China Eastern Airlines — Customer Service: Complete, Practical Guide

Overview and quick facts

China Eastern Airlines (IATA: MU) is one of China’s three major carriers, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Shanghai. For routine customer-service interactions — reservations, refunds, irregular operations, and baggage — China Eastern publishes centralized resources on its official website (https://www.ceair.com and the English portal https://www.chinaeastern.com). The airline operates scheduled services across domestic China and to more than 60 international destinations, so service channels and rules can differ by market and ticket type.

When you contact China Eastern, key identifiers you will use are the 6-character PNR/record locator on your ticket, the ticket number (13-digit e-ticket format), and your passenger name as printed on your passport. Keeping those three elements available speeds any interaction with phone agents, airport counters or online forms.

How to contact China Eastern (channels and what to prepare)

Primary channels: the official website’s “Manage Booking” tool, the China Eastern mobile app (iOS/Android), local airport ticket counters, city ticket offices, and country-specific telephone service centers. The website provides a local-office directory (use the “Contact Us” or “Global Offices” links on https://www.ceair.com) so you can obtain the appropriate local phone number and hours for your country.

What to prepare before contacting: your PNR (6 alphanumeric characters), 13-digit ticket number, flight number and date, boarding pass or e-ticket PDF, baggage tags (if applicable), and photos of damaged/delayed luggage. For refunds or disputes, have the payment method (last four digits of card) and transaction date ready; credit-card refunds typically show back on statements in 7–30 business days depending on bank and card network.

Contact checklist (value-packed)

• Website / Manage Booking: https://www.ceair.com (English portal: https://www.chinaeastern.com) — best for ticket changes, seat assignments, certificates and electronic refunds.
• Mobile app: available on Apple App Store and Google Play — useful for push notifications on schedule changes and e-vouchers.
• Airport: ticket counter / service desk at your departure airport — always file immediate Property Irregularity Report (PIR) here for lost/damaged baggage.
• Local office directory: use the “Contact Us/Global Offices” page on the official website to fetch country-specific phone numbers and retail office addresses.

Booking changes, refunds and timelines

For voluntary changes or refunds, start with “Manage Booking” on ceair.com or the mobile app. Fare rules are encoded into the ticket: some promotional fares are non-refundable or permit changes only with a penalty. Typical practice (subject to fare rules) is that a change or cancellation processed online will show an immediate system update; any refund amount due to the passenger will be credited back to the original payment method.

Timelines: credit-card refunds commonly take 7–30 business days (bank-dependent). Refunds to alternative forms (bank transfer) can take longer. If China Eastern cancels your flight or offers a significant schedule change, you are normally entitled to a full refund without penalty or re-routing on comparable service — check the airline notice for the specific flight and date. If an offline ticket agent sold your ticket, that agent may handle the refund and fee assessment.

Baggage problems: exact steps and legal reference

If baggage is delayed, damaged or lost, file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the arrival airport’s China Eastern baggage office immediately. Keep boarding passes and baggage tags — these are required for claim processing. For damaged bags, inspect and report damage at the airport and keep photos; for delayed baggage, note the PIR number and estimated delivery arrangements.

Legal framework for international travel: Montreal Convention deadlines apply. In most international cases, you must: (a) make a written complaint for damaged baggage within 7 days of receipt; (b) for delayed baggage the air carrier may be considered to have lost the baggage if not delivered within 21 days — submit claims promptly. Under the Montreal Convention, the liability limit for checked baggage is expressed in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) — 1,288 SDR per passenger for baggage (convert this to local currency at current SDR rates when calculating reimbursement).

Flight disruptions, delays and compensation

China Eastern’s immediate customer-service priority in a disruption is re-accommodation or refund. At airports, if a flight is delayed or cancelled, ask the airport desk for written confirmation of cancellation and the rebooking options offered. For significant delays or cancellations caused by the airline, passengers should be offered re-routing or refund; complimentary services (hotels/meals) vary by airport and the specific circumstances.

Escalation steps: if you are not satisfied with the first level of customer service, ask for a written complaint reference number. You can escalate to the airline’s corporate customer relations department via the official website forms; include PNR, flight number, dates, copies of receipts for out-of-pocket expenses, and photos. If the dispute remains unresolved, file a complaint with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for China-flagged services or with your local consumer protection authority for local-law protection. CAAC’s portal (http://www.caac.gov.cn) lists regulatory complaint channels.

Practical tips to avoid delays and speed resolution

1) Check-in online 24–48 hours before departure and confirm seat assignment to reduce airport hold-ups. 2) Retain all receipts for incidental expenses (meals, hotels, transport) if you are seeking reimbursement after a disruption; photograph them and send scanned copies with your claim. 3) Use the mobile app and enable push notifications — China Eastern frequently sends automatic schedule-change alerts.

Finally, for group travel or complex itineraries (multi-carrier ticketing), request written confirmation of re-routing offers and get a single point of contact (agent or service desk supervisor) so follow-ups are consolidated. Keeping organized records — PNR, ticket number, PIR, complaint reference and photos — shortens resolution times and increases likelihood of full reimbursement where justified.

How do I contact Air China customer service?

Call Center

Region	Contact	Service Hours
Americas	0018008828122-4-3	Business Hours (Pacific Time): 06:00-21:00 Monday – Friday 07:30-16:00 Saturday, Sunday and public holidays
China	+86-10-95583 +86-10-59281588

How do I contact China from the US?

An AI Overview is not available for this searchCan’t generate an AI overview right now. Try again later.AI Overview To call China from the USA, dial the US exit code 011, followed by China’s country code 86, then the area code (if calling a landline), and finally the local phone number. Alternatively, you can press and hold the 0 key to use a plus sign (+) as a shortcut for the exit code, making the number format: +86-[Area Code]-[Local Number].  For a mobile number

1. Dial 011: (the exit code from the US). 
2. Dial 86: (China’s country code). 
3. Dial the 11-digit mobile number: (you do not need an area code for mobile numbers). 
   • Example: 011-86-166-6666-6666. 

For a landline number 

1. Dial 011: (the exit code).
2. Dial 86: (China’s country code).
3. Dial the area code: for the city you are calling.
4. Dial the local phone number .
   • Example (Beijing): 011-86-10-66666666.

Using the plus sign (+) 

• On most modern mobile phones and some VoIP services, you can dial +86 instead of 011-86.
• Press and hold the 0 key to type the plus sign.

Tips for calling China

• Check costs: International call rates can be expensive, so check with your phone provider about their rates for calls to China. 
• Consider alternatives: For significant savings, explore international calling plans or use internet-based apps like WeChat or Skype. 
• Time difference: China is 13 hours ahead of the US East Coast, so be mindful of the time difference. 

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn moreHow to call China from the US | 8x8Jun 20, 20198x8Looking for mobile APP or Service for making international calls from ChinaJul 18, 2023 — You can call directly through a mini-program of wechat” Easy call” Rate is very reasonable depending on countries star…Reddit · r/chinalife(function(){
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Is China Eastern a trusted airline?

Is China Eastern Airlines safe? Yes, they are a reputable airline with a solid safety record. What is the baggage allowance for business class? Typically, business class passengers are allowed two pieces of checked luggage up to 32kg each.

How do I contact China airlines customer service USA?

North America Customer Service Call Center (Customer Service and Reservations)

• Tel : 1-800-227-5118.
• Office Hour : Monday to Friday 0900 -1730; Weekends and Holidays 0700 – 1530 Pacific Time.
• Email : [email protected].

How to contact China Eastern Airlines customer service?

(626) 583-1500China Eastern Airlines / Customer service

Can you get a refund on China Eastern?

Refunds should be requested within 13 months from the original travel date (or the date of issuance if the first segment of the ticket has not been used). China Eastern Airlines will not process refunds requested after this period.