Trip Report: Everything You Need To Know About Shanghai

Introduction to Shanghai
Chicago O’Hare American Airlines Flagship Lounge
American Airlines ORD-PVG 777-200 Business Class
Le Royal Meridien Shanghai Hotel Review
The Westin Bund Center Shanghai Hotel Review Part 1
The Westin Bund Center Shanghai Hotel Review Part 2
The Hongta Hotel Shanghai Review
Twelve at Hengshan Shanghai Hotel Review
Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel Review
My Experience on the Shanghai Maglev Train
The Sights and Sounds of Nanjing Road and the Shanghai Bund
The Sights and Sounds of the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai
The Sights and Sounds of the French Concession in Shanghai
The Sights and Sounds of Pudong Shanghai
The Sights and Sounds of Qipu Lu (Cheap Road) in Shanghai
Scam City: Shanghai Edition
The Various Restaurant Eats in Shanghai
The Various Street Foods in Shanghai Part 1
The Various Street Foods in Shanghai Part 2
The Various Street Foods in Shanghai Part 3
Shanghai Pudong Airport First Class Lounge
Shanghai Pudong Airport Dragonair and Cathay Pacific Lounge
American Airlines PVG-ORD 777-200 Business Class

I booked an airfare on American Airlines to Shanghai last summer in 2012 for travel in Mid-March of 2013. I’m always looking for great deals every day for travel on American Airlines for the following year since my schedule is very flexible and I want to get a head start on re-qualifying for Executive Platinum. On the Flyertalk Mileage Run Forum, I saw a great deal to Shanghai with a EWR-ORD-PVG-ORD-EWR routing for $660. This routing would net me 15,552 elite qualifying miles at 4.2 cents per mile. With my Executive Platinum 100% mileage bonus, I would be earning 31,104 redeemable miles. Since I am an Executive Platinum member, I used two systemwide upgrades and was cleared immediately into Business class on the international legs.

Since I live in Los Angeles, my trip started from Newark, New Jersey. I booked a round-trip LAX-JFK for $300 as a separate ticket and my routing was LAX-JFK, EWR-ORD-PVG-ORD-EWR, JFK-LAX for a grand total of 20,502 miles.

This was my first time to China and I secured my 12 month multiple entry Chinese VISA a month prior to starting this trip at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles for $140.

Since I am a die-hard Starwood fan, I stayed at five different Starwood hotels which allowed me to experience the different facets and neighborhoods of Shanghai. I took a combination of the high speed Maglev train to and from Pudong Airport, Shanghai metro, and taxis throughout my experience. If you have ever wanted to visit or re-visit Shanghai, you don’t want to miss out on reading this lengthy and comprehensive trip report.