Star Alliance members Austrian, Swiss and Lufthansa currently sell discounted tickets from Budapest to Shanghai, with business class roundtrips available for €1,747 (~HUF 675,100). This fare includes priority services, lounge access and two checked bags of 32 kg each. Departures are available through the entire year.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Lufthansa with your selected flight dates.
On some dates, Lufthansa has blocked the cheapest Business Basic fare on its website, raising price to HUF 810,200 (~€2,097). On these occasions, the cheapest tickets are still available via trip.com.
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After a feeder in European business class, you will fly to Shanghai in an Airbus A350-900 (with Lufthansa from Frankfurt or Munich), a Boeing 777-200 (Austrian via Vienna) or Airbus A340-300 (Swiss via Zurich). If you fly with Lufthansa via Frankfurt in March or earlier, flights are operated by a Boeing 747-400.
Since flights with Lufthansa’s new Allegris seats are not available at the lowest price, you should pick Austrian (for the shortest detour) or Swiss (for the best business class). You can also combine airlines and stops.
The Austrian business class may not be known by many, but all seats are at a consistently high standard. The Boeing 767, as well as the Boeing 777, are both equipped with the same seats, which are not only comfortable but also offer a good sleeping experience. The catering is also said to be especially good.
Generally, Travel-Dealz writers and readers are not big fans of the Lufthansa business class, even though it is definitely not bad. One reason for that is that the service is too inconsistent: From extremely friendly and quick to unfriendly and slow – everything is possible with Lufthansa, even in business class. Regarding the seats, they are mostly fine, though not really on-par with the competition anymore. That’s why the airline is now slowly installing their new Allegris seats.
With SWISS, it very much depends on the specific seat, as SWISS has a throne seat in every row. While the double seats share a platform in the middle, the throne seat has its own platform on each side, which you won’t have to share with anyone. Those seats thus offer privacy and comfort to an extent that the other seats cannot compete with. Therefore, you may be disappointed if you don’t get one of the throne seats, even if the other seats obviously also have a very high standard. In the future, SWISS will have a new business class, called “Swiss Senses”, which is basically Lufthansa’s Allegris cabin, but in red.
You can find cheaper Star Alliance business class flights to China with departure from Oslo, starting at roughly €1,350. However, Shanghai is not among the discounted destination. Tickets to Shanghai cost €1,700 as well, and require an overnight stay in Vienna.
Until December 2026, citizens of 34 countries in Europe may enter China for 30 days without applying for a visa.
Search & Book
These tickets are on sale without a travel or sales period. The most notable restriction is a long minimum stay of six days. The deal shows good availability in all of 2026.
Google Flights helps you find additional flight dates. We recommend purchasing premium tickets directly from the airline.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Editor’s Note: While most business class tickets to China come with a great discount, especially with departure from Budapest, this is currently the best offer to Shanghai. It’s also decent for people who’d like to avoid Chinese airlines for whatever reason. If you are not keen on flying Lufthansa Group or directly to Shanghai, It’s probably cheaper to book a different business class offer to the Middle Kingdom and tack on a cheap domestic flight or train ticket to reach the city.
Miles & Points
All three airlines involved issue tickets in booking class P. Your earnings differs based on the operating carrier and transition hub. Our example shows the cheapest tickets with Austrian airlines. To check out earnings with Swiss or Lufthansa, hit the Customize Calculation button below.
- 17,422 Miles on Air China PhoenixMiles
- 14,200 Miles on ITA Volare
- 13,532 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
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- 11,560 Miles on Asiana Club
- 10,826 Award Miles + 2,166 PQP on United MileagePlus
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- 10,826 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 10,826 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 10,826 Award Miles + 5,414 Tier Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 10,826 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 10,826 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 10,826 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 10,694 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 10,694 Points + 2,138 SQC on Air Canada Aeroplan 2026
- 7,578 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 4,800 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- Customize Calculation
Destination
Information & Tips for Shanghai
Shanghai is known for its stunning skyline, with landmarks like the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Bund, and the futuristic Pudong district. The city also offers cultural sights like the Yuyuan Garden and the Shanghai Museum. The currency is the Chinese yuan (CNY), and credit cards are widely accepted. Shanghai is a relatively expensive city, particularly in tourist areas, but affordable options are available for food and accommodation. The weather is humid subtropical, with hot, rainy summers and mild winters, making the best time to visit during spring and autumn when temperatures are more comfortable.
We’ve compared various esim providers, such as eSIM4Travel, RedteaGo, and Textr. To see which plan is best for your travel needs and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for China 🇨🇳 Compared
→ All Dealz for Shanghai
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange