Airliner Upgraded on Air China’s San Francisco Route

BEIJING, June 1, 2015 — Air China’s newly delivered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental has been put into service on the carrier’s Chongqing – Beijing – San Francisco route starting May 2015. This is Air China’s second route to North America operated with the “Queen in the Sky” after the airliner on the carrier’s Beijing-New York route was upgraded to Boeing 747-8 at the beginning of this year, and also Air China’s first route from Chongqing to North America. Passengers just need to make a short stopover in Beijing before continuing the journey to San Francisco on the same aircraft.

Air China’s Boeing 747-8 operated on Beijing – San Francisco route is the first of the kind ever delivered in China’s airline industry. It is the newest member of the Boeing 747 family. It continues Boeing 747 family’s classic shape, features some of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s high technologies, is powered by more efficient engines and boasts a more advanced wing design, making fight smoother, quieter, more economic and more environmental friendly. At the same time, Air China’s Boeing 747-8 is a showcase of the best cabin configuration in China’s airline industry – it’s configured with a four-class layout for the first time and impresses with a brand-new cabin interior that exudes unique Chinese cultural charms and state-of-the-art entertainment system. With fewer seats than that of the standard configuration, it offers more personal space for passengers. The entry into service of the aircraft type on the route will make travel from the city of Chongqing and other regions of Southwest China to North America a more pleasant and comfortable one.

With the market demand for travel to North America increasing fast, Air China has been quite committed to building its China-North America route network, serving as an air bridge for exchanges between China and the United States. Currently, Air China serves 7 destinations on the east and west coasts of North America with 104 flights per week. While the airliner on the Chongqing-Beijing-San Francisco route has been upgraded, Air China’s Beijing-Los Angeles service has been increased from the twice daily to three times daily, offering both pleasant travel experiences and more travel options to travelers between China and the United States as well as between the Asia Pacific region and North America. In addition, on the Chongqing-Beijing-San Francisco route, Air China has introduced special offers on ticket purchase and class upgrade. The lowest Economy Class round-trip fare is just RMB 2,800; passengers who purchase Premium Economy Class/Business Class round-trip ticket only pay 50% of the fare of the same class for the second person; and those who purchase First Class/Business Class round-trip ticket get one Premium Economy Class ticket for free. Great deals and pleasant travel experiences await passengers.

About the flights:

The Chongqing-Beijing-San Francisco flights, CA985/6, are operated daily. The whole journey takes about 16 hours. The outbound flight departs from Chongqing at 11:00 Beijing time, arrives in Beijing at 13:30 and arrives in San Francisco at 12:20 local time. The return flight departs from San Francisco at 14:50 local time, arrives in Beijing at 17:55 Beijing time and arrives in Chongqing at 22:45.

About Air China

Air China is China’s only national flag carrier and a member carrier of the world’s largest airline network – Star Alliance.
By April 2015, Air China had a fleet of 523 passenger aircraft and freighters of mainly Boeing and Airbus families (including those of the carriers which Air China has a majority stake in). It operates 332routes, including 83 international routes, 15 regional routes and 234 domestic routes. It serves 161 cities in 33 countries and regions, including 55 international cities, 3 regional cities and 103 domestic cities. Every week, Air China offers over 1.47 million seats on over 7700 flights per week.

Utilizing its extensive route network and its hub in Beijing, especially after its admission to the Star Alliance, Air China can fly passengers to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

PhoenixMiles, Air China’s customer loyalty program created in 1994, is Asia’s only frequent flyer program shared by a number of carriers.
Air China’s customer service philosophy revolves around four elements: credibility, convenience, comfort, and choice. Hard work over the years has resulted in a tremendous increase in Air China’s brand value. In 2013, Air China ranked again as one of the world’s top 500 brands with a brand value of RMB 91.899 billion, and was the only Chinese carrier on the World Brands 500 list.