Cheap Flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai
Los Angeles (LAX) → Shanghai (PVG) · 13–14.5 hours nonstop
Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Shanghai (PVG) are operated by China Eastern, United, Delta and Air China among others, with nonstop transpacific service. Total journey time is typically 13–14.5 hours nonstop. You depart from Los Angeles International (LAX) and arrive at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG).
| Departure airport | Los Angeles International (LAX) |
|---|---|
| Arrival airport | Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) |
| Main airlines | China Eastern, United, Delta and Air China |
| Routing | Nonstop transpacific service |
| Journey time | 13–14.5 hours nonstop |
| When to book | Three to five months ahead, and further for the November–February high season and the Lunar New Year period |
Flying out of Los Angeles LAX
Los Angeles is the West Coast's long-haul anchor and the natural departure point for anything crossing the Pacific. LAX's advantage on India and Southeast Asia routes is directional: westbound itineraries via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Singapore are frequently faster and cheaper from LAX than the eastbound routings a booking site will show you first, because the site is optimising for the shortest map line rather than the actual schedule. Artesia's Little India and the wider Southern California diaspora make this a high-volume corridor where unpublished fares turn over quickly.
What to know before you fly to Shanghai
Entry requirements for US travellers
Most US citizens need a visa for mainland China, though visa-free transit arrangements exist at Shanghai for some itineraries and the qualifying conditions change periodically. Both the visa and the transit rules should be confirmed with the Chinese embassy or consulate for your dates — this is not a corridor to improvise on.
Best time to go
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most pleasant. Avoid Chinese New Year and the early-October Golden Week, when domestic demand roughly doubles fares and fills seats.
Airports and arrival
Shanghai Pudong (PVG) handles international arrivals; Hongqiao (SHA) is mostly domestic and is a different airport across the city, so check which one an onward flight uses before you book it.
Baggage
Transpacific allowances are generally reasonable, but one-stop routings through Seoul, Tokyo or Taipei can apply the more restrictive of the two carriers' rules. We confirm before booking.
Airlines from Los Angeles to Shanghai
Itineraries offer nonstop transpacific service.
Getting the best price to Shanghai
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Los Angeles to Shanghai — frequently asked questions
Fares on the Los Angeles–Shanghai route vary widely by season and how far ahead you book. We do not publish an estimate we have not measured for this pair; call our agents and they will quote the live consolidator fare for your dates.
Carriers on this route include China Eastern, United, Delta and Air China. Others serve it on one-stop itineraries, and the cheapest is not always a name you would expect — the lowest fare we have tracked here was on a carrier outside that list more than once. Itineraries offer nonstop transpacific service, and total journey time runs about 13–14.5 hours nonstop. Which carrier is cheapest changes with the season and the fare bucket rather than staying fixed, which is why we compare them all on every quote.
Plan on 13–14.5 hours nonstop from Los Angeles International (LAX) to Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), including time on the ground if your itinerary connects.
Book three to five months ahead, and further for the November–February high season and the Lunar New Year period.
Yes — this route has nonstop service, with nonstop transpacific service. Nonstop is not always the cheapest option: a one-stop itinerary on the same dates is frequently a few hundred dollars less, and on a journey of 13–14.5 hours nonstop that trade is worth pricing rather than assuming. Frequencies change by season, so call us for what is actually flying on your dates.
LAX carries all of the region's long-haul flying, but Southern California has four other airports — Burbank, Long Beach, John Wayne and Ontario — that can be far more convenient for the first leg of a connecting itinerary and are often cheaper. If your trip connects anyway, starting it from the airport nearest you rather than fighting across the basin to LAX is worth pricing.
Every US itinerary here connects at least once, which means the cheapest headline fare and the best trip are often different bookings. Agents can also hold and combine fares across carriers — an open-jaw into one city and out of another — which most consumer booking sites either cannot price or price badly. SkyKaro's agents are reachable 24/7, and nothing is charged until an agent has confirmed the itinerary and the price with you.