Virgin Atlantic has become a member of the SkyTeam Alliance this spring. Now, the airline offers an exciting fare for flights to China. From Brussels, you can fly to Shanghai and back, starting at €444.
The offer is valid for travel in November and January. It is the Economy Classic fare, including 23 kg of baggage and seat reservation. However, on the return journey, you must always spend one night in London Heathrow. Hotels near the airport are available starting at around €50 per night for a double room. You can stretch that layover to almost 23 hours, leaving you enough time to explore the English capital.
These flights can be cancelled for a fee of €220 or rebooked for €60 + the price difference.
Before flying to China, you need to fill out the health declaration. You also have to apply for a visa, which usually costs between €95 and €160.
Our calendar displays all available dates and can redirect you to Virgin Atlantic’s booking site:
First, you will fly with British Airways from Brussels to London Heathrow. From there, you will have a connecting flight to Shanghai Pudong with Virgin Atlantic. A Boeing 787 with a seat pitch of 79 cm will be used for the long-haul flight.
As mentioned earlier, on the return journey, you will always have an overnight stay at London Heathrow. The duration of the stay is at least 10 hours and can last up to 24 hours. Longer stopovers in London are also possible, but they will increase the price by approximately €20.
Search & Book
The fare rules do not specify how long the offer will be available. The minimum stay is one night from Saturday to Sunday, and there is no maximum limit. We found availability in November and January.
You can use our calendar or Google Flights to find available flight dates. We strongly recommend booking on Virgin Atlantic’s website.
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
The tickets are issued in booking class O. The following mileage credits can be expected:
- 5,852 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 5,742 Award Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 5,742 Award Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 5,742 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 5,742 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 5,742 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 5,742 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 5,742 Award Miles + 50 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 5,742 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 5,742 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 5,742 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 5,742 Miles on ITA Volare
- 2,872 Award Miles + 24 XP on Flying Blue
- 2,872 RDM + 574 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 250 Avios + 30 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 250 Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 218 Avios + 6 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 150 Avios on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 110 Avios + 10 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 110 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 110 Points on Finnair Plus
- 110 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 110 Points + 2 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 110 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 110 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 110 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
Destination
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
Source: Flynous
Cover Picture: © chungking - Fotolia.com
Comment (1)
Gabelflug nach MUC/FRA für 408€ noch besserer Deal (wenn man nicht aus Gegend BRU kommt)