2 Hour Connection in PVG
 

I'll be flying the following itinerary..


China Eastern Airlines 548
Reservation: Confirmed Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 1:55am
21 May 2010 Shanghai, China (PVG)
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 7:00am
21 May 2010 (D)
Your Seating
56 Days Until Departure

Delta 284
Reservation: Confirmed Shanghai, China (PVG)
Terminal 2
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 9:10am
21 May 2010 Tokyo-Narita, Japan (NRT)
Terminal 1
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 1:20pm
21 May 2010 Business (O)
Your Seating


Just curious if anyone has some experience with a similar transfer...should the 2 hours be plenty of time? Never flown through PVG.

Thanks for the advice!

If I am not wrong, MU is in Terminal 1 and DL is in Terminal 2..might be a bit of a hassle, others should be able to help you.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...-transfer.html might help

Thanks for the update. If I am just passing through on a connecting flight, I do not need any sort of Visa - correct? I will not be leaving the airport.

The transit without visa facility will allow you to stay in Shanghai for up to 48 hours if you are holding a valid onward ticket.

Since your flights are not in the same terminal you will have to leave the airport anyway. PVG won't transfer your bags automatically so you will need to clear immigration, collect your bags at Terminal 1 and re check in at Terminal 2. There is a 15 min walk between terminals. There is also a free bus. Can't be sure about the intervals. 2 hour connection is very tight.

2 hours is probably not enough
 

My sense is that you don't have enough time. I don't have experience connecting in PVG, however about two weeks I transited domestic CZ to KE in CAN. It took about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Skyteam partnership made no difference. My bag was tagged all the way through to Seoul, however, I still had to pick up my bag at domestic reclaim and lug it over to the international terminal and recheck in with KE, passport control, security, etc..

Now add extra time for clearing immigration - which, at PVG at the best of times, takes 20 minutes, more likely 45+.

It's doable if you can get through immigration quickly, otherwise, it will be very tight.

Do let us know how things turn out.

Wow - thanks so much for the update. Maybe I'll look at some other options... I will not be checking a bag, and the same with my partner, so that probably saves us some time - but I'm not sure if I want to risk sitting in PVG with the potential to miss a flight and no Chinese visa (seems pointless to fork over the money just to transfer through).

You mentioned there is a transit without visa facility...I do not imagine that when checking in at BKK, I will be issued my DL boarding pass (I find this highly unlikely). If that is the case, technically upon landing in PVG, I do not have an onward boarding pass - how is this handled? Any suggestions?

I've connected all throughout Asia, but a connection through China with only 1 DL flight daily scares me a bit....(this is an award itinerary). Unfortunately, there is no award availability on the DL flight from BKK to NRT, so I had to get creative. I will actually be initially departing from PNH or REP...maybe I can also look at the redeye from KUL-NRT, if I can score some availability.


Just one more slight edit....there is a flight on China Eastern, also going to NRT......if I take that flight, would I have to transfer terminals? It also leaves at 9:10am. Think this would be the safer bet?

You might want to take advantage of the transit without visa facility and have a stopover in Shanghai to be safe. You only need to show immigration your onward ticket print out and they will let you stay for 48 hours.

All China Eastern flights land and depart from the same terminal but you still need to complete the whole re check in process. If you have both sectors ticketed in the same PNR you should be able to hold MU responsible in case you miss your flight as they should have more flights to NRT. However don't count on MU's customer service.

Thanks again for the advice...can you give me a little more information on this transit without visa facility? What exactly does it provide - 48 hours in the country without need for a visa? So, I can technically leave PVG, spend a night in the city, and return for a flight the next day (in case I don't make it)?

I think I will take the route of flying MU for the whole trip - that way I do not have to deal with telling Delta that MU made me late, therefore I missed my flight. Then again...the whole trip is on the same PNR - so, maybe Delta would honor that as a means for missing the flight anyways?

You can technically book another domestic flight to other parts of China so long as you return within 48 hours and leave the country from either SHA or PVG.

Well - believe it or not I got an email from Delta today...


China Eastern Airlines 548
Reservation: Confirmed Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 1:55am
21 May 2010 Shanghai, China (PVG)
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 7:00am
21 May 2010 (D)
Your Seating
51 Days Until Departure

Delta 284
Reservation: Confirmed
Shanghai, China (PVG)
Terminal 2
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 9:45am
21 May 2010 Tokyo-Narita, Japan (NRT)
Terminal 1
Gate: N/A
Scheduled: 1:55pm
21 May 2010 Business (O)
Your Seating


Flight itinerary was just changed to now allow for a 2:35 transfer - I think I'm willing to roll the dice with this...what do you guys think - stick with Delta, or change to the MU flight?