Mumbai05 Sep 24 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Shanghai
About Shanghai
Shanghai is one city that believes in 'Change is the only constant' and actually implements it. If the old restaurants in the city aren't changing their decor or remodelling, they get replaced by a new store. Shanghai is a city that has been developing rapidly. It is one of the most dynamic cities in China and has a vibrant nightlife. You will also find a lot of tall buildings and skyscrapers in the city. Shanghai is also known for its rich history, trendy architecture and several Michelin star restaurants. There is very little chance of you finding vegetarian food in the city, but otherwise, the culinary experience here is stunning. Even if you are not an art lover, you will find yourself appreciating the art museums and galleries in the city. Shanghai also has a lot of water towns in the city, which offer a tranquil getaway. Shanghai has a lot of towns that represent places like Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Spain and Sweden. The city is also well-connected to other cities in China if you are planning to explore them.
Best Time to Visit Shanghai
Autumn is the peak tourist season for Shanghai. April and May is the spring season in the city with the temperature ranging from 10 to 23 degree Celsius. There are several national festivals celebrated in the city during this time, which means there will be a surge in hotel prices. Make sure you book your hotel in Shanghai well in advance if you are planning to visit during these months. You must also book your flight tickets to Shanghai well in advance. However, it is advisable to not plan your trip to Shanghai in April or May. You can attend events like the Qingming Festival and Youth Day. It's also May Day or Labor Day on 1st May. This is not the busiest time for the city, but you will get to witness beautiful blossoms in the parks in the city.
June to September is the peak travel season in Shanghai and the busiest time for the city. The temperature ranges from 20 to 31 degree Celsius, and the weather is not very pleasant. The room rates are quite high, and you will find a lot of tourists in the city, too. There are also possibilities of typhoons in the city during late summer. It also rains quite a lot in the city during this time. You can attend events like the Dragon Boat Festival and Army's Day. The city also celebrates International Children's Day on 1st June. Since this is peak tourist time, hotels will be completely booked. Make sure you book your hotel in Shanghai several weeks in advance, so you get a decent deal and for a low price. There are slim chances that you will get cheap flight tickets to Shanghai during this season.
The fall season begins in October and lasts till November. The temperature ranges from 8 to 22 degree Celsius and hotel prices drop considerably. While the days are warmer, the nights are quite chilly, so make sure that you pack a couple of warm clothes, too. The weather provides quite a relief from the scorching summer heat. The rainfalls also reduce quite a lot in the fall season. The first week of October attracts a lot of Chinese tourists, owing to the public holiday. December to March is the winter season in Shanghai. It doesn't get as cold as it does in Beijing, but it is still not the best time to visit the city. With Chinese New Year in January/February, the hotel prices and flight tickets to Shanghai witness a surge. The temperature ranges from 0 to 13 degree Celsius. It is best to avoid travelling to Shanghai during this time since there will be a lot of traffic and it will be difficult to enjoy a vacation in Shanghai during this time. It goes without saying that you will also find it difficult to get good flight deals to Shanghai in winter.
Places to Visit in Shanghai
While Shanghai seems like it is just a concrete jungle, but it has quite a lot of sightseeing options in store for you. The Bund is a very attractive building in Shanghai. While it is a very common site for the locals, if you are visiting the city for the first time, you will be completely blown over. Try to visit the building at sunrise for the best experience. You will find a lot of pensioners flying kites and practice tai chi. The Propaganda Poster Art Centre is an art museum that you can visit even if you are not interested in art and history a lot. Eight ancient water towns surround Shanghai. You can either visit them all, or you can just stop at Qibao to experience it all. It is known for its delicious street food, and you can also go on a shopping spree here without burning a hole in your pocket. Fuxing Park is another popular spot in the city. It was one of the largest parks in the city and is a common hangout spot for the senior citizens in the locality. M50 is an architectural landmark which is short for Moganshan 50. It is a very hip and happening contemporary art district. You will find some of the best art galleries in the neighbourhood.
Caojiadu Flower and Bird Market is another popular place where you can go on a shopping spree. While the first floor has a lot of outdoor plants, herbs, birds, turtles and other animals, you can shop for wedding supplies and home decor items on the second floor. You can also head to Shanghai Disneyland. The speciality of the amusement park is that the rides have been modified to cater to the Chinese audience. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is dedicated to nature, earth, robotics, space travel and is a popular place to visit. You can also head over to the Longhua Temple. You will find a lot of peace here. Chongming Island is another popular tourist attraction in the city that is worth visiting. If you want to go on a shopping spree, you can also head to Xintiandi, a very popular mall in the city. You cannot leave Shanghai without checking out the Shanghai Circus World.
Things to do in Shanghai
You can opt for a sightseeing tour of the city or explore it on your own. However, it is advisable that you hire a tour guide to get to know the city better. The city has a lot of museums that you can head to whether or not you love art and history. If you love science, you must definitely head to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Zhujiajiao is like the Venice of Shanghai and is worth a visit. Shanghai is also known for its unique cuisines. You can either sign up for a food tour or join a cooking class to learn how to make a few Chinese cuisines. If you want a spiritual experience, you can head over to Longhua Temple. You can also offer your prayers as you learn more about Buddhism. Catch an acrobatics show at the Shanghai Circus World.
Food and Restaurants in Shanghai
Local street food is highly recommended if you are visiting Shanghai for the first time. However, you will also find a lot of fine dining, Michelin star restaurants in the city. It might be a tad expensive, but completely worth it. It will be quite difficult to find vegetarian food on the menu here or at local food joints. However, if you love meat or seafood, you can try the Xiaolongbao here or Liang pi. While the street food here is quite famous, a lot of locals prefer it for breakfast only. Aura Lounge and Jazz Bar at The Ritz-Carlton is a popular place to head to for dinner. The ambience and service here are impeccable. You can also head to The Roof for a couple of drinks and delicious food. Jin Xuan Chinese Restaurant is another restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton where you will find a variety of Chinese and Asian food. Yi Cafe at Pudong Shangri-La is another popular place to try seafood and Asian cuisine. Sakemate is another restaurant that you must try. The menu includes Japanese, Peruvian, Latin and Asian cuisines.
How to reach Shanghai (Transportation)
Shanghai Pudong International Airport serves the city. The flight connectivity to Shanghai from India is excellent. Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways have frequent flights to Shanghai from India with layovers at Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Hong Kong. If you travel during the offseason, you might get cheap flight tickets to Shanghai. You will get taxis or car rental services from the airport quite easily to your hotel. However, it is best that you book your tickets and hotel in advance so you don't end up paying a high price and make the most of the deals you might find online.
About Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines, which was earlier called Seoul Airlines, is South Korea's second-largest airline after Korean Air. The headquarters for Asiana is at Asiana Town building which is in Seoul. The airline was established in 1988, and it aimed at providing maximum safety and customer satisfaction. The airline is known for providing the best service, and it can carry passengers as well as cargo. It is a member of the Star Alliance, and it operates 90 international passenger routes and about 14 domestic routes. It is well-connected to Europe, Asia, Oceania and North America. The airline currently has about 87 aircraft in service. Most of the airline's pilots, flight attendants, ground staff and other employees are based in Seoul. Asiana Airlines carved a name for itself in the industry. The airlines also focused on creating an environment-friendly company in the mid-1990s and completely banned in-flight smoking and cigarettes sales in 1995. It also got recognized for the same in 2001. The South Korean Ministry of Environment appreciated Asiana Airlines for being the first 'environmentally friendly company within the service industry'. It was also appreciated by the government for a lot of things like an emissions measurement and reduction system, working on ground facilities that would help reduce pollution and for partnering with the Rainforest Alliance for the coffee that was served on board.
However, the parent company, Kumho Asiana Group, revealed its plan on selling the airlines to make up for its financial loss in 2019. Asiana Airlines served countries and cities on four continents only, People's Republic of China, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Japan. Asiana also launched Air Seoul, which was a second-subsidiary, low-cost carrier, so some of their loss could be transferred. While there have been several buyers from the aviation industry who have been interested in buying the airlines, no deal has been struck so far. A few services have been suspended though. The airlines decided to sell it as Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767-300 to reduce the debt considerably.
Fleet size of Asiana Airlines
As of 2020, Asiana Airlines' fleet size stands at 87 aircraft. The airline holds a mixed fleet which comprises aircraft from both, the Airbus and Boeing family. Presently, the airline has seven Airbus A320-200, two Airbus A321-100, 15 Airbus A321-200, one Airbus A321neo, 15 Airbus A330-300, 12 Airbus A350-900, six Airbus A380-800, one Boeing 747-400, six Boeing 767-300 and nine Boeing 777-200ER. O9ut of these, the airline has already placed orders to acquire a few more aircraft and expand its fleet. Asiana Airlines is expected to receive 24 Airbus A321neo, none Airbus A350-900 and nine of Airbus A350-1000. Before this new fleet, the airline had everything, Boeing. Some of the aircraft included Boeing 737-400, Boeing 737-500, Boeing 747-400M and Boeing 767-300ER.
Baggage Allowance
The baggage allowance rules as levied by Asiana Airlines differ from the routes chosen by the passengers. For passengers who are travelling by the US Route are allowed to carry a weight of about 32 kg and 23 kg for business class and economy class respectively. Both the class cabin passengers are allowed to carry two pieces of baggage along with them. However, this is only restricted to passengers taking the US route. For passengers who are not travelling by the US Route, the baggage allowance is tweaked. Passengers travelling from business class can carry weight up to 32 kg while the economy class passengers can carry a weight that shouldn't exceed 23 kg. Business-class passengers can carry up to two pieces of baggage for check-in while economy class passengers are only allowed to carry one baggage for check-in. In case the traveller is with an infant's additional baggage allowance can be arranged. The airline will accommodate a bag that cannot exceed 10 kg of weight. Passengers can also carry bassinet, strollers or baby walkers onboard. The passenger must ensure the baggage dimension does not exceed 158 cm for all pieces of checked baggage.
For carry-on baggage, the airline allows a weight of 10 kg and not more than that. The sum of the bag's dimension should be 115 cm. This should include the wheels, handles and anything hanging. The maximum length of every side of the baggage can go up to 55 cm X 20 cm X 40 cm.
In-flight services
Asiana Airlines was one of the only airlines that came up with a lot of sub-classes for its passengers. First Suite Class, First Class, Business Smartium Class, Business Class and Travel class, which is basically economy). The in-flight services provided to you depend on your seat configurations. The First Suit class can be experienced on A30-800, which connects with international routes like Los Angeles, New York City, Frankfurt and Sydney. The passengers travelling by first class are distinguished by their pyjamas, and some can only receive a lot of other comfortable amenities. While the tiny TV is installed in front of every passenger's seat, only the ones in as much high class have access actually to play something on it. The one at the travel class does not play.
The airline, however, does give you two in-flight magazines about travel and entertainment called Asiana and Asiana Entertainment. Travel class passengers and flights that have a total journey of an hour or less do not get to avail any of these facilities. The airline also has a frequent-flyer program for everyone who uses the airlines regularly. It's called the Asiana Club, and it has five tiers, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Platinum. Of course, the privileged ones get better service, but the airlines also make sure that none of their customers leaves upset or with complaints. A certain number of earned points can also make you eligible for a free flight ticket or get an upgrade on the seats while you check-in at the counter. You might even get food coupons after accumulating a certain number of points,
Popular routes and top cities for Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines caters to about four continents with destinations spread across all corners. Although Asiana Airlines' network in its continent is quite strong, over the years, it has managed to acquire more destinations further to expand its reach. In fact, Asiana Airlines now serves as a slew of a gateway to many cities in Europe and North America. The airline boasts strong domestic route connectivity that connects the hub Seoul, to various other parts of the country. Some of the cities include Busan, Jeju, Mokpo, Ulsan, Gwangju and more. Operations of a few of these cities have been suspended temporarily. Not just domestic, the airline also has perfect international route connectivity. Some of the top Western and international destinations include Some of the top cities for Asiana Airlines include Changchun, Brussels, Sydney, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Xuzhou, Tanji, Paris, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Rome, Venice, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Almaty, Saipan, Cebu, Manila, Moscow, Singapore, Seoul, Pohang, Taipei, Phuket, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Seattle, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc, to name a few.
Asiana Airlines currently has a codeshare agreement with a handful of airlines such as Air Astana, China Southern Airlines, Qantas, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Croatia Airlines, Etihad Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Austrian Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Seoul, All Nippon Airways, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and more.
Why travel by Asiana Airlines?
Ever since entering the aviation industry, Asiana Airlines has been consistently working towards acquiring the top position as one of the best Korean airlines. While it still has a tough competition with Korean Air, the national carrier of South Korea, Asiana Airlines does stand a chance to be at the top as it is the second-largest airline in the country. The airline has made booking available online. Passengers can book an Asiana Airlines flight from their website and even avail other perks such as easy web check-in, updates on flight status and Asiana Airlines' flight schedules.
