# Cathay Pacific vs China Eastern Airlines

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cathay Pacific at 70% against China Eastern Airlines's 22%. Cathay Pacific also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.6) and chart position (#115 vs unranked). China Eastern Airlines's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cathay Pacific holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 705 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Cathay Pacific's written reviews are positive against 22% of China Eastern Airlines's.

Cathay Pacific ships an update fortnightly, China Eastern Airlines every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cathay Pacific | China Eastern Airlines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathay-pacific/id305038764/reviews)** | [2.6 (705 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/china-eastern-airlines/id419275564/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 705 |
| Positive reviews | **69.7% of reviews** | 22.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#115** | — |
| Size | 339 MB | 354 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cathay Pacific Airways Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/932300047) | [China Eastern Airlines Co.,LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/415817438) |

## What reviewers say

### Cathay Pacific

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathay-pacific/id305038764)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your entire travel experience from booking flights to checking in and accessing your boarding pass. The app provides personalized updates on upcoming flights and available actions, simplifying trip planning and management.

**Highlights:** Book flights, Plan trips, Manage bookings, Personalized home screen, Check-in, Seat selection, Digital boarding pass

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 📱 Convenient mobile experience
- 💻 Seamless online booking
- 🤝 Great customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔑 Complicated login process
- 🔄 Constant need to re-login
- 🚫 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🤔 Inconsistent user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to view/manage bookings
- Errors during check-in and boarding pass retrieval
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Unreliable flight status updates
- Inconsistent behavior across different devices

**Requested features**

- Offline access to booking details
- Ability to redeem miles/points within the app
- Improved seat selection and upgrade options
- Integration with digital wallets for boarding passes
- More personalized and customizable features


### China Eastern Airlines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/china-eastern-airlines/id419275564)

Book flights with a major Chinese airline offering extensive global routes through its SkyTeam Alliance membership. Enjoy modern aircraft and in-flight Wi-Fi on a vast network of destinations.

**Highlights:** Global flight network, SkyTeam Alliance member, Modern aircraft fleet, In-flight Wi-Fi, Extensive destination coverage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient
- 🚀 Informative
- 🚀 Good app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy and not user-friendly
- 🐛 Terrible app
- 🐛 Useless app
- 🐛 Extremely inconvenient

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes
- Login issues
- Booking and check-in problems
- Synchronization issues between app and website
- Incompatibility with non-Chinese phone numbers

**Requested features**

- Add English language option
- Improve user interface
- Enhance functionality for international travelers
- Integrate with Apple Wallet
- Provide better customer service


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cathay Pacific free?

Cathay Pacific is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is China Eastern Airlines free?

China Eastern Airlines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cathay Pacific or China Eastern Airlines?

Cathay Pacific is rated higher. Cathay Pacific averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while China Eastern Airlines averages 2.6 from 705 ratings.

### Do Cathay Pacific or China Eastern Airlines have ads?

Neither Cathay Pacific nor China Eastern Airlines shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cathay Pacific or China Eastern Airlines?

Cathay Pacific ships an update fortnightly, and China Eastern Airlines every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cathay Pacific was updated on October 30, 2026 and China Eastern Airlines on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*