Last week, we published a deal from New York to Shanghai for $836 on American. Leveraging that fare, we are going to show you how you can visit both Shanghai and Tokyo on the same trip for a few dollars more.  In addition, if you stay under 72 hours in Shanghai, you won’t need to get a Chinese Visa, saving you at least $140. The team is likely taking advantage of this deal to do what we do best when we travel – eat!

Basics:

What you need to take advantage of this deal:

• American Airlines AAdvantage Miles (15,000 Miles) + about $15 in taxes + $25 booking fee or
• United Airlines MileagePlus Miles (10,000 Miles) + $14.70 in taxes or
• If you don’t have miles, it will be about $240 from Shanghai to Tokyo on China Eastern.

And this is why we recommend you collect miles. United Airlines miles can also be transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1:1 ratio.

How:

You can start in Tokyo first and then go to Shanghai. But we prefer going from New York -> Shanghai -> Tokyo -> New York as the American flight back from Tokyo leaves in the morning and arrives on the same day in the morning. It would allow you to go to the office without taking an extra day off.

1. Use ITA Multi-City to Search

This fare must depart from Monday through Thursday. Play with the dates. We found this fare is best on Tuesday and Wednesdays.

The flights:

• Flight 1: New York (NYC) – Shanghai (PVG)
• Flight 2: Tokyo (HND) – New York (JFK)

Pretty simple. Play around with dates. We found very good availability at $845 levels.

2. Search for Award Availability from Shanghai to Tokyo.

We are going to use award miles to travel from Shanghai to Tokyo. We are going to use United’s search since it shows availability and you can book online. For American, you have to call them to book since their partner JAL is not searchable on AA.com yet.

And here’s the result:

As you can see, award availability is very good with United for September and October travel. And with that, for about $860 and 10,000 miles, you can visit both Shanghai and Tokyo!

Sample Travel Date:

• September 18th: New York – Shanghai
• Sometime in between: Shanghai – Tokyo (on American or United Miles)
• September 24th: Tokyo – New York

Fare Availability:

• Valid for travel from September – December 6th for Monday through Thursday departures. Use ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search and flexible month search to see availability — enable advanced routing codes and enter “aa+” on both the outbound and return fields to search for American Airlines only. Must purchase by June 26th.
• Beginner’s Guide on How to Use Matrix by ITA Software
• How to Read Airfare Rules and Use It to Your Advantage

Routing:

• LGA – ORD (Chicago) – PVG (Shanghai) // HND (Tokyo – Haneda) – JFK.

Mileage:

• 14,524 miles or 5.8 cents per mile.

 

How to Book:

• Use dates found at ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search and book on AA.com
• Receive $1 back for using Ebates.com or Mr. Rebates prior to booking on AA.com
• American Airline’s risk free cancellation policy here

Background Information:

China:

• Visa: US Citizens – required prior to arrival. $140. Other nationals, check the TIMATIC Visa Database
• Currency: Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY) – $1USD = 6.12 CNY
• How to Visit Shanghai or Beijing for Up to 72 Hours without a Visa

Japan:

• Visa: US Citizens – not required. Other nationals, check the TIMATIC Visa Database
• Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY). $1USD = 94.5 JPY

Tips for saving when using credit cards at international destinations:

• No Fee Foreign Transaction Credit Cards to save on international purchases
• Don’t get hit with Dynamic Currency Conversion
• Get your taxes refunded when shopping
• How to Avoid International Data Roaming Charges

For more of the latest cheap New York Flight Deals:

• Go to the The New York Flight Deals page

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The Flight Deal does not sell travel products or services. We provide you with information about third-party travel suppliers’ offers, and link you to their sites. The information posted by The Flight Deal is valid at the time of publication. However, we have no control over the suppliers, and we therefore do not warrant or guarantee that their offers will not change or become unavailable. Nor are we responsible for their products, services or site content. Please see their sites for their most up-to-date offer information and all applicable terms and conditions.