COVID-times Trip Report: SHA-CGK Shanghai Airlines Economy Class
Just on the fourth day after getting out of quarantine, I already scheduled a domestic business trip - to Chongqing. The company travel agent told me that because I came from a high risk area (the US), I needed a COVID test within 7 days. Well, thankfully, I was tested prior to release from the quarantine hotel, I told him. BUT, I was tested on a Monday, and was scheduled to depart on a Monday. So he said “it would be best” to do another test the weekend before, because each test has only 7 day validity.
So, on Saturday I dutifully went to the Xuhui Central Hospital, just less than 10 minutes walk from my apartment. At the reception desk, they told me that they weren’t doing any more tests that day, but helpfully told me that I could go ahead and register and pay for the test that afternoon, and then return Sunday morning to do the test. They said if I did the test before 10:30am, they would have results back the same day.
So I went upstairs, first registered for the first time at the hospital and got some kind of ID card and booklet, then went to the respiratory area to get the doctor’s order for the test. The nurse there was very kind and told me that because I was registering with a passport and not a domestic ID, the next morning they would have to do some kind of registration by hand. After the doctor wrote the order, I went back to the upstairs registration area to pay my 120 RMB fee for the test. That’s the same amount I paid at the quarantine hotel, so I guess it’s the standard price for COVID tests.
Sunday morning, I returned to the hospital, and did the test very quickly at the little white hut to the right.
I came back at 4pm, when they said the results would be ready, and waited in line. An unmoving line had formed, because they said the results were delayed until 4:30 or 5pm. People started to complain loudly. Apparently many workplaces require people to get the test after coming back to Shanghai, and they just needed the piece of paper as proof. Their health apps already showed the results (the app which I couldn’t register for with my passport), and they knew that if they really were infected they’d already be put in quarantine! Finally just before 5pm, they started to swipe our hospital cards and print out our results.
So, the next day I was all prepared for check-in and boarding. I couldn’t use the kiosk to check in, because my passport was at the visa bureau for my new residence permit, and I just had a paper receipt. I went to the check-in counter for agent assistance, and there they asked for my quarantine release papers. Thank goodness I carried them with me! I also gave them my freshly printed test results from the Xuhui Central Hospital, which they took as well. They printed out my boarding pass and took several pictures of the boarding pass with all of the documents. Were they worried that people would spring out of quarantine hotel, like springing out of jail, and then try to board domestic flights? I would have thought that there would be enough trust in the system to know that everyone walking around freely in China has been quarantined and tested multiple times!
I did ask the agent if they really needed the new COVID test from the day before. She said that actually they didn’t need it - it was the quarantine papers that they were really checking. Okay… I guess better safe than sorry…
There were no new procedures at security check.
Finally I could board the Shanghai Airlines Boeing 737-800. At the podium where they scanned the boarding pass, they also asked passengers to squirt hand sanitizer on them. That was a bit awkward, trying to do the hand sanitizer while also holding the boarding pass.
Then upon boarding the airplane, the flight attendant checked the temperature on the wrist.
My row was full, while there were rows behind me that were open. I asked the flight attendant if I could move a seat, but I wasn’t allowed to - I think they keep everyone in the assigned seat to keep track of passengers who might later test positive, and assist with contact tracing. Masks were mandatory throughout the flight, except when eating.
Since this flight, departing at 5:10pm and arriving at 8:05pm, was smack during dinner time, it was understandable that there would be dinner service, but I was still impressed that it was a full hot meal given that the flight time was less than 3 hours.
There was no choice, except for pork and rice.
The pork was very nice! Tender and flavorful. It was service with a quarter of a bok choy, and a half of a marinated egg.
On the side, there was a seaweed salad, with a bit of chicken and a cherry tomato.
Making an appearance again in the dessert section, the cherry tomatoes joined a couple slices of very nice, crispy melon (not the softer texture I associate with cantaloupe usually).
Another sweet to end the meal was this “nougat cake.” It turned out to be two very, very flaky biscuits (a bit too messy for the plane! I was covered in biscuit shards afterwards), with a very chewy sweet white blob in the middle. The contrast of textures between the flaky and chewy, and the neutral and sweet, was actually quite pleasant.
In flight, they said that according to Chongqing regulations, we would have to show a health code upon arrival. I was confused whether this was a new health code, but when I tried to register for the Chongqing health code, I realized that it was asking for a lot of address information that I didn’t have for the hotel. Indeed, upon arrival they explained that either Shanghai or Chongqing health codes were acceptable. And in the jetway, all we had to do was flash the green QR code at the agent and she waved us through.
