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Shanghai PuDong Airport by J Liu
5 July 2006

From a distance, an impressive-looking airport. The devil, as they say, is in the details. Arrivals and departures are efficient for the most part, but there's not much to do while waiting to depart other than browse a few tired and overpriced souvenir shops. The business class lounges are terrible - dark, claustrophobic, with stale air, and minimal snacks and other amenities. The biggest problem is that the airport is over capacity (a 2nd terminal is under construction) so if you're unlucky enough to arrive or depart on a flight that's on the tarmac, you must endure a long, stuffy, and uncomfortable bus ride to and from your plane.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Colin Robson
10 June 2006

My first time using this airport and I thought that it was clean and pleasant. However I agree with some of the previous comments on how far passengers have to walk after leaving the aircraft, if you are elderly or have health problems it can be difficult. The airport staff were polite, but did not understand much English despite trying to give the impression that they did. In my opinion there could be a lot of improvements made especially with staff training, however it is very clear to me that the airport authorities are making a considerable effort to achieve this and in large measure are being successful.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Peter Geran
1 June 2006

For a six year old airport, I think it still lives in Communist 60's. I have been through PuDongthree times in 12 months, and looks like I have a lot more trips there from July, 06. Once you deplane , expect a long walk from the end of the terminal, and a big distance between the moving walkways. Well, walking is good for the health. I got in at 16:20 hours on a Sunday recently, and it only took 15 minutes to go through immigration, so, it wasnt took bad - I expected worse. However, try and find an ATM machine once you clear the hall, and its impossible. I know that there are ATM machines before you leave the baggage area, so, get your money then. I ended up going to a bank, and was charged 3% for a withdrawal. Another thing, make certain that you try to leave China with as little of the local currency as possible, otherwise, they want to hit you 50 Yuan just to exchange money. They want you to show your original receipt as well - how many people carry that on them ? Business class lounges or the one that THAI uses are a joke - stuffy lounge, 2 computers for internet, and poor choice of food. Reading material is good, only if you are Chinese.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Peter Payne
22 April 2006

Large, modern, immaculate. Some queues thru slightly ponderous Chinese formalities but waits were minimal. Local pride in airport is obvious with polite staffing in all areas.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Steve Corry
13 February 2006

Some good news, they have doubled the number of immigration desks at entry, so less of a queue once off your flight. Also the maglev hours have been extended until 9pm, although if you have luggage it is still not very practical as it does not go all the way into the city. The size of the airport is set to double as a new terminal is being added, hopefully over time they will add quality to size.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Andrew Quinn
5 December 2005

We found long queues for check in at PuDong especially for flights to Hong Kong and Japan. Long queues at passport control as well. It pays to get there at least two hours before flight time. One good thing was the MagLev train. Forget taxis, get the subway to Longyang Rd then transfer to the MagLev. It is quicker, safer and cheaper than a taxi.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Mohammad Zia Ebrahimi
17 November 2005

Arrived at Shanghai Pudong airport by Emirates flight from Dubai. Passing through quarantine gate was easy, but Immigration took 1 hour because three flights arrived together. There is not enough room between quarantine gate and immigration, so actually there were no queues for immigration and all people were confused. Signs were not updated so I had problem to find my luggage . Nobody checked the baggage tags before or after customs. It is a modern and clean airport, but a mismanaged one.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Alonso Fernandes
16 November 2005

Built with no taste, run as a circus, unfriendly and inefficient. Upon arrival the passengers experience is usually (1) long taxi (up to 15 minutes) if aircraft lands in the new runway. (2) Stampede of mainland passengers while engines shut down, only to find that the immigration officer that should be taking the passenger list is late for up to 10 minutes and therefore nobody can disembark. (3) Long corridor march till quarantine desk, hand the first of 3 forms to fill. Usually the passenger will be stuck there for ever as the immigration queues already reached the quarantine desk (some 15 meters behind). (4) 30-40 minutes queue for the immigration, fighting with the usual local trying to jump over you in the queue. Hand the second immigration form. (5) By the time you reach out to the baggage belt the bags have usually been turning around for a long time, so pick yours and head for the customs counter, again fighting with the hordes of trolleys trying to go trough the customs at the same time. Hand the third and most stupid form to the customs. (6) Get stuck at the exit corridor as again hordes of taxi drivers, teenager fans, entire families etc block the way to exiting passengers. Harassment by illegal taxi drivers offering ridiculous fares to inexperienced tourists (always pay by the meter, it usually will amount up to 150 yuan if you go to the central parts of the city). Pick a taxi, a bus or head to the parking, leaving the luggage cart behind you as there are no ramps for trolleys or handicapped people to get into the car park, or even to cross the road between the terminal and the car park. The whole in a poorly air-conditioned, dirty and smelly building. Distance to city centre: 40Km, that is if you are lucky 45 mins by car or bus (forget about the MAGLEV, it's expensive and unpractical), and endless hours if you are unlucky and land around 16:00 (you hit the rush hour so expect 1:30 to 2:00 hours travel time). I recommend airlines to reschedule their flights to later or earlier hours as passengers will start avoiding the flights arriving around this time. For departing passengers, long check in queues and unfriendly staff. Never ending immigration queues (beware, go to the airport with lots of time for check in and immigration). Bad restaurant facilities. Noisy and dirty environment. The announcements are a real annoyance. If you are in transit avoid it at all costs as the transit passengers also need to go through all this. (I think that some passengers flying MU can avoid it, but the thought of flying MU makes the option appalling). If you fly from mainland, try to get your ticket changed to Hongqiao airport - if you can’t avoid it take a valium and chose a late arriving flight to avoid the masses and make the pain short.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Yves Baert
12 November 2005

Management, staff and authorities at Pudong airport could learn a thing or two about running an airport efficiently and about customer service. When you get to check-in and it's busy you need a lot of patience. I've noticed on several occasions that check-in staff are not inclined to speed up check-in when they see the queue getting longer and longer. You also rarely see, in my experience at least, check-in staff at the business and 1st class counters inviting economy passengers when they're not busy. November last year I flew to Chicago on United Airlines (Star Alliance member). At the check-in I presented my British Midland (also a Star Alliance Member) frequent flyer card. I was told that my account could not be credited with any miles because British Midland is not a Star Alliance member. I said that it was and the check-in staff member replied that it was not. So I pointed out the Star Alliance logo and name to her on the card. To my surprise, I got the same reply. She showed it to her collegue and manager who both admitted they had never heard of British Midland, which is fair enough. The Star Alliance logo, however, did not seem to puzzle them in the slightest. None of them offered to check either. So I just put the card away. The reason I got annoyed was that afterwards it's always a lot off hassle to get your account credited. When I asked for an emergency exit seat she got visibly annoyed with me. However, I was given the seat. I decided against asking for a lounge access card because I thought that would be pushing my luck. For some reason you need your gold card, your ticket and a separate pass to get into a lounge at Pudong. I managed to get the card somewhere else. What also happens from time to time when you are checking in is that some Chinese person has a question and decides to ask the person who is checking you in. You would think they would tell them to wait their turn but no, they help them first and then get back to you. If you're lucky it only takes a few seconds, if you're unlucky. Immigration officers are indeed very slow and very unfriendly. When I had first moved to Shanghai I used to say hello to them and give them a smile and say thank you but I gave up because they were never returned. All I ever got was a deep stare. The immigration supervisor is also not inclined to open up more desks when he sees more passengers turn up. Mind you, as an EU citizen I am ashamed to say that the EU is even worse when it comes to immigration. Every time I have flown back to BRU whether it be via FRA, MUC or CPH, there were always immigration officers already standing at the arrival gate to pick out anyone who is not white. I have never shown my passport at that point and was let through every time simply because I'm white. And I'm not just talking about me. In several of the comments I read that transit passengers have to go through immigration. That is indeed true. However, it is not limited to Pudong or even China. The same goes for the US or at least MIA airport. A couple of years ago I flew from BRU to PTY via MAD and MIA for work. At MIA we passed by the waiting area for our connecting flight but were not allowed in because we didn't have an immigration stamp. We had to continue to passport control, stand in line and answer all sorts of ridiculous questions. We then got a stamp and could return to the waiting area. Not something you want to do when you've been up for nearly 24 hours. Granted, we did not have to collect are luggage and check in again. None the less, in both cases it does seem like a pointless exercise. The "best" story I have on incompetence at the airport was last May when a friend of mine came to visit. He came in on a KLM flight from Amsterdam. The flight had arrived on time but my friend was nowhere to be seen. Even taking into account immigration and waiting for the luggage it took ages. It turned out that the follow-me car had mistakenly guided the plane to the domestic terminal and it had taken an hour to find a push-back so the plane could taxi to the right terminal and gate.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by William Lee
2 September 2005

Since I am a Hong Kong merchant working in Shanghai, I always use the Pudong Airport. As far as I have concerned, many Shanghai-HongKong flights are always delayed to take off. Most of the time, the reasons of delay are that "the airspace of Shanghai is too busy" or "Xiamen restricted the Shanghai flights passing there". But, being the hub of Sino-international transport, should Pudong solve these problems in an efficient way instantly? Indeed, the Airport is quite modern and magnificent, but suffering such a "time-sacrifice" really worsens my impression towards Pudong.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Phil Breteau

20 August 2005

I agree! Pudong Airport is a dump and the immigration officers are an awful lot. How is it possible to be so cold, inefficient and so out of touch with the international traveler’s mood in 2005?

Shanghai PuDong Airport by J Liu

9 August 2005

I agree with almost all of the previous comments on the Pudong airport. In addition, I have to say that the business class lounges are among the worst I've ever seen. First of all, in many cases they are very far from the departure gate. On my last flight, the attendants told us to proceed to the gate for immediate boarding. After a 10 minute walk, we found ourselves waiting by the departure gate for over 15 minutes. I guess they didn't think about calling ahead before they whisked us out of the lounge. In addition, the lounges are cramped, dark, with stale air and no internet connections. The snack, drink, and reading material choices are minimal. I don't even bother with going there now. At least the public waiting areas are spacious and airy, with a good view.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Jane Halmiton

8 August 2005

I'm not impressed by the airport at all. Aside from the fact that it's modern looking comparing to the rest of China (not including HK) the services aren't great and the selection of restaurants are very limited. Custom officers are rude. I'm sorry but Chinese people should learn to line up and not pretend to move upwards to the line when no one is looking. If you need some kind of direction, you are pretty much going to have to find a counter that possbibly could speak some proper English so don't bother asking any one walking around looking like their employees. I feel like I'm carefully watched while walking around that airport. There's no feeling of relaxation whichever corner I , unless I'm at the Business Lounge. I also travelled domestic through this airport and I said to myself that would be the last time. What happened to line up orderly to get out to the gate and up the shuttle bus? Looked as if they were running away from a tornado. They had the money to build such a grand airport, they should be able to hire staff who can control the crazy crowd. By the way, there was a smoking room at the domestic side and their own employees should learn to close the door while they're in there smoking. That's the reason why it's secluded at the first place. Passengers had to go and close that door so the cigarettes smell would come out and the employees again went back in/out and purposely left it open. I can't picture the Olympics coming here.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by John Ogle

25 July 2005

I recently was diverted to Pudong because of a missed connection in SFO. The facilities are as beautiful as any airport in the world. However, there were no signs or areas designated for "transfers, transit, arrivals, or departures". Everything was "Immigration". You are required to fill out arriv/dept. cards, and wait in excrutiatingly slow moving lines that appear to require at least 2 minutes for each passenger being processed. There is one line with no clerk in the booth that was marked "people needing help". When a group of about nine (9) people went to that line they were taken to the next booth (on the "out" side of the wall) and that clerk then processed them with the same efficiency as the rest. Unfortunately, I was waiting in that line! I also waited about an hour and half as the UAL ticket clerk pondered over my SFO issued boarding pass, and then told me it was no good! During this waiting period the 3/4 clerks appeared to be eating noodles, maybe looking at the computer screen, and talking among themselves with maybe a few other people needing service coming by the counter and leaving in disgust. I will make it a point to never go there again if I have to wait days to avoid it.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Dennis O'Brien

23 May 2005

The airport bus service cost varies according to destination but is generally less than RMB20. Taxi fares to the centre will be around RMB150 but at night can be more as there is a surcharge. The taxi service from outside the airport is reasonably efficient and works on the meter. I have never had any trouble The Maglev train does indeed go to an out of town stop at Longyang Lu, where it joins the city Metro. Access with luggage is very inconvenient and it is not properly linked into the Metro station so there is a lot of trouble going up and down to get from one to the other. Also the Metro can be very crowded and is not made for people with luggage. If you then have to change from Metro Line 2 to Line 1 you will find that this is almost unmanageable with luggage - it is very far and at a hopelessly overcrowded station at People's Square. Altogether the time and trouble of changing between the Maglev and Metro lines means that the experience is fun once just to say you have been on such a fast train but it is simply not practical or comfortable. And iIf you decide to take a taxi at this point you might just as well have taken one from the airport in the first place; just to make things more complicated, since you are on the wrong side of the road at the Metro station, you would really have to struggle across the footbridge to get a taxi going in the right direction anyway. I happen to live just a five minute walk from the Maglev station but even then generally think it is easier just to take the airport bus which also stops just outside the Metro station. By the time you wait for the Maglev and, on arrival at the airport, walk across the footbridge to the airport buildings, you would probably be there quicker on the bus which stops just outside the departure hall - and at a quarter of the price. The airport is efficient but bland - but actually the old airport at Hongqiao was much more efficient in its heyday, maybe just because it is smaller but maybe not. Pudong seems to have rather a lot of small mistakes in its design; for instance you can take luggage up in the lift to the bridge across to the car park but the lift at the other end is too small for the trolleys so you have to unload luggage and get it into the lift item by item, repeating the same procedure to get it out of the lift at the bottom. How you then get it to the parked car is well.?

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Xuess Wee

6 May 2005

Very grand looking airport; worlds apart from the run-down Hongqiao. But I would give Hongqiao a good point for proximity to the city! It takes almost 50 minutes to 1 hour just to get to the airport. The journey itself is tiring. The airport tried to be another HKIA with its high ceiling and bright interiors, but here are where the similarities end. Too many metals bars zigzagging across the windows - you can't properly even see a plane fly off without a bar getting in your sight. While HKIA is brimming with activities with its choice of stores, Pudong is quite content to punish you with a long walk down the aisles. I do not know if it was the airline or the airport that was at fault, but upon my arrival in Shanghai on a China Eastern Airlines flight, the airport coach that came to fetch us off the tarmac did not have its aircon on (whether it was spoilt or not switched on is anybody's guess) - and the whole bus load was forced to suffer and perspire in agony as the bus crawled to the terminal and the driver turning a death ear to pleas to switch on the air- con or drive faster.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Cees de Regt

6 May 2005

The good news: clean and airy, efficient immigration and baggage reclaim, and no more airport tax to be paid (included in ticket). The bad news: poor duty free shopping, and no international coffee shops or food outlets. An airport with Chinese rather than international ambiance.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by T Mills

28 April 2005

A cautionary note if you're travelling through Pudong domestic. A notice at Shanghai Airlines check-in advises that passengers may take a maximum of 1 litre of spirits per person in cabin luggage. I was carrying my duty free allowance in my carry-on bag and was advised at security that I could not proceed. We then debated the sign at check-in and security advised that the sign was out of date and should have been removed. The final result was that I surrendered the bottle in order to board the aircraft, but I wasn't impressed with the lack of coordination and incorrect advisory signage. China, and Pudong in particular, need to get their act together for the passenger volume leading up to the Olympics and World Expo.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Harry Tsui

12 April 2005

There are things that built for practicality, and then some are for ego-trip. PVG is more on the later side. Pudong's grand departure hall employs the French style of forms over substance. The ceiling is covered with numerous needles pointing at everyone. The needles are actually light bulbs but they give people a very uneasy feeling of being pinched, suppressed. Five years ago when I was riding on a taxi to the brand new Pudong airport, I found a big train terminal half way between the airport and the city center. Strange? At that time, I thought the train will submerge to underground with the logical final designation at the city center. I was totally wrong! For all the good monies the Shanghiese spent on the Magnetic train which stops at nowhere, they could have built a traditional train that goes directly to the city center, at a fraction of the cost. No, they want to be number one, the first one to have the fastest train on earth, albeit just for a few seconds. When source of capital is not employed by investors but by bureaucrats, what they finally end up with usually are white elephants. The Magnetic train is one of them. Lets get back to the airport itself. The departure hall is clean, bright and airy. I personally may not like the design but the high ceiling does provide many natural lights in. The check in and immigration clearance are fast enough because of the lack of flight traffic. The walk to the terminal is long but manageable. (kind of stupid design) Shops and restaurants are typical of any Chinese airports, bland and way over-priced. The structure of the air terminal should be a function to let travellers in and out as fast as possible. Look at Terminal 1 of Singapore airport, it is old but very efficient and a pleasure to be in. Yesterday, it took me less than 10 minutes from the most distanced Gate 63 to the bus stop at HKG. Then look back to Pudong, the pride of its citizens are more concentrated on the grandeur of the German Megnatic train which goes to no where and the grand French terminal hall which lacks all the amenities and convenience of any decent airport. Do I like this airport? No. Not a bit. I rather settle for the old and tatty Hongqiou if I have a choice, at least it has McDonalds!

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Li Ping Tan

11 April 2005

A boring airport to travel through, certainly an upgrade from Hong Qiao, but not in the same league as the newer Asian airports. High ceilings, spacious and airy, but the choice of floor tiling makes the airport seem too dark. Not enough distractions within the terminal, and those that are present are too expensive.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by E Mallari

14 March 2005

I used my UA miles to fly from SFO to MNL and back. On the way back to SFO, I flew in to Shanghai's Pudong Int'l Airport via UA's partner airline, Thai Int'l. Upon check-in in MNL at the Lufthansa counter, I was told that my 2-piece luggage were checked-in all the way to San Francisco. Arrived Shanghai very early morning when almost everything in the airport was closed. By 7 a..m the airport began to wake up. Passengers started to arrive. The airport is very modern looking, cavernous and clean. When the United Airlines counter opened and I presented my ticket, the agent asked me where my luggage was. I told him what I was told when I first checked in. He told me: "No, not here in Shanghai, you have to check in your luggage again". I quickly found out that my 2-piece luggage had been sitting for several hours in a corner near the carousel downstairs. I had to take my luggage upstairs and queue again. When I got my boarding pass and tried to go inside the secure area, I was asked to present the "Airport Departure Tax receipt". So I had to exchange my US dollars to Chinese currency, and then go to the window where you pay the airport departure tax. I transited through Tokyo's Narita Int'l. and Singapore's Changi Int'l many times and never had to pay a departure tax while changing flights. I found that the stores inside the Shanghai airport security area to be either the very expensive international brand kind or the cheap ones that sell boring souvenirs. I did not find a single western-style bookstore that sell english language newspapers, magazines, or even the ubiquitous refrigerator magnets. Just five minutes before we boarded, I checked the side pocket of my carry-on wheeled cart and I found my disposable razor blade and quickly disposed of it in a garbage bin. I forgot that I had one in there and all three airport security checks missed it, or maybe they are permitted in Asian airports.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Jonathan Perratt

6 March 2005

A new, modern airport. Not in the same league as the likes of Seoul, HK or KL but pleasant enough and generally pretty empty resulting in speedy check-in, immigration and security procedures. Whilst quite a long way out of town, the expressway does not seem to go anywhere else so is predictably empty and you can reliably allow just 45 minutes from downtown.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by C Dunn

3 December 2004

Pu Dong airport is a major improvement from Hong Qiao, but it still does not meet international standards. Touts bother travellers, far from the nearest ATM, leaving the security area. The airport is connected via an experimental MagLev train. Unfortunately, this train leaves passengers next to several big box retailers in a community where most taxi cab drivers are legally not allowed to take passengers to downtown Shanghai, something indicated by no visible signs. The airport needs to make significant improvements if it wants to compete with Hong Kong, Narita or Seoul as a global gateway.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Mark Ziprin

26 October 2004

I recommend trying the MagLev train once as it is an experience to go 430 kms/hr. However, as a means of getting to the airport, I would say take a taxi. It is not easy to get to the MagLev city terminal. I could not find a lift and had to drag 2 cases and hand luggage up an escalator in hot weather. The airport terminal is a long way from the arrival platform and there were no trolleys and no aircon. Pudong Airport’s facilities and lounges are fairly basic but check-in (for business class) was fine and immigration/emigration is efficient.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Markus Hiller

23 October 2004

Since end of September, you don't have to pay the international departure tax of RMB 90 any more. Now it's included in the ticket.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by C Loong

12 September 2004

I fly in/out of Pudong 4 times recently, and found it generally a pleasant airport to use: clean, efficient, friendly and bilingual. Love the architecture too! However, the shops (on air-side) are quite overpriced and mediocre.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by T Ming

13 August 2004

Shanghai Pudong is dull and impersonal. Catering facilities are scarce and expensive and the tax free area is a joke compared to HKG. However good beef noodles for 50RMB can be found, and instant noodles 12 RMB can be an option. (for vegetarians only expensive alternatives) Taxi Airport-city v.v. around 140 RMB (beware of drivers offering service inside the terminal they often try to charge 500 RMB, always request they use a taximeter) There are special minivan taxis for up to 8 passengers available near the domestic arrival exit. they charge slightly higher fares to the city centre. (around 150-170 RMB) Journey usually takes 45 minutes but can get to 1h30mnts in rush hours. Bus Airport - city v.v 19 RMB The journey is slightly longer by bus 5/10 mnts longer to Jiang An Se City Airport Terminal. There are many different lines that serve the city every 15-20 minutes. Its the most convenient and the cheapest way to get into and out of the city. MAGLEV Train is only operational from 8:30 to 5:30 and costs 50 RMB one way. Its not convenient unless you stay in Pudong district as the underground line from Pudong to Puxi is crowded and the time saved on the MAGLEV is wasted on the subway. Telephone cards for mobile phones or public phones are available on the arrival area close to the hotels desks. Beware of departure tax.: 50 RMB domestic / 90RMB international. No credit card accepted for payment. Immigration queues for departures can be pretty long and as the terminal is loooong and not very passenger friendly, make sure to have enough time when leaving from Pudong.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Russell Edwards

9 July 2004

What a brilliant airport. So clean and tidy, so airy, so very modern, for a country like China. The range of shops are impressive, but pricey. Only to be expected of an airport though, I suppose. Go and see it for yourselves, it is a gem and a masterpiece.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Walter Adamson

7 June 2004

My tips for Shanghai Pudong relate to ground transportation, following a recent visit. Firstly be aware that the only one ATM I could find outside the arrival immigration/customs hall was not working, and the exchange desk charges about $10 for changing any amount of cash, plus what they take on the exchange rates. Transport to the city by shuttle bus is quoted at the transport desk as costing Y150 one way. Being in China that strikes you as expensive, and it is. The taxi quote, by wandering outside is Y150, by the meter - but for this you need cash. After giving in to the money changing racket and catching the taxi the meter actually read Y140 as we arrived at the Four Seasons hotel. This takes about 30 minutes when the traffic is not too heavy. I don't have any idea why the airport transportation desk tries to bleed new arrivals with their Y250 charge but it seems that the taxis are reliable. On the return journey the fare was Y150 although the traffic was very light and there were no stops and the driver rushed to turn the me\er off just before we could catch a final glance. I suspect it was less than Y140, but we asked for Y150 and paid. As an alternative for those with light luggage the Mag Lev Train takes only 7m 34secs to reach downtown Shanghai at 400kph+! The price of a one-way trip has dropped since April 15th 2004 from 75 yuan to 50 yuan, about US$6. Return tickets will cost only 80 yuan, but such tickets are mainly meant for sightseeing trips, as both parts of the ride must be taken the same day. A disadvantage is waiting for the next train, and then the taxi fare from downtown LongYangLu station to your final destination.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Marilyn Sangster

18 May 2004

Shanghai is a lovely airport - also clean, plenty space, efficient services - shops and cafes expensive but you come to expect that (unfortunately) in an airport. For visitors it is worth remembering there is a charge of about £10 for departure tax - so don't use up all your RMB in Shanghai's wonderful shops!

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Penn Li

4 February 2004

I travelled with Shanghai's two airport many times. Compared with the Hongqiao airport, Pu Dong airport is far more better. With the modern design, first imagine to passenger is "we are in a new airport". With glass structure, passenger enjoy viewing aircraft landing, taxing and take off, which is very impressive! In international departures, famous brands shop (Hermes etc) open has change the chinese airport style, this was very impressive as well. Catering facilities are waiting to be improved, price is quite high and choice are limited.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Meide Dai

8 December 2003

I have been flying in and out from Pudong Airport couple of time in this year, and my experience is a positive one. I like this new airport, because it is one of the latest symbol for the city of Shanghai. This airport will bring a new image of Shanghai to the international travellers.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Leslie Jia

15 September 2003

I have been there for more than 10 times. Pudong is the best airport in mainland China, excluding Hongkong and Macao. At least, it provide sufficient air-conditioning (and you cannot expect that in all Chinese airports). The public area before check-in is always crowded and the much larger waiting lounge after check-in is always empty. That is due to the fact that there is so little traffic there, airlines only provide check-in services (dedicated to that particular flight) 2 or 3 hours prior to departure. Once you check-in (after suffering from the 2-hour line-up), you will have to get on the plane immediately. On certain days, there are less than 10 flights during the entire afternoon. Interestingly, the local people think that it is a "large" airport. They really should have a look at Chicago O'Hare, where there is only 30 seconds between each take off.

Shanghai PuDong Airport by Michael Tsai

15 August 2003

I live in Shanghai and have flown out of PuDong many times since it converted to a full international airport, meaning that international flights depart from here. Although it is far (about one hour from downtown),  it is much better than the old airport, Hongqiao. With a state-of-the-art terminal design, it also features many useful facilities including shops, restaurants, and lounges. But unlike Hongqiao, immigration takes up a lot of time and you have to walk a long way if your gate is at the ends of the departure hall. At PuDong, the only shop missing is a bookstore.