RM 378 Find Cheap Flights from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu – Compare and Save

3 airlines operate flights between Shanghai and Kota Kinabalu. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• Shanghai Airlines
• AirAsia
• Spring Airlines

Flights from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu may depart from several airports in Shanghai area, including Shanghai Pu Dong (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao Intl (SHA). Flights usually arrive at Kota Kinabalu (BKI).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Spring Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• AirAsia: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• China Eastern: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Only Economy class is available on flights from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu.

On this route, stopover flights are cheaper than direct options on average. Stopover fares average RM 1,167 return via Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), compared with RM 1,548 for direct.

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge RM 102–RM 407 for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu most commonly connect through:

• Kuala Lumpur Intl (KUL) – 86% of one-stop connections
• Fuzhou (FOC) – 7% of one-stop connections
• Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) – 7% of one-stop connections

Kuala Lumpur Intl (KUL) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

On the Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu route, being flexible with your departure day can save you up to 26%. Sunday is the cheapest day at RM 1,277 return on average, while Saturday is the most expensive at RM 1,716 – a RM 439 difference. Cheaper weekend fares like these are typical of routes dominated by weekday business travel.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu route, 13% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 2 hours 12 minutes.

Evening is the busiest departure period on Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu flights, with 50% leaving in that window. Night departures account for 50%, Morning flights for 0%, and Afternoon flights for 0%.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu:

• Earliest: departs at 04:05 and lands at 08:37
• Latest: departs at 22:10 and lands at 02:42.

The flight takes about 4h 32m.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 15% above the route average of RM 1,543. Book 19 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A direct flight from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu takes 4h 32m, covering 4,613 km.

Yes, a valid passport is required for this international route. Many destinations require at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates. Check your passport expiry well before booking.

One-way fares from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about RM 479, which is 45% below the typical average for this route.

AirAsia is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while Shanghai Airlines has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu flights are:

• AirAsia: 94% on time
• Shanghai Airlines: 85% on time
• Spring Airlines: 71% on time

On average, flights on this route are punctual 87% of the time.

Evening flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Fuzhou (FOC) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 10h 57m, compared to 13h 40m via Kuala Lumpur Intl (KUL) and 13h 54m via Ho Chi Minh City (SGN).

Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around RM 63 for economy cars. Top options include:
· keddy by Europcar
· GREEN MOTION
· Europcar
· KK Rent A Car
· Hertz

Return flights from Shanghai to Kota Kinabalu range from RM 1,270 to RM 1,884, with an average of RM 1,543 over the past 12 months. Anything below RM 1,270 counts as a good deal.