Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) is expected to handle 30,000 flights and 4.65 million visits, up 5.63 percent and 5.98 percent year-on-year respectively during this year’s Spring Festival travel rush, or “Chunyun” in Chinese, which kicked off on Jan 21 and will end on March 1.

It will operate a daily average of 750 flights with 127,000 passengers and welcome 116,200 other visitors in the peak departure season from Jan 31 to Feb 3 and the peak arrival times from Feb 8 to 10.

The most popular destinations for travelers departing from SHA are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyang and Kunming.

As the Chinese New Year is approaching, Hongqiao airport has decorated its two terminals with many traditional Chinese elements, such as the cartoon image of pigs, marking the Year of the Pig, “zhongguojie”, Chinese knots, “xiangyun”, or "lucky cloud" sign that symbolizes harmony, and lanterns and paper-cuttings to create a festive atmosphere.

Passengers waiting at the taxi station in the airport will be given gifts such as toy pigs, candies, the "Fu" character symbolizing good luck. The taxi station mascot, “Lulu”, will greet travelers on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Inquiries, wheelchairs and lost and found luggage services will be upgraded to provide an all-round service experience for key groups, including seniors, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

These special services are also available in the high-speed railway station and at subway inquiry counters within the Hongqiao transportation hub.

Meanwhile, cleaners will offer services like information inquiries, pasting of paper-cuttings as window decorations, greeting travelers and supplying free hand cream.

In addition, the Lanxin Inquiry Desk is equipped with more staff workers, IP phone cards, power banks, and translation services. Passengers can also store their luggage at the counter through WeChat payment.

The airport has coordinated with airlines to further optimize the emergency response plan, such as organizing joint drills, setting up eight aircraft deicing operation sites on the apron and coordinating staff members of different departments for deicing and snow removal to improve aircraft winter operations.

It is also calling on stores in the terminals to prolong their business hours, increase food reserves, and supply 24-hour boiled water. Spare chairs and mobile charging facilities have been installed. Rest areas will be planned for passengers waiting for delayed flights.

Staff workers will make more patrols in key areas such as sites vulnerable to cold air in remote airport stands and doors between indoors and outdoors, and take appropriate measures to raise the indoor temperature to ensure that people are comfortable in all areas of the terminal. 

The airport will also frequently clean the most used areas, and prepare various detergents, hand sanitizers, toilet paper, and fragrance in advance to ensure adequate supplies during the travel rush. 

Three hundred spare trolleys were added to the two terminal buildings. At the same time, 50 free baby strollers are on offer. All kinds of transportation means at Hongqiao Transport Hub, such as subways, taxis, and railways will coordinate to offer seamless transfers. Public transportation will extend its operation hours to match the peak of the travel rush.

The nation's first unmanned convenience store in an airport is also serving passengers in the central hall of the East Transportation Center at Hongqiao T2 terminal, adjacent to the gourmet promenade and high-speed railway station.

It offers food, drinks, daily necessities and imported goods, including snacks and cosmetics and other items imported from Japan and South Korea from 7 am till 9 pm every day. Customers just need to scan a QR code at the door to enter the store.

There is no physical payment procedure involved. People can simply walk out of the store with their items as billing takes place automatically once they exit the premises. 

Near the P1 parking lot at T1 terminal, an unmanned Ginger shop recently opened at the airport. People can enter through scanning a QR code and shop with password-free payment.

Ten automated self-verification channels have been added at SHA T2 terminal. Thanks to identity information collection and biometric recognition technology, the machines can verify the identity and boarding information of passengers departing the airport at two gates, increasing verification efficiency.

A total of 18 self-verification channels are available at the two terminals of Hongqiao airport. 

Before the travel rush, the airport joined hands with China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines to install another eight self-baggage-drop counters at Islands B and C in T2 terminal.

There are a total of 36 self-baggage-drop counters at the two terminals. Travelers can check their luggage by themselves. According to the airport, more than 80 percent of luggage was checked in at self-baggage-drop counters at the domestic departure area in T1.

Intelligent devices are equipped to realize “paperless travel” at 53 boarding gates at Hongqiao T2 terminal. Passengers can check in on APPs and websites of airlines in advance and board through a QR code and ID card (passengers of China Eastern Airlines can only use a QR code). (Tip: a security inspection certificate is required.) Another two automatic boarding devices are planned to be added at No 48 and 50 boarding gates at T2, bringing the total number of automatic boarding devices at T1 and T2 to 14.

The free Wi-Fi service has been upgraded, offering easier Internet access and better surfing experience. The speed for users in T1 and T2 will be increased to 20 megabytes (Mbps) per second and Wi-Fi speed in the areas with the most passengers in T2 will reach 50Mbps per second.

The international departure hall in Hongqiao T1 terminal is home to the country’s first wireless take-out service area in an airport. Five restaurants, Godiva, Ginza Bairin, Macao PorKing, Bricco and Wagas, offer more than 200 drinks, desserts, Chinese snacks and Japanese and Western dishes and allow passengers to get food delivery to their waiting area.

Tips for parking fees in SHA parking lots

0-2 hours: 10 yuan ($1.49) per hour. 

Over 2 hours and within 24 hours: Five yuan per hour and the maximum chargeable time for 10 hours is 60 yuan; 

Over 24 hours and within 48 hours: the maximum chargeable time for 14 hours is 80 yuan;

Over 48 hours: the maximum chargeable time for 20 hours is 110 yuan; for parking over 48 hours, it will be calculated as another 24 hours. 

(Note: Each vehicle can enjoy 20-minute free parking within 24 hours; the parking fee is charged hourly. Less than one hour is counted as one hour, and more than one hour is counted as another one progressively.

Cash, ETC, Alipay, Union Pay and WeChat Pay are accepted at all parking lots in Hongqiao airport.

Passengers must obey the Civil Aviation Administration of China's regulations on aviation safety and cooperate with the security inspection personnel in the following aspects:

1. Passengers are forbidden to carry by any means controlled knives, inflammable and explosive materials, toxic or corrosive substances or items with strong magnetism or a pungent odor.

2. Passengers are not allowed to take lighters, matches and other tinder in checked or carry-on luggage. Those who deliberately conceal them will be handed over the public security organs.
3. Liquid goods shall be consigned. Liquid goods include gels, aerosols beverages and Chinese medical decoctions. Gels include shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste; aerosols include sprays, air fresheners, and leather polishing agents.

4. Passengers can carry a small amount of travel cosmetics for their own use, each in only one container no larger than 100 ml. Cosmetics and other liquid articles exceeding 100 ml shall be consigned. Flammable liquid articles are forbidden.

5. Alcoholic beverages cannot be carried with passengers, but can be consigned. The consigned alcoholic beverage should be clearly marked and kept in retail packaging. The volume of a single alcoholic beverage container should not exceed 5L. The alcohol percentage of alcoholic beverages should be 24 percent or less. Up to 5L per person of alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic content exceeding 24 percent but no more than 70 percent are permitted to be checked in or carried on board. It is forbidden to consign or carry beverages with more than 70 percent alcoholic content.

6. Lithium batteries should not be inserted in checked-in luggage. Carry-on lithium batteries must be clearly identified, and each rated energy value shall not exceed 100 Wh. When rated energy is more than 100 Wh, but no more than 160 Wh, it must be approved by the airline and each person is allowed to take two pieces at most. Lithium batteries over 160Wh are not allowed to be checked in or carried on board. Formula: Wh (watt hour) = V (volt) *mAh (milliampere hour) / 1000.

7. Spare lithium batteries must be placed in plastic bags (boxes) separately or sealed by adhesive tape on their exposed electrodes for insulation.