anacapamalibu

UA needs to update their google advertising.

MSPeconomist

Of course I'm just trying to have some fun with this, but with a wet lease arrangement some of the big birds that are currently parked by DL and UA could be used. For example, DL has some excess 777s at the moment and they've flown to China in the past. Wet leases would be faster than creating subsidiaries United One, United Two, etc. and getting approval for them to fly.

I also pointed out somewhere that USA and other foreign carriers will mostly want flights to PVG since the divert for testing and possible quarantine exercise if one is trying to fly into Beijing would be a big mess for carriers that don't operate domestic flights within mainland China.

STS-134

But does WN have any pilots who know how to fly the 777?

m.y

In a wet lease, the arrangement includes the pilot and cabin crew to operate the flight, as opposed to a dry lease, that includes the plane only.

m.y

China has designated 37 airports that accept incoming international flights with the goal of spreading the flights around. I'm sure foreign carriers all want flight to PEK/PVG, but likely many of the flights will be send to places like CZX, HET, HRB, NNG, these flights will still be full, but foreign airlines will need to set up logistics on the ground to handle the flights.

Loren Pechtel

It doesn't really matter--flights from areas with less cases to areas with more cases are basically irrelevant in terms of risk. There should be no restrictions on passengers from China.

tauphi

The optics of doing that would look too bad.

kb1992

I'll vote for 48-ANC-NRT-PVG. It's shorter than 48-SFO/LAX-HNL-GUM-PVG.

I think B6/WN 737 can do it.

anacapamalibu

Politics and Health

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-0...9K8/index.html

STS-134

Best they could hope for is a 2nd freedom route, because I don't think the Japanese are going to allow a bunch of potentially COVID-19 infected Americans to roam around the airport.

sincx

Can Alaska and JetBlue's A321neos do HNL-PVG nonstop if seats are blocked off?

travelinmanS

The speculation about AS and B6 flying to China is fun and all but it’s not gonna happen. Does anyone know if the 1 flight a week have been approved by the Chinese yet for DL and UA and what 4 routes will be flown by the combination of Chinese and USA carriers? Or is this still in diplomatic limbo?

kb1992

Not yet. DOT order gives CAAC until June 16 to decide.

China is in a tough spot. If they agree 2 weekly flights, then they must cut two flights and people who bought tickets will be mad.

If they agree 4, then UA/DL will operate 2 each. This crushes 5-1 policy and they lose face in public.

China only has itself to blame. Whoever designed idiotic 5-1 policy clearly has no idea about international air rights. The whole thing makes China look bad among international community.

HkCaGu

It wasn't the 5 ones exactly; it's the March 12 baseline that was the problem. If they heeded the USDOT warning, the US might have been satisfied with 4 vs. 2.

sincx

I suspect the Chinese government is quite happy to agree to 2 weekly flights for each side.

The PRC wants to minimize the risk of returnees spreading the virus, so China would love to stop all inbound flights from countries where COVID is still uncontrolled. But cutting off travel completely makes China look hypocritical (since China criticized other countries for cutting flights back in January) and also pisses off citizens who are stuck outside the country. The 5-1 policy was meant to open the door just enough so overseas student, etc. won't be too pissed off, but still substantially limit risk.

However, if it's the US government that's limiting flights, China can just shrug its shoulders and say "hey that's the best we can do, it's out of our control," and only having 4 weekly flights keeps the number of returnees and the risk of re-seeding COVID to a minimum until a vaccine is found.

1 of the 2 weekly flights will be given to CA. The other weekly frequency may rotate between MU and CZ.


Alternatively, with CX possibly getting bought out by CA, maybe CZ can finally join OneWorld and get AA to restart a China flight, so there'll be 3 weekly flights on each side.