Ok where to start! So I had booked a trip to the UK from my home in China and had flights booked to return on the 7th February, My wife contacted me from China to ask me if I realised that a very important client was visiting me in China on the Monday 6th Feb and arriving in the morning. I then decided to book another flight through Expedia at a cost of $620 the airline being China Eastern. This flight was Depart London Heathrow at 9pm (sat) arrive Shanghai Pudong 3pm (sunday) leaving me enough time to travel via train/bus back to Ningbo (my home). Anyhow we boarded at 8-30pm and snow had begun to fall, the stewardess announced a few hours delay, after 3hours I asked to "get off" the aircraft, to that the stewardess replied "no sir, dont worry we will leave soon!" then after another hour I made my request clearer "its my right I want to get off the aircraft" to that i was told "no you cannot sir we will leave soon, do not worry". I asked 5times in total knowing from inside an aircraft I could not e-mail my client. We waited nearly 8hours then took off, now I then knew we would arrive late evening at Shanghai and i live 3hrs south I MUST get home as my client has not been notified (as i could not e-mail) I asked the stewardess and was told "dont worry I spoke to the PILOT you will be taken care off" anyhow we arrived at Shanghai Pudong at 11.25pm and by the time we went through Customs and immigration its now nearly midnight at baggage collection. The stewardesses all shot of home and we were left with "ground staff" to take care of us. I told the staff I MUST get home to Ningbo and was told "we will take you to a hotel" to that I replied "I cannot go to a hotel as my client arrives in 8hrs time and I could not inform him I will not be there". The staff just ignored me, to that I said how can I get home..."taxi" came the reply. So I did take a taxi it cost me 1600rmb $250 approx and arrived home at 3-15am to wake up at 7am to meet client, I spent the next few days with my client ill and the next week ill. I complained to China eastern with a hope they would understand and was told "nothing we can do" after my wife then got envolved (she is chinese) I was offered 100rmb to this I told my wife to tell China Eastern to put that 100 where the sun does not shine! To add to that disgust! I flew back from Schenzhen recently with a China Eastern flight and after check in the flight was not even on the board at the time of departure... No one. I repeat NO ONE had a clue what was going on, in the end I waited 5hrs then we watched as the plane arrivd to the stand 3hrs late with freak lightning in the background and heavy rain. Passengers left... Pilots remained. Everyone boarded but I decided that i did not believe it was safe to fly and that the pilots would be fatigued in torrential weather conditions, so insisted they put me in a hotel at 2am and fly me the next day. This they did and I was joined by another foreigner who had already been taken to a hotel and brough back to fly but they had managed to mess up his flight also. Anyway the girl books me on a 7-15am flight and tells me RUN to gate 3 a bus will take you to the Hotel. So I run... No bus... So I walk back... Then someone else takes me to the bus, we arrive hotel, 2hrs sleep back to airport... Ok check in.."sorry sir but you have not been booked on the flight!" "what?" "go back to China Eastern!" i go back "oh sorry mistake sir (I have on film!)" so frantically the One decent China eastern staff I have his name (well done) gets me a seat on a 7-45 flight... But We have to RUN... RUn through security... Run across the airport... I Just make boarding... JUST! I Expect China Eastern to Call me... I have flown 4long Haul flights this year and CHINA EASTERN YOU ARE A JOKE!!
0 comments