Oneworld airline British Airways offers premium economy flights to Shanghai from several European cities starting at €847. The price includes two checked bags. You can travel from September 2024 through March 2025.
Until December 2025, citizens of Hungary, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain may enter China for 15 days without applying for a visa.
You can get to Shanghai for less than €1,000 from the following cities:
- Barcelona at €847
- Athens at €911
- Nice at €912
- Lisbon at €917
- Rome at €917
- Paris at €922
- Oslo at €931 (~NOK 10,842)
- Stockholm at €947 (~SEK 10,443)
- Amsterdam at €949
- London at €1,057 (~£919)
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days from London and Barcelona. It will forward you to British Airways with your preselected flight dates. We filtered out overnight layovers. From the other airports, you can find flights between September 2024 and March 2025.
You would first fly in BA’s Airbus A320 family economy class from Brussels to London. The long-haul flights will be onboard British Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which have a 2-3-2 configuration in premium economy.
Search & Book
The fare rules outline the following:
- Sales period: Unknown
- Travel period: September 2024 through March 2025
- Minimum stay: A Saturday night
- Maximum stay: 12 months
You can use our calendar above that will show you availabilities. Once you selected your dates, it will forward you to British Airways’ website with your preselected flight dates. In this case, we don’t recommend booking through online travel agencies (OTAs), since BA offers the cheapest fares. You can also search more specifically on Google Flights (instructions) for example by setting filters. You can then use our Go2 browser extension to book your flights.
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.
Mileage
British Airways issues the longer flights in booking class T and the feeder flight in booking class K. This would be your earnings from Barcelona:
- 12,484 Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 12,198 Avios + 74 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 12,198 Points on Finnair Plus
- 12,198 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 12,198 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 12,198 Points + 20 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 12,198 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 12,198 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 12,198 Avios + 230 Tier Credits on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 11,840 AsiaMiles + 80 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 11,840 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 2,250 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 2,016 Avios + 334 Tier Points on The British Airways Club
- 2,016 Avios + 938 Elite Points on Iberia Plus 2025
- Customize Calculation
Destination
Hotel prices in China usually start at roughly €50, depending on the hotel category. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
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
Information & Tips for China
China offers a wide range of sights, from historical landmarks like the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, and the Forbidden City to modern cities like Shanghai and scenic areas such as Zhangjiajie and Guilin. The currency is the Chinese yuan (CNY), and mobile payments via apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay are widely used, though cash is still accepted. Prices vary—major cities can be moderate to expensive, while rural areas are generally more affordable. Weather conditions differ greatly by region, with cold winters in the north, hot, humid summers in the south, and a generally best travel period in spring or autumn.
China has a highly developed transport system, especially in urban and coastal areas. Most major cities have extensive metro networks that are cheap, efficient, and easy to navigate with English signage. For travel between cities, the high-speed rail network is one of the most advanced in the world, connecting even distant regions quickly and reliably. In rural or less-developed areas, transport options can be more limited and slower, but basic bus or train connections are usually available.
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 China
Cover Picture: British Airways World Traveller Plus, onboard a Boeing 777-300ER (Photo by Nick Morrish/British Airways) | © British Airways
Comments (2)
is this still valid regarding the visa?
No, China has started issuing Tourist-visas this week:
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-resume-issuing-all-types-visas-foreigners-bloomberg-news-2023-03-13/