Following talks between China and the US in the past months and weeks we have some civil aviation news. The two countries have agreed to increase the number of flights assignable to airlines to connect its main cities. Among the first of the American carriers to take advantage of this opportunity is United Airlines. Let’s find out what will change and when.
United Airlines Resumes Flights From San Francisco to Beijing
The main piece of news that follows the US China agreement is the resumption of flights from San Francisco, United’s West Coast Hub, to Beijing. Flights had interrupted due to covid and had never started up again.
Finally over 3 years from the start of the pandemic the American carrier is finally making the move. Flights will be available on a daily basis, offering a great deal of options to travellers.
As for the schedule of the flight, here’s how it’ll operate:
| Flight Number | Departure Airport | Airport Code | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Airport Code | Arrival Time | Flight Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UA888 | San Francisco | SFO | 12:00 | Beijing | PEK | 15:25+1 | 12hrs 25min |
| UA889 | Beijing | PEK | 09:55 | San Francisco | SFO | 06:20 | 12hrs 25min |
United Airlines will operate this resuming flight using its Boeing 777-200ER fitted with a ULR optimised configuration. These planes feature:
- 50 Business Class flat bed seats in a 1-2-1 layout
- 24 Premium Economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout
- 202 Economy Class seats in a 3-4-3 layout
The business class seats are United’s flagship Polaris seats. These are among the best business class seats that American carriers have to offer.
If you like looking out of the window and enjoy the views, try to book an odd numbered row, as these are the seats closer to the window. On the other hand if you’re travelling as a couple you might want to choose the central seats (D,G) on oddly numbered rows as these are so called honeymoon seats. They are cozily next to each other making it easy to talk and enjoy each other’s company.
United San Francisco to Shanghai Going Daily
The other news coming from United Airlines is that flights on the San Francisco to Shanghai route will be getting a power up. The carrier will be operating this route on a daily basis starting November 1st 2023.
