Originally Posted by
bridgeair
This web page tells you what times of day it goes at what max speeds:
http://www.smtdc.com/en/jszl1_2.html
Departures from 9:00 - 10:47 and 15:00 to 15:47 go at the highest speed (430km/h).
Yup, thanks--I saw your link you posted earlier--hence my comment that I'm a bit disappointed I don't think I can make that work and wait until 9am to take the Maglev, as that would put us arriving at SHA around 10:30 for my 11:50 flight, just a bit too close for comfort, I think.
Or is it? It's a domestic flight from SHA to PEK (albeit connecting in PEK internationally to SFO, if that adds any complexity). I'm Star Gold (and connecting onward from PEK in biz, although I'm in Y on this segment), and we will have checked luggage. Is arriving at the counter an hour and fifteen minutes before departure a bad idea? What is SHA like in terms of check-in lines, security lines, walking times to the gates, etc.?
If 1h15m is perfectly fine, then maybe it's worth waiting and taking the 9am maglev. Then both I and my travel companion get a cool and new experience.
(FWIW, I have little problem arriving at any U.S. airport 1h ahead, albeit with elite status and usually no checked bag.)