China Eastern Eastern Miles: Earning by Member Level

The price-based model has applied to flights flown from 1 September 2021. Earlier flights used a distance and class model.

• Which flights: tickets whose ticket carrier and operating carrier are both China Eastern (MU), Shanghai Airlines (FM) or China United (KN), in any combination.
• Price used: the ticket price including the fuel surcharge (YQ). China Eastern uses the actual fare for tickets on 781 and 822 ticket stock and an average fare level it computes for other stock.
• Which coefficient: the one for your level when the flight operates. Tickets sold through China Eastern's own channels (app, website, 95530) have a different coefficient from other channels.
• Posting: up to 8 days after the flight for MU, FM and KN flights. Missing miles can be claimed within 6 months of the flight.
• Not earning: reward tickets in class A, O or X, infant tickets, tickets with IT in the fare box, rebooking fees, fees paid by paper charges or MCO, add-ons such as insurance and preferred seats, and charter flights. Special fares follow the product rules.
• Validity: any valid change to the miles balance extends all miles to the end of the 36th month after the change; with no change in 36 months, the miles lapse.
• Not stated: the pages China Eastern publishes for this do not give a minimum per flight, the rounding rule, or how a ticket in another currency is converted to yuan.

For flights with a China Eastern (MU) or Shanghai Airlines (FM) code that are operated by SkyTeam members, and by Japan Airlines, Qantas and Etihad (Etihad from 1 June 2025), miles = standard distance (IATA city-pair kilometres) x (base percentage + class bonus percentage). FM-coded flights flown by Japan Airlines or Qantas earn nothing.

• Minimum: on codeshare flights operated by SkyTeam members (MU or FM code), a distance under 500 km counts as 500 km. Flights operated by Japan Airlines, Qantas and Etihad have no minimum.
• Qualifying segments: each of these flights counts as 1 qualifying segment.
• Flights under the partner's own code: the partner programme's rules apply; China Eastern's SkyTeam partner earning list is published as images and is not reproduced here.

A level is reached by annual spend (fare plus YQ on China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and China United tickets, over 12 consecutive months) plus either qualifying segments or qualifying kilometres. Spend is mandatory; segments or kilometres count either way. The upgrade standard applies from 1 January 2025 and the renewal standard from 1 July 2025.

Members who keep a level they first reached from 1 September 2022 get a lower segment or kilometre requirement when they renew, with no discount on spend.

• Qualifying segments and kilometres: one segment per flight flown on China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, China United and SkyTeam flights; kilometres are the standard (IATA) distance of each flight.
• How long a level lasts: an upgraded level is valid from the day the conditions are met to the end of the same month of the next year. A renewed level is valid to the end of the same month of the next year. A member who does not renew drops to the level reached in the period, to 1-star at the lowest.
• Savings: surplus segments, kilometres and spend above the standard carry to the next renewal only (2-star to Platinum card; not for upgrades).
• Honoured badges: cumulative spend of 225,000 yuan gives the Honoured Silver badge and 450,000 yuan Honoured Gold.
• SkyTeam: Gold and Platinum card members are SkyTeam Elite Plus; Silver card members are SkyTeam Elite.

• Who gets in: Platinum card members and first and business class passengers use the first, business and Platinum lounge with one companion on the same flight. Gold and Silver card members use the business lounge: Gold members in business cabins may take one companion, Gold members in economy and Silver members enter alone.
• Condition: only departing China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines flights on the day of travel receive lounge service. For China United flights, service is available only where China Eastern runs its own lounge. At Shanghai Hongqiao Terminal 2 the 21-metre level lounge accepts only passengers holding a first or business boarding pass.
• Shanghai Pudong (PVG): see Shanghai Pudong airport lounges for the China Eastern lounges by terminal.
• SkyTeam lounges: Platinum and Gold card members, as SkyTeam Elite Plus, can use SkyTeam lounges on international flights flown and operated by SkyTeam members, with one companion on the same flight.

How many Eastern Miles do I earn on a China Eastern flight?

Flights operated by China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and China United earn Eastern Miles on the ticket price including the YQ fuel surcharge, multiplied by a coefficient set by your member level and where the ticket was sold. A 1-star member earns 0.264 per yuan on China Eastern's own channels (app, website, 95530) and 0.24 elsewhere. A Platinum card member earns 1.232 per yuan on its own channels and 1.12 elsewhere.

Does the booking class matter for Eastern Miles?

Not on China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and China United flights, where the price sets the miles. Reward tickets in class A, O or X earn nothing. On flights with a China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines code operated by a SkyTeam partner, Japan Airlines, Qantas or Etihad, miles come from the distance and the booking class.

What does it take to reach an Eastern Miles level?

Within 12 consecutive months, a level needs annual spend plus either qualifying segments or qualifying kilometres. Silver card needs 20,000 yuan and 13 segments or 15,000 km, Gold card 40,000 yuan and 25 segments or 25,000 km, and Platinum card 100,000 yuan and 45 segments or 55,000 km.

Is there a minimum number of miles per flight?

China Eastern's rules print no minimum for flights it operates. On codeshare flights operated by SkyTeam members, a distance under 500 km counts as 500 km.

Source: China Eastern Airlines (Eastern Miles pages, in Chinese). Air miles rules | Member levels | Terms | Miles FAQ | Member Handbook (PDF)