China Eastern Airlines is set to bridge Asia and South America with a new trans-Pacific service via Auckland. Starting December 2025, the carrier will extend its daily Shanghai–Auckland flight onward to Buenos Aires, offering frequent flyers fresh award-booking opportunities and restoring a key route that’s been missing since the pandemic.

Main Points

  • China Eastern will connect Shanghai, Auckland, and Buenos Aires starting December 2025.
  • First direct link between New Zealand and Argentina.
  • New award opportunities for premium cabin travelers.

New Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires Service

China Eastern will launch a twice-weekly extension of its Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Auckland (AKL) route, flying onward to Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE). This marks the first direct link between New Zealand and Argentina, and one of the few South America–Asia-Pacific nonstop services in the southern hemisphere. Source: 1News

For Your Information

This route not only restores vital connections post-pandemic but also opens new possibilities for cargo, business, and tourism between Asia Pacific and South America.

Interior view of a China Eastern Airlines aircraft, showcasing economy class seating with personal screens, in preparation for new Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires service.

Route Details at a Glance

Segment Frequency Aircraft Cabin Layout
Shanghai (PVG) → Auckland (AKL) Daily + 2× weekly A330-200 (current), 777-300ER (new) 17 J / 246 Y → 6 F / 52 J / 258 Y
Auckland (AKL) → Buenos Aires (EZE) 2× weekly Boeing 777-300ER 6 F / 52 J / 258 Y

Flight Schedule

  • Departs Shanghai Pudong: Daily service continues, with two flights extending to Buenos Aires.
  • Auckland stopover: Quick turn-around for refueling and passenger services.
  • Onward to Buenos Aires: Nonstop across the Pacific and Southern Ocean, covering nearly 19,000 km.
Interior view of a China Eastern Airlines aircraft, showcasing economy class seating with personal screens, in preparation for new Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires service.

What This Route Means & What We Love About

  • A major boost for South Pacific–South America connectivity: With South America–New Zealand capacity still down 53% compared to pre-COVID levels, this route restores a crucial air link that supports both tourism and trade. New Zealand estimates it lost over NZ$76.7 million in visitor spend due to the lack of direct flights.
  • Strategic advantage for Argentina: The service gives Argentina its only nonstop connection to the Asia-Pacific region, filling a gap left by the canceled Madrid link and strengthening ties for cargo, business, and leisure travel.
  • SkyTeam’s long-haul opportunity: As the only SkyTeam-operated nonstop service between South America and Asia-Pacific, this route could become a game-changer for SkyTeam frequent flyers. If award availability opens up, it would provide excellent options for SAS EuroBonus, Flying Blue, and other SkyTeam program members to redeem miles for premium cabin seats on ultra-long-haul flights.
  • Competitive context: By December 2025, competing services will include:
    • Qantas: Sydney (SYD) ↔ Santiago (SCL) daily
    • LATAM: Santiago (SCL) ↔ Auckland (AKL), Melbourne (MEL), Sydney (SYD)
    • China Eastern: The only SkyTeam and only nonstop Asia-Pacific connection from Argentina

What This Means for Award Travelers

  • New award space: Longer-haul flights often release premium seats closer to departure.
  • Points-friendly cabins: 777-300ER offers 6 first-class and 52 business-class seats.
  • One-stop options: Connect via PVG to Europe and Asia, opening creative routing.

AwardFares makes it easy to track space, set alerts, and book as soon as award seats are released.

Plan Your South America Award Travel

Use AwardFares to unlock and track award space on this brand-new PVG→AKL→EZE service:

  • ✈️ Search award availability in China Eastern using multiple Frequent Flyer programs
  • 🔔 Set alerts for last-minute premium seat releases
  • 📆 Compare availability across multiple date ranges
  • 🗺️ Browse real-time seat maps and flight schedules

Try AwardFares free or view plans here

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