New nonstop service to Shanghai and Beijing starts in June; Service to Beijing increases to daily May 1.
SEATTLE – As part of a large scale expansion in North America, China’s Hainan Airlines announced it plans to begin three new nonstop routes between the United States and China. Service will be inaugurated from Silicon Valley’s Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport to Beijing on June 15, from Boston’s Logan Airport to Shanghai’s Pudong Airport on June 20, and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Shanghai Pudong on June 22.
Mainland China’s only certified Skytrax five-star airline will operate two-class Boeing 787 Dreamliners on between San Jose and Beijing five days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with early afternoon departure times. Service between Boston and Shanghai will operate thrice weekly: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with afternoon times. Between Seattle and Shanghai, using a two-class Airbus A330-200, the airline will operate four days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with midday departure times.
From Boston, flights will depart at 4:25pm and arrive Shanghai at 7:35pm the following day. Return flights will depart Shanghai at 11:45am and arrive Boston at 2:25pm the same day. Flight time is 15 hours ten minutes westbound and 14 hours forty minutes eastbound. Connections with Hainan’s airline partners, including JetBlue with its Boston focus city, allow travelers to connect to and from the new service from points throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Seattle flights will depart at 12 noon and arrive Shanghai at 4:30pm the following day. Return flights will depart Shanghai at 1:15pm and arrive Seattle at 9:35am the same day. Flight time is 13 ½ hours westbound and 11 hours 20 minutes eastbound. Connections with Hainan’s airline partners, including Alaska Airlines with its Seattle hub, allow travelers to connect to and from the new service from points throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The new flights from San Jose represent the first ever nonstop service between Mainland China and Silicon Valley. Flights will depart San Jose International Airport at 1:10pm and arrive Beijing at 4:40pm the following day. Return flights will depart Beijing at 2:30pm and arrive San Jose at 11:10am the same day. Flight time is 12 ½ hours westbound and 11 hours 40 minutes eastbound. Connections to and from points throughout China are also possible throughout Hainan’s extensive domestic network.
Cargo service is offered on all flights.
Service on the existing Beijing routes to and from Boston, Seattle and Chicago will increase to daily on May 1, 2015. Hainan Airlines also operates daily between Toronto, Canada and Beijing.
“Since we began our Seattle route in June 2008, hundreds of thousands of people have experienced the award-winning service Hainan Airlines provides between the United States and China,” said Mr. Ji Chun Liu, Director of Hainan’s International Department. “Now we are excited to open three new nonstop routes from North America to China. The community of interest and expanding trade between the United States and China has grown this market exponentially, enhanced by the new reciprocal ten year visas between the two countries recently put into place.“
Business class passengers are pampered with priority check-in and access to the lounge. On board, they can relax in luxurious seats that convert into fully flat beds and feature turn-down service complete with fluffy pillows, fine cotton sheets and a duvet, pajamas and slippers. Gourmet Chinese or Western cuisine and wines are served on fine china, glassware and linens; customers may choose when they wish to dine. Freshly brewed espresso and a selection of teas are available. Amenity kits feature famous Bulgari® cosmetics. A state of the art entertainment system offers over 100 movies, audio selections and games on demand.
In Boston, Chicago, Seattle and San Jose, as well as in Shanghai and Beijing, with advance reservations, premium passengers are treated to complimentary private chauffeured car service both on arrival and departure. Shanghai’s Pudong Airport also features a Maglev train that speeds travel between the airport and the city.
Economy class passengers can also enjoy complimentary beverages, meals, snacks as well as the same state-of-the-art entertainment system on individual seat-back screens.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
