All posts by Alex Guan

On August 29 Thursday, United Airlines officially reinstated its nonstop service between Los Angeles and Shanghai, marking a significant step in reconnecting the two cities.

The event was celebrated with great fanfare at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where United Airlines and airport executives gathered to mark the occasion. Passengers were treated to thoughtfully curated special gifts, and a live cultural performance by a Chinese actor added a vibrant touch to the festivities.

United Airlines announced that the Los Angeles-Shanghai route will initially operate four times a week. Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Shanghai (PVG, UA198) will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, while flights from Shanghai (PVG) to Los Angeles (LAX, UA199) will take off on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. By the end of October, the frequency will increase to a daily service.

The COVID-19 pandemic had severely restricted flights between the United States and China, leading to United Airlines suspending its nonstop Los Angeles-Shanghai flights in February 2020.

Following China’s decision to lift quarantine requirements for inbound travelers in early 2023, international flights experienced a surge in demand, with many routes returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, the resumption of flights between the U.S. and China has been slower, hampered by ongoing air rights negotiations and route complications arising from U.S. sanctions on Russia.

In February of this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that starting March 31, it would permit Chinese airlines to increase their weekly round-trip flights to the U.S. to 50. Under the principle of reciprocity, the total number of direct flights between the two countries will reach 100 per week, about one-third of pre-pandemic levels. United Airlines also announced at that time that it would resume its Los Angeles-Shanghai service in August.

Currently, the 50 flight slots allocated to U.S. airlines for routes to and from China are not fully utilized. United Airlines leads in the number of direct flights between the U.S. and China. Once the Los Angeles-Shanghai route returns to daily service as planned, and combined with the San Francisco-Shanghai and San Francisco-Beijing routes, the airline will operate 21 direct flights between the U.S. and China each week.

As for the other two U.S. carriers, Delta Air Lines operates 14 weekly flights, offering daily service between Detroit and Shanghai, as well as between Seattle and Shanghai. However, Delta’s Los Angeles-Shanghai route has yet to resume. American Airlines currently operates seven weekly flights between Dallas and Shanghai.

Introducing the Beijing Pass, a versatile companion unveiled in the heart of China’s capital, designed to be a seamless gateway for international travelers exploring Beijing’s wonders. Imagine a key that unlocks not just transport within Beijing but also across over 300 cities nationwide, from the bustling streets of Shanghai to the vibrant landscapes of Guangzhou and beyond.

This enchanting pass, with its capacious purse of up to 1,000 yuan (about 140.16 U.S. dollars), not only eases travel on Beijing’s subways, suburban trains, and local taxis but also extends its magic to embrace iconic destinations like the majestic Summer Palace, the serene Temple of Heaven, and the awe-inspiring Badaling Great Wall section.

(240801) — BEIJING, Aug. 1, 2024 (Xinhua) — International visitors read manuals for Beijing Pass at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2024. TO GO WITH “Beijing issues prepaid cards for international visitors” (Xinhua)

From the moment of arrival, visitors can acquire or return their Beijing Pass at 15 enchanting locations across the cityscape, including the gateways of Beijing Capital International Airport, the modern expanse of Beijing Daxing International Airport, and the historic pulse of Beijing Railway Station, all with a simple flash of identification.

Imbued with the spirit of innovation, the Beijing Pass allows wanderers to replenish its vitality at 490 oases scattered along the 27 veins of Beijing’s subway network—be it through the hospitality of service counters or the nimble touch of self-service marvels. For added enchantment, funds can also be bestowed upon the pass through the ethereal “SilkPass” mobile enchantment.

“Fulfilling dreams is our guiding star,” murmurs Feng Ya, a custodian at Beijing Municipal Administration & Communication Card Co., Ltd., the artisans behind this marvel. “In the tapestry of tomorrow, we shall weave even more threads of convenience and possibility.”

As Beijing emerges as a beacon of allure, welcoming over 1.65 million seekers of adventure in the first half of this year alone, the Beijing Pass stands not alone. Across the realm, sister cities like Shanghai have cast their own charms, with the Shanghai Pass, unveiled this May, offering similar enchantments across 330 cities, making each visit a chapter in a grand tale of exploration and discovery.

New Zealand and Australian citizens will find it easier to explore the wonders of China thanks to a recent development that has significantly simplified travel requirements.

During his just-concluded visits to New Zealand and Australia, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced that China will include these two Oceanian nations in its list of unilateral visa-free countries. This means that New Zealand and Australian passport holders will be able t>o enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit, for up to 15 days.

The effect of this decision was immediate. Just half an hour after the announcement, the number of people in Australia searching for China-related keywords on the international tourism platform Trip.com surged by over 80 percent compared to the previous day.

Visas have long been considered a pain point for travel due to their often-complex procedures and added costs. Removing the barrier is a welcome change for the travel industry, said Anthony Spark, director of South Australia-based travel agency Spark Travel.

Echoing Spark, other tourism experts and industry representatives enthusiastically embrace the simplified travel requirements, saying it will enhance tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

David Su, a long-time tourism practitioner living in New Zealand, believes the decision will facilitate travel, while also creating a new growth opportunity for outbound tourism from New Zealand, making it easier for New Zealanders to enter China or transit through.

New Zealand anticipates a tourism boost to China from October this year, Li Ruiqin, managing director of China Travel Service in New Zealand, said.

New Zealand’s leading tourism companies and agencies have been exploring the Chinese market since early this year, Li said.

“They are stunned by delicious and diversified Chinese food, the efficiency of high-speed trains and the boom of electric cars in the cities during their trip to China,” he said.

For Australians, there is no doubt that the decision will encourage them to consider China for their next trip, Spark said.

“China is a very accessible country for Australians with many great tour packages, including cruise and land options, available to book. I would also expect people with extended family or friends in China to now look favorably towards China for their next holiday,” he said.

During Premier Li’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, the two sides agreed to provide each other with reciprocal access to multi-entry visas of up to three to five years’ duration for tourism, business and visiting family members.

Songshan Huang, a professor of tourism at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, said: “Accordingly, we will also expect a higher volume of reversed tourist flow from China to Australia.”

The latest visa policy is a sincere gesture that China would like to further its people-to-people exchanges with other countries, Huang said.

Bilateral tourism exchanges are all about “getting to know each other and forging personal relationships, which then lead to securing further connections such as business and cultural exchanges. Friendly encounters are where it all begins and where the benefits abound,” said professor Chris Ryan from the School of Management and Marketing Operations at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced at its regular press conference Thursday, February 29, Beijing Time that starting from March 31st, airlines from both China and the United States can operate a total of 100 regular passenger flights per week.

It was pointed out at the meeting that since the Spring Festival travel season, the resumption of international regular passenger flights in China has been steadily progressing. From February 12th to 18th, both Chinese and foreign airlines operated 5,389 international regular passenger flights (each round trip counted as 1 flight), which has resumed to 70.7% of the pre-pandemic level.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, currently, international regular passenger flights serve 64 countries, of which 48 are countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, accounting for 75%. Flights to 22 countries including Singapore, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and Turkey have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and five new countries, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Tanzania, Serbia, and Papua New Guinea, have been added to the list of countries with air traffic.

Regarding flights between China and the United States, starting from March 31st, airlines from both China and the United States can operate a total of 100 regular passenger flights per week.

The press conference stated that the Civil Aviation Administration will continue to increase resource allocation, further optimize approval procedures, support both Chinese and foreign airlines in timely increasing capacity according to market demand, continue to ensure and monitor the operation of international routes and flights of airlines, steadily promote the recovery of international flights, and better meet the needs of travel and business personnel.

The news was also proved by Mr. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador in China on his X post on Wednesday, February 28, EST.