£279 Find Cheap Flights from London to Shanghai

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from London to Shanghai departing on 15/9. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Shanghai

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from London to Shanghai.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from London to Shanghai.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
£491
Typical prices: £676-£528
Oman Air
Wed 20/5Tue 26/5
LHR - PVG • 2 stops
Cheapest direct flights
£493
Typical prices: £465-£439
China Eastern
Wed 10/6Mon 15/6
LGW - PVG • Direct
Advice from real travellers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
Air China provides above-average legroom in economy.
Travelers appreciate legroom in China Eastern's Premium Economy.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from £491 (return)
Best reviews • 7.4 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Direct flights
You can fly direct with Air China, British Airways, and China Eastern. Average duration is 11h 34m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest • 7% average savings
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 94% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 20% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
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Start a new search
KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Shanghai!
Flight Deals
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Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from London to Shanghai (LON-SHA)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from London to Shanghai that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals from London to Shanghai

Wed, 20 May - Tue, 26 May
Oman Air Logo
20:50 - 01:10
LHR
-
PVG
45h 20m
2 stops
Oman Air Logo
02:10 - 19:10
PVG
-
LHR
24h 00m
2 stops
£491Oman Air
Wed, 10 Jun - Mon, 15 Jun
China Eastern Logo
11:35 - 05:55
LGW
-
PVG
11h 20mdirect
China Eastern Logo
09:45 - 15:00
PVG
-
LGW
12h 15mdirect
£493China Eastern
Mon, 1 Jun - Sun, 7 Jun
Gulf Air Logo
22:05 - 10:50
LHR
-
PVG
29h 45m
1 stop
Gulf Air Logo
15:55 - 06:55
PVG
-
LHR
22h 00m
1 stop
£502Gulf Air
Mon, 1 Jun - Wed, 17 Jun
Gulf Air Logo
22:05 - 10:50
LHR
-
PVG
29h 45m
1 stop
Gulf Air Logo
15:55 - 06:55
PVG
-
LHR
22h 00m
1 stop
£504Gulf Air
Tue, 29 Sep - Mon, 9 Nov
China Southern Logo
22:10 - 22:20
LHR
-
SHA
17h 10m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
09:20 - 18:35
SHA
-
LHR
17h 15m
1 stop
£530China Southern
Mon, 7 Sep - Mon, 30 Nov
China Southern Logo
11:40 - 13:00
LGW
-
PVG
18h 20m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
18:35 - 17:20
PVG
-
LGW
30h 45m
1 stop
£542China Southern
Mon, 15 Jun - Tue, 30 Jun
KLM Logo
08:25 - 09:25
LCY
-
PVG
18h 00m
1 stop
KLM Logo
11:15 - 07:55
PVG
-
LCY
27h 40m
1 stop
£560KLM
Tue, 29 Sep - Sun, 8 Nov
Air China Logo
12:35 - 10:15
LGW
-
PVG
14h 40m
1 stop
Air China Logo
02:25 - 06:55
PVG
-
LGW
12h 30mdirect
£566Air China
Sun, 28 Jun - Thu, 30 Jul
Air China Logo
22:40 - 21:50
LHR
-
SHA
16h 10m
1 stop
Air China Logo
08:55 - 20:25
SHA
-
LHR
18h 30m
1 stop
£581Air China
Tue, 16 Jun - Tue, 7 Jul
KLM Logo
10:00 - 09:25
LCY
-
PVG
16h 25m
1 stop
KLM Logo
11:15 - 07:15
PVG
-
LCY
27h 00m
1 stop
£583KLM
Booking Insights

KAYAK’s insights & trends for London to Shanghai flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from London to Shanghai to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a return flight from London to Shanghai?

This analysis is based on the cheapest return trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from London to Shanghai departing in May.

What is the cheapest London to Shanghai flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from London to Shanghai costs £402 on the route between London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG). Over the past month, this route was, on average, 7% cheaper than other London-Shanghai routes. It is also the most popular route.

What is the cheapest month to fly from London to Shanghai?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from London to Shanghai, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from London to Shanghai is January, where tickets cost £157 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and September, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is £1,251 and £845 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from London to Shanghai?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from London to Shanghai, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from London to Shanghai, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 20% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from London to Shanghai

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Robert Schrader

Robert Schrader

Expert on Air China and China Eastern

One of the web's original travel bloggers, Robert launched his first site, Leave Your Daily Hell, in 2009. Since then, he's expanded into destination niche sites (one each for Japan, Thailand and Taiwan), in addition to having written for the inflight magazines of Singapore Airlines and Korean Air. Overall, he's visited nearly 100 countries, and flies business as often as possible.

Good to know - Cheap tickets from London to Shanghai

Cheapest flight£279
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Shanghai Pudong Airport

When to book flights from London to Shanghai

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from London to Shanghai based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from London to Shanghai

  • What is the cheapest flight from London to Shanghai?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from London to Shanghai was £279 for a one-way ticket and £491 for a return.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from London to Shanghai?

    On your way to Shanghai, you’ll fly out from one of these London airports: London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Southend, or London Stansted. You’ll be landing in one of Shanghai’s 2 airports: Shanghai Pu Dong or Shanghai Hongqiao Intl.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from London to Shanghai?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from London to Shanghai?

    Star Alliance, oneworld, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between London and Shanghai, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from London to Shanghai?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from London to Shanghai.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from London to Shanghai?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Shanghai from London is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from London to Shanghai?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to Shanghai with an airline and back to London with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from London to Shanghai?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Shanghai from London up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Prefer to fly direct from London to Shanghai?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from London to Shanghai.
Find which airlines fly direct from London to Shanghai, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

London to Shanghai

Monday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Tuesday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Wednesday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Thursday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Friday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Saturday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Sunday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Shanghai to London

Monday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Tuesday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Wednesday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Thursday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Friday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Saturday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

Sunday

Air China,British Airways,China Eastern

Air China,British Airways, +1 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from London to Shanghai

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from London to Shanghai. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from London to Shanghai? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.4
China SouthernOverall score based on 151 reviews
7.2Food
7.8Boarding
7.6Comfort
7.1Entertainment
8.0Crew
Airline reviews

Poor seats. Not helpful crew. The food was awful.overall very very bad experience. Traveled with the family of 5

2.0 MediocreAnonymous, Mar 2026
CAN - LAX
Read more China Southern reviews

Poor seats. Not helpful crew. The food was awful.overall very very bad experience. Traveled with the family of 5

did not get a notification about seat selection ahead of time. We didn't end up sitting together.

I was denied boarding at the Brisbane airport and it seems like I won’t get any refunds from the airline

In my return flight they couldn’t identify my ticket or boarding pass, I had to go to 3 different counters until I was able to get my boarding pass. The food was on, it was the bear minimum. They didn’t even recognise that I was a Muslim and can’t eat meat, chicken or pork. In one of the trays I believe they served me pork. The staff were very pleasant, but they need to be aware of their surroundings more carefully, one of them stuck her lower belly right into my face! I was shocked and very uncomfortable.

Overall I had good experience with China Southern airline. Nothing to claim. I hoped they could improve the meal quality that is.

Wow very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of service of China Southern. Lived the blankets! Will definitely fly with them again. Despite language barriers, a few attendants know enough English to understand our rudimentary Mandarin and respond to basic questions. Although they don’t explain the beverage and meal service on the website or ticketing documents, they offered regular beverage cart and snacks during the beginning hours and end hours of the long, transoceanic flight. A full meal at the beginning and end of the flight as well, and a midflight small sandwich (dinner roll sized) but we weren’t hungry and didn’t try that one. The expectation is that every sleeps during the middle of the flight. We were on a “redeye” departure from LAX with a morning arrival in China, so I don’t know if this service pattern is the same for other flights. The domestic flight we took from Guangzhou to Harbin offered conventional refreshments and meals like a US flight service. Note that they didn’t offer diet sodas. If you like to stay hydrated, I recommend bringing plenty of your own. It is served in small cups like any other drink. You can ask for a bottle but they’re tiny - about 6 ounces.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

The connection between LA and Atlanta was too much stress

Terrible boarding experience,,food is very poor that I I . Never going book this airline again.

The crew were kind, patient and responsive. The service was excellent, even though we travelled the cheapest economy class. We arrived at our destination 40 min early, which for a 15+ hour flight is a great bonus. The boarding seemed a bit "loose", but got us boarded on time, and the plane was off exactly @ 0:30 hrs.

The flight was delayed. The staff made us wait in the room that is too small and it was crowded and with no seats available for waiting. They did not tell us why the delay occurred.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking at the gate, then there was another ticket checking at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Not sure which idiot made this absolutely unnecessary arrangement.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking by the gate, then there was another ticket checking right at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Don't understand why the duplication?

I was traveling alone with an infant, so the crew was incredibly helpful. Both the international and subsequent domestic flights were impeccable.

Plane was good. But food was bad and air host was so rude. I will never fly with China Eastern again

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

The ticket was last minute buy so no concerns about the pricing this time, but the crew in general could have been more accommodating, helpful.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers. A BIG ISSUE FOR NON-CHINESE PASSENGERS IS THE ABILITY TO CHECK IN ONLINE, by making so difficult or almost impossible there is no chance to get a seat assignment ahead of time then go to the airport and get what is left. THIS IS NOT a SKY TEAM modality.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers.

The meals were not the greatest and lacking of appetite but everything else was spot on

Overall, excellent: check-in, boarding, service, and food. The Business Class seating is a little less private and spacious than the world's premier airlines, but still very good for a long haul flight.

On time. Friendly and helpful flight attendants. The plane was clean. Having a wine available would have been nice.

Your staff was exceptional. Could teach the other airlines-rules on etiquette, and service. Excellent landings on flights, carried out by your pilots. Only complaint is long delay on return flight in Beijing, onto Vancouver.

Worst than I expected, crew was not attentive, meal was as disgusting , they didn’t even drink selections as they would to other passengers. I felt discriminated

cannot get seat information for LAX to IAH when check in in XI,AN

UA is ok. But check in was a very bad experience

I hate that you cannot check in online and when you are at the airport, there aren't any aisle seats left. Also, they could work a little on subtitles for their movies (not everyone is a native English speaker).

Nothing to complain of, the only reason I am not giving better marks is that I am used to flying with ANA and they are the top.

It's terrible that we can't do online check in because we didn't buy the tickets directly from Air china. It was not explained until I contacted Chatdeal and we could not sit together.

More entertainment channels and better food, whatever food requirement you select.

As I mentioned flight from NY to Bangalore was excellent but the return flight from Bahrain to NYC was mediocre, Looks like a old aircraft also not much choice in entertainment.

The flight from NY to Bangalore was very good but the return flight from Bahrain to NY was mediocre

Pretty much what you'd expect for an economy flight. The crew were excellent as usual. The food was ok, but nothing special.

Staff is rude and condescending. Airline is badly managed. They take away their flimsy earphones and blankets one hour before the lading. I’ve never experienced this with any other airline. It’s a very portly managed and run airline that should be avoided.

The Senior Flight attendant was just amazing on our Flight GF 284 on 30/11/25. She was so attentive, helpful and caring not just to us but to all in our cabin.

Loading was on time and quick Not very many people

Amazing business class in a single aisle plane. Fully flat seats, pyjamas, amenity kits, all in all a really complete product. Service was good - not amazing - but they did a good job. Got a few hours sleep. Will fly with them again if I can.

They flight was without ait conetion weather was very hot

Did not have to leave plane. However found the wait tiring with nearly a full plane boarding at Male and being unable to get out of seat due to cleaners security and a full plane boarding with hand luggage. Staff were excellent despite a long and tiring flight due to stopover.

The map feature on the display at the seat had challenges. The biggest issue was the flight had no WIFI. Most of the smaller planes now have free WIFI. American Airlines on the flight over had WIFI you could purchase. With 8-10 hours on a single flight, the ability to do work via WIFI is essential!!

A shout-out to the flight attendent, Lauren, who was the main person assisting me. She was amazing - perfect balance of bright, cheerful, engaging, yet formal

Cramped seating but standard in all smaller aircrafts today no matter what airlines. Crew very helpful, friendly & attentive so makes up for that.

Wonderful business class flight in a lovely new plane with an excellent crew

OK, except for a cabin attendant's lack of attention.

efficient. on time. cabin crew were very professional and very nice to deal with. would definately fly BA again.

It was great overall. A few slight improvements could be made on the onboarding process at the Gates with announcements and clarity of communications (both at the gate and in flight). The movies in the entertainment options could be improved for bollywood, hollywood.

I alrady responded to this request, and expllaned at length that this was the worst flying experience in my 77 years. I will NEVER fly BA again.

Airbus A350 is poorly designed for wheelchair users and reduced mobility passengers. The angle of the pods makes it awkward to transfer. I was able to but I have ab stability. It could be a real challenge for people with more severe mobility impairments. You'd think Airbus would have come up with a solution for this or thought more about us disabled folks more when designing this aircraft.

The crew has always been great on BA. They are very friendly and accommodating. I like that they have vegetarian options already in the menu. And the free wine is a nice perk.) I noticed (both directions of my trip) minor upgrades/ replacements needed on the plane itself (touch screen didn't work with touch; bathroom light didn't go on). However, this is one of my favorite airlines.

Everything you need to know for your flight from London to Shanghai

Cabin class types available on flights from London to Shanghai

Cabin classes available on flights from London to Shanghai. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability are not guaranteed.