Statistics on London-Shanghai flights: what is the right price and when to buy your plane ticket?
Best time to go: what is the RIGHT price for a round-trip flight to Shanghai (from: London)
The average price to go to Shanghai from London airport is $ 1669 (round trip). However, there are variations depending on the departure month. Thus, it is possible to pay for your plane ticket on average between $ 1366 (in january) and $ 2154 (in august), which is a saving of $ 303 or a surplus of $ 486 (compared to the average price) depending on the period you leave.
The analysis of all the prices reveals that the most frequent price is between $537 to $591 and that it is generally more economical to leave on a friday and return on a sunday on a direct flight.
Be careful, the cheapest months may correspond to unfavorable weather periods . Check out our page best time to go to Shanghai before booking your flight.
If you want to know when to book your flight at the best price, go straight to the second part of this page: When to buy your London-Shanghai plane ticket.
How are these data calculated?
We have studied a sample of 60000 airfare prices from previous years for flights to Shanghai from London and can thus establish precise and credible price variation trends based on different parameters. Of course, prices can vary from year to year, but the seasonal aspect of this data (recurrence of school holidays, events... from year to year) makes these statistics quite reliable.
Average price depending on the departure month
Data analysis:
By leaving in january, the price of the plane ticket will statistically be the cheapest ($ 1366, saving $ 303 compared to the average price over the year which is $ 1669). Conversely, august will be the most expensive ($ 2154).
Flight London-Shanghai: when is the best time to go for the best price?
| Month | Good price* | Average price | Our opinion |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $ 921 | $ 1366 the cheapest | very good price |
| February | $ 960 | $ 1393 | good price |
| March | $ 997 | $ 1386 | good price |
| April | $ 951 | $ 1523 | good price |
| May | $ 970 | $ 1642 | fair price |
| June | $ 1039 | $ 1699 | fair price |
| July | $ 1237 | $ 1939 | high price |
| August | $ 1445 | $ 2154 the most expensive | very high price |
| September | $ 1325 | $ 2042 | high price |
| October | $ 1155 | $ 1689 | fair price |
| November | $ 959 | $ 1456 | good price |
| December | $ 1166 | $ 1735 | fair price |
*great price to buy your plane ticket: if you see this price or cheaper during your flight search, go for it and buy it!
Price breakdown to travel from London to Shanghai
Data analysis:
The prices for flights from London to Shanghai range from $483 to $2362. 4% of tickets were purchased at the minimum price (from $484 to $537), 1% at the maximum price (from $2309 to $2362). The majority of plane tickets were purchased in the range of $537 to $591 (6% of tickets).
Cheapest airlines for the London->Shanghai flight
There are 21 companies that serve London from Shanghai airport: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Air China, LOT, China Eastern, Ryanair, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, KLM, Air Canada, China Southern, China Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Wizz Air, Etihad Airways, Austrian Airlines, Finnair, EasyJet and Thai Airways.
Data analysis:
Of the 60000 flights analyzed in previous years, British Airways was the airline that offered the best fare most often in the flight ticket search results (15% of the time) on the London->Shanghai route.
Direct flight or flight with layover?
Data analysis:
To get the best price for the London-Shanghai flight, you should take a direct flight (saving an average of $ 535 compared to a flight with one or more layovers).
Which day of the week to leave?
Data analysis:
Statistically, London-Shanghai flights departing on a friday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a friday as your departure date, you can save an average of $119. On the other hand, departing on a monday may cost you an additional $104.
Which day of the week to come back?
Data analysis:
Statistically, return flights from Shanghai to London departing on a sunday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a sunday for your return date, you will save an average of $148. Conversely, departing from Shanghai on a monday may cost you an additional $85.
Top prices London-Shanghai
| Round trip | Dates | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Shanghai | 01-05 to 24-05-2024 | $ 517 | layover flight with Shenzhen Airlines |
| London → Shanghai | 08-05 to 23-05-2024 | $ 537 | direct flight with Virgin Atlantic |
| London → Shanghai | 18-05 to 24-05-2024 | $ 503 | layover flight with Shenzhen Airlines |
| London → Shanghai | 20-05 to 27-05-2024 | $ 537 | layover flight with China Southern |
| London → Shanghai | 05-06 to 25-06-2024 | $ 534 | layover flight with China Southern |
| London → Shanghai | 20-10 to 27-10-2024 | $ 514 | layover flight with China Southern |
| London → Shanghai | 08-11 to 15-11-2024 | $ 537 | direct flight with Virgin Atlantic |
| London → Shanghai | 11-01 to 19-01-2025 | $ 503 | layover flight with China Southern |
| London → Shanghai | 12-02 to 26-02-2025 | $ 540 | direct flight with Virgin Atlantic |
| London → Shanghai | 15-02 to 25-02-2025 | $ 539 | direct flight with Virgin Atlantic |
When to book your flight London - Shanghai to get the cheapest price?
Statistically, you will make the biggest savings by buying your plane ticket between 5 to 6 months in advance. However, you may end up paying a high price if you book between 0 to 1 month in advance.
Did you know: the price of plane tickets not only varies depending on how far in advance you book, but also on the day of the week you book! So, to maximize your chances of getting the best price for a London-Shanghai flight, it is recommended to book your ticket on a tuesday.
How far in advance should I buy my flight?
Data analysis:
To get the cheapest flight ticket from London to Shanghai, it is recommended to buy it 5 to 6 months before departure (it is then on average 1566 $, which is a saving of 103 $ compared to the overall average price). On the other hand, if you buy your ticket 0 to 1 month in advance, you will pay the full price (117 $ more than the average price).
Depending on the departure month
The best time to buy your London to Shanghai flight ticket may vary depending on your departure month. Therefore, we offer you statistics on when to book your flight month by month.
| Departure on... | How far in advance should I book? |
|---|---|
| January | Best time: 9 to 10 months before departure (average price: 743 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 852), 1 to 2 months ($ 1142), 2 to 3 months ($ 1341), 10 to 11 months ($ 829), 11 to 12 months ($ 934) |
| February | Best time: 10 to 11 months before departure (average price: 844 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 1088), 1 to 2 months ($ 991), 2 to 3 months ($ 1259), 11 to 12 months ($ 898) |
| March | Best time: 2 to 3 months before departure (average price: 988 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 1359), 1 to 2 months ($ 1131), 3 to 4 months ($ 1229), 8 to 9 months ($ 1244) |
| April | Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 1097 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 1482), 1 to 2 months ($ 1407), 2 to 3 months ($ 1428), 4 to 5 months ($ 1138), 5 to 6 months ($ 1255) |
| May | Best time: 4 to 5 months before departure (average price: 1174 $) Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 1257), 2 to 3 months ($ 1239), 3 to 4 months ($ 1483), 5 to 6 months ($ 1559) |
| June | Best time: 4 to 5 months before departure (average price: 1067 $) Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 1390), 3 to 4 months ($ 1185), 5 to 6 months ($ 1230) |
| July | Best time: 5 to 6 months before departure (average price: 1293 $) Other interesting period(s): 3 to 4 months ($ 1690), 4 to 5 months ($ 1386), 6 to 7 months ($ 1540), 7 to 8 months ($ 1888) |
| August | Best time: 6 to 7 months before departure (average price: 1541 $) Other interesting period(s): 4 to 5 months ($ 1745), 5 to 6 months ($ 1684), 7 to 8 months ($ 1695), 8 to 9 months ($ 1958) |
| September | Best time: 7 to 8 months before departure (average price: 1201 $) Other interesting period(s): 4 to 5 months ($ 1931), 5 to 6 months ($ 1416), 6 to 7 months ($ 1260), 8 to 9 months ($ 1328), 9 to 10 months ($ 1866) |
| October | Best time: 7 to 8 months before departure (average price: 838 $) Other interesting period(s): 5 to 6 months ($ 1673), 6 to 7 months ($ 1206), 8 to 9 months ($ 872), 9 to 10 months ($ 1050), 10 to 11 months ($ 1481), 11 to 12 months ($ 1628) |
| November | Best time: 9 to 10 months before departure (average price: 829 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 1194), 5 to 6 months ($ 1433), 6 to 7 months ($ 1217), 7 to 8 months ($ 902), 8 to 9 months ($ 836), 10 to 11 months ($ 978) |
| December | Best time: 9 to 10 months before departure (average price: 792 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 1499), 1 to 2 months ($ 1406), 6 to 7 months ($ 1604), 8 to 9 months ($ 878), 10 to 11 months ($ 844), 11 to 12 months ($ 1148) |
What day of the week should I book my flight ticket?
Data analysis:
Statistically, tuesday is the day when plane tickets for London->Shanghai are the cheapest. So, by buying your plane ticket on a tuesday, you will save $48. Conversely, by buying it on a friday, you may end up paying $25 more.
London to Shanghai: flight price when booking today
Information: this data is not statistics but comes from real prices collected less than 7 days ago. Some months may not be available as we do not have enough data for them.
| Month | Current price | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $ 665 $503 to $1424 | very good price | Find a flight |
| June 2024 | $ 758 $509 to $1440 | very good price | Find a flight |
| July 2024 | $ 1101 $595 to $1479 | very good price | Find a flight |
| August 2024 | $ 1182 $794 to $1536 | very good price | Find a flight |
| September 2024 | $ 969 $661 to $1500 | very good price | Find a flight |
| October 2024 | $ 665 $514 to $1312 | very good price | Find a flight |
| November 2024 | $ 618 $515 to $758 | very good price | Find a flight |
| December 2024 | $ 692 $545 to $1065 | very good price | Find a flight |
| January 2025 | $ 652 $503 to $1426 | very good price | Find a flight |
| February 2025 | $ 589 $539 to $708 | very good price | Find a flight |
| March 2025 | $ 684 $521 to $1515 | very good price | Find a flight |
Data analysis:
Compared to the average price, may, june, july, august, september, october, november, december, january, february and march are cheaper to travel to Shanghai. So it may be interesting to book now to leave during these months!