Yes, -- I, too, am needing to find reasonable airfare!:eek:

What dates are you booked for? I appreciate that the details & participation are still in discussion, -- esp. regarding add-on trip, etc., -- but it's difficult to know what dates to apply for the airfare search (esp. if some 'deal' happens to come along)!:eek:

Am interested. 1 attending. SPG or Hyatt OK with me. What I'd like to see: something unusual that tourists don't usually have access to. Maybe something HSR or airport related?

I just came back from a week in Shanghai, so I am not sure if I'll go back for this DO (apparently China only issues double entry/six-month visas for first-time tourists, and I'm not sure that I want to spend another $140 and a day to get another visa), but I just wanted to point out that the brand new Courtyard-in-name-only Puxi is a good value, especially for those with Gold or Platinum status. It is also short walk to the train station from which many of the CRH trains leave.

If I do go, my new hotel preferences are Marriott or SPG.

All that being said, what is your real opinion of Shanghai - could it eventually fill in for a second Asia DO after Singapore :confused:

If true, it must be a recent change or it could depend on your consulate. We got 12-month multi-entry visas from the SF consulate for our first visit.

Attendance: Interested!
Date Choice: Nov 11-14
# of attendees: 1
Hotel Preference: SPG;

Oh, I had a great time in Shanghai, and if you've never been I recommend going. It's not really a tourist/holiday/lots-of-historical-culture oriented destination (3 or 4 days tops), though, kind of like Tokyo. Shopping is cheaper elsewhere (for higher end stuff, anyway), and other cities, like Singapore (also a 3 day city), have better food scenes.

I'd need a specific reason to go back. A FT DO may or may not be that reason for me, depending on agenda and cost.

NY consulate. Dunno if it's a recent change or not, but I wasn't really in a position to argue.

We were there for a month in 2007, and never ran out of things to do.

Attendance: Very interested
Date Choice: Nov 11-14
# of attendees: me and maybe mr alicesantamonica
Hotel Preference: JW Marriott
Other Suggested activities: Hangzhou, terracottas, Hong Kong or whatever the group decides

In and around Shanghai this week.

Just got back from PVG today. In fact I'm typing this at the DTW Skyclub as I wait for my conneting flight to NYC. Was there about 9 days on an DL Award ticket. I agree with Bennos when it comes to shopping, not cheap compare to come other cities. But I absolutely loved the food. Maybe it's because I opted for chinese cuisine rather than western cusine while I was there? As for things to do, I'm sure there are plenty as well.

My November open-jaw ticket into Beijing 11/6 and out of Shanghai 11/14 is also an award ticket open to change depends on what extra activities people are interested in.

Thanks for the info. -- I will book an award tkt, as well, -- to preserve the flexibility, & snag saverpass while it's available!^

Oh, I had plenty of good food there, including some fantastic snacks at a train station, but for me it's like eating in Italy... no matter how fantastic and how locally variable, I get bored after a while and need something different. Compare against NY, SF, Singapore, etc, where there's not just wide variability within a cuisine, but across cuisines as well.

Anyway, a minor point, and I'm absolutely not trying to discourage anyone from going.

bump - hate to see this on the last page..........:confused:

Point on, definitely feel blessed to be living in NYC. But for a week or two, I think most people shall be happy with the culinary scene in Shanghai. Plus, you'd really have to know where to look for the good non-chinese stuff in SH. Although expecting Jean Georges in SH to be on the same level as the one in NYC may be a little too much to ask. Oh well, at least the $188RMB set brunch/lunch is a pretty good bargain.