Also thinking about booking soon. Anyone staying longer than the weekend? Do you buy the tickets first or the visa first? Does it matter?

Many are less interested since safety deficiencies have come to light.

Thanks Newbie. I missed that thread and it's very useful, along with a few others in that forum. FTer Tom111 is been in Shanghai with the Olympic swim team and his photos and trip report are very positive and informative. Can't find a link right now, but it's in the FT and MP trip report forum.

I'll probably know in early September if I can do this trip.

I'm in.
 

I'm in as I'll be living near Shanghai starting Sept 1.
Staying at the Grand Hyatt, most likely, at least that weekend.
I will arrange for reservations at Cloud 9 at the GH for a Saturday evening cocktail party/meetup, if that works with the schedule.

I suspect they would issue a visa without an airline ticket but thinking back to the days of the Olympics they wanted everything but your first born as evidence that you were not going to be a ward of the state. I just did mine a couple of weeks ago and provided them copies of airline and hotel reservations - they gave me a 1-year multiple entry with no problem.

The average turn around for a visa at the Chinese embassy visa department is 4-days so if you use a visa service and they try to charge you more for fast processing they are dipping deep into your pockets :eek:. I used Washington Express Visa Service (http://www.washingtonexpressvisas.com) and had it back in my hands in less than 10 days from dropping it off with FedEx and there was no rush charges

Sadly, I will not be able to participate in this DO -- due to work obligations!:( Sounds like it will be a fun time!^

Just booked 3 nights at the Westin Bund Center in a holiday sale on hotels.com. Expedia and a few other online booking sites also have the same 50% off sale. $129++ room only, non-refundable, etc. but I just couldn't resist. So I guess I'm almost confirmed.

Hoping to book a couple of nights as an award stay in another hotel, possibly Le Royal Méridien. Now I'll have to check if those award flights I found are still available with US DM miles. :p

ETA: Promo email from hotels.com this morning about "48 hours luxury hotel sale in American and Asia-Pacific destinations". I checked the Westin Bund Center for the same dates and they are now advertising $193++ at the "Special rate: Early Booking Bonus - Save 25% on your hotel stay". The rate is cancellable.

For those who haven't booked travel yet, check out this thread.

I'm seeing $707/ai from EWR-PVG for travel around the dates of the DO. [Edit: DL fares are now gone, it would seem.]

Oh, also the Courtyard Puxi (where I'll be staying if I don't cancel the tickets tomorrow) has 15% off for Marriott Rewards members (not sure if it's elite only), resulting in a rate of CNY670 per night (plus CNY100 service charge), so about $120/night. I stayed there earlier this year, it really has nothing in common with any CY in the US :)

I'm in, count me as definite.

Hotels and flights (except HND-SHA) booked, so I guess I'm confirmed.

JenGal +1 can no longer make it. Hopefully another year. Have fun!

I'm pretty much back on board. Looking at the Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund on points, or points and cash.

Any locals care to comment on this choice? I see Holiday Inn and HIX for really cheap - is that a location issue?

The Westin is still available on Expedia etc., but NOT on the SPG website. What?

Is there any news on events? The question is, will there be organized events throughout the weekend or should I investigate what to do on my own? Asia is very intimidating to me, so I really need to plan ahead.

Usually, the HIX and HI's are fine, better than the US properties, just that the really cheap ones are in the not so great or convenient areas. However, I have done 4 stays at the HIX Zhabei, which is near the north train station (also next to the long distance bus terminal, so convenient- actually, the only way of- getting out to where I live and work in Haimen,) plus Metro lines 1, 3 and 4 with a short ride to line 2, so that gets you around the main areas easily. They even UPG'd me to suites on 3 separate weekend stays at CNY213 per night, so basically free for the two nights with the just expired $75 weekend rebate deal. Not sure about the Indigo on the Bund, but I plan to take a look in a couple weeks, when the next PC promo starts and will let you know.

Yay! It would be great if you can make it. I've looked at the Hotel Indigo and was tempted. It looks like a very nice place.

Asia doesn't intimidate me but I've never been to mainland China and it would be lovely to have company for some extra curricular exploring. I'll arrive on Wednesday afternoon (Nov 9th) and leave on Monday. Staying at Le Royal Méridien for the first two nights and the Westin Bund Center for three nights.

I can see the Westin's "Red Hot Deal" on the hotel's website by the way.

Right now we have an area tour on friday, China Eastern Air pilot training facility tour on Saturday, brunch on Sunday.

Hope to see you there.

Okay! I'm booked and upgraded (well, as soon as the Costco AA gift cards clear.)

Arrive 7:45 pm Nov 9, depart 6 pm Nov 14.

Am staying somewhere on points, probably the IHG Indigo, although a friend is encouraging me to use his favorite local 2* hotel just off Nanjing road for $49 US. (Metropolis Shanghai (not Metropole) if anybody is interested in "a clean, safe, adequate, inexpensive room" recommended by a total stranger.

Hooray!!
It will be great to see another familiar face. ^

As the date approaches, I am starting to finalize my plan to attend the DO.

Earlier, there was some talk about extending the activities, either before or after the weekend, for more sightseeing or city-visit. Are any of those plans still active?

Also, is there a link to the FlyerTea thread?

Great to see you are making the bookings! So far there is nothing organized before or afterwards unless you are on your own. The wife and I are doing a 2+ week tour before but not heard of anything being organized. :(

I expect to book within the next couple of days. I'm not seeing any upgrade availability on UA at the moment, but the loads look fairly light so I'll probably take my chances.

I'd be in for the Friday and Saturday events. Sunday brunch might be tough, as I'd like to spend some time at the Shanghai Museum before returning to the US Sunday evening.

Yipee! Another familiar face. ^

Count me in. I arrive Thursday afternoon and depart Monday afternoon. I'm staying at the Hilton.

I decided to stick around one more day, and may take a daytrip to Suzhou on Sunday, leaving Monday morning for my visit to the Shanghai Museum.

Welcome aboard :cool:

I'm Confirmed!
 

I have just booked:

Nov.9

Looking forward to seeing everyone. I'll be at the Shanghai Hilton. :)

Great! Another familiar face. ^

Hey all -- I'd be interested in attending; need to confirm with work, but count me in as interested for now.

As I previously lived in Shanghai for 3 years, I might want to skip the initial Shanghai tour part though and just join up with the group starting at dinner.

"I'm so excited, I just can't hide it" (thanks to the Pointer Sisters for that line).

I'm in after snagging a Biz award through United. Outbound NZ, inbound TG.

Arriving Nov 8th at 9:10 p.m. and staying at Le Meridien for the first three nights.

Staying at the Westin 11-13th and departing PVG at 9:45 a.m. on the 14th.

See you all there!

Yay!

Looking forward to seeing you again too. :)

Great! And what a coincidence!! ^

I'm arrving in SHA on 9th at 12:45, staying at Le Royal Méridien for two nights and the Westin Bund Center 11th-13th. Leaving PVG at 13:50 on November 14th.

Looking forward to seeing you all!

Post number 2 has been updated to reflect where folks are staying, at least as far as what they have posted.
:D

Who is Attending the China Eastern Training Facility Tour
 

The following folks have indicated that they will be attending the tour of the China Eastern Airlines Flight Training Facility on Saturday 12 November

I plan to attend. :)

I won't make it, I'm stuck in YUL for a while... :(

I've at last posted my visa application and am checking its progress online.
So far...

• Package received
• Application Being Processed by the Visa Center

more to come...

• Application Being Processed by the Chinese Embassy/Consulate
• Processing result has been returned in Visa Center
• Package released to courier company or postal service

I couldn't retrieve my application online at first since I forgot to include the contact telephone number on the "Application by Post Check List" which I had to send with the application form but I managed to find it later by the mail tracking number. Phew!

I hope they are not going to send the whole thing back just because I failed to include a telephone number on the check list. :eek: I did of course write my home, mobile and work telephone numbers on the application form itself, but why on the check list? :confused:

I have also sent my visa application and, according to the tracking record, it was received by the Chinese Embassy in Wellington this morning. I checked it and checked it before mailing as I know how picky these folks can be. So, fingers crossed that I filled it all out correctly. If everything goes smoothly I should have it back by 21st October at the latest.

Will be in Shanghai in four weeks' time - yippee!

Will attend, thanks.

PS change stay to IC shanghai Puxi

The status of my visa application has now changed to:

• Processing result has been returned in Visa Center
• Visa/Passport will be returned to the applicant(s) soon ^

Let's hope they've issued a double-entry visa for 6 months as I plan to return to PEK in February for another DO. :)

[QUOTE=NewbieRunner;17257328]I've at last posted my visa application and am checking its progress online.
So far...

I couldn't figure out how to get to a Chinese embassy (well,Tijuana maybe - not!) so used the Oasis visa service which appears to be very closely connected to the Chinese Embassy in Wash DC. Handled in 4 days, no expedite fee, got a one-year multilple entry visa for same cost as single entry (I believe $140 for US citizens.) Done and done, easy peasy. Cost $50 for service, but the alternatives were not only more expensive, but extremely time-consuming and annoying.

I'm set for the Le Meridien on arrival. I believe Thursday, may stay longer, will move to Hilton Sunday, may try out the new Indigo in between.

Should I sign up for the Air China tour "just in case"? I'm interested, but my time in Shanghai is short and I'm more interested in the city than air facilties.