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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$778
Typical prices: $670-$919
XiamenAir
Fri 30/10Tue 24/11
MEL - SHA • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
$892
Typical prices: $1,307-$1,645
Juneyao Airlines
Mon 26/10Fri 11/12
SYD - PVG • Direct
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Most flights • 28 per week
Best reviews • 7.6 score
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 19% compared to booking last minute.
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Shanghai

 
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Shanghai

Fri, 30 Oct - Tue, 24 Nov
XiamenAir Logo
12:25 - 12:40MEL  Melbourne-SHA Shanghai Hongqiao Intl
27h 15m1 stop Xiamen Gaoqi Intl
XiamenAir Logo
14:10 - 10:25SHA  Shanghai Hongqiao Intl-MEL Melbourne
17h 15m1 stop Xiamen Gaoqi Intl
$778XiamenAir
Tue, 27 Oct - Sun, 8 Nov
Sichuan Airlines Logo
21:40 - 15:25MEL  Melbourne-PVG Shanghai Pu Dong
20h 45m1 stop Chengdu Tianfu Intl
Sichuan Airlines Logo
16:40 - 15:00PVG  Shanghai Pu Dong-MEL Melbourne
19h 20m1 stop Chengdu Tianfu Intl
$778Sichuan Airlines
Sat, 7 Nov - Sun, 15 Nov
Cathay Pacific Logo
08:40 - 22:00MEL  Melbourne-PVG Shanghai Pu Dong
16h 20m1 stop Hong Kong Intl
Cathay Pacific Logo
07:10 - 23:00PVG  Shanghai Pu Dong-MEL Melbourne
12h 50m1 stop Hong Kong Intl
$778Cathay Pacific
Fri, 2 Oct - Mon, 19 Oct
XiamenAir Logo
11:35 - 20:45MEL  Melbourne-SHA Shanghai Hongqiao Intl
35h 10m1 stop Xiamen Gaoqi Intl
XiamenAir Logo
18:10 - 10:35SHA  Shanghai Hongqiao Intl-MEL Melbourne
13h 25m1 stop Xiamen Gaoqi Intl
$779XiamenAir
Wed, 11 Nov - Fri, 20 Nov
Sichuan Airlines Logo
21:25 - 18:40SYD  Sydney Kingsford Smith-PVG Shanghai Pu Dong
24h 15m1 stop Chengdu Tianfu Intl
Sichuan Airlines Logo
13:10 - 15:05PVG  Shanghai Pu Dong-SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith
22h 55m1 stop Chengdu
$779Sichuan Airlines
Tue, 8 Sep - Sun, 20 Sep
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:20 - 00:05SYD  Sydney Kingsford Smith-PVG Shanghai Pu Dong
32h 45m1 stop Chongqing Jiangbei Intl
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:00 - 12:30PVG  Shanghai Pu Dong-SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith
17h 30m1 stop Chongqing Jiangbei Intl
$779Multiple Airlines
Mon, 7 Sep - Sun, 13 Sep
Tianjin Airlines Logo
14:10 - 00:40SYD  Sydney Kingsford Smith-PVG Shanghai Pu Dong
36h 30m1 stop Zhengzhou
Tianjin Airlines Logo
08:05 - 12:30PVG  Shanghai Pu Dong-SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith
26h 25m1 stop Chongqing Jiangbei Intl
$781Tianjin Airlines
Wed, 4 Nov - Mon, 16 Nov
Cathay Pacific Logo
08:40 - 22:00MEL  Melbourne-PVG Shanghai Pu Dong
16h 20m1 stop Hong Kong Intl
Cathay Pacific Logo
07:10 - 23:00PVG  Shanghai Pu Dong-MEL Melbourne
12h 50m1 stop Hong Kong Intl
$782Cathay Pacific
Fri, 23 Oct - Thu, 5 Nov
Hainan Airlines Logo
20:45 - 22:55MEL  Melbourne-SHA Shanghai Hongqiao Intl
29h 10m1 stop Haikou Meilan Intl
Hainan Airlines Logo
09:00 - 15:10SHA  Shanghai Hongqiao Intl-MEL Melbourne
27h 10m1 stop Haikou Meilan Intl
$782Hainan Airlines
Tue, 20 Oct - Mon, 30 Nov
Hainan Airlines Logo
21:00 - 22:55SYD  Sydney Kingsford Smith-SHA Shanghai Hongqiao Intl
28h 55m1 stop Haikou Meilan Intl
Hainan Airlines Logo
09:00 - 15:20SHA  Shanghai Hongqiao Intl-SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith
27h 20m1 stop Haikou Meilan Intl
$782Hainan Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Shanghai

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights to Shanghai to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to Shanghai?

In the last 5 days, the cheapest flight deal to Shanghai was found on the route from Melbourne, at $778 return. The most popular connection is from Sydney to Shanghai, while KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $779 in the last 5 days.

How much is a flight to Shanghai?

A flight to Shanghai costs $1,010 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $405 and departed from Adelaide. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Melbourne to Shanghai which costs $1,217 on average, and Brisbane to Shanghai, which costs $1,543 on average.

What is the cheapest day to fly to Shanghai?

Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Shanghai is Monday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $1,217. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $1,273 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Shanghai?

The cheapest month for flights to Shanghai is March, where tickets cost $765 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of tickets from Australia is $1,494 and $1,233 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is January with an average price of $450.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Shanghai?

The cheapest time of day to fly to Shanghai is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $1,252 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Shanghai is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,255.

What is a good deal for flights to Shanghai?

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to Shanghai, 25% of our users found tickets to Shanghai for the following prices or less: From Melbourne Airport $1,004 return, from Sydney $1,056 return, from Brisbane $1,281 return.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Shanghai?

To get a below average price, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 19% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 9 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Shanghai?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Shanghai is Shanghai Hongqiao Intl Airport (SHA), with an average flight price of $303.

Good to know – Book Cheap Shanghai Plane Tickets

Cheapest flight

$419
Flight from Melbourne to Shanghai Hongqiao Intl

When to book flights to Shanghai

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel to Shanghai based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price

FAQs - booking Shanghai flights

  • Which public transport services are available from Shanghai Pudong International Airport?

    You can take the metro, the Maglev or the bus from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to get into the city centre. If using the metro, take line 2 to Guanglan Road station, where you can transfer to another train that will take you to the city centre. Maglev is the high-speed train that will take you to Longyang Road station; you then need to change to another service towards the city centre. Several bus lines leave from outside both terminals, including a late-night bus and a shuttle bus that goes direct to the city centre.

  • How can I get from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to the city centre using public transport?

    From Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport you can take metro lines 2 or 10, both of which will take you straight to the city centre. Metro trains run between 6am and 10pm. There are several bus lines leaving from outside both terminals, including a night bus and a late-night line, with prices from 2 YUAN (about $0.4) to 30 YUAN (about $6).

  • Are there any on-site airport hotels at Shanghai Pudong International Airport?

    T2 Max VIP Hourly Lounge is a hotel located inside Terminal 2, offering rooms for rent at an hourly rate. Dazhong Airport Hotel Shanghai is located between Terminals 1 and 2, a five-minute walk from the airport. Ramada Pudong Airport Shanghai, Shanghai Airlines Travel Hotel and The QUBE Pudong Hotel are all within five to fifteen minutes of the airport, and they all offer shuttle bus transfers.

  • Which hotels are available in the vicinity of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport?

    Boyue Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Hotel is located in Terminal 2 of the airport. The Shanghai International Airport Hotel is a five-minute walk from the airport, near to Terminal 1; it offers day rooms from 6am to 4pm and has an airport shuttle service available. The Argyle International Airport Hotel is also a five-minute walk from Terminal 1, and offers a free shuttle every hour to Terminal 2.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Shanghai?

    In the last 5 days, the cheapest flight deal to Shanghai was found on the route from Melbourne, at $778 return. The most popular connection is from Sydney to Shanghai, while KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $779 in the last 5 days.

  • Which Shanghai airport is closest to central Shanghai?

    The distance between Shanghai Hongqiao Intl and the city centre of Shanghai is 15 km, which makes it the closest of the 2 Shanghai airports airports. Shanghai Pudong Airport is 30 km away from the centre.

  • How much is a flight to Shanghai?

    On average, a flight to Shanghai costs $1,010. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $405 and departed from Adelaide Airport.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights to Shanghai?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights to Shanghai.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket to Shanghai?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Shanghai is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights to Shanghai?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Shanghai with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight to Shanghai?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Shanghai up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Shanghai

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Shanghai flight deals.
  • You can find direct flights to Shanghai from Sydney with Chinese Eastern, which land at either Shanghai Pudong International Airport or Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. The latter is closer to the city centre – about 15km away, while Shanghai Pudong International Airport is about 45km away. Both are modern, well-connected international airports.
  • Luggage storage is available at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in the departures area near Gate 5. The rates for storing hand luggage vary depending on the size of the item and the number of hours you chose to store it for.
  • If you are traveling with kids, you will find a Children’s Park in Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It is located in Terminal 2 near International Boarding Gate 81 and is open from 9am to 8pm. In Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport you will find a nursery in Terminal 1, next to the post office in Departures B.
  • If you have some time after your flight to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, head to the art gallery in Domestic Departures in Terminal 1, or to the Maritime Museum that is also located in Terminal 1. You will also find the Museum of Pudong Airport in Terminal 2 near Boarding Gate D90, which holds Chinese culture exhibitions. Children can learn more about Chinese culture in Han Culture Park, which is near the museum in Terminal 2.
  • Taxis from both Shanghai airports have fixed rates if the distance travelled is under 3km; and metered rates for distances above this that depend on the time of day and total distance travelled. A trip from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the city centre should cost around 180 YUAN (about $36) during the day and around 230 YUAN (about $46) at night.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines flying to Shanghai

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Shanghai? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.6
Cathay PacificOverall score based on 1460 reviews
7.9Boarding
7.7Entertainment
8.1Crew
7.5Comfort
7.3Food
Airline reviews

Everything was good; they still provided a sandwich snack. Good crew

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, July 2026
Read more Cathay Pacific reviews

Everything was good; they still provided a sandwich snack. Good crew

The legroom in economy on an A321 is wholly inadequate for a 6’3” man. Deeply dissatisfied.

I do not think there was much that could have been done to make it better. The delayed flight was due to bad weather. The turbulent patches were very unavoidable. Am simply thankful that there were no sudden and / or sharp drops during the flight. I do extend my compliments to captain Marcus I believe was his name and the rest of the crew. They all did an excellent job. My only question is whether I get a refund since the seats I had chosen and paid for were reassigned.

More tasty food particularly ethnic food. Staff didn’t respond to calls some of the time in premium economy.

I love the comfortable business class seats. The service was excellent. Staff was friendly.

If I had blood clots, that window seat would've killed me for certain.

The employees are very nice and good. The delay due to the aircraft is not a good thing. Planning for such problems should be an easy task.

The crew were fine. I didn’t enjoy the food at all. I found it unappetising and really had trouble eating it. The comfort level was fine and our return flight is with Cathay Pacific but honestly I probably wouldn’t fly Cathay Pacific again.

We requested special assistance and Cathay Pacific provided it in Sydney, but we were completely forgotten about in Hong Kong - when we really needed the help to catch our connecting flight. Really disappointing service.

The staff were excellent considering it was a jam packed flight. We had to wait nearly an hour for our baggage to appear on the carousel. That was a real shame.

We were taking the flight MU 8649 from Shanghai to Osaka and the original boarding gate was 20 and we didn’t receive any notification or broadcast about gate changes, and by the time we missed the original boarding time we check thr electric board and realized the gate was changed to 208 Also the flight was delayed by almost an hour and the crew member didn’t provide any explanation, after we finally boarded the aircraft was very hot, the crew member told me the air conditioning was not working and tried to calm passages down by offering iced water, all of us sat in the aircraft for another 40 mins before it finally took off

Seats not comfortable. We had requested vegan meal and it wasn’t given.

I was denied boarding at the Brisbane airport and it seems like I won’t get any refunds from the airline

Wow very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of service of China Southern. Lived the blankets! Will definitely fly with them again. Despite language barriers, a few attendants know enough English to understand our rudimentary Mandarin and respond to basic questions. Although they don’t explain the beverage and meal service on the website or ticketing documents, they offered regular beverage cart and snacks during the beginning hours and end hours of the long, transoceanic flight. A full meal at the beginning and end of the flight as well, and a midflight small sandwich (dinner roll sized) but we weren’t hungry and didn’t try that one. The expectation is that every sleeps during the middle of the flight. We were on a “redeye” departure from LAX with a morning arrival in China, so I don’t know if this service pattern is the same for other flights. The domestic flight we took from Guangzhou to Harbin offered conventional refreshments and meals like a US flight service. Note that they didn’t offer diet sodas. If you like to stay hydrated, I recommend bringing plenty of your own. It is served in small cups like any other drink. You can ask for a bottle but they’re tiny - about 6 ounces.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

Terrible boarding experience,,food is very poor that I I . Never going book this airline again.

The crew were kind, patient and responsive. The service was excellent, even though we travelled the cheapest economy class. We arrived at our destination 40 min early, which for a 15+ hour flight is a great bonus. The boarding seemed a bit "loose", but got us boarded on time, and the plane was off exactly @ 0:30 hrs.

The airport didn‘t give me the ticket. I called customer service to ask for a refund but they kept giving me a perfunctory response and refused to refund me.

The flight was delayed hours and most flights from CS are always delayed. Plane was efficient and got us home but not the best food and no entertainment system at all.

Food was terrible. Fish was equal to a sausage and scrumbled eggs were terribly green with a quite weird fllavour. Everybody with me hated all options. The best food was the bread with butter.

Business Class window seat on my Shanghai to Venice route was broken and could not be converted into a bed which has to switch to a narrow aisle seat instead

It was just fine. The sirlines did live up fully to my expectation.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking by the gate, then there was another ticket checking right at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Don't understand why the duplication?

I was traveling alone with an infant, so the crew was incredibly helpful. Both the international and subsequent domestic flights were impeccable.

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers.

2 parts to the journey. First leg covered in a newer plane with decent staff + POOR FOOD QUALITY but the second half didn’t leave a positive impression at all as the plane itself was an older built and the crew didn’t serve properly. Language is an issue with China Eastern flights as always, but unmotivated crew just makes it even bad.

Small plane with only two lavatories at the back. You must have a good plan to use it before or after the meal, if you make a bad decision, you will end up with standing in front of the toilet for a while till the food carts empty. The good thing is even there’s a slightly delayed, the plane is still arriving on time which is superb!!

Excellent! I had read some negative reviews but I found out that it was not all was not true! The staff was courteous and helpful. The flight take off and landing was nice & easy. The food was good! I asked for a second and I got it easily and without an attitude! All was wonderful!

Price is the main attraction. Staff is OK but difficult to communicate with them due to general lack of English. Food is truly abysmal, the main courses (4) were barely edible. The choices for breakfast served at 5:30 am prior to landing at Gatwick airport were Spaghetti Bolognese or seafood fried rice. Choices offered for all 4 mains were either something rice or noodles. Shanghai airport layover is much too long in a very poorly serviced airport. We were unable to use WiFi; private lounges required cash only payment with no ATM or cash exchange open.

Originally I booked this flight in Business Class seats, but few weeks prior to departure they downgraded our ticket to Premium Economy class because they change the type of airplane but refused to compensate any difference in pricing. That is totally unfair practice to treat a business class costumer. The food on the flight is just OK and so is the service. The boarding is a mad house, you have no idea which line is for economy or sky priority class, unless you go to the front of the line to find out.

All good except with the new restrictions on using auxiliary power banks during the flight, business class really should have power access.

Ground crew Tried to charge us 1200 RMB -about $160 for Carry on when checking in Wuhan, they say the suitcase is too large, but it’s the standard samsonite carry out suitcase purchased at Costco and we had no issue when we travelled to China just a month ago, same airline. They Wuhan ground crew even threatened that when we layover in Xiamen, they will charge even more. Very unprofessional and caused a lot of stress. The airline really needs to investigate it.

Never got to go because of i correct information while attempting to check in

They gave incorrect visa information causing me to purchase another flight. Only to find out later there was something that could be done to work around it.

I was not allowed to board the plane if I did not buy a forward ticket after Indonesia. They said the Indonesian government would fine the airline. This was bullshit. In Jakarta immigration did not ask for this at all. I'm trying to refund the ticket. I was put in a middle seat and I asked to be put in an side seat. They wanted $45. I said NO. Later I was put in an side sest for free. On the second plane they put me in a middle seat and when I complained. They put me in the back with three empty seats. I was able to sleep. The food was okay and I got extra portions when asked. The lack of WIFI at Xiamen airport was a pain, but that's because of the Chinese government banning foreign browsers. Xiamen gets 3 out of 5. The cost was $503: LAX to Jakarta. A bargain, but you get what you pay for.

Free meals on all flights in economy. The 737´s don’t have screens so it’s a bummer. But the selection on 787´s is wide

The plane was small and a little stuffy inside the plane.

Going to Xiamen they did not offer any wine and basically offered two food choices in tin trays. Something you would expect on a domestic flight in China not a $10k business class flight. The flight attendant admitted they also stopped paying for satellite Wi-Fi; which they used to offer and now don't - without apology. Normally I am a huge fan of a non-stop but the difference between Japanese or US carriers is a large one and well worth a stop in Korea or Japan rather than pay double for no amenities at all. The plane is nice, but the experience was below par.

Once on board, everything is perfect. The young and pretty flight attendants warmly welcome each passenger and demonstrate excellent service attitudes. As passengers board one after another, the flight attendants begin to inquire about our meal preferences. I requested to see a wine list and choose a suitable red wine. She replied that there were no menus or wine lists, but she would take a photo of the red wine options on her phone and show me later. After lunch, the flight attendants began to ask about dinner arrangements. It turns out that there were only three options for dinner: seafood, chicken, and beef, exactly the same as lunch.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Shanghai

Cabin class types available on flights to Shanghai