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UA, USA to China OJ from $303 ai

Old Jul 5, 2017, 8:33 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: wolfpacktrojan
Transportation options from HGH to Hangzhou city center or PVG. Please add your name and your itinerary if you are interested in meeting other fellow FTers.
1) Taxi to Hangzhou city center, about 100 RMB ($15) for the entire party, not per person, walking from international terminal to domestic terminal (i.e., right turn after you get outside of the international terminal building), you will see taxi queue.
2) Shuttle bus, 20 RMB ($3), to Wulinmen CAAC Ticket Office or East Railway Station Line (two most popular options). The waiting hall for the shuttle bus is at Gate 10 (you can purchase ticket at Gate 14, too) Arrival Hall, on the first floor of the terminal building. Further details, see https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cit...ation.htm#hang
3) Shuttle from Hangzhou city center to PVG, 110 RMB, 3.5 hours: a) Wulinmen Ticket Office Central Hangzhou to PVG: (5:30, 6:10, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00)
b) Hangzhou Dragon Sports Center to PVG, 110 RMB, (7:00, 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30, 16:00
). Further details, see https://traveladept.com/bus-pudong-hangzhou/
4) Train from Hangzhou East station to Shanghai Hongqiao; less than 100 RMB (~1 hr); then you can take Subway Line #2 to PVG, ~10 RMB and 2 hrs; or shuttle bus (Airport Line #1), about 1 hr, 30 RMB ($4.5), every 15 - 25 minutes. The Hangzhou East ticketing windows are located on 1st Floor, EAST Area of the station. Please allow 20-30 minutes for walking to 2nd floor departure, and security check. The frequency of Hangzhou-Hongqiao trains is as good as that of subways in many US cities.
5) Getting cash at HGH The international terminal at HGH (where you arrive) only has an exchange vendor with hefty fees that is open limited hours. However, the adjacent domestic terminal has a bank ATM. To get to the entrance of the domestic terminal, exit the international terminal and keep walking right, past the taxi stand. Then enter and take the escalator to the second floor. The bank ATM will be on your left, next to the escalator.
6 Getting TWOV without issues The advice is to print out your itinerary, hotel reservation, etc., to speed up the procedure at the entry point in China. At SFO, the check-in agents were clueless, so be prepared to get there very early and fight for your boarding passes. Please read the last few pages on this thread for first-hand experiences. Good luck. There is a thread on FT for further details. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...hread-231.html

ATM To get to the entrance of the domestic terminal, exit the international terminal and keep walking right, past the taxi stand. Then enter and take the escalator to the second floor. The bank ATM will be on your left, next to the escalator.

Travel information for Beijing and airport:
Beijing will have 2 hubs starting Sept 30,2019. PEK (Beijing Capital International Airport) is original main hub and will continue for Star Alliance flights and Cathay Pacific (including subsidiary Cathay Dragon Air). PKX (Beijing Daxing International Airport, will debut Sept 30, 2019)
planned for airlines of the SkyTeam alliance and One World Alliance (AA, BA, etc. except Cathay Pacific) will be relocated to the new airport. Most flyers taking advantage of this China OJ deal will continue fly through PEK. Some people who use positioning flights through Beijing using non-Star Alliance airlines need to make sure you are flying into PEK, or else need 2hr ground transportation from PKX to PEK.
PEK allows TWOV within 24hr to stay inside security zone airside. This is more convenient for immediate turn than Shanghai-PVG, which force all passengers to exit immigration and customs, then re-check in from land side, even if you have immediate turn within 24hr.

Who are going? When for outbound and inbound? Routing from major hubs:
July 2017

August 2017
Quinlanty: Aug 3, ORD-HKG-HGH; Aug 7, PVG-LAX-SFO-IAH-ORD-YYZ (see post #284 for a brief report on TWOV procedure at HGH).

September 2017
Kmxu: 1 Sept, IAD-HNL-GUM-, 3 Sept, GUM-PVG; 4 Sept, PVG-SFO-ORD
Quinlanty; Sep 1, IAD-HNL-GUM; Sept 3, GUM-PVG, Sep 4, PVG-SFO-ORD-YYZ
pushmyredbutton: Sept 1; SFO-HNL-GUM-HKG Sept 3rd: HKG-HGH, Sept 4th: PVG-SFO
X31: 8 Sept BTV-EWR-SFO-HKG-HGH; 11 Sept PVG-NRT; 12 Sept HND-SFO-IAH-EWR; 13 Sept EWR-YUL
Kmxu + 3: 9 Sept, IAD-SFO-HKG-HGH; 12 Sept, PVG-SFO-IAD
techdarko: 12 Sept, SFO-HKG; 14 Sept, HKG-HGH; 16 Sept, PVG-SFO
Quinlanty: Sep 14; SFO-HKG-HGH; Sep 18, PVG-SFO-YVR
bencanfly: Sep 14, SFO-HKG-HGH; Sep 18, PVG-SFO-IAD
tde211: Sept 17, SFO-HKG-HGH; Oct 18 - PVG-SFO-YVR
Fishleafer: Sep 20, SFO-HKG-HGH; Sep 26, PVG-SFO-YVR
X31: 21 Sept BTV-EWR-HNL-GUM-HKG; 23 Sept HKG-HGH; 25 Sept PVG-SFO-IAH-EWR; 26 Sept EWR-YUL
985X: Sept 22, LAX-SFO-HKG; Sept 23, HKG-HGH; Sept 25, PVG-LAX; Sept 26, LAX-YVR
flyingstudent: Sept 23: SFO-HGH
netoreisinger: 30 Sept, BOS-EWR-HKG-HGH; 4 Oct, PVG-SFO-ORD-YUL

October 2017
gba: Oct 22, SFO-HKG-HGH; Oct 29: PVG-NRT-SEA-YVR
beyounged: Oct 24, SAN-SFO-HKG, Oct 26, HKG-HGH, Nov 8, PVG-HND-YVR
as219: Oct 26, LGA-ORD-HKG (+1); Oct 30: HKG-SFO-EWR-YUL (+1)
X31: 26 Oct BTV-ORD-HKG; 28 Oct HKG-HGH; 30 Oct PVG-SFO; 31 Oct SFO-ORD-YUL
riphamilton +1: Oct 27, BOS-EWR-HNL-GUM-HKG (+1); Oct 30: HKG-GUM-NRT; Oct 31: NRT-ORD-YUL

November 2017
Quinlanty: Nov 3, BOS-EWR-HKG-HGH; Nov 6, HGH-SFO-IAH-ORD-YYZ
pushmyredbutton: Nov 19: BDL-ORD-HKG-HGH, Nov 27 HGH HKG-SFO-(YVR)
Davistev: Nov26, LAX-NRT-PVG

December 2017
Kmxu: Dec 1, IAH-HNL-GUM-HKG; Dec 3, HKG-HGH, Dec 4, PVG-SFO-IAD
X31: Dec 1, YUL-IAD-IAH; Dec 2, IAH-LAX-PVG; Dec 4, HGH-HKG-GUM-HNL; Dec 4, HNL-EWR-BTV.

January 2018
Kewldude21: Jan 14 IAH-EWR-HKG Jan 16 HKG-HGH Jan 22 PVG-SFO-IAH
mpiotrow: Jan 21, ORD-SFO-KIX; Jan 23, KIX-HGH; Jan 24, HGH-HKG-GUM-HNL-DEN-YYZ

February 2018

March 2018
Davistev: Mar03, PVG-SFO-YVR
flyer777lr: Mar 20, DEN-HNL-GUM; Mar 23, GUM-KIX (NH)-HGH; Mar 26, HGH-HKG-GUM-HNL; Mar 27, HNL-EWR-YYZ
Kewldude21: Mar 22 IAH-EWR-HKG Mar 24 HKG-HGH Mar 28 HGH-PEK-SFO-IAH
flyme2: Mar 28, BTV-ORD-HKG; Mar 29: HKG-HGH; Apr 17: HKG-EWR-YUL
JetSetDave: Mar 29, EUG-SFO-HKG-HGH; April 3, PVG-SFO-EUG
Coeur 05: March 31, bos-sfo-hkg-pvg; April 5, PVG-lax-ord-yow

April 2018
ttyl: Apr 01 BTV-IAD-EWR-HKG; Apr 02 HKG-HGH; Apr 04 PVG-SFO-IAD-LGA-YUL
Toronto1970: April 6, EWR-ORD-HKG-HGH; April 13, CTU-SFO-EWR-YYZ
Exiled in Express: April 18, ORD-HKG-HGH; April 30, WUH-NRT-SEA-YVR
X31: Apr. 28 : BTV-EWR-HKG-HGH; May 1st : PVG-KIX; May 15th : ITM-HND-YVR-YYJ

May 2018
Kewldude21: May 3 IAH-SFO-HKG May 13 PEK-SFO-IAH

October 2018
KMXU, Oct. 18, IAD-SFO-HKG-HGH, Oct. 25, PVG-SFO-IAD

November 2018
KMXU, Nov. 14, ORD-HKG-XIY, Nov. 19, PEK-ORD

September 2019
xinliz Sept 4 SFO-NRT-PVG Sept 25 PEK-EWR-YOW
Flying Machine Sept 9 LAX-SFO-HKG Sept 10 HKG-HGH Sept 16 PVG-SFO-IAD

October 2019
kmxu: Oct 26, IAH-HNL-GUM-HKG, Oct. 27, HKG-XIY, Oct 30, CTU-SFO-IAH
wolfpacktrojan: Oct. 26, EWR-SFO-PVG, Oct. 28, PVG-NRT-SFO-YVR

November 2019
kmxuand his colleague: Nov 9, IAD-PEK, Nov 12, PEK-NRT-HNL-SFO-YYZ
kmxu's colleague: Nov 13, YYZ-IAD-NRT-PEK, Nov. 16, PEK-ORD
kmxu: Nov. 20, IAD-NRT-PEK, Nov. 22, PEK-EWR-YYZ
kmxu: Nov. 23, YYZ-IAD-NRT-PEK, Nov. 26, PEK-ORD
aquanine Nov 28: LAX-SFO-KIX, Nov 30: KIX-PEK, Dec 2: PEK-SFO-YVR

December 2019
kmxu: Nov. 30, IAD-NRT-PEK, Dec. 2, PEK-ORD-YYZ
kmxu: Dec. 3, YYZ-IAD-NRT-PEK, Dec. 6, PEK-ORD
jskang Dec 5, EWR-PVG, Dec 8, PEK-NRT-IAD-YOW

January 2020


February 2020


March 2020

April 2020
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UA, USA to China OJ from $303 ai

Old Feb 5, 2019, 9:59 am
  #1081  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: AS MVPG, AA P, A3 G, MU Gold, HH G, Marriott P
Posts: 205
Originally Posted by mpiotrow
If either of us is unable to do online check-in for some reason, will the CX/KA agents at the transit counters be able to print out boarding passes before T-3 (more specifically, sometime around T-8.5 )?
I've managed to get BPs for the following day, so I don't see why T-8.5 should be an issue. But I honestly don't think you'll not have a BP by the time you get to HKG, either paper or electronic.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 7:26 pm
  #1082  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,930
CX check-in time

Originally Posted by Jayz_004
I've managed to get BPs for the following day, so I don't see why T-8.5 should be an issue. But I honestly don't think you'll not have a BP by the time you get to HKG, either paper or electronic.
CX/KA allows check-in at T-48 h; you may be able to grab a better seat at T-48 h. You can use CX’s website or App to do that before you check-in United flight. It is kind of strange. When I checked in at HGH (for HGH-HKG), they were able to print out the rest of UA boarding passes. Those BPs would appear on UA App after I had flown the KA segment.

Edit: I checked in on one of kiosks at HGH, which opened earlier than regular checkin (about T-3 h), for my most recent run. The kiosk did not print out the boarding pass of the last segment on Air Canada, however.

Last edited by Kmxu; Feb 23, 2019 at 12:27 pm Reason: Add AC flight
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 8:55 pm
  #1083  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: YUL
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 77
· Unfortunately I don’t have any credit cards for lounge access. I’m hoping that I would be able to access United Club. Has anyone been able to do so with a similar status profile?

· As for hotels, I did find the Regal ~ 140 USD. But it looks like the HKG airport free amenities might be enough for the ~9hr of transit amenities (showers, resting lounges, and relaxation corner).

· Separately, I tried upgrading online using 2 GPUs (1 for me, 1 for my wife) EWR-DEN to 1st, DEN-HNL to 1st, and GUM-HKG to Business. For some reason it wasn’t able to go through. I called UA agent, and she said that GPU doesn’t apply for my fare. She could try using 2 RPUs for EWR-DEN-HNL only (for me & wife), but by splitting ticket might lose last AC segment to YUL. Sounds odd. Any advice on that?

Thanks for the help

Originally Posted by Jayz_004
1. Regal and Marriott are probably the only options near HKG... I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle going into the city and back given your short layover.
2. I don't think there's access to lounge as an arriving pax at any of the *A lounges, but I guess give it a try at the UA lounge? Do you have any credit cards with Priority Pass access? If so, that'll give you access to the Plaza Premium Lounges.
3. 144-hr TWOV rules is still valid at select cities, which HGH is on the list.
4. Early march should be fine in terms of train tickets. Not too concerned about availability. There are probably close to ten trains every hour for this route.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 9:26 pm
  #1084  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,907
Originally Posted by ttyl
I’m hoping that I would be able to access United Club. Has anyone been able to do so with a similar status profile?
I'm finally able to look through your post history to know one important factor: time of day. The UC is closed 0000-0600. And regardless of time of day, as you're flying HKG-HGH, you cannot use the UC. And if they let you in at 2300, you can't go back landside! Also, terminal amenities will be very limited overnight, both airside and landside. There are threads in the HK forum about where in town to spend the night, but if you are coming in HNL-GUM-HKG and not a lie-flat seat SFO/ORD/EWR-HKG, you will be very tired already. Overnighting without a bed then arriving in an unfamiliar pedestrian city (Asia, Europe, Americas, it doesn't matter) the next day after a 2-hour flight, you can easily get robbed!

If the airport Regal is only US$140, use that for a 6-hour good quality sleep. You aren't likely to find anything in the city significantly cheaper without losing a lot more transit time.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 1:17 pm
  #1085  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SJC / DPS
Programs: AS G75K, UA Silver
Posts: 1,755
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
If the airport Regal is only US$140, use that for a 6-hour good quality sleep. You aren't likely to find anything in the city significantly cheaper without losing a lot more transit time.
On most of my forced HKG overnights, I use the cheap Rambler hotels in Tsing YI - $30 or so on Hotwire reliably, and the A31 bus takes you to/from on 20 minute intervals. Nothing but a bed in a high-rise, but it does the trick.

Alhough I prefer the convenience of walking to the Regal, though. But after a few runs it became a bit pricey...
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 9:52 am
  #1086  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SZX(HKG), SFO
Programs: UA1K, AAEXP, CZ G, MU PLT, CA PLT, Hyatt D, Hilton D, Marriott PP
Posts: 45
I booked 4 similar trips of this during Feb - May... hoped to met someone here inflight.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 9:54 am
  #1087  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Originally Posted by kulin
I booked 4 similar trips of this during Feb - May... hoped to met someone here inflight.
What dates/routes are you taking? I've got 2 booked (one Feb 25-28, and one Mar 7-11).
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 10:25 am
  #1088  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: AS MVPG, AA P, A3 G, MU Gold, HH G, Marriott P
Posts: 205
Originally Posted by mpiotrow
What dates/routes are you taking? I've got 2 booked (one Feb 25-28, and one Mar 7-11).
I was doing a quick search just now and couldn't find any dates that are still at this price level. Maybe dead for now?
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 10:53 am
  #1089  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Originally Posted by Jayz_004
I was doing a quick search just now and couldn't find any dates that are still at this price level. Maybe dead for now?
I just got the notification today from Google Flights that the 3 trip prices I was tracking have all gone up from ~$275 to ~$520.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 11:06 am
  #1090  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: UA 1K 3MM Lifetime, AA PlatPro,Marriott Titanium Elite Lifetime, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 741
https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=...;sd:1;t:f;tt:m

$320 using XIY instead of HGH but the intercity cost of a flight from XIY to PVG or PEK will be higher. You'd have to factor that in to see if the trip is still worth it.

https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=...03*2.USD.28503

$286 ORD-GUM-XIY PVG-YYZ

Actually within minutes of typing this the price of HGH went down to $335 for the same day so ... try your search again. Sometimes I've had different results from Google at different times of day. My first guess is that it has to do with the search engine timing out after retrieving initial results. The more city options you put in a row (e.g. departing from BOS, PVD, NYC) seems to not provide as optimal results as simply inputting EWR by itself.

Last edited by edsh; Feb 10, 2019 at 6:47 am
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 2:46 pm
  #1091  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 38
Originally Posted by mpiotrow
I just got the notification today from Google Flights that the 3 trip prices I was tracking have all gone up from ~$275 to ~$520.
The flight I was tracking went up also for late March, I hope it will come back.
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 9:11 pm
  #1092  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ZVE/BDL
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 57
Originally Posted by mpiotrow
I just got the notification today from Google Flights that the 3 trip prices I was tracking have all gone up from ~$275 to ~$520.
Originally Posted by dragond
The flight I was tracking went up also for late March, I hope it will come back.
I saw the same across the board price increase this afternoon, but prices seem to have gone back down this evening. (And in one case actually ended up being $1 lower than before the increase.)
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 12:47 pm
  #1093  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 38
Unhappy

Originally Posted by wavid
I saw the same across the board price increase this afternoon, but prices seem to have gone back down this evening. (And in one case actually ended up being $1 lower than before the increase.)
Is this dead? Can't replicate
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 12:58 pm
  #1094  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,930
Not really!

I changed the dates from a link posted a few messages above. I also changed return airport from PVG to PEK. The price is still reasonable at $375. You can certainly play with dates and airports (XIY to HGH, for example) to get a lower price. Good luck.

https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=...03*2.USD.37403
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Old Feb 22, 2019, 7:37 am
  #1095  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,930
Anyone MR to YUL on Feb. 21 from HKG?

When I passed the US immigration at Guam on Feb. 22 (from HKG on Feb. 21), I heard someone saying the final destination of YUL. I noticed a few same faces on both HKG-GUM and GUM-HNL (and HNL-DEN, too). I am heading to YYZ this morning and then back to US this evening. It is a very tiring run, unfortunately. I did get some very nice foods in Hangzhou, though!

Last edited by Kmxu; Feb 22, 2019 at 8:56 am
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