Shanghai Airport transfer question - T1 domestic arr to T2 Int Dep
 

Was hoping someone could help me out with a quick answer. I am arriving in Shanghai from Xi'am on China Eastern Airlines in Terminal 1 and connecting to a United Flight departing out of Terminal 2. I have 2 hours and 40 minutes. My travel agent told me its a 3 hour minimum transit time.

Do I have enough time to travel between terminals and check in for my united international flight? I will only have carry on handbag.

How far between terminals? Can I walk>?

I'm hoping 2 hours 40 minutes will be enough. Is anyone familiar with this airport that can give a real world transit time?

I am confused why it should take so long. I flew out of Shanghai airport yesterday and arrived not having checked which terminal Japan Airlines flys out of. The Maglev and the subway both arrive between the two terminals, and it is a fairly short walk (with moving sidewalks between the two terminals. I cannot imagine why it should take more than 10 or 15 minutes to get from one to the other. My arrival last week into Shanghai was also very quick -- no line at immigration or customs, and my luggage came out on the carousel about the same time I got there! In fact my flight was a half hour early, and my friend meeting me was not yet waiting for me at arrivals as I was actually in the arrivals hotel by the time my flight was just supposed to be landing! It was all very quick, so unless something goes wrong, I would think your 2 hours and 40 minutes is WAY more than enough.

The travel agent probably was just playing it safe and went with the suggested time from United about when to check in for their flight to the US.

Shanghai is a horrendous to transfer if you are switching carriers and you have checked luggage. That's because PVG offers <u>no</u> interline luggage transfers, even between carriers who are members of the same alliance.

So, if you have luggage, you'll need to wait for your bags from the China Eastern flight, head over to the UA terminal, then wait in line to check your bags (and check in, if you haven't done that online) for the UA flight.

(Caveat: this was true as of about 15 mos ago.)

thanks for the responses. I won't have any checked baggae, so I think this will work out fine.