Glad to see the OP made it. However, here are some more considerations for a 2 hour connection at PVG based on my limited (~8 international flights so far and ~3 domestic flights at PVG):

Your flight may have 300 people on it. Your luggage may take 30 minutes if you are unlucky.

Customs and immigration have always been very fast/efficient for me. (~under 10 minute to pass through both)

Your arrival terminal may be different than the departing terminal (1 and 2). They are a good 10 minute walk. If you have luggage, or trouble walking, plan for more time.

The check-in wait line (queue) may be very very long. On my last flight using China Eastern, I waited over 30 minutes. On a previous NWA international flight, I wait between 20 to 40 minutes.

Add those times together and you will see that you are at risk to miss your flight!

Once you got your boarding pass, you are pretty much ok, because from the security gate to your flight is probably under 10 minutes. (Security is very efficient, even with the crap that some people try to pull.. My last crossing, I saw someone with a frozen chicken with a frozen bottled water jammed inside it to keep it cooled. The funny thing was - After security cut the chicken in half (they have a big cook's knife!) took the frozen water bottle out, they packed the chicken back up and gave it back to the passenger! I wonder what it will smell like when she get to her final destination....

By coincidence, I am taking the 5pm CA flight to NRT today!

I think you should be OK, as long as the SQ flight is on time.

Your arrival and departure flights are from the same terminal, Terminal 2, at PVG. Try to get SQ to tag your luggage (if you have anything checked) all the way to NRT.

When you get into the terminal, you have a long walk from the gates SQ use to immigration. When you get to the stairs down into the immigration hall, do not take them. Instead walk past them. Just after that, on the left hand side, are some International Connections desks. These are usually available for connections on Star Alliance airlines, but are not always staffed.

If the connections desks are staffed, then they should be able to give you your CA boarding pass and verify your SQ baggage tag numbers. You then go through a security check and upstairs into the international gate area. If there are no Air China staff on duty, they can call for someone to come and process you. This takes a little longer but you should still have time. It is helpful to have a printout of your itinerary or at least the eticket number, in case of queries.

If the desks are not staffed at all, or if you have luggage that is only tagged to PVG, then you need to go through immigration and customs (should be fast at that time of day) and then upstairs to check-in. Note that Air China have separate domestic and international check-in areas, so keep an eye on the signs. Also, note that international check-in for Air China at this time of day can be a zoo. If you are running close to 1 hour to departure, go to the Business of First Class desks and ask either them, or the supervisor sitting next to them, to check you in.

Once you are checked in, it is easy. Through security and getting to your gate should take 15 minutes or less.

Connecting CO --> CA at PVG
 

Hello all. I will be arriving into PVG on CO's flight from EWR at 14:55. There is a 16:00 departure on CA for a connection to SZX. Assuming that the CO flight arrives on schedule, is it realistic to think that I will make the CA connection?

Never been to PVG before and would appreciate any advice.

You will not make this connection. Book another flight.

very very tight, you need to go through customs and then security. if you have a baggage to claim, definitely won't make it.

Yesterday departed 18 minutes late.
As its in T-2 probably could have made it with no checked bags.

On-time Rating: 0.2 of 5

CA922
Departure Status Details
Airport: (PVG) Pu Dong Airport
City: Shanghai, CN
Scheduled: 4:00 PM - Fri Jan 22, 2010
Actual: 4:18 PM - Fri Jan 22, 2010
Departed gate 18 min later than scheduled
Terminal: 2
Local Time: 12:56 PM - Sat Jan 23, 2010

Is there any chance you can switch to the HKG flight? If not, I'd be inclined to roll the dice on the 4p flight, provided:

1) seats near front of plane
2) business class bag tags (or no checked luggage)
3) willingness to perform an "OJ" upon arrival at PVG
4) store travel agent or airline cancellation number in cell phone and/or ask third party to monitor your flight for you and authorize this person to cancel on your behalf in the very unlikely event your inbound flight is more than an hour behind schedule

Your goal is to make it from the airplane to the checkin counter in 35 minutes or less; aggressive, but possible.

CA 922
Over an hour late for departure yesterday.


Airport: (PVG) Pu Dong Airport
City: Shanghai, CN
Scheduled: 4:00 PM - Sat Jan 23, 2010
Actual: 5:01 PM - Sat Jan 23, 2010
Departed gate 61 min later than scheduled
Terminal: 2
Local Time: 2:58 AM - Sun Jan 24, 2010

Thanks for the input. My ticket on CA would be changeable/refundable, so I am tempted to book the 16:00 flight and make a run for it. I won't have any checked bags so maybe I've got a shot.

I considered flying to HKG instead of PVG, but it is substantially more expensive for some reason.

I'm willing to put a gigantic beer (stein) at Paulaner on the line behind the OP. Any takers (other than smg77)?

That's a fairly even odds bet.
CO 87 could be late as shown on today's flight
and CA 922 could be on time. Then it would be a miss.

But statistically you got to go with making the connection.^



CO 87
Airport: (PVG) Pu Dong Airport

City: Shanghai, CN
Scheduled: 2:55 PM - Mon Jan 25, 2010
Estimated: 3:26 PM - Mon Jan 25, 2010
Estimated to arrive at gate 31 min later than scheduled
Terminal: 2
Local Time: 1:02 AM - Mon Jan 25, 2010


CA 922
This flight has an average delay of 33.0 minutes with a standard deviation of 41.01 minutes.

PVG international-international connection
 

I'm wondering how international connections work at the PVG airport in Shanghai. I will be flying ICN-PVG on either China Eastern or China Southern, and will fly PVG-SIN on Singapore Airlines (SQ) on a separate ticket. I arrive into PVG around 8pm and depart a little after midnight.

Can I stay airside or do I have to clear immigration/customs and then check-in again on the onwards flight?

Also, (maybe I should ask on the SQ board) but anyone know if I can check baggage through to SIN?

Well.... there IS an international-international transfer desk at PVG!

However - I have never once seen it staffed in the 15 or so arrivals I have made into PVG (at various times and days of the week) in the last year.

I also note that it only advertises very limited int-int transfers - I think VS, NZ and LH?? or something like that. Now that doesn't necessarily mean they don't handle other airlines...

However - given I have never seen it staffed I guess the easiest thing you can do is to use the transit visa-free option (if your passport is eligible) and just go out and pick up your bags and then head up one level and check-in again.

Check-in or the SQ flight should open 3 hours prior to departure, so by the time you have disembarked, done immigration, picked up the bags and gone upstairs you won't have long to wait (maybe 30 mins or so).

I remember seeing a similar thread to this on FT - might have been the China forum - but I can't remember if the answers were any more conclusive.

Thanks! I guess I won't count on being able to transit airside ... I will have a multi-entry China visa so I'll just exit and check-in with SQ.

I won't have long to wait -- should I interpret this to mean that disembarking/immigration/customs/SQ-checkin/security/immigration will take a long time? I thought a 4 hr window would be sufficient on a Thurs night.

Chances are the ICN-PVG flight on MU or CZ will arrive at T-1. PVG-SIN is
definately T-2.

So you might have to walk thru the underground to T-2. (10 minutes)