Shanghai Airlines Review - Flight Ratings

Our personal Shanghai Airlines review

Planning a trip and want to know if this is a good airline to fly with? Here we put together a Shanghai Airlines review from our own experience so you get a better idea of what to expect. Founded in 1985, Shanghai Airlines is one of China’s oldest carriers. It was started by the Shanghai provincial government together with local businesses to function as a domestic airline linking China’s commercial capital to the rest of the country. Shanghai Airlines historically concentrated operations at Shanghai’s main domestic airport, while its rival China Eastern worked out of Shanghai Pudong International, the city’s primary long-haul airport.

Shanghai Airlines in-flight classes

Economy class

In economy, a hot meal or snack plus complimentary beverages are served depending on flight time. There is generally no in-flight entertainment.

Business class

In 2018 the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9. That aircraft carries 285 seats, including 26 in business and four in first, with doors and personal in-flight entertainment at the front. Depending on flight time, business passengers get a full hot meal or a superior snack plus alcoholic beverages.

Some of the pros

The seats are comfortable and the food is genuinely good. The staff are friendly and welcoming, so you won’t have much to complain about onboard. Service is unrivalled for the price, even on a short hop you’ll get a snack, and the crew is ready to help whenever you need it. Departures are punctual in most cases, so you tend to arrive on schedule.

What are the cons

If you care about in-flight entertainment, this may be the wrong airline. Most aircraft have small screens, and the content is in Chinese with English subtitles that can be hard to read. The business-class hard product is also dated: for a five-hour flight you get a standard recliner rather than an angle-flat or lie-flat seat, and the cutlery is a mix of stainless steel and plastic.

The airport

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is the primary domestic airport serving the airline, with limited international flights. It is a hub for Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern, Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines, and comprises two runways with a capacity of nearly 40 million passengers a year. Other carriers using it include Air China, China Southern, Air Macau, Hebei Airlines, EVA Air and Shandong Airlines.

Aircraft used in the fleet

The fleet currently mixes Boeing, Airbus and Comac types, with Boeing making up more than 92% of aircraft in service:

• 737-700
• 737-800
• 767-300
• A330-300
• A330-200
• Bombardier CRJ 200LR

History and alliance

Shanghai Airlines began short-haul international flights in 1997, connecting Shanghai to nearby Asian destinations. It listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2002 and launched a cargo division in 2006, then joined Star Alliance in 2007. In 2009 it merged with its main competitor, China Eastern, switching alliance from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, delisting from the exchange, and folding its cargo operations into China Cargo Airlines.

If you’re flying Shanghai Airlines in for a factory run or trade show, line up a Chinese interpreter before you land, and if you also need someone on the ground at the supplier, our product sourcing support covers the rest of the trip.