Any "fail safe" place where can my daughter and I meet up in Pudong Airport? She's arriving on Thai Air and I'm on United. We arrive (hopefully!) within 15 minutes of each other. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.

After we picked up our luggage we proceeded to the "exit" where you'll see people waiting for passengers,ie: car service companies. You could arrange to meet at that point. That would also be where your hotel car transfer would be waiting.

So, there is only one "exit"? I thought there might be two and, since we are on different airlines, we could miss. Thanks for your input!

I would meet at the Maglev ticket counter and take the train to it's terminus - great e-ticket ride at 431 kph.
M

Mikemo: I am going over in a few days and have wondered best way to get from Pudong airport to central Shanghai hotel. I would like to take the Maglev for the experience but am concerened once I get into the city what is the best way to get to my hotel. I don't speak Chinese and have heard many taxis don't speak English. So I may have the same problem at the airport but it seems to me a taxi may be the best from the aiport because I will have a couple of pieces of carry on luggage that I really don't want to have to worry about. Suggestion?

There may be a cabbie in China who speaks English, but I didn't find him. But it's no problem at all - Chinese cabbies are pretty good, efficient, honest and good-humoured, and all you need is the name and address of your hotel written in Chinese characters. You should be able to print that off the hotel's website or ask them to fax it to you.

I agree with mikemo, the Maglev is worth it for the experience, but be aware that despite the 30-odd km run it doesn't take you as far as the city centre, only to Loy Yang (?) metro station, which still leaves you in the Pudong district east of the river. You can change to a metro line, but I wouldn't - we just walked outside and hailed a cab. It's still a fair hike into the city, though.

If you want to minimise the hassles, just take a cab from the airport. You could still meet up at the maglev ticket office, which is well signposted - unless someone has a better idea.

Make sure you visit an ATM so you have enough local currency to pay the cab - our fare was 140 yuan or about US$17.50. The Chinese don't tip cabbies. In fact they don't tip anyone.

Good advice: the taxis are very honest and reasonable, but if you speak no Mandarin nor the Shanghai dialect, ask someone to put your hotel destination into the character written language.
M

So no tipping? Any reason why

Cultural, lol.
M

Tipping practices vary from country to country, but there would be few in which tipping at American levels is seen as appropriate. I'd say that in most cases the view is that it's up to employers to pay their staff enough to live on. Conversely many foreign visitors to the US don't appreciate that American waiters, etc., are paid only a notional wage, and so have developed a reputation for being "cheap". They should do their homework, of course, and follow local custom (and vice versa).

If you have visited China 20+ years ago, you'll understand why "tipping" is not in the vocabulary.

People's habit stay long, but sooner or later, tipping will become the norm.

Well, you may well be right, rkkwan, but if it does become the norm I would think it will be because of the influence of American tourists. I don't doubt that many Chinese employers will be only too happy to offload part of their wages bill onto customers if they get half a chance. But will Chinese domestic tourists, who vastly outnumber foreign visitors, play this game?

On the other hand it's still not "the norm" in Australia and New Zealand - nor (correct me if I'm wrong) in Japan, which has had 60 years of exposure to American culture.

We always tell people to meet us after they get luggage and clear customs sliding door but inside the terminal at door 11. It's almost straight out of the sliding door/exit from customs. That way you know you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

A word of warning about taxis. Shanghai taxis are pretty honest EXCEPT the ones at the airport that are NOT in the taxi queue. Stay away from the people who approach you asking if you want a taxi or saying they are Airport Information because they will direct you to the parking lot and you'll pay to get their car out of parking plus they will charge you maybe 400 rmb (when it should be around 150ish) and you could even share the taxi with others!

If you want a taxi from the airport, go out of the terminal, turn right (from door 11) and you'll see the queue in front of you. The man assigning taxis will translate your destination, but I recommend bringing the name of your destination in Chinese characters if possible. Have the hotel phone number with you just in case since drivers usually have mobile phones. Always insist on drivers using the meter. If they don't, I wouldn't pay and I'd make a scene when I arrived at the hotel. Hotel staff will help you out because they know how much it should cost. I've never paid more than 170rmb on the meter. Note that only the front seat has a seatbelt - and you probably want to use it considering the crazy expressway traffic.