Air China to operate SJC-PVG 5 times per week (A330) starting in March
 

4 months out, I am a bit skeptical about this one starting.Especially since they have not applied from the US side yet.

Odd they would chose SJC as their only US flight to the US from PVG. I would guess ORD as they do not fly there yet and they tend to stick to the *A hubs.

Interesting CA is going EX PVG instead of PEK. This will be interesting.

If CA keeps going after MU territory it makes sense they merge later on.

PEK SJC has already been taken by Hainan so no go.

I wonder if this will poach any tech industry travel; UA has been trying to open up another PVG SFO route for a while, so the demand is there. NH has SJC-NRT-PVG, but the timing is not exactly great.

The one airline per route rule isn't a hard rule.

CA has been expanding in Shanghai for the past ~10 years.

It is nice to have a little competition in sh. (It seems that 95% of my flights have mu codes these days.)

Most, if not all, Tech companies have contracts with Air carriers. The larger ones in the Valley use UA,DL and maybe AA to Asia.

Many of the silicon valley IT workforce are from China. They are usually highly paid (six-digit salary) and prefer Chinese airlines than AA/DL/UA. I would say this route is a smart move by CA.

Don't think that's true. I work for a large tech company in the valley. We have no contract, we fly whoever is cheapest

A certain fruit shaped company has preferred rates for UA and CX, but my guess is that they'll allow alternate travel as long as it's a cheaper flight.

I can understand a few but quite a few also fly UA out of SFO and prefer the US carriers. A 6 digit salary in IT is quite the norm in the Bay Area and sometimes not enough. Often, UA is cheaper.

With regards to the route starting, I am still skeptical. Why chose SJC as their first and only service from PVG when the could chose ORD, for example, a *A City which they currently do not serve. Before someone states the economy is "booming", I understand this also.

My better half is in HR with a fruit shaped company and they have a contract with UA and DL to Asia. They don't have too much leeway to wonder from them.

And my former colleagues and myself who worked for this fruit-shaped company would refuse to fly with CA if UA is sold out. Would either change the travel date or re-route through HKG just to avoid CA or MU.

This thread is becoming really stupid, gents.

Is it because of CA being bananas for trying this route or the fruit shaped company does won't use it :D

I guess traffic would mostly be O&D? Is cargo a consideration?

I know DL had/have(?) 330 service between SEA and NRT. Can the 330 (I guess -200 as it has longer range?) do both directions without payload penalty/stopping in the winter? Maybe they know it is a little risky and that is why they use the 330?