'Oh My Shanghai' Flight Turns a Journey Into a Celebration of the City Spirit

Passengers aboard China Eastern Airlines flight MU244 from Milan to Shanghai on October 17 and 18 were not just taking a long-haul trip. Midway between continents, the cabin was transformed into a celebration of Shanghai itself – a flying prelude to the city's rhythm, energy and charm.

The themed flight, "Oh My Shanghai – Magic City, Beyond Words!", was co-launched by City News Service (CNS), Shanghai's official English platform serving as both a guide and a storyteller of the city, and China Eastern Airline. The initiative invited travelers to share their first impressions of the city through messages, photos, and short interviews, blending culture, conversation, and creativity above the clouds.

Before takeoff, a specially designed welcome screen and short film introduced the "Oh My Shanghai" theme – a visual montage of the city's skyline, cuisine, and creative pulse. Each passenger received a set of commemorative keepsakes, including a boarding pass, a gift bag, and a postcard designed for the flight.

The crew, serving as cultural hosts, encouraged passengers to leave handwritten notes for the global "Shanghai Message Book" campaign. Some did so with touching simplicity: one traveler scribbled "Nihao, Shanghai people!" in neat cursive; another said she planned to find a special Shanghai stamp "to bring luck" to her family back home.

Others took part in brief interviews, speaking about what they most looked forward to – from soup dumplings and skyline walks to jazz nights on the Bund. In return, participants received Shanghai-themed passport holders and luggage tags, along with in-flight Wi-Fi courtesy of China Eastern.

For CNS and China Eastern Airline, the project is part of a broader effort to reimagine the passenger experience and deepen global curiosity about Shanghai. "This flight already feels like my first step into Shanghai's story," one traveler said as the aircraft began its descent over the Shanghai skyline.

By the time the wheels touched down, the Milan–Shanghai route had become more than a connection between two cities – it had become a story of arrival, told 30,000 feet in the air.