.

The staff was exceptionally efficient and accommodating. I requested an aisle seat for both the KIX-PVG and PVG-LGW legs of my journey, and my request was granted without any hassle. Despite having a 10-hour layover in Shanghai, I had absolutely no issues in checking the bags directly to London. Overall, the check-in process and staff assistance were top-notch.

Boarding in Osaka

The boarding process began approximately 50 minutes before the scheduled departure time and proceeded quickly and smoothly. Priority and Premium passengers were the first to board, followed by economy passengers in no particular order or assigned group.

Shanghai Airlines flight FM 874:

As expected for almost any Boeing 737 flying for a commercial airline, the airplane had a 3-3 configuration in Economy Class. The seats were comfortable but basic and included a adjustable headrest.

Legroom was good. No WiFi or IFE were available, which is normal for a short-haul flight.

The flight departed at 12:12, 12 minutes after the scheduled time. Around 45 minutes after departure, a hot meal was served. There was only one option: chicken with rice, together with a salad and a mix of Japanese omelet, lotus root, potato salad and tofu, fruit and a bread roll with butter. Drinks were served at the same time and included, juices, soft drinks, beer and wine. The food was quite good. Pretty impressive for a flight with little more than 3 hours.

The crew as quite friendly and efficient and spoke very good english. No complaints.

The Boeing 737 landed in Shanghai Pudong Airport at 13:39, 16 minutes ahead of schedule, with a total flight time of 2 hours and 28 minutes.

Long layover in Shanghai

Since I had a 10-hour layover in Shanghai, I decided to leave the airport and explore the city. During the Osaka to Shanghai flight, the crew handed out arrival forms, which I filled out and kept in my backpack. I didn’t have to worry about my checked baggage, as it was tagged directly to London and arrived without any issues. After landing, I proceeded straight to Chinese Immigration, as Portuguese citizens are currently exempt from visa requirements. Although the queue was long, it moved fairly quickly. When it was my turn, I handed over the form, showed my boarding passes, had my fingerprints and photo taken. The entire process — from exiting the plane to clearing immigration — took about 50 minutes.

Then it was time to head into Shanghai. I chose the metro (Line 2), as it’s a direct and the cheapest way to reach the city. A one-way trip costs just 7 CNY (around €0.90). You can purchase metro tickets at vending machines located before security. To pay, you’ll need to use the Alipay QR code reader or generate a QR code through the Alipay app. I highly recommend installing Alipay, as it’s the most convenient way to pay for things in Shanghai, including metro tickets.

If you have a long layover, one of the best metro stops is East Nanjing Road. As soon as you exit the station, you’ll find yourself in one of Shanghai’s most vibrant areas — Nanjing Road — which leads directly to the iconic Bund, offering fantastic views of Pudong’s modern skyline.

Around 21:30 and after stuffing myself at one of Yang’s Fried-Dumpling, it was time to return to the airport. The metro takes about an hour from East Nanjing Road to Pudong Airport, so I arrived at PVG around 22:30 (my flight was at 1:50). The airport was already quite empty, and it took me around 15 minutes in total to go through security and border control.

Overall a great city to do this kind of long layover.

Shanghai – London Gatwick, Economy

Scheduled Departure Time: 01:50; ETA: 06:30; Estimated Flight Time: 12h40m – Boeing 777-300ER

Boarding in Shanghai

I arrived at the gate approximately one hour before the scheduled departure time. Just five minutes later, an announcement informed passengers that the flight was delayed and boarding would now begin at around 1:50 — which was actually the originally scheduled departure time. This turned out to be accurate, as boarding did indeed start at 1:50, roughly an hour later than initially planned.

The boarding process began with priority and premium passengers, followed by economy passengers. There was no specific boarding order for the economy class — all passengers boarded at once. Each seat was equipped with a pillow, blanket, and a pair of headphones.

China Eastern Airlines flight MU 201:

China Eastern Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER economy class features a standard 3-4-3 configuration. The interior was quite modern and spotless and I found the seats to be a little wider and thus a little more comfortable than those on China Southern.

Each seat includes a double-folding tray and a multi-compartment seat pocket, which weren’t present on CS Boeing 787, as well as a folding headrest. The seat pitch seemed a little smaller than China Southern, but that might be related with the multi-compartment seat pocket, which can reduce it a bit. I found the reclining angle pretty good and on par with the competition.

However, there is no footrest, which I found to be a feature that greatly improved the comfort on China Southern. Overall, i might prefer the slightly narrow seat with footrest than a slightly wider seat but without footrest.

The flight departed at 02:59, which was 1 hour and 9 minutes later than the scheduled departure time. About an hour after takeoff, the meal service began, following a similar pattern to China Southern: first a drink service, then the meal, followed by another round of drinks. Passengers could choose from juice, soft drinks, beer, and wine. As for the meal, there were two options: braised beef with rice or chicken with rice. I opted for the braised beef, and it was decent.

Along with the main course, the airline served a potato salad, some peanuts, a bread roll with butter, and fruit. As seems to be standard with Chinese airlines, the service was very efficient.

After the meal, the cabin lights were dimmed, and passengers were encouraged to lower their window shades to rest. The flight itself proceeded smoothly.

As for the in-flight entertainment (IFE), the only positive aspect was the screen — it was bright and responsive. Unfortunately, the system was quite poor and limited, offering very few movie options, both Chinese and international, with almost no recent releases. I preferred to sleep, as there were no appealing choices. Similar to China Southern, WiFi was available, but there was no free option, and I was unable to activate the paid service.

Around 2h before landing, passengers were offered another hot meal, very similar with the first one, in line, again with what China Southern is offering. The food options were chicken with rice and beef noodles. I chose the noodles and were very good.

The crew was friendly, accommodating, efficient, and spoke excellent English.

The China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER landed at London Gatwick Airport at 06:56, 26 minutes later than scheduled, after a total flight time of 11 hours and 56 minutes.

Summary and Verdict:

While I consider China Southern’s overall product superior — particularly thanks to its excellent in-flight entertainment and the presence of a footrest — I found China Eastern’s long-haul service perfectly suitable. The crews were professional, attentive, and spoke very good English. The food was good, and the two full hot meal services might even outweigh the lack of a top-notch entertainment system, especially when compared to many European airlines. However, if you highly value a great entertainment system, you may prefer flying with a different airline — or simply bring your own tablet and problem solved.

As for the long layover in Shanghai, the immigration process was fairly standard, though perhaps a little slow. Still, it was a great opportunity to head into the city for a few hours, watch the sunset over the Bund, enjoy some delicious Chinese fried-dumplings, and return to the airport in time for the next flight.

Overall, just like with China Southern, I wouldn’t hesitate to fly with China Eastern again.