uanj

When are you flying? The thunderstorms we have been having in August is really playing havoc with flight schedules. Your safest bet would be to fly in the day before. If the bus between the two airports is not leaving right away you could try a taxi but the queue could take 10-45 minutes to clear at Hongqiao Airport.

Actual travel time is 2 hours, may a bit less if traffic is not heavy. But you have to add any flight delay getting into SHA, wait time for either the bus or a taxi, so you can see where this can go off the rails fairly easily. Allow more time or come the night before would be my thought! Let us know how you make out.

jiejie

Have you already tried working with CX/KA to see if they'd be willing to change the first segment of the return from PVG-HKG to XMN-HKG? They certainly fly both routes on their own metal. IMO, to avoid the "adventure" that you are proposing, it would be worth it even paying a reasonable change fee, and even if you had to fly that short XMN-HKG segment in Y instead of F.

IluvSQ

I think you will be OK if you are familiar with Shanghai subway. Take the subway, transit time will about an hour and a half ( depends if you are SHA T1 or T2, one is direct, the other requires a transfer. Allow about half hour from deplaning to boarding train, and
you should be at check in counter about 90 minutes before your flight.

That said, there are flights from XMN to both PVG and SHA . Why are you flying into SHA?

travelinmanS

If your Xiamen flight is on time you'll have plenty of time. It takes one hour from SHA to PVG if the taxi driver knows the right roads and you'd also be able to do the line 2 to maglev shuffle in about 90 minutes. Unfortunately the odds of your flight arriving into SHA on time are much too low to recommend this connection.

I'd try and change the ticket to HKG-SYD (should be easy if it's an award ticket which I'm assuming it is since it's in F class). Then just take the train from Xiamen to Shenzhen and negotiate your way across the border and onto the HK airport bus. Will take less time than your current itinerary and you'll have much more reassurance time wise of making the flight to SYD. As it stands now I'd give you a 30% chance of making the SYD flight with your current itinerary.

rli987123

Just an update - successfully did the XMN-SHA-PVG-HKG-SYD route with minimal issues (minor delays out of XMN). Took the earliest flight out of XMN and arrived a few hours late, taxi took around 80 minutes (20 min in line as well) and made it onto the KA flight. Thanks for your help!

dcisneros

Flight delays in mainland China is the norm. This is why I avoid doing transfers in China. HK would be a good place, not as PVG.

cagrl

I am looking for recent info about transfer in pvg. I will be traveling with my 5 month old daughter from San Fransisco to Guam, changing planes in PVG. I have a 2.5 hours between flights, both United Airlines. The second flight to Guam is at 11:05pm, and United only has this flight once a day, I don't want to be stuck in Shanghai for 24 hours, as I have been there and my trip is not very long.

1. What is the process at this time? There seems to be lots of talk from 2011, and rumors I wouldn't have to go through customs and baggage claim. Will I need to gather my checked bags?

2. If its tight, would it help to have carry on only luggage? (I prefer not to do this as I will be holding my daughter.)

YuropFlyer

I'm not even sure you're allowed to do such schedule - without a visa!

For what I know, Guam is considered US for transit purposes, so you're flying US-China-US, which, while perfectly fine with a Chinese visa, won't work under TWOV rules.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Correct - requires a visa.

uanj

The

The UA PVG-Guam flight is not even daily. If you just want to get to GUM, why not transfer in NRT? UA has 3 daily flights NRT-GUM with loads of seats.

drewguy

Not really a transfer question, but . . .

How early should one arrive at PVG for international departure (mid afternoon UA flight)? I'm used to a mess at PEK for emigration/security. Is PVG as bad?

YuropFlyer

If you're taking the metro and you know +/- a few minutes about your arrival time, I'd say 2hrs before departure are fine. If by car/bus, I'd arrive 2.5hrs before departure, just in case of some traffic jam.

drewguy

Thanks - We had about 2.25 hours, but having elite check in helped a lot with lines. Security was orderly, but the usual ordeal, leaving us about 20 minutes for lounge before going to gate.

flyerCO

Update For reference.

T1 when connecting from/to MU (CHINA EASTERN) OR FM (SHANGHAI AIRLINES) to/from AF/DL/KL you usually no longer need to clear immigration, nor pickup bags. There's a transfer desk all the way to left in immigration hall. They'll check your passport/BP and issue BP if needed for onward for onward flight. If you have checked bags, they'll be transfered. If it is closed then of course will be required to clear into China to connect. However bags will still be transfered.

If connecting to/from a domestic flight obviously will still need to clear immigration. However bags will be transfered between these airlines.

Note, your bags will still go to the claim belt. However an employer will collect and then send them on the way to next flight.

wheatbeer

Hi

I have read through a few pages of the thread but still not entirely clear on whether I need to get the 24 TWOV for a connection if I don't want to leave the airport?

I will be arriving to PVG at 14:15 from a QR flight and would like to connect to a CX flight to HKG. The CX flight will be on a separate ticket and so I was thinking to get a 17:30 or 18:45 flight to allow enough time to transit. As these are part of Oneworld I am hoping QR will interline my luggage on to CX to arrive in HKG.

1) Do you think 3h15m - 4h30m is enough time to transit on separate tickets?
2) Do I need to clear immigration and get a 24 hour TWOV to transfer even if I don't want to leave the airport? I understand these airlines are both in T2, does that help?
3) If QR won't interline my baggage will this then mean I need to collect baggage, clear immigration and get 24 hour TWOV and then check-in in the normal departure area or is there some sort of air-side connections facility?

Any help greatly appreciated.