Star Alliance members Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines are offering flights to Shanghai from Copenhagen starting at DKK 2,813 (~€377). Flights from Billund are even cheaper, starting at DKK 2,789 (~€374). This fare doesn’t include a checked bag, the Economy Basic fare (which does) adds DKK 750 (~€101) to the ticket price.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Lufthansa or Austrian with your selected flight dates.
You can fly either via Munich, Vienna or Zurich. On the long-haul flights, the options are Austrian’s Boeing 777-200 (3-4-3 seating in economy class), Lufthansa’s Airbus A350 (3-3-3) or Swiss’ Airbus A340 (2-4-2), which might be the most comfortable option. Not all three options are available for the lowest price on every possible date. Flights from Billund are only available with Lufthansa.
Search & Book
The fare rules do not specify an expiry date. You can travel in January, February, April, May and June 2024. The minimum stay is 6 days or one night from Saturday to Sunday. According to the fare, you can spend a maximum of 12 months at your destination.
You can find suitable dates quickly and easily with the help of our availability calendar. As the flights don’t run every day, Google Flights (instructions) may be more difficult. You can book the flights either on Lufthansa.com or Austrian, as we do not recommend booking via online travel agencies.
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
Lufthansa issues these tickets in booking class K. There isn’t a high yield for these flights, no matter which airline you choose:
- 1,748 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 1,456 Award Miles + 291 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 1,200 Award Miles + 80 Points on Miles&More
Destination
Hotel prices in Shanghai 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 the most important financial and commercial center of China. But not only business travelers are welcome here. Also, regular tourists can get there money’s worth. And this is great because the city is connected to many major airports and therfor we’ll often present you with good deals for flights to Shanghai.
Best Time to Visit
Since Shanghai is located in a subtropical climate zone, spring and autumn are the best travel times thanks to moderate temperatures and a few rainy days. April, May, September, and October are particularly suitable for a visit to the Chinese city thanks to the low rainfall and humidity.
From the airport to the city
Shanghai Pudong Airport is located 40km east of the city center. Probably the fastest and most exciting method is the Maglev. The magnetic levitation train takes only 7 minutes, and with costs of around 5€ it is also a rather inexpensive (and of course faster!) alternative to a taxi, which would cost about 20€.
→ All Dealz for Shanghai
Information & Tips for China
China is the most populous and the third largest country in the world, so naturally, there is a lot to see. The most touristically important cities are the capital of China, Beijing and the financial and trade center Shanghai.
Best Time to Travel
Since the country is vast and extends over several climate zones, there is no best travel time for China. China is connected to Europe through numerous direct flights and the travel time is about 11-13 hours. Flights to China can be found for less than 400€ throughout the year, and there are also often excellent Business Class fares.
A general advice is that travel should be avoided during the Chinese national holidays, which span over the first two weeks of October. During these time tourist destinations are overcrowded with Chinese tourists on their domestic vacation.
Visa for China
Most European citizens will need a visa to enter China.
You can apply for a tourist visa at a Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in your country. There you’ll hand in your visa application personally and can pick it up again after a few days. There is no faster and cheaper way.
Alternatively, you can apply for a visa by mail. The processing time will be up to two weeks, and you’ll have to pay for extra for shipping.
There are also so-called Visa services available that sometimes offer a faster (and maybe even cheaper) way to get your Visa. Check local sites to find out more.
→ All Dealz for China
Cover Picture: ©f11photo - stock.adobe.com