China Eastern boosts Sydney, Melbourne flights to Shanghai
By Chris C., October 20 2014
China Eastern’s flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Shanghai will get a welcome boost over the busy summer travel season, with 11 extra flights per week between Australia and China’s business capital.
The additional flights will run from November 30 2014 until March 9 2015, offering residents in both cities the choice of a daytime or an evening flight to Shanghai.
From Sydney, MU736 is wheels-up at 9:30pm six days a week (excludes Thursday), touching down at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport at 5am the following morning.
On the return, MU735 takes to the skies at 11:55pm most days (excludes Wednesday) for a 1:55pm landing into Sydney one calendar day later.
It’s a similar story down in Melbourne, with MU740 pushing back at 10:30pm five days per week (excludes Wednesday and Friday), reaching the gate in Shanghai at 6:05am the next day.
For Victorians heading home, MU739 takes off alongside the Sydney-bound flight at 11:55pm for a similarly-timed arrival at 1:40pm into Melbourne – except on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
These peak-season flights can now be booked through the China Eastern website:
As with the airline’s existing flights to Sydney and Melbourne, business travellers can book either business class or economy on a twin-aisle Airbus A330-200.
Qantas codeshares on China Eastern's current flights between Melbourne and Shanghai: MU738 and MU737 as QF341 and QF342, respectively.
A spokesperson for the airline told Australian Business Traveller that codeshares would not be extended to China Eastern's seasonal flights, so travellers hunting Qantas status credits would need to stick to Melbourne's morning departure.
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Dec 2011
Total posts 95
I flew with CE in there early days into Australia, was very much an adventure.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Feb 2014
Total posts 143
So Brisbane airport and Shanghai sign memorandum but still no flights?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Nov 2012
Total posts 41
Tell me about it. MU to Brisbane has been a long time coming.... Let's hope it happens in the near future.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
16 May 2011
Total posts 111
Sometimes MOU's mean nothing, an airline will choose to fly the route based on merits of the destination alone. This had nothing to do with MU itself.
But I do agree a flight should be in the works for the future. Seems like BNE is lagging behind in China behind MEL & SYD.
15 Dec 2013
Total posts 42
China Eastern is also launching Shanghai-Auckland in December, going daily from January. Officially this is a "seasonal" service through March, but likely to be made permanent if all goes well.
This will mean a second long-haul route with competition for Air New Zealand (the other being Honolulu).
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
16 May 2011
Total posts 111
Have MU updated the schedule? I believe they advertised "Double Daily" for both MEL and SYD, it seems like the extra services only operate 5 weekly and 6 weekly respectively now? The website use to show these new services as daily.
Air China - Phoenix Miles
20 Dec 2012
Total posts 105
Originally it was double dailly, now the updated schedule is 5 weekly and 6 weekly.
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