Breaking: China Eastern Awards Now Bookable with SAS EuroBonus

We just noticed something massive in our logs: China Eastern (MU) award availability has suddenly appeared online for EuroBonus members.

Since SAS officially joined SkyTeam, members have been waiting for full connectivity with major partners. While some airlines came online immediately, China Eastern, one of the alliance’s giants with a massive network from Shanghai (PVG), remained elusive.

That changed today. We are seeing widespread availability across multiple regions. While this appears to be a “soft launch”, the inventory is real, bookable, and live on AwardFares. Here is our analysis of the current availability, pricing, and the sweet spots you can book right now.

What We Are Seeing: Routes & Pricing

We have run hundreds of searches to map out exactly what is available. Here is the breakdown by region based on current AwardFares data.

Europe 🇪🇺

Connectivity to major European hubs is excellent, with plenty of seats in both cabins.

🏰

Great Availability to LHR, CPH, MAD, BCN, GVA

• Availability: Excellent in Spring and Summer. We are seeing multiple seats per flight on many dates.
• Pricing (one-way):
  • Economy: ~54,000 points
  • Business: ~108,000 points
• Example Routes: Shanghai (PVG) to London (LHR), Copenhagen (CPH), Madrid (MAD), Barcelona (BCN), and Geneva (GVA).

Oceania 🇦🇺 🇳🇿

Getting Down Under just got easier. This is arguably the best value we are seeing so far.

🦘

Wide Open Space to Sydney, Melbourne & Auckland

• Availability: Fantastic availability for Spring and Summer travel in all classes.
• Pricing (one-way):
  • Economy: ~42,000 points
  • Business: ~84,000 points
• Note: The specific fifth-freedom leg between Auckland (AKL) and Buenos Aires (EZE) is not showing availability yet.

Middle East 🕌

Strong connectivity through Shanghai to major Middle Eastern hubs.

🐪

Availability to Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo & Riyadh

• Availability: Good availability across Economy and Business class.
• Routes: PVG to Istanbul (IST), Dubai (DXB), Cairo (CAI), and Riyadh (RUH).

Domestic China 🇨🇳

Perfect for connecting flights or exploring the region.

🐲

Hop between major Chinese cities

• Availability: Wide open connectivity inside China.
• Pricing (one-way):
  • Economy: ~15,000 points
  • Business: ~30,000 points
• Example Routes: PVG to Beijing (PEK), Wuhan (WUH), Chengdu (CTU).

North America 🇺🇸

The only region currently missing from the inventory.

🚫

No Availability Yet

• Status: We are currently seeing zero award space between Shanghai and North American destinations (LAX, JFK, YVR, etc.).
• Recommendation: Set an Alert on AwardFares. If this region opens up later, you’ll be the first to know.

AwardFares Thoughts

This is a significant development for EuroBonus members. Since leaving Star Alliance, the biggest concern for SAS loyalists has been the loss of connectivity to Asia (specifically the loss of ANA, Thai Airways, and Singapore Airlines).

While China Eastern may not have the same 5-star reputation as Singapore Airlines, they offer a massive network. The ability to fly from Europe to Shanghai and connect to almost anywhere in Asia, Australia, or New Zealand using EuroBonus points fills a major gap in the current SkyTeam map for SAS members.

The pricing for Business Class to Europe (180k round-trip) is steep compared to the old Star Alliance charts, but in the current landscape, availability is king. The fact that we can search and find multiple business class seats on a single flight is a huge win.

What Is It Like To Fly China Eastern?

China Eastern is a massive carrier, but the onboard experience can vary depending on the aircraft. Their long-haul fleet (A350s and B777s) generally offers a solid hard product, often with 1-2-1 seating in Business Class.

We recently reported our experience on their Economy product to give you an idea of what to expect on board.

How to Find These Seats Fast

Because this availability is new and potentially unstable, speed is essential. Here is how to search for award space with AwardFares:

1. Select SAS EuroBonus as your loyalty program.
2. Filter by Airline: Select China Eastern (MU) to cut through the noise.
3. Use the Timeline View: Look at the monthly view to spot dates with availability instantly.
4. Check Pricing: Sort by Business Class to find the 84k/108k fares.
5. Book: Once you find the flight numbers on AwardFares, click on Book and you’ll be taken to the SAS website to finalize the process (login required). If the website errors out, call the SAS service center with your flight numbers ready.