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Consolidated PVG connections / connection time / logistics / lounges

Old Dec 22, 2016, 12:26 am
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United does not have a lounge in PVG. There is a Star Alliance Gold lounge near Gate 71 (United flights leave from 80s gates typically), which are <5 minute walk. Lounge is up escalator and past a food court and perched over the landside part of the terminal. It has no views.

Entry floor has a bar with a decent selection of liquor. Upper floor has buffet food with limited selections. Wifi and newspapers available. Showers available (4 stalls at least).

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Connecting / airport transit inside PVG Shanghai Pudong
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Consolidated PVG connections / connection time / logistics / lounges

Old Aug 22, 2019, 2:19 pm
  #136  
 
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I like the PVG Air China lounge. Upstairs and through the hamster tube near Gate 71 thereabouts? Go upstairs once inside for the food. It's better than any UA lounge I've ever seen (caveat: haven't been in any 1st or Polaris lounges). IMO, the PVG lounge food selection is on-par with the bigger SQ, LH and LX lounges. I don't remember any nice beers on tap. No whisky bar like LX at ZRH. No gourmet chocolate demo like SN at BRU. Food's not as nice as the bigger QF and NZ lounges--those guys take their gastronomy quite seriously.

I've gotten airside by about 7 or 8pm before the after-midnight PVG-SFO flight. Never tried earlier.
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 2:34 pm
  #137  
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Appears the UA check-in counter at PVG, closes an hour before departure and reopens 3 hours before departure. So it does not stay open after the earlier flight.
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 22, 2019 at 2:45 pm
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 2:43 pm
  #138  
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Appears the UA check-in counter at PVG, closes an hour before departure and reopens 3 hours before departure. So it does not stay open after the earlier flight.
Ah, that link is for US Airports.....
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 2:44 pm
  #139  
 
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As others have said, the check-in opens 3 hours prior to departure, no earlier.

You should get access to the Air China First Class Lounge above gate 71. I found it to be pretty spacious with comfortable chairs and a nice buffet selection (mix of Chinese and western) and an ok drink selection. There was enough seating, which is always important IMO. I think the lounge works well practically and makes for a decent pre-flight meal. If you you have rich tastes and want an ultra-luxury and exclusive atmosphere, this is probably not the lounge.
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 2:46 pm
  #140  
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Originally Posted by DEN
Ah, that link is for US Airports.....
Fixed
Has couple of screens opened looking at the different format and picked the wrong one
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 2:48 pm
  #141  
 
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Originally Posted by DEN
Ah, that link is for US Airports.....
Here is the link for Asia
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 3:01 pm
  #142  
 
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Recently flew through PVG and had access to the Air China lounge as I was flying SQ business - I only had Air China business class lounge access, not sure if GS gets you into the First Class lounge but I don't think you'd have access with Polaris alone.

IMO while the seating and space was nice, the food, etc. was pretty horrible. It felt more like a United Club (albeit more food options - just nothing that tasted palatable) than a business class lounge and definitely not in the same universe as the Polaris lounges. I had ~2 hours there which was about an hour and a half too much...
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 7:21 pm
  #143  
 
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Originally Posted by drewguy

*A Gold. Food is mediocre at best (but better than PEK), but comfort is decent. I believe there's a first class lounge that you may get access to in J (perhaps contract check in staff will give you pass as GS too) - I think it's just emptier, not better.
Yes, when I experienced the First Class Lounge in 2018, it was emptier as you said so it was quite comfortable. They did have things to eat in the buffet (not very good) but also had a menu that you could order from. Did not try that. The person in charge was frequently gone so with some other passengers we would just self-serve the wine but that made the person in charge quite embarrassed when she saw us doing it.

The Business Class section has two floors. The food is on the upper floor but in the summer that upper floor is way too warm. So, now, my wife and I just sit in the lower floor and bring the food from upstairs. I don't know if that's really allowed but they did not tell us anything and we have seen other people doing it too.

Many newspapers in English. I really like that for the long flight home.....
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Last edited by StuckinITH; Aug 22, 2019 at 7:27 pm
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Old Aug 22, 2019, 11:45 pm
  #144  
 
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So what happened, I hear you all ask? No? I'll tell you anyway. I arrived about 12.30p for my 7.20p flight. As I expected, the United check in desk was open as they must have a bunch of flights leaving to the US all day. I asked to see if I could get airside well before the 3 hour limit.
Short story is I was in the airside lounge within 15 minutes.
Long story is that I beelined for the gold tie guy cause I'm UA GS and he briskly pulled the desk manager in to work over the shoulder of a desk attendant to push everything through. Now I wasn't checking in baggage which was helpful. I asked if I was checking baggage would they still let me check in this early and they said it would be more difficult cause they would have to get approval from the baggage crew. I was going to ask if they were doing this for me cause I was GS but didn't want to get overheard and end up on a DYKWIA thread.

I was in the lounge in <15 mins partly cause ABTC for immigration and partly cause business class has its own security line. I was given access to the Air China lounge near gate 71. Even with a Polaris ticket and GS, I was not invited to the first class lounge side, just the *A gold side. Agree with the comments that downstairs is cooler than upstairs in this heat. Food assortment pretty good with quality closer to a PL than a UC, WiFi download speed of just under 5Mbps, and a decent bar downstairs. So now its time for some JD and catchup on the UFC from last weekend cause I was flying to SIN at the time.
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Old Oct 6, 2019, 4:12 am
  #145  
 
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transit international to international

I recently booked an award :FRA-PVG on CA936 in I and PVG-SIN on SQ835 in O. The time at PVG is 6Hours.
Did someone a transit like this at PVG?
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Old Oct 6, 2019, 8:19 am
  #146  
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Originally Posted by zappa42m
I recently booked an award :FRA-PVG on CA936 in I and PVG-SIN on SQ835 in O. The time at PVG is 6Hours.
Did someone a transit like this at PVG?
I'm hard pressed to think of worse ways to travel between Germany and Singapore. At the very least, you could slot in a longer layover because six hours is too long to spend at or near PVG, and a bit too short to go anywhere enjoyable.
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Old Oct 6, 2019, 8:15 pm
  #147  
 
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Originally Posted by unitedhandcuffs
... cause I'm UA GS ...
This is why you got it. The last 2 times I was departing from PVG, I got there early and politely asked if I could be checked in. Told they could do it if I was GS, but I'm only a lowly 1K.

I did have a bag to check, so that wouldvhave made it more difficult as that seems to be a major hang-up there. I guess the baggage crews load up any bags they get on whatever plane happens to be at the gate regardless where the bag is supposed to go.
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Old Oct 7, 2019, 7:27 am
  #148  
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Originally Posted by zappa42m
I recently booked an award :FRA-PVG on CA936 in I and PVG-SIN on SQ835 in O. The time at PVG is 6Hours.
Did someone a transit like this at PVG?
That transit is possible. What do you want to know about it?

Originally Posted by unitedhandcuffs
So what happened, I hear you all ask? No? I'll tell you anyway. I arrived about 12.30p for my 7.20p flight. As I expected, the United check in desk was open as they must have a bunch of flights leaving to the US all day. I asked to see if I could get airside well before the 3 hour limit.

Short story is I was in the airside lounge within 15 minutes.
Long story is that I beelined for the gold tie guy cause I'm UA GS and he briskly pulled the desk manager in to work over the shoulder of a desk attendant to push everything through. Now I wasn't checking in baggage which was helpful. I asked if I was checking baggage would they still let me check in this early and they said it would be more difficult cause they would have to get approval from the baggage crew. I was going to ask if they were doing this for me cause I was GS but didn't want to get overheard and end up on a DYKWIA thread.

I was in the lounge in <15 mins partly cause ABTC for immigration and partly cause business class has its own security line. I was given access to the Air China lounge near gate 71. Even with a Polaris ticket and GS, I was not invited to the first class lounge side, just the *A gold side. Agree with the comments that downstairs is cooler than upstairs in this heat. Food assortment pretty good with quality closer to a PL than a UC, WiFi download speed of just under 5Mbps, and a decent bar downstairs. So now its time for some JD and catchup on the UFC from last weekend cause I was flying to SIN at the time.
Originally Posted by 1kBill
This is why you got it. The last 2 times I was departing from PVG, I got there early and politely asked if I could be checked in. Told they could do it if I was GS, but I'm only a lowly 1K.

I did have a bag to check, so that wouldvhave made it more difficult as that seems to be a major hang-up there. I guess the baggage crews load up any bags they get on whatever plane happens to be at the gate regardless where the bag is supposed to go.
A few months ago I arrived early without bags to check and was accepted for check in. There was a slight hitch: I handed over my passport, the agent printed my boarding pass, then looked at it and quietly went 'ehh?' So that made me nervous, but she only called someone (supervisor?) over, and they said some things about how long it was until my flight. It seems that was because there was no gate assignment, and she wasn't sure what to say about it. Ultimately they just advised me to check for the gate assignment nearer to departure time. No mention or discussion of status.

Last edited by fumje; Oct 7, 2019 at 7:41 am Reason: typo
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Old Oct 7, 2019, 9:20 am
  #149  
 
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Originally Posted by fumje
That transit is possible. What do you want to know about it?
Is it the same procedure as transit international to international in the US. (enter the country and then normal checkinn)
And are 6 hours enough ?

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 7, 2019 at 3:31 pm Reason: repaired quote
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Old Oct 9, 2019, 12:16 am
  #150  
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Originally Posted by zappa42m
Is it the same procedure as transit international to international in the US. (enter the country and then normal checkinn)
And are 6 hours enough ?
The procedure is similar to the US in term of logistics, but I find it to be quite a bit kinder. Anything north of 2 hours is pretty safe if your inbound is from Europe or North America, and ~3.5 hours for most other arrivals.
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