Prices shown below were available within the past 3 days for the period specified and should not be considered the final price offered. Please note that availability and prices are subject to change.

Cheapest time to fly from London to Shanghai

Flexible with dates? We find the best price for the week of the day you select *Prices may vary after you search.

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week: 16 Feb - 22 Feb

Flights from just £844

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£963

DecemberJanuaryFebruary

Flight Duration17 h and 40 mFlights between London and Shanghai take, on average, 17 h and 40 m minutes, but the time can vary according to other factors

Cheapest flight£240Cheapest price for a flight between London and Shanghai found by our customers in the last 72 hours

Departing AirportGatwickThe airport Gatwick is the departure airport operating flights between London and Shanghai

Arriving AirportHongqiaoFlights departing London with Shanghai as destination arrive at Hongqiao

High seasonMarchAccording to search data from our customers, March is the busiest time to fly from London to Shanghai

Airlines flying this routeBritish Airways, Air China, China Eastern AirlinesAirline(s) with flights between London to Shanghai

Best time to bookMarchAccording to real data March is the most popular time to book a flight to Shanghai when departing from London

Airlines that fly from London to Shanghai

British Airways

180£

Klm Royal Dutch Airlines

188£

Lufthansa

222£

Scandinavian Airlines

242£

Austrian Airlines

305£

Currency and price comparison

TrainLocal, one-way ticket

88%Trains in Shanghai are 88% cheaper than in London.

London£3.50

Shanghai£0.42

MealMid-priced restaurant

84%A meal in Shanghai is 84% cheaper than a meal in London.

London£20.00

Shanghai£3.19

TaxiStandard daytime start rate

62%A taxi fare in Shanghai is 62% cheaper than in London.

London£4.20

Shanghai£1.59

CoffeeRegular cappuccino

40%Coffee in Shanghai is 40% cheaper than in London.

London£4.01

Shanghai£2.39

Exchange rate

1 GBP = 9.42 CNY

1 CNY = 0.11 GBP

Last checked on Thu 04/12

Distance: 5715 miles

London airports

Gatwick (LGW)How far from city centre: 25 miles

Heathrow (LHR)How far from city centre: 14 miles

Luton International (LTN)How far from city centre: 27 miles

Stansted (STN)How far from city centre: 30 miles

London City (LCY)How far from city centre: 7 miles

Southend (SEN)How far from city centre: 35 miles

Shanghai airports

Pu Dong (PVG)How far from city centre: 19 miles

Hongqiao (SHA)How far from city centre: 4 miles

Useful information for the flight from London to Shanghai

How long is the flight from London to Shanghai?

Direct flights from London to Shanghai have a flight duration of approximately 11 hours and 20 minutes. Flights with stopovers are more likely to take 14 to 15 hours.

What are the most common stopovers?

Several airlines offer direct trips from London to Shanghai, which is the quickest and easiest way to reach the city. However, there are also many flights with stopovers in cities such as Moscow, Frankfurt, Paris, or Amsterdam.

What documentation do I need to fly to Shanghai from London?

All British passport holders aged between 14 and 70 need a visa to travel to China, as well as a passport which is valid at least for the next six months. You will have to attend an appointment at a Chinese visa centre in London, Manchester, Belfast, or Edinburgh to receive your visa. Visas allow you to stay in China for up to six months.

Is there a time change from London to Shanghai?

Yes, Shanghai is in the China Standard Time Zone. The city is eight hours ahead of UK time.

Which airlines fly from London to Shanghai?

There is a wide range of airlines with departures for Shanghai. Some of these include:

Virgin Atlantic, British based airline operating from London Heathrow airport.
British Airways, the UK flag-carrier airline.
China Eastern Airlines, large Chinese airline operating domestic and international flights.
Aeroflot, Russian airline offering flights to Shanghai with stopovers in Moscow.
KLM, long established Dutch airline with connections through Amsterdam.

How to find cheap flights from London to Shanghai?

Make the most of Opodo's powerful and user-friendly search engine to find great deals on airfares to Shanghai. Enter your dates of travel, then refine the displayed results according to price, airline, or preferred stopover to find the perfect solution. Opodo is your ideal online travel agent, whether you are travelling for holidays, business, or city breaks.

When are the best times to fly from London to Shanghai?

October and November are two of the best months to travel to Shanghai. It's the time of year with the most reliable weather, with temperatures around 20°C and only four rainy days per month.
June is the cheapest time to go, as it's also the most rainy month. If you don't mind packing an umbrella, it's a good month to find good deals on flights and accommodation.
January or early February is when China celebrates the new year with spectacular fireworks and colourful celebrations. Bring some warm clothes and join the local festivities for the start of a new lunar year.

Airports in London

If you are flying directly to Shanghai, your flight will leave from London Heathrow airport (LHR). Flight tickets connecting through other European cities may leave from Gatwick (LGW) instead, depending on the airline's flight path.

Useful information about London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow Airport is Europe's busiest airport. It is located 15 miles west of Central London.

How to get to the airport:

By train – Heathrow Express from London Paddington station. Journey time is only 15 minutes.
By taxi – takes around 45 minutes from central London, depending on traffic.
Underground – Piccadilly Line trains bring you to Heathrow Airport. 50 minutes from central London.

Services: Retail outlets, bars and restaurants, four separate terminals, free Wi-Fi, children's play areas, foreign exchange, free device charging facilities.

Useful information about London Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport is approximately 30 miles to the south of London.

How to get to the airport:

By train – Gatwick Express train from Victoria station, journey time of about 30 minutes.
Bus – airport shuttle buses from Victoria coach station or London Belmont, about 40 minutes journey.
Car – Leave the M25 at J7, following signs for Gatwick. Long and short stay parking available on site.

Services: Two separate airport terminals connected by monorail, dozens of restaurants, bars and shops, free Wi-Fi, children's play area, showers, toilets, and airport lounges.

Airports in Shanghai

There are two airports in Shanghai. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is where international flights arrive. The other airport, Shanghai Hongqia, mainly serves domestic and regional connections.

Useful information about Shanghai Pudong International Airport

The airport lies to the south-east of the city, on a strip of land beside the Yellow Sea. There are two passenger terminals.

Getting to Shanghai from the airport:

Metro – the airport is served by metro line 2. Departures for the centre of Shanghai every 10 minutes between 6am and 10pm.
Bus – regular services from the airport into the city centre from 6am to 11pm, a 70 minutes ride.
Train – departures from airport to Longyang Road in the city, takes 20 to 25 minutes.

What to do and visit in Shanghai

Take a cruise along the Huangpu River to experience Shanghai's famous skyline.
Learn about Chinese history and culture at the huge Shanghai Museum.
Relax and escape the crowds at the tranquil Yuyuan Gardens.
Take the lift 100 floors up the World Financal Center tower for amazing views over the city.
Go shopping along the famous Nanjing Road.
Try delicious Shanghai street food, including steamed crab, dumplings, and braised pork ribs.

Frequently asked questions about flights from London to Shanghai

Is it possible to purchase a flexible ticket for my flight from London to Shanghai?

At Opodo we want to make sure that your travel plans are not affected by any cancelation as well as any possible restrictions China may apply when travelling from London. Is your flight cancelled? We've got your back! With our flexible ticket guarantee you can decide if you want to book another flight - free of rebooking fee - or get a full refund!

How can I find cheap flights from London to Shanghai at Opodo?

The cheapest price for a flight from London to Shanghai is 240 £. At Opodo we use different machine learned based methodologies to find our costumers the best option available, considering airline combinations, stopovers and direct flights as well as different criteria for inbound and outbound journeys.

Is Shanghai expensive to visit compared to London?

If you compare transportation prices, the taxi ride in Shanghai costs an average of 1.59 GBP, 62% cheaper than London, with a fare of 4.20 GBP,

While train tickets costs 88% less in Shanghai: 0.42 GBP against 3.50 GBP in London.

If you compare the price of a lunch meal, however, you can find it from 3.19 GBP in Shanghai, 84% less than the 20.00 GBP in London.

The price of the coffee is around 40% cheaper in Shanghai, with an average of 2.39 GBP, while in London the coffee costs 4.01 GBP.

When is the best time to book a flight from London to Shanghai?

The most popular months to book a flight from London to Shanghai are May, March and October, based on the searches of our customers.

When is the best time to travel from London to Shanghai?

The best time of the year to go to Shanghai when flying from London depends on several preference factors like climate, seasonality and, of course, price. When it comes to popularity, December is the top 1º month to fly to Shanghai from London in terms of searches from our customer, followed by July and September. If you prefer to avoid high peaks of turism, however, and escape a crowded period, February, November and January are the months with less volume of searchs for the route London - Shanghai.

How long does the flight take to go from London to Shanghai?

The total flight time between London and Shanghai is of around 16:59 hours on average, considering an average distance of 13,106 km, for both direct and indirect flights for the route (which may have 1 or more stops in other cities in between).

How is the weather in Shanghai compared to London?

While in London the temperatures can reach an average of 29.01 ºC in summer, with precipitation levels up to 9 mm ,Shanghai's temperatures can go up to 37.03 ºC during the hot season, with 12 mm average of rain rate . In winter, however, weather indicators show around -2.66 ºC in Shanghai, compared to the -3.09 ºC average degrees reported in London. During the winter period, London can register 6 mm precipitation, while Shanghai have an average of 3 mm rain level.

Which airports have flights between London and Shanghai?

The main airport route flying between London and Shanghai is: Heathrow (LHR) to Hongqiao (SHA). This route is covered by the following airline(s):

China Southern Airlines.

Shenzhen Airlines.

Alternatively, you can find London - Shanghai flights between Gatwick (LGW) to Pu Dong (PVG) with the following airline(s) flying the route: Air China.

China Eastern Airlines.

Which are the airlines with flights from London to Shanghai?

Airlines with direct flights departing from London to Shanghai are:

China Eastern Airlines.
Air China.
Virgin Atlantic.

Air China, stopping in Beijing for 105 minutes minimum.

Air France, with 60 minutes scale in Paris.
Lufthansa, with 60 minutes scale in Frankfurt.

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