SKY TEAM: NYC-SIN $2517 (China Eastern)
Jul 22, 2017, 2:48 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
Programs: DL DM/2MM Marriott Platinum, HH Diamond,
Posts: 8,906
OK, I did a dummy booking on the MU website which offered a $2,600 RT fare in biz class JFK-SGN for a trip in September. But the booking class appeared be "H" which on the Delta partner list appears to be an economy fare with 100% MQMs, not a business class MQM bonus. What is the correct answer here?
Jul 22, 2017, 3:15 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 10,684
This type of fare sale is no secret--MU has been advertising on their US FB and IG pages.
150-200% MQM if you credit to DL. And if you have PM or DM status, each Asian r/t should gets you 40000 SkyPesos, more or less.
And free airport limo (to/from LAX, SFO, ORD and JFK within 60 miles). If your final destination is PVG, you get free limo too. Or a longer layover like a few days in Shanghai, you get the free limo upon arrival in PVG, but not the departure leg.
No smoke smell on the past 6 JFK/PVG and 6 Shanghai/Taipei short haul biz flights I've taken. The FA service got better and better, maybe because I always say please and thank you to any FA and I also speak Mandarin to them.^^^
Free pajamas on ULH, just ask.
I book with MU NYC office directly and have contacts. I don't get referral bonus though. I just want MU do well in these routes and maintain the same discounted biz fares, which cost 50% less than DL, CI...etc.
150-200% MQM if you credit to DL. And if you have PM or DM status, each Asian r/t should gets you 40000 SkyPesos, more or less.
And free airport limo (to/from LAX, SFO, ORD and JFK within 60 miles). If your final destination is PVG, you get free limo too. Or a longer layover like a few days in Shanghai, you get the free limo upon arrival in PVG, but not the departure leg.
No smoke smell on the past 6 JFK/PVG and 6 Shanghai/Taipei short haul biz flights I've taken. The FA service got better and better, maybe because I always say please and thank you to any FA and I also speak Mandarin to them.^^^
Free pajamas on ULH, just ask.
I book with MU NYC office directly and have contacts. I don't get referral bonus though. I just want MU do well in these routes and maintain the same discounted biz fares, which cost 50% less than DL, CI...etc.
Jul 24, 2017, 9:44 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: PBI
Programs: DL DM 2.4MM
Posts: 300
The fare seems to have become widely available, from now through the end of 2017 and beyond.
A few other MU Asian fares are interesting as well:
HND - $2,250
MNL - $2,504
DEL - $2,567 (click through to search on the MU website)
SGN - $2,611
The TPAC segments book into J while the intra-Asia segments book into I. Credited to Delta, MU J earns 200% RDM, 200% MQM, and 40% MQD; I earns 175% RDM, 150% MQM, and 35% MQD.
A few other MU Asian fares are interesting as well:
HND - $2,250
MNL - $2,504
DEL - $2,567 (click through to search on the MU website)
SGN - $2,611
The TPAC segments book into J while the intra-Asia segments book into I. Credited to Delta, MU J earns 200% RDM, 200% MQM, and 40% MQD; I earns 175% RDM, 150% MQM, and 35% MQD.
Jul 24, 2017, 6:14 pm
#20
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 306
It's interesting because when I look up the underlying fare (Expertflyer) and/or book diretly on China Eastern the segments in Asia book into I. I appreciated the J fare which would carry additional earning on Asia segments but that was only reflected on the reservation portion of Expedia etc (actual ticketing and fare looks like I).
You're right that there's ambiguity around the J. When I search over at ceair.com, I see most fares as I-I / I-I. Only a few have options with J segments. But when I search on Matrix, all itineraries come up as I-J / J-I fares. This is matched at Expedia. Does Expedia guarantee the codes you see at booking?
Jul 24, 2017, 11:57 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 22
I booked mine through orbitz which i think is owned by expedia and got booked into the classes according to the boarding pass. Did a bit of lounge hopping but found the MU lounge up the escalator to be the best. Had to call china eastern directly to add my skymiles acct but it was pretty painless.
Aug 4, 2017, 1:48 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta Diamond Medallion& 2 Million Miler; Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 453
I was very nice to all my FAs on Air China and China Southern. The Air China attendants were miserable and not nice and offered lazy service. China Southern were friendly and offered good service. That's just my experience. I flew Vistara last month in India (Biz class) and had a very good experience with their attendants. The food on Vistara on a domestic flight was the best i've ever had for domestic biz class, btw. Only issue is none of the Indian airlines serve alcohol on any of the domestic routes. But i upgraded from PE for only about $95 per flight. Still was worth it for me.
Aug 5, 2017, 2:52 am
#23
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 790
I was very nice to all my FAs on Air China and China Southern. The Air China attendants were miserable and not nice and offered lazy service. China Southern were friendly and offered good service. That's just my experience. I flew Vistara last month in India (Biz class) and had a very good experience with their attendants. The food on Vistara on a domestic flight was the best i've ever had for domestic biz class, btw. Only issue is none of the Indian airlines serve alcohol on any of the domestic routes. But i upgraded from PE for only about $95 per flight. Still was worth it for me.
Just curious how you would compare all of them.
My gut has always been China Eastern is the best, but I'm only going off anecdotes and other's opinions.
EDIT -- just read your initial post that you haven't flown China Eastern, unless this has changed in a few weeks.
Last edited by jiaogulan; Aug 5, 2017 at 3:17 am
Feb 1, 2018, 11:45 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ECP
Programs: DL Diamond
Posts: 1,658
Finding Amex offer for $200 off $1000 purchase on China Eastern on multiple cards of mine. Any way to split this into 2 one ways? I'm seeing round trips as low as $23XX USD so $19XX for ~8k MQD and ~30k MQM is a deal I'm all over!
Last edited by DC777Fan; Feb 1, 2018 at 11:51 am
Feb 1, 2018, 12:32 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 126
I looked, OW seems just about as expensive as RT. I bet you could charge part to one card, the balance to another, thereby accomplishing your purpose. I'm thinking about it, if you try let us know how it works out, so will I.
Feb 2, 2018, 8:21 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 74
Are you finding these fares on us.ceair.com or are you seeing them on ITA or other OTAs?
Matrix is full of phantom China Eastern fares where "I" is not actually available.
Regarding splitting the fare, I have only seen one payment option on their (absolutely horrific and impossible) website.
Calling in to book would not help as you would need to book online per the terms of the AMEX offer.
I too have been drooling over grabbing one of these for the MQMs and MQDs but cannot seem to find any that fit my schedule or routes.
Matrix is full of phantom China Eastern fares where "I" is not actually available.
Regarding splitting the fare, I have only seen one payment option on their (absolutely horrific and impossible) website.
Calling in to book would not help as you would need to book online per the terms of the AMEX offer.
I too have been drooling over grabbing one of these for the MQMs and MQDs but cannot seem to find any that fit my schedule or routes.
Feb 2, 2018, 11:05 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 126
Are you finding these fares on us.ceair.com or are you seeing them on ITA or other OTAs?
Matrix is full of phantom China Eastern fares where "I" is not actually available.
Regarding splitting the fare, I have only seen one payment option on their (absolutely horrific and impossible) website.
Calling in to book would not help as you would need to book online per the terms of the AMEX offer.
I too have been drooling over grabbing one of these for the MQMs and MQDs but cannot seem to find any that fit my schedule or routes.
Matrix is full of phantom China Eastern fares where "I" is not actually available.
Regarding splitting the fare, I have only seen one payment option on their (absolutely horrific and impossible) website.
Calling in to book would not help as you would need to book online per the terms of the AMEX offer.
I too have been drooling over grabbing one of these for the MQMs and MQDs but cannot seem to find any that fit my schedule or routes.
Feb 2, 2018, 7:57 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ECP
Programs: DL Diamond
Posts: 1,658
Thought of this today: Theoretically there's an option of asking Amex to split the payment. I've used the wrong card before (biz/personal) and they moved the charge without a fuss at all. Mayyyyybe they'd split it?
Feb 6, 2018, 6:31 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Platinum
Posts: 1,732
Why is there such a discrepancy with miles earned on China Eastern vs. China Southern. Found a good J fare on China Southern JFK-SIN but only getting 100% for EQM and banked miles and 20% EQD. You get double that on China Southern for the same fare class?
Feb 6, 2018, 10:06 pm
#30
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: DL G, UA G, IHG SA
Posts: 132
MU is a Tier 1 partner of DL while CZ is in Tier 3.