Still thinking of flying to Shanghai this year end school holidays? Tickets are already well over $1k if you want to fly on our beloved Singapore Airlines! What if I told you there was a way to still fly on Singapore Airlines, but pay potentially 50% less???
The method is to fly into Hangzhou instead, and then take the 50 minute high speed train into Shanghai. I did this exact same journey during the June holidays with my family, and and it seems the pricing gap has enlarged further since then!
Singapore Airlines Singapore to Shanghai return ticket prices
Singapore Airlines Singapore to Hangzhou return ticket prices
As you can see in the above screenshots, SIA tickets to Hangzhou cost on average $500 in November and $700 in December. Whereas SIA tickets to Shanghai are approx $900 and $1200 respectively.
So what’s the catch???
Catch 1: The catch is that there’s only 1 flight into Hangzhou and it lands at 11pm (or 2am from late October). Can you handle staying up so late? You’ll need to stay the night at Hangzhou because the highspeed trains don’t operate at those hours. You could hire a private driver to take you to Shanghai though but that would add to your cost.
Hangzhou is a legit and common day trip or overnight stay location for those visiting Shanghai. We spent 2 days in Hangzhou and found it way too short!
Hangzhou is the capital of China’s Zhejiang province, widely renowned as a “paradise on earth” for its scenic beauty, rich history, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake (西湖 Xi Hu). As a major, high-tech city of nearly 12 million people, it combines modern innovation with cultural heritage, including the historic Grand Canal, traditional silk, and Longjing tea.
Catch 2: You’ll have to make the journey from Hangzhou to Shanghai, and the same return journey back to Hangzhou again at the end of your trip on the high-speed train. Specifically at Hangzhou East Railway Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (save this info because there are numerous stations!).
You’ll also have to take a taxi/Didi from your hotel to get to the Hangzhou East Railway Station, and when you’re back in Hangzhou, you’ll have to either taxi/Didi (30m) to the Hangzhou Airport or take the metro (45m).
There is only 1 flight a day from Hangzhou back to Singapore and it departs at 12.10am or 3am (late October onwards).
So would you do it? Or would this be so cumbersome you’d rather take some other airline instead or fly to some other cheaper destination instead?
Let me know by leaving me a DM on my Instagram!
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