Air China and Kunming Airlines start codeshare agreement

Source: Air China. Representatives from Air China and Kunming Airlines at a signing ceremony for the codeshare agreement on September 3.

Air China and Kunming Airlines have begun a codeshare cooperation agreement as of September 15, 2014.

According to the agreement, the two carriers will connect the city of Kunming to their respective route networks. With the cooperation, Air China will put its code CA on the nearly 500 weekly flights of 26 routes operated by Kunming Airlines, which will extend its route network to the cities ofYunnan province and other neighbouring cities. At the same time, Kunming Airlines will put its code KY on about 210 weekly flights of nine routes operated by Air China, which will extend its network to most of China's big and medium-sized cities.

Lou Yongfeng, Managing Director, International Cooperation Department, Commercial Committee, said, "Air China has always attached great importance to establishing partnerships with other carriers. It is our hope that our codeshare cooperation with Kunming Airlines will help us make the most of our synergies, further improve the networks of both sides and make it easier for passengers around the country to travel to and fromYunnan."

Liu Rui, Kunming Airlines' Executive Vice President, said, "Our codeshare cooperation with Air China will not only further expand our route networks, but also help us draw upon the experiences and expertise of other domestic fine airlines, offering better services to passengers to and fromYunnan."

Air China is China's only national flag carrier and also the largest carrier between China and Europe and between China and America. Its route network serves over 162 destinations in 32 countries and regions worldwide. 

Kunming Airlines is a Kunming-based carrier with a network serving most of the second-tier and third-tier cities in Yunnan province. Based in Changshui International Airport, the carrier operates both domestic trunk and feeder routes. It has a fleet of 14 aircraft and a route network that serves more than 20 cities of China.

Air China starts codeshare with China Express

Air China and Guiyang-based China Express (华夏航空) have begun a codeshare cooperation agreement as of 1 September. Air China is China's national flag carrier and also the largest carrier between China and Europe and between China and the US. Its route network serves over 162 destinations in 32 countries and regions worldwide. China Express is a carrier operating feeder routes for passenger and cargo transportation.

Source: Air China. An agreement was signed in Guiyang, Guizhou on August 29, 2014.

According to the agreement, the two carriers will connect the cities of Chongqing, Guiyang and Dalian to their respective networks. Air China operates over 50 routes to Chongqing, Guizhou and Liaoning, giving passengers easy access to most of the Chinese provincial capitals. With the agreement, Air China will be put its code CA on 32 routes operated by China Express, which will extend its route network to the second-tier and third-tier cities around Chongqing as well as in provinces of Guizhou and Liaoning. 

At the same time, China Express will put is G5 code on 30 routes operated by Air China, which will extend its network to most of China's medium and large cities. 

Lou Yongfeng, Managing Director, International Cooperation Department, Commercial Committee, Air China said, "Air China has always attached great importance to establishing partnerships with other carriers. It is our hope that our codeshare cooperation with China Express will further expand the networks of both sides and make it easier for passengers around the country to travel to and from the regions around Chongqing, Guizhou and Liaoning."

Luo Tong, Vice President of China Express, said, "The cooperation not only connects the networks of the two carriers, but also make a trunk route carrier and a feeder carrier complement each other. The feeder market will enter a fast track by benefiting from the well-established trunk routes. So the point-to-point operations of the feeder market will be supported by trunk route operations. China Express is quite committed to making medium- and small-sized cities more accessible, and the most effective way of doing that at the lowest social costs is to fully take advantage of the network of trunk routes to grow the feeder market."

Air China offering 50% lower excess baggage fees to North America if prepaid

Air China has become the first domestic carrier to introduce prepaid excess baggage fee services on routes to North America. Passengers on Air China-operated flights between North America and Beijing whose checked baggage exceeds the allowance can pay in advance for their excess baggage through Air China's ticketing offices worldwide or via the Air China Members Services Center hotline. 

Prepaid excess baggage fees will cost 50% less than those that passengers usually have to pay when checking in at the airport, amounting to RMB 650/piece, or equivalent in local currency. 

The prepaid excess baggage fee service is applicable to Air China's direct flights between Beijing and seven North American cities including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, San Francisco, Houston, Hawaii and Vancouver. The baggage cannot exceed 158cm in the sum of its length, width and height and must not exceed 23kg in weight. Each passenger can pay in advance for up to two pieces of excess baggage on each flight. 

Passengers can pay for the service 24 hours before flight departure through Air China's ticketing offices worldwide or via the Air China Members Services Center hotline. Passengers need only show proof of their payment to Air China's staff at check-in at the airport to have their excess baggage checked in.

Other services that Air China has introduced recently include self-service check-in, baggage through check-in and boarding gate standby, all of which enhance travel experiences for passengers.

Hawaiian, Air China join hands on codeshare agreement

Hawaiian Airlines has signed a codeshare agreement with Air China, China's exclusive national flag carrier, that leverages the reach of their respective hubs in Honolulu and Beijing to offer more options and a more streamlined experience for customers traveling to further destinations. The new partnership follows Hawaiian's launch of a three-times weekly non-stop service to Beijing. 

"Following the launch of our inaugural service to Beijing, we are delighted to partner with Air China to extend our network beyond the capital city, giving customers the ability to easily explore additional domestic destinations within China on a single ticket from Honolulu," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO. 

"Air China is dedicated to establishing close relationships with airlines worldwide. We believe the codeshare partnership with Hawaiian Airlines will further extend the networks of both companies, bring convenience to passengers from and around China traveling to the Hawaiian Islands and US Mainland, and to Hawaiian passengers traveling to Beijing and beyond," said Song Zhiyong, CEO of Air China.

Through this comprehensive and multi-phase partnership, Hawaiian Airlines will place its two-letter "HA" booking code on Air China-operated flights from Beijing to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenyang. Likewise, Air China will place its two-letter "CA" booking code on Hawaiian Airlines-operated neighbor island flights from Honolulu to Kahului, Līhu'e, Kona and Hilo.

Future cooperation between both carriers is expected to include additional codeshare cities in both China and North America. Both Hawaiian Airlines and Air China are also negotiating a reciprocal partnership that will allow their respective frequent flyer members to earn and redeem miles for travel on either carrier. 

China-Myanmar travel will be easier with Air China's new routes

Air China will debut new routes from Beijing to Yangon and from Chengdu to Kunming to Yangon on March 30, boosting options from main hub Beijing and regional hub Chengdu respectively.  

Source: Air China

At the end of 2013, Air China introduced non-stop services from Beijing to Chiang Mai and Siem Reap. In 2014, the carrier will continue to service what it calls its "Pilgrimage Tour." 

According to the airline, the situation in Myanmar has stabilised, and business travel to the city is steadily increasing. "Statistics suggest that in the three years from 2010 to 2012, air travellers from China to Yangon increased at a rate of 30.1%, and from January to July 2013, travelers increased by 23.1% year on year," the company said in a statement. 

The two new services will also offer an additional transit option via Beijing for Southeast Asia travellers to Japan, South Korea, Europe, and America, the company said. 

Air China's Beijing-Yangon four-times weekly service CA715/6 will be operated on Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday with B737-800 planes. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 1930 and arrives in Yangon at 2250. The return flight leaves Yangon at 2350 and arrives in Beijing at 0550. All flight times are in the local time.

Air China's Chengdu-Kunming-Yangon daily service CA905/6 will fly from Monday to Sunday with A320 planes. The outbound flight departs from Chengdu at 0825, arrives in Kunming at 0940, departs from Kunming at 1045, and arrives in Yangon at 1115 local time. The return flight departs from Yangon at 1215, arrives in Kunming at 1600, departs from Kunming at 1705  and arrives in Chengdu at 1815. All times reported are in local time.

Air China offers Beijing to Vienna and Barcelona four times a week

As a member carrier of the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline network, Air China has been actively expanding its European schedule. The airline has opted to fill the gaps for nonstop flights linking East Asia and Barcelona, and also to boost the availability of flights betSween Beijing and Vienna. 

Source: Air China

Air China's new Beijing-Vienna-Barcelona service will be Air China's 23rd European route. It provides a direct path between East Asia and Central and Southern Europe, sparing passengers the trouble of having to make transfers, but also offer an additional option to travelers between such cities as Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Manila and Europe.

CA841/2 will be offered on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with the outbound flight leaving Beijing at 0210 and arriving in Vienna at 0610, then in Barcelona at 0925 (local times). The return flight leaves Barcelona at 1125, arrives in Vienna at 1325 and then touches down in Beijing at 0555 the next day (local times). 
The service is to be operated with a wide-body A330-300 and features a Business Class with full-flat seats. The Premium Economy Class offers 120% of the legroom available in standard Economy Class. Personal entertainment systems are available in all classes of service.

According to IATA's projections, Europe's international passenger demand is expected to grow by 4.7% in 2014. Air China also quotes survey results to show that Chinese travellers to Europe have been increasing at a two-digit rate in the past 10 years. 

Air China currently offers more than 100 flights per week between China and Europe, serving such major European cities as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, Moscow and Madrid.