PVG Satellite Terminal
 

Do whatever you can to avoid this place (basically don’t take MU or Skyteam airlines into PVG). If your plane parks there it means you’ll have a minimum of an hour from touchdown to leaving the airport and that’s with echannel. I had the pleasure of arriving there after midnight when, although they are using the terminal, they shut off all the escalators so you need to carry your bags down to the train to the main terminal. Worse than SZX and PEK T3.

Whenever possible I go to SHA but obviously the places from which you can fly to Hongqiao from abroad are very limited. From Southeast Asia or further afield I guess we’ll all have to run the risk of parking at this monstrosity upon arrival.

I mean, HND does have a good number of international flights of its own, so (origin)-HND-SHA is always an option if you're willing to deal with an overnight depending on where you're arriving from.

Doesn't that place most receive flights on MU/FM monopoly routes? I can't imagine they would their pride and joy A350s they use for HND dock there.

If you're coming from SE Asia and want to avoid PVG, HKG is a much more logical connecting point than HND (or SEL).

Every MU flight I’ve taken into PVG in the second half of 2023 has arrived at this terminal. BKK, KUL, ICN, HKG. MyVN flight from SGN also got sent there. I remember before Covid getting sent there on a DL flight from LAX as well. Not sure how to predict if you get sent there or not.

All my previous arrivals have been mid day or early evening which, although it sucks, is at least somewhat tolerable as at least the escalators are running.

I was on this several times before 2020. Incredibly the trains carried domestic and international arrivals in different, non-connecting cars boarded from different sides. And just to remind me of the joys of PEK on my first trip the train inexplicably stopped 20m before reaching the platform in the main terminal. A broadcast was made that everyone should remain calm and wait. Not sure what the other options would have been, panic and wait?

lols
Maybe panic, smash the window and RUN?

What about UA or JL? Do they use this satellite terminal?

S1 (the topic of this thread) only seems to be used by T1 airlines, but there is also an S2 (connected to T2), which I haven't had to use yet. However, it seems that the future plan is to shift more and more flights to the satellites. Hopefully, by the time that plan moves into full swing, the third airport will be open and more user friendly.

I had the “pleasure” of experiencing this terminal again, this time on a domestic Air China arrival. From touchdown to leaving the airport took 55 minutes and this is without checked bags. Ridiculously long walk from the gate to the train and then another long walk in the main terminal after getting off the train and going to the domestic arrivals exit. Good for getting my step count up, bad for getting to my bed faster.

They built this terminal with very little thought about passenger experience. At least the escalators were still running this time.

Did the plane dock at S1 or S2? I assume you exited from T2 because CA is a T2 airline? I'm mildly curious about the current (and evolving) foot traffic patterns.