Flights to Shanghai in 2023/24
from US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia

Shanghai flights — how much is airfare?
The cheapest time to fly to Shanghai
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Shanghai ticket price

How much is airfare to Shanghai?

Assuming that you are flying one-way in economy class, your flight ticket to Shanghai will cost $50–150 for an ultra-short-haul flight (up to 500 km), $100–$250 for a short-haul flight (500–1,500 km), $150–$350 for a medium-haul flight (1,500–3,000 km), and $300–$600 for a long-haul flight (3,000–6,000 km). If you travel to Shanghai from a more distant part of the world, a one-way plane ticket for an ultra-long-haul flight (above 6,000 km) might range from $400 to $1000.

Round-trip (return) flights to Shanghai generally provide some cost savings compared to purchasing two separate one-way tickets. As a general guide, you can expect a savings of approximately 10–20% for ultra-short-haul, 15–25% for short-haul, 20–30% for medium-haul, 25–30% for long-haul, and 25–35% potential savings with round-trip bookings for extensive, ultra-long-haul flights.

Since flight prices are dynamic, these figures are rough estimates. The actual flight costs to a Chinese destination will likely fluctuate based on several factors, such as time of booking, airline, number of layovers, demand, sales or promotions, and other market dynamics.

Please check our Find & Book page for up-to-date pricing:

Expert’s Advice

Where are you departing from?

Need some help to choose the right flight?
Here’s our travel expert’s advice for flying to Shanghai from your region:

US & CanadaEuropeAustralia & NZAsia

How to get cheap flights to Shanghai?

Taking advantage of airline sales and promotions, flying during the low season, and subscribing to newsletters with expert-picked deals are among the best ways to get cheap flights to Shanghai. With a stroke of luck, you might stumble upon a promo code for Shanghai, as airlines occasionally release them at random. By exhibiting a degree of flexibility and embracing a few straightforward strategies, you can easily secure significant savings.

However, not all discounts hold the same value.

Check out the table below for a selection of options to consider:

How to get cheap flights
Method	Why it works	Savings
Booking directly with airline	OTAs and travel agents often up the price by adding a service fee	2% — 10%
Flying on weekday	Weekend flights tend to cost slightly more More	5% — 10%
Group booking	Airlines offer discounts for groups of 9+ travelers More	5% — 20%
Flying early morning	Lower demand for flights departing 1am - 5am	15% — 20%
Early booking	As departure day nears, airfares start to rise More	10% — 30%
Flying during low-season	Less demand = lower prices	10% — 30%
Booking round-trip flights	Airlines encourage longer commitment by offering discount	10% — 35%
Flash sales and promotions	Airlines often discount off-season flights to boost demand Promotions	10% — 50%
Frequent flyer programs	Airlines offer discounts to foster customer loyalty	20% — 40%
Air Traveler Club	Expert-picked deals are much cheaper due to insider knowledge More	40% — 80%

Why are flights to Shanghai so expensive in 2023?

Airfares to Shanghai soared in 2023. Flights to Shanghai are expensive now due to factors such as rising demand, limited supply, inflation, fuel prices, closed airspace, and the increase in operational costs for airlines.

One key factor within your control is the timing of your booking. To save money on travel, it’s wise to plan ahead – the best time to book flights to Shanghai is between 2 to 8 months before your departure date.

The primary elements that impact the cost of flights:

Rising demand With more people traveling in the post-pandemic era, airlines have no incentive to lower prices. Instead, they capitalize on spiked demand and raise prices to make up for lost revenue during the period of 2020-2022.
Limited supply In 2023 many airlines are still operating at reduced capacity after the pandemic. Staffing shortages of pilots, plane crew, and airport workers lead to flight cancellations and delays, affecting the supply even more. With fewer flights, airlines charge more for the plane tickets that are available.
Inflation Inflation has a significant impact on flight prices, as it directly increases the cost of fuel and labor for airlines. This can be particularly true for airlines that operate in countries with high inflation rates.
Jet fuel costs Fuel is a significant airline cost, influenced by crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. To cope with rising fuel prices, airlines pass it on to travelers in the form of a fuel surcharge added to the ticket price.
Closed airspace Avoiding airspace due to war, political conflicts, extreme weather, or natural disasters make airline tickets more expensive. Airlines may be forced to take longer routes to Shanghai – which means higher costs of fuel and labor.
Airline operating costs The costs of labor, aircraft maintenance, aircraft leasing or purchasing expenses, marketing, etc. significantly increased in 2023. As airlines aim to remain profitable, they must factor in these operating costs when setting ticket prices.

Will flight prices to Shanghai go down in 2023?

Historical trends suggest that airfare prices will fluctuate based on the factors described above. As long as the demand for travel to Shanghai is up, so is airfare. After tough years the airlines are in no position to offer discounts for passengers and will likely try to maximize profits in 2023.

Fortunately, cheap flight deals are still out there. Finding discounted airfares is what we do at Air Traveler Club: