Saturday, August 12, 2023
This November, United Airlines (UA) announced that it would resume its connection from San Francisco International Airport direct to China’s capital.
The service headed for Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) will take off from November daily. Shanghai, is also set to see an increase in benefits, with its four weekly rotations to San Francisco, to a daily service.
While the Beijing connection’s schedule will be released in the coming days, Shanghai currently is supported by a 13:20 departure on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, touching down at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) at 17:45.
66,000 seats available
According to data from Cirium, the current market facilitates over 66,000 seats between the United States and China, with 210 flights a month (there and back).
While United maintains the service from San Fran to Shanghai, soon to be Beijing.
The other two of the big three, American Airlines, serve Dallas, Fort Worth, to Shanghai with 18 services a month, and Delta takes to the skies from Detroit and Seattle with twice weekly services.
United looks to more than double its California connections. Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, said that they are grateful for this positive step forward in US–China passenger air services, and they thank the many officials from both countries who partnered to make this reinstatement of air service possible.
This announcement is good news for United customers because we believe that a daily flight to Beijing and a daily flight to Shanghai from San Francisco is consistent with the demand they see in the market right now – especially since their ability to serve China nonstop from our mid-continent hubs or the East Coast is severely limited by Russian overflight restrictions.
Other competitors are cashing in
While United’s services are set to increase, the big three still have a bit of catching up to do when compared with the Chinese carriers. Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and Xiamen Airlines maintain a robust Pacific network.
Air China operates three routes, from Beijing to Los Angeles and New York. John F. Kennedy Airport, in addition to Shenzhen through to Los Angeles, China Eastern, connects Shanghai to LA and JFK.
Guangzhou-based China Southern follows China Eastern with a similar service between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and New York and LA.
At the same time, Xiamen Airlines connects Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and Los Angeles up to three times a week with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
