Business & First Class Flights to Shanghai

Nonstop capacity remains limited: United flies San Francisco–Shanghai, Delta flies Detroit, Seattle and Los Angeles–Shanghai, American flies Dallas–Shanghai, and China Eastern and Air China fly from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Chinese carriers' business cabins vary widely by aircraft. The one-stop routings are stronger on both seat and schedule: ANA and Japan Airlines via Tokyo (Shanghai is three hours from Haneda), Korean Air via Seoul (two hours), Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (two and a half) and EVA Air via Taipei (two), with First Class on the Pacific leg on ANA, JAL and Cathay. From the East Coast, Qatar Airways and Emirates via the Gulf also work.

Pudong is 30 miles east of the city; the Maglev covers the first stretch in eight minutes and a taxi to the Bund takes 45–60 minutes. Hongqiao, close to the city center, handles domestic flights and some Japan and Korea services, which is worth knowing if your onward trip is to Beijing (the high-speed train from Hongqiao takes four and a half hours) or elsewhere in China. US passport holders need a Chinese visa for stays, though 240-hour visa-free transit applies for onward international travel; we flag this at booking.

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the seasons. Lunar New Year in late January or February and the National Day Golden Week of October 1–7 are the two weeks to avoid — the country travels, and premium seats vanish. July and August are hot and humid. Our $3,400 starting fare from New York applies to shoulder-season one-stop or nonstop business; because capacity is thin, we recommend booking Shanghai earlier than most Asian cities.