The downside to budget travel

To preface this, on my last stint in Asia, I was blessed to have flown on Singapore Airlines. The tickets were still bought on a discount site, but were much more expensive than my latest ticket on China Eastern Airlines. Having just suffered (#firstworldproblems) through a nearly 15-hour flight aboard CEA, I’m starting to contemplate the money I saved.

To start, being American, I like to eat. I like to eat a lot, and though I’m not a large man, my appetite begs to differ. With no option of purchasing food, and having some how not packed snacks, I was told the one meal given at the beginning of the flight, as well as a small snack around eight hours in, was all we would be given to eat. I spent the majority of the flight downing tea to help suppress my hunger. To my surprise, with our flight being extended by around an hour mid-air, with 1.5 hours left, we were given a small pork dish (hooray for no dietary restrictions!).

Along with the lack of food, CEA is also BYOE (bring your own electronics/entertainment). Scattered through the cheap seats are a few small monitors that sometimes play movies or TV shows, but PA announcements cut off the sound for much longer than the flight attendants' speech. A good portion of the flight was also spent watching a little plane navigate its path out of LA. There are electrical outlets on the back of each headrest, but few seem to actually work to recharge your electronics.

On a somewhat positive note, CEA had the quickest meal clean up I’ve ever experienced on a plane. Sure this may be due to scarcity, but I’ve never eaten and been able to head to the restroom within 20 minutes of one another.

I normally pride myself on liking things, but I can’t help but be a little cranky and hungry after the longest plane ride I’ve been on in years. Steer clear of China Eastern Airlines if you enjoy good wining and dining, while watching top-notch entertainment on international flights.

Image courtesy of China Eastern Airlines