United Airlines has announced that it will be doubling the number of
services it offers between San Francisco and Shanghai. The route will be
served with four weekly flights starting on September 4th. This comes
after both the US and China have agreed to open additional international
air services between the two countries.To get more
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United
Airlines currently flies twice weekly between San Francisco
International Airport (SFO) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport
(PVG) via a stop in Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN). Starting
on September 4th, United will operate four weekly flights.
United
is going to use a Boeing 777-300ER on the route. The aircraft will
operate from SFO to PVG via ICN on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and
Sundays. The return flight will run on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays,
and Sundays.
UA857 will depart San Francisco at 11:00 local time
on the above listed days. The aircraft will reach Shanghai at 17:45
local time the next day. The return flights will leave Shanghai at 21:40
and arrive the same day in San Francisco at 20:55 local.On Tuesday,
August 18th, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it
would allow Chinese carriers to operate a total of eight weekly
roundtrip scheduled flights in the aggregate. This came as Chinese
aviation authorities also increased the number of flights permitted on
US airlines. In total, US and Chinese airlines will be operating 16
roundtrip weekly flights between the two countries.
United
Airlines and Delta Air Lines were two carriers trying to resume services
to China back in June. However, there were some impediments to getting
governmental permission in China for these US airlines to restart
flights. So, at first, the DOT denied permission for Chinese airlines to
operate to the US, citing the inability of US carriers to fly to
China.A few days later, the DOT amended the order allowing a total of
two flights per week between the US and China on Chinese carriers after
Delta and United both received one weekly roundtrip. And then, after
Delta and United received another weekly flight, Chinese airlines, in
the aggregate, received four weekly flights.
Now, United and
Delta have received four weekly flights apiece. So, the DOT is granting
Chinese airlines eight weekly flights in the aggregate. Delta Air Lines
will likely also increase the number of flights it offers between the US
and China– also via a stop in Seoul.
The stop in Seoul by US
airlines operating to China is likely to allow crews to avoid laying
over in China, which has a very restrictive entry policy for
foreigners.United Airlines was the largest US carrier flying to China
before the current crisis hit. From Shanghai alone, United operated five
daily flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Newark to
PVG.
United’s SFO to PVG flight is driven in a large part by
Apple, the tech company. Apple bought about 50 business class seats per
day on the route, spending about $35 million. However, that has likely
been significantly reduced in the wake of the current crisis.
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