Results tagged “pudongairport”

File this under the2010 World Expo actually making our lives marginally more convenient, huzzah!

Apropos of nothing, the previously scrapped maglev train line that would have linked the Pudong and Hongqiao airports together is suddenly being dusted off again. Construction on the proposed 31.8-km train line was shelved in 2007, after everybody realized that it was a terrible idea. Well, at least we thought everybody realized it was a terrible idea.

Adam Minter has the answer:

At the side of the Maglev station, between the two terminals, three new restaurants are opening at Pudong Airport on August 10 (Sunday). There is a new KFC (for those who can't walk 5 meters to the existing branch), a Pizza Hut, and a Chinese fast-food joint. Also opening soon is a branch of the noodle chain that features Bruce Lee wearing the "Game Of Death" yellow tracksuit as their logo (Note to self: find out name of that restaurant!).

After a successful month running at reduced capacity, the new Terminal 2 at Pudong Airport took another 18 airlines under its wing today.

Perched high up in a pod between the two terminals of Pudong airport, the hotel bar for both Motel 168 and it's sibling Ease Hotel. The cool design and eighth floor view is worth a look for anyone waiting for a delays, alcoholic plane spotters or location scouts for 1970s Bond movies.

From yesterday until April 29th, this is the list of airlines which will use the new Terminal 2 at Pudong:

 

Like we told you, the new Terminal at Pudong Airport opened smoothly* yesterday morning, bringing relief to crowded Terminal 1 and a whole stack of new shopping and eating options to those flying from the new building.

The dire restaurant choices at Pudong Airport will get a boost when Terminal 2 opens on March 26.

By James Creegan

Okay, it may be the case that we don't fly enough, but yesterday at the Hongqiao Airport, we were really surprised to see this Virgin bookstore at the departure hall (that Richard Branson has really acted fast, hasn't he?). Does anyone know how long the store has been there? Food and beverage options appear to have widened up quite a bit too. Element Fresh has been there since last summer, located just outside the exit (sorry, no picture there), serving decent food at the same rates as their outlets elsewhere in town. With the competition, travellers are finally getting food that can actually be eaten, and prices also seem to have come down a bit on the average. In the meanwhile, we think the retail experience at Pudong Airport continues to rot away with its portfolio of Chinglish brand apparel stores and cafés that get away with serving bad coffee for RMB50. What do you frequent flyers out there think?

No shops or anything in there yet of course, but the ceiling and floor look finished, loads of check-in desks are almost ready to go, and there’s light and a/c all over the place. The usual rigorous Chinese quality control is being applied to the English signage.

Two bits of transportation news from random sources:

It was reported this weekend that the much ballyhooed 25-minutes-from-Shanghai-to-Hangzhou maglev train, which was supposed to be fully operational around 2010, has been delayed. Indefinitely. Which makes us ask, how much longer are we going to have to wait to be ushered into the sci-fi utopia of the 21st century that we spent most of the 20th century dreaming about?

This morning, Chinese language news portal 163.com had a great scoop, and revealed the future planning for Shanghai and China's Maglev railway system.

Just days after The New York Times gave us its take on budget travel in Shanghai, AskMen.com offers up its own tips for those without such limited funds. The concept here is interesting: what is a good way to spend US$10,000 in a weekend in Shanghai? And why not? According to writer Scott Mills:

Browsing the Ditiezu.com (Subway-ers) BBS, we came across some interesting tidbits:

The airport was Hongqiao, not Pudong. And, yes, the airline was China Eastern. This happened yesterday afternoon at 2:09, when a Boeing 737-300 was arriving from Qingdao. None of the roughly 100 passengers on board was reported injured in the accident — passengers and luggage were evacuated from the aircraft in around 30 minutes — but Hongqiao Aiport, the city's main hub for domestic flights, was closed and normal operations didn't resume there until 6:45 pm. (And, like most Chinese airports, there is not much to do — or eat — if you have to wait around for a long time.) Some 30 to 40 inbound flights were rerouted to Pudong International Airport during the closure.

Regarding yesterday's afternoon siesta taken by Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, one informed reader offered the following scenario:

If the only railway station waiting room you’re accustomed to in China is the grimy, smoky one with endless waves of humanity sitting on those red, white and blue striped bags of live produce, then you’re going to enjoy the South Shanghai Railway Station for a change. We were fortunate enough to pass through the gleaming, spotless and modern facility last night on our way back from Hangzhou (RMB 44 for soft seat; 1 hour 50 minutes). It’s everything that Pudong Airport is not.

Big Bird! The Thanksgiving week has been, appropriately, quite busy in regards to China's ongoing bout against the deadly avian influenza virus. Even our precious hometown Shanghai is beginning to feel the pinch.