What to know about flights from London to Shanghai?

The distance between London and Shanghai is approximately 9,203.98km. The average flight time between London and Shanghai is 11 hours 48 minutes. According to Trip.com data, travel demand is highest in July. December is generally the cheapest month to book.

Cheapest one-way
£277
Beijing Capital Airlines Beijing Capital Airlines LON-SHA 18h 40m · 1 stop Mon, Sep 14
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Cheapest return
£332
Air France Air France LON-SHA 15h · 2 stops Wed, Sep 30 - Tue, Oct 6
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Best time to book
September
Cheapest
July
Peak season for travel
Route details
9,203.98km
Flight distance
11h 48m
Average flight time

Explore the cheapest one-way and round-trip flights from London to Shanghai over the next 90 days, with one-way fares from £277 and round-trip from £332. Based on Trip.com's latest 7-day flight data.

Flight.News
Flights from London to Shanghai operate an average of 9 times per day over the past 7 days, with a 15.3% on-time departure rate and a 92.6% on-time arrival rate.
GB 9.9 Mega Sale — 9 September to 11 September 2026 GB 9.9 Mega Sale: Book easyJet round-trip flights between London (LON) and Shanghai (SHA), spend £200 or more and get £25 off. Offer valid 20 Aug–12 Sep 2026.
GB 9.9 Mega Sale — 9 September to 11 September 2026 GB 9.9 Mega Sale: Book a round-trip flight from London (LON) to Shanghai (SHA), spend £300 or more and get £50 off. EasyJet offer ends 12 September.

Which airlines are the most popular for London to Shanghai flights?

GB 9.9 Mega Sale — 9 September to 11 September 2026 GB 9.9 Mega Sale: Book easyJet round-trip flights between London (LON) and Shanghai (SHA), spend £200 or more and get £25 off. Offer valid 20 Aug–12 Sep 2026.
GB 9.9 Mega Sale — 9 September to 11 September 2026 GB 9.9 Mega Sale: Book a round-trip flight from London (LON) to Shanghai (SHA), spend £300 or more and get £50 off. EasyJet offer ends 12 September.
The most popular airlines flying from London to Shanghai are China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines, among 20 carriers on this route. Beijing Capital Airlines offers the lowest fares. Based on Trip.com's flight booking data from the previous 12 months.
China Eastern Airlines logo China Eastern Airlines
Air China logo Air China
China Southern Airlines logo China Southern Airlines
British Airways logo British Airways
Finnair logo Finnair
Xiamen Airlines logo Xiamen Airlines
Gulf Air logo Gulf Air
Beijing Capital Airlines logo Beijing Capital Airlines
Tianjin Airlines logo Tianjin Airlines
Hainan Airlines logo Hainan Airlines
AEGEAN logo AEGEAN
Lufthansa logo Lufthansa
Qatar Airways logo Qatar Airways
Ryanair logo Ryanair
easyJet logo easyJet
Emirates logo Emirates
Cathay Pacific logo Cathay Pacific
KLM logo KLM
Wizz Air UK logo Wizz Air UK
Shenzhen Airlines logo Shenzhen Airlines
Airlines are determined based on actual purchased flight tickets from London to Shanghai according to previous 12 months data from Trip.com.

Trip.com Price Insights on London to Shanghai Flights

What is the cheapest month to book a one-way flight from London to Shanghai?

Average price of one-way tickets from London to Shanghai booked on Trip.com over the past 12 months.

For a one-way flight from London to Shanghai, fares are lowest in September (£341) and highest in July (£536).

£536
£439
£341
£244
  • £341
    Sep
  • £402
    Oct
  • £450
    Nov
  • £428
    Dec
  • £347
    Jan
  • £479
    Feb
  • £372
    Mar
  • £371
    Apr
  • £405
    May
  • £436
    Jun
  • £536
    Jul
  • £368
    Aug

What is the cheapest month to book a return flight from London to Shanghai?

Average price of return tickets from London to Shanghai booked on Trip.com over the past 12 months.

For a return flight from London to Shanghai, fares are lowest in March (£516) and highest in August (£726).

£726
£621
£516
£411
    Cheapest
  • £613
    Sep
  • £612
    Oct
  • £602
    Nov
  • £583
    Dec
  • £594
    Jan
  • £526
    Feb
  • £516
    Mar
  • £545
    Apr
  • £597
    May
  • £672
    Jun
  • £678
    Jul
  • £726
    Aug

Flight FAQs

  • Which airlines offer the cheapest flights from London to Shanghai?

    Based on Trip.com data, Beijing Capital Airlines offers Cheapest nonstop one-way flights from £277 (for example, LHR–PVG on Mon, Sep 14). For a Cheapest nonstop return flight, Air France offers fares from £332, departing on Wed, Sep 30 and returning on Tue, Oct 6.
  • At the moment, you can catch a direct flight from London to Shanghai with the following airlines, including: China Eastern Airlines Air China British Airways China Southern Airlines Ryanair Selected airlines are based on historical data collected from flight bookings users made on Trip.com within the last 90 days.
  • A flight from London (LON) to Shanghai (SHA) takes an average of 11 hours 48 minutes.
  • By analyzing data from all airlines on the Trip.com flight calendar, it looks like the best time to book a flight from London to Shanghai is around 40 days (6 weeks) in advance, and the best time to fly is usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tuesday typically offers the cheapest flights for departure, while Saturday offers the best return deals.
  • On average, 39 direct flights operate each week between London and Shanghai. See below the schedules of the main airlines serving this route:
    China Eastern Airlines: S/M/T/W/T/F/S – MU202 (departure at 11:50) China Southern Airlines: S/M/T/W/T/F/S – CZ7226 (departure at 12:35)
  • Here are some tips for finding the best flight deals from London to Shanghai on Trip.com:
    · Be flexible with your travel dates. The cheapest flight is currently on Mon, Sep 14, with one-way fares from just £277.
    · Compare airlines. Air China currently offers the lowest fares on this route.
    · Set up a price alert to track fare changes without searching every day.
    · Check Trip.com regularly for flight deals and available promo codes.
    · Avoid peak season or book early. July is generally the busiest month for travel to Shanghai.
    · Get exclusive promo codes on the Trip.com app.
  • The cheapest month to book a flight from London to Shanghai is usually December, when demand is lower.
  • After crunching the numbers on our September flight calendar, it's currently cheapest to fly from London to Shanghai on September 26, 2026 with Air France, with prices starting at £333.
  • Flights to Shanghai can arrive at: Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). The most common route connects London Gatwick Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (LGW–PVG).
  • The time difference between Shanghai and London is 8h.
  • Tickets can only be changed or cancelled if permitted by airline policy. To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy. However, if the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.
  • Based on Trip.com data for flights departing in the next 30 days, the average one-way fare from London to Shanghai is £494. Fares vary by travel date, airline and availability.
  • Based on Trip.com data for flights departing in the next 30 days, the average return fare from London to Shanghai is £783. Fares vary by travel date, airline and availability.
  • Enter London and Shanghai, choose your travel dates and passengers, then compare flights by price, duration and baggage. Select a fare, review the change and cancellation rules, enter traveller details and complete payment to receive your confirmation.
  • easyJet and Wizz Air Maltaare the most popular budget airlines flying from London to Shanghai. Check baggage, seat and payment fees before comparing the final price.

Flight From London To Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city in China and the busiest one too. Despite a population of over 24 million, the city has a lot of quiet historic locations and various tourist attractions to visit. The city’s strategic position at the mouth of the Yangtze River has given it the world’s busiest container ports. Shanghai provides a lot of opportunities to explore the water along the Chinese coast and its inland waterways. A beautiful combination of old Chinese culture and rich crowd, the city of Shanghai is one to visit.

Tip: Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to November) are the best times to visit Shanghai. The place offers lovely weather and is less crowded during these seasons.

Traveling to Shanghai

There are many flights available from London to Shanghai at reasonable rates. However, China Eastern Airlines offers several cheap flights from London to Shanghai. There are also many direct flights from London to Shanghai available with British Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines and more. The London to Shanghai flights are usually 12 hours long without any stops and end at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Tip: It’s advised to book your flight tickets from London to Shanghai in advance as they get really expensive around Christmas and New Year.

Top Things to See in Shanghai

From old historic culture to quirky entertainment, Shanghai has a variety of things to offer for every tourist. Shanghai is known for its acrobatic arts around the world and Shanghai Circus World is an amazing place to experience it. The performances of Insertion of Time are as good as any Broadway Musical. You can also visit the Oriental Pearl Tower and get the thrill of looking down the entire city from its glass floor.

A trip down the Chinese history is sure to come with the Shanghai Museum that holds old Chinese coins, priceless paintings, and intricately carved ceramics. The five-floor museum holds over 120,000 pieces of art divided amongst 11 galleries. The city also features several beautiful water towns, Zhujiajiao being one of the best-preserved of the lot. The 1700 years old town has 35 ancient bridges and cruising under them is an experience of a lifetime.

Tip: Travel in the city with Shanghai Maglev Train and experience the best of technology and modern architecture.

Dining and Shopping in Shanghai

Take a trip down the Tianzifang are to experience old Chinese architecture. The area is filled with various boutiques, trendy studios and art galleries where you can buy little souvenirs to carry home. You can also visit Nanjing Road, one of the world’s largest shopping streets. The street witnesses about a million customers a day, and has stores selling everything from daily necessities to upscale items. Experience the best Asian food at Jin Xuan and HIYA, and if you wish to try other cuisines, you can visit Scena or Club Room.

Tip: Shanghai is also well known for its nightlife and you must visit one of its coveted clubs to experience it.

Trip.com helps you get amazing deals on flight and hotel bookings. You can get a variety of discounts and plan your entire trip on the site. Their amazing customer service can resolve any of your queries, anytime. For your London to Shanghai flight booking, Trip.com will be a great pick.

Note: Prices shown on this page are the estimated lowest prices and include all taxes and fees found in the last 24 hours.

Book with no extra fees

Prices displayed on this page are all-inclusive (including taxes, fuel surcharges, civil aviation development fund, etc.), with all fees confirmed before payment. Fees for luggage, meals, Wi-Fi, or other additional services are also included as shown in the flight cards.

Real-time pricing updates

Prices, availability, and travel information on this page have been updated within the last 24 hours—sometimes even in real time. The more popular the route, the more accurate the data.

Change & Cancellation Policy

Trip.com shows the cancellation and change policies for each flight ticket during the booking process, including any fees and applicable conditions. Please check the following scenarios:
Voluntary cancellation/change:
To request a change or cancellation, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and flight segment, and submit your request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline's ticket policy.
Cancellation/change due to a flight schedule change:
If the flight schedule has changed and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please visit the customer support pages.