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Latest Shanghai hotel reviews
Shanghai has one of China's largest airports so flying in from Europe, even directly, should not be a problem. If you are prepared to change planes, you should be able to shave off 25% to 33% off the fare - and possibly get better service to boot. Best connections from Europe in terms of price are probably via Switzerland, Germany or Russia. For best quality/price I'd have to say 'Middle East'. Depending on the season and on whether there are any sales, we paid ca. GBP 2,100 for a return business class fare on Qatar Airways (regular fare without sales). During sales, economy flights from major European cities can work out at as little (considering the distance) as EUR 450-500.
Shanghai is also well-connected with major Chinese cities with scores of flights daily to Beijing, Xi'An, Chengdu as well as others. Importantly for us, there were also flights to Lhasa available. Major domestic airlines serving Shanghai are Air China, China Southeastern and China Southern. Of these, Air China had the most modern planes from what I could observe.
The airport - both international and domestic - is efficient (unless you're going to Lhasa) though probably somewhat lacking in facilities if you're used to the likes of Heathrow. Electronic check-in is possible for most destinations which allows to save a bit of time.
Written Nov 11, 2011
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I just looked into VISA requirements again on the web and extracted the following...I reads that you don't need a VISA in transport, but you can't leave the grounds and if you do get a Transit Visa, it cost the same as a tourist fee, hence the 125 USD fee. If you never been to China, I would invest into it and see the sights and maybe you would want to return. (get a muti-entry visa) When you are in the city, it is cheap to get around and the boat ride down the river is less than 5 usd, I think it was a dollar and a half. There are many sites to see and to enjoy it for a day and return to China in the future would be good if you are into Asian culture.
Transit visas are for persons who are staying for a short period while in transit between two other countries. You must have residency in the destination country or have a valid visa for it. The fee appears to be the same as for a tourist visa, so check whether you might as well get a tourist visa instead.
Some airports do not have an international transfer area and you might have to collect your baggage and exit into the main area so you would expect to need a visa. However, in some instances the airport immigration officials will issue you with a 24 hour 'Stay Permit'. When you make bookings that look like you will not be checked straight through to your final destination you are advised to ask the airline or the agent, or contact a visa issuing consulate to check if a transit visa is required. See also Airline Regulations
Visa Free Transit
1. No visa is required for foreigners who hold air tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airlines flying directly through China, and will stay in a transit city for less than 24 hours and do not leave the airport.
2. Visas are not required for passport holders of the following 30 countries, who transit through Pudong Airport or Hongqiao Airport or seaports of Shanghai, provided they hold valid passports, visas and tickets to the final destination and have booked seats, and stay in Shanghai for less than 48 hours (going out of the airport is allowed): Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and USA.
Requirements
1. Applicant's valid passport must have at least six months of remaining validity with at least one blank visa page in it.
cheers tommy x
Written May 14, 2011
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There are two airports in Shanghai. One is Pudong International Airport (PVG), the other is Hongqiao Airport (SHA). Always make sure where your flight is since these two airports are far away from each other. If you need to connect your flights at Shanghai, always try to book your flights at the same airport, if not possible, allows plenty of time for u to travel during your layover!
Updated Aug 1, 2009
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Yes, it is always enjoyable to fly. Personally, I strongly recommend you to fly with China Eastern Airlines. It was a short flight from Shanghai Pudong to Shenzhen Baoan airport. The flight was very bumpy but the service was good. I have flown with a few China-based airlines, excluding Hong Kong carriers, CEA is really good among all its competitors.
Also, this is one of the main airlines based in Shanghai, so it should be a good commuter.
Written Feb 26, 2009
Website: http://www.ce-air.com/
Shanghai & other Chinese cities
--------- quote from Spring Travel website ---------
August 18, 2008.
Overview
Spring Tour is the only travel agency in China that has their own airlines, providing our customers with safe, economical, on-time, convenient, and comfortable flight service at extremely affordable prices.
Spring Airlines currently operates eight new Airbus 320 passenger airplanes that fly from Shanghai to Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Kunming, Haikou, Sanya, Guilin, Wenzhou, Qingdao, and 20 other popular domestic destinations.
Our professional ticket reservation team can also reserve domestic and international flight tickets from other large airlines in a time-effective manner helping you to design your itinerary in the most convenient and economic way, giving you one less detail to worry about when traveling.
Domestic Flights
Flight & Price
Shanghai-Beijing 1130
Shanghai-Shenzhen 1400
Shanghai-Xian 1260
Shanghai-Qingdao 740
Shanghai-Dalian 1060
Shanghai-Changchun 1600
Shanghai-Fuzhou 780
Shanghai-Taiyuan 1200
Shanghai-Guangzhou 1280
Shanghai-Tianjin 1030
International Flights
Flight & Price
Shanghai-Los Angeles 3300
Shanghai-New York 3100
Shanghai-San Francisco/Los Angeles/Seattle 4550
Shanghai-Chicago/New York/Washington 4800
Shanghai-Vancouver 3500
Shanghai-Toronto 5600
Shanghai-Paris 4500
Shanghai-London 7400
Shanghai-Frankfurt 3750
Updated Aug 18, 2008
Phone: 400 820 6222 ext.6
Website: http://www.china-sss.com
Helpfulness
This airport is better than Hongqiao airport, also in Shanghai.
The interior is much nicer and there are more staff that speaks english.
There are some restaurants at Terminal 1 and more on Terminal 2. KFC, BK and some cafes are in Terminal 2, in fact this tip is written using Caffè Ritazza's wireless.
You can either walk or take Maglev to go between the 2 terminals. They are around 700m apart, around 10 minutes walk.
Updated Jul 5, 2008
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Shanghai is served by two major airports, Pudong and Hongqiao. Choosing which one to use depends on which side of the Huangpu river you are staying. If you are staying on the Pudong side (the east side), then use Pudong Airport. If you are staying on the Puxi side (the west side), then use Hongqiao Airport. Pudong is the larger and newer of the two, but also the farthest from the city. Hongqiao is smaller and older, but closer the the central city.
Written May 11, 2008
Website: http://www.shanghaiairport.com/en/
Helpfulness
The airport is the first thing that a traveler sees once he arrives in a foreign land. I guess you could say " first impressions last" and that often sets the tone for the trip ahead. With that in mind I have got to say that my trip started on the right foot once the plane landed. The first thing you will notice is the sheer size of the place. It was huuuuge! I was lucky enough that my airline was one of the few ones assigned to the new Terminal 2 of the Pudong airport which was only over a week old. The terminal itself was world class. Everything was clean and well lighted. Airport staff were on hand to direct us to the immigration section. What I was impressed while at the immigration desk was how fast they were able to check my passport and visas. The whole process from queuing to going past the desk was done in 5 minutes. I was also able to rate the service via a rating system located at beside the immigration officer. This gave me the chance to immediately rate their service. The facilities like the restrooms, restaurants, and shops were all top notch.
The only unpleasant part of arrival was the army of people offering taxis. I knew not to take these taxis since they often would charge out of meter which meant I would be paying much more if I did. These people were rather persistent and hounded my party even after politely declining.
Written May 3, 2008
Helpfulness
Note that there are two major airports in Shanghai.
1) Pu Dong (airport code=PVG) - catering mainly for international flights. Located on the other side of the Huangpu river, about an hour or more from downtown Shanghai. There is a megalev express train from the airport but pricey.
2) Hong Qiao (airport code=SHA) - catering mainly for local flights. Located on the same side of downtown Shanghai.
So when booking your flight, check which airport in Shanghai you will be landing or departing.
Updated Mar 30, 2008
Website: http://www.shanghaiairport.com/en/index.jsp
Before the opening of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport used to be main airport of Shanghai. During the 1990's, the expansion of Hongqiao was impossible when the city grew and surrounded Hongqiao. So then the government had to look for an alternative for Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to take almost all of its international flights. A particular place was at the coast of the Pudong development zone to the East of Shanghai.
Written Mar 4, 2008
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Insider advice and photos on Shanghai flights and airports in the Shanghai area posted by real travelers and locals.
Before the opening of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport used to be main airport of Shanghai. During the 1990's, the...
514 members live in Shanghai
Q: I'm going to be flying from Beijing to Shanghai. On my intended date of travel, there are four flights going to Pudong airport,...
A: Although this makes Pudong sounds preferable: http://wikitravel.org/en/Shanghai#By_plane
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