Seattle → Shanghai flights
Seattle–Shanghai fares show a median of $517 across 30 daily snapshots, with a wide $219 spread — book when prices sit near the $497 p25 threshold.
Target $497–$517 on SEA–PVG; fares spike 29% above median
Key takeaways
- Median fare is $517, but the bottom quartile sits at $497 — a modest $20 difference that suggests deals cluster just below median.
- The low observed fare was $447 and the high was $666, a $219 spread representing a 49% swing from bottom to top.
- Fares in the top quartile ($596+) run 15% above median — avoid booking when prices have drifted into that range.
- With a 49% spread, this route has meaningful price volatility; setting a fare alert near $497 is a credible strategy.
- 30 daily snapshots provide a solid baseline, though fares are dynamic and this window reflects one pricing period, not all seasons.
30-day price trend
See full numbers and stats on the SEA → PVG price history page.
The full picture
Seattle–Shanghai (PVG) is a long-haul transpacific route where fares can move sharply in either direction. The 30-day snapshot data shows a median of $517, with the middle 50% of observed prices falling between $497 and $596. That $99 interquartile range is wide enough to matter — catching a fare near the p25 floor rather than the p75 ceiling saves roughly 15% on an already expensive ticket. The $447 floor represents the best realistic outcome in this dataset, while the $666 ceiling signals conditions (peak travel periods, low seat availability, or late booking) you want to avoid.
On a route of this distance and complexity, booking lead time matters more than day-of-week. Transpacific fares on Seattle–Shanghai tend to loosen in the 6–10 week window ahead of departure, after airlines have loaded inventory but before the peak booking rush closes in. Fares observed at or below $497 — the bottom quartile — are worth acting on promptly rather than waiting for a further dip, since the $447 low is an outlier, not a floor you can reliably expect to find.
No dominant carrier pattern is visible from the available data, so this analysis can't speak to whether one airline consistently underlies the lower fares. The 49% price spread is the clearest signal: this route is volatile, and the difference between a good fare and a poor one is real money on a $500+ base ticket. Set a fare alert anchored around $490–$510, and treat anything at or below $497 as a credible buy signal. One honest caveat: 30 snapshots represent one rolling pricing window and may not capture seasonal shifts — summer and Chinese holiday periods (Golden Week, Lunar New Year) can push the entire distribution higher.
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AI-authored from this route's 30-day price index. Article last regenerated Jun 13, 2026. Fares shift continuously — confirm at booking.