SAS Scandinavian Airlines is bringing us a deal from several destinations in Europe to Shanghai starting at €390. This price doesn’t include checked luggage, but you can add it for around €80. This is a SAS Go Light fare, even Star Alliance Gold or EuroBonus Gold members can’t check a bag for free. Departures are available between May to March 2025 with blackout dates on summer vacations.
From December 1, 2023, through November 30, 2024, nationals from the following countries do not need a visa to travel to China for up to 15 days after arrival:
- Austria
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Italy
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Switzerland
These are some of the airports where you can take advantage of this deal with one-stop flights for less than €450:
- Riga at €390
- Dublin at €398
- Milan at €403
- Vilnius at €410
- Rome at €410
- Brussels at €418
- Paris at €421
- Nice at €422
- Amsterdam at €449
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to SAS or Skyscanner with your selected flight dates. You can also check what OTAs have to offer, as they sell these tickets up to €20 cheaper.
In most cases, an Airbus A320 with 3-3 seating or a regional plane with 2-2 configuration takes you to Copenhagen. Your flight to Shanghai will be with a SAS Airbus 350 with a 3-3-3 configuration.
Search & Book
A minimum stay of six days or a Saturday overnight stay applies. Departures are available between May to March 2025 with blackout dates on summer vacations.
You can find suitable dates using our calendar above or with the help of Google Flights. We recommend booking directly on SAS’s website, but you can find cheaper prices with Skyscanner. However, booking on OTAs has its downsides.
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.
Miles & Points
This ticket is issued in booking class L. Here are the miles and points you can earn from this deal from Riga:
- 5,588 Award Miles + 928 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 2,822 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 2,822 Award Miles + 160 Points on Miles&More
- 2,572 Award Miles + 50 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 680 Points on SAS EuroBonus
SAS and its loyalty program EuroBonus will exit Star Alliance on August 31, 2024. You have to be back in Europe by that day to earn the points mentioned above.
Destination
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
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
Cover Picture: © Robynne Hu