Hainan Airlines - American Airlines codeshare services: potential routes for Summer 2012

In December 2011 American Airlines and Hainan Airlines announced they would begin a transpacific codeshare arrangement. American would place its AA code on Hainan’s flights between Seattle and Beijing, and on domestic Chinese flights from Beijing. Hainan would place its HU code on American’s flights from Beijing to Chicago, and from Shanghai to Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as on connecting flights in North America on American.

(Click map below for expanded view of transpacific codeshare services:)

Each carrier’s rivals on either side of the Pacific had already created strong cooperative links (Air China and its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines with Star Alliance partner United Airlines; China Southern and China Eastern with SkyTeam partner Delta), so travel industry observers figured a hookup between American and Hainan was likely as they were the last major carriers left unaffiliated.

Details of specific flight connections are still being worked out between the companies and are unlikely to be announced before Spring 2012. However, I’ve examined the current Winter 2012 timetables for each carrier to anticipate just what kinds of new connections are likely to be offered:

At Shanghai, neither carrier brings much to the relationship. The Chinese government allocates routes, fares, and frequencies among the various domestic carriers (much like how it was done in America pre-deregulation), picking who gets to dominate certain cities. The authorities have decided Hainan Airlines will have the slimmest presence in the country’s largest city – giving them only 7 daily flights from the international airport at Shanghai-Pudong, and just 5 daily flights from the downtown airport Shanghai-Hongqiao.

American’s arrival from Los Angeles gets in too late to connect to any HU departures at Pudong. The Chicago arrival comes in a bit earlier, allowing for connections to the major city Xi’an and resort center Haikou.  Heading eastbound, there is a possible daily connection from Haikou to the Los Angeles flight, and on the Chicago flight, travelers from Haikou, Xi’an, and Lanzhou could make connections.

With these meager connecting opportunities in the People’s Republic, the value of the codeshare agreement as far as Shanghai is concerned is to help Hainan’s local sales team book more corporate travel into the U.S.A.

(Click map below for two-way connections via PVG:)

At Beijing, Hainan Airlines has a much stronger presence, running a connecting hub with multiple banks of flights to dozens of domestic cities – as well as a growing number of overseas destinations. The HU flights to and from Seattle connect smoothly to many Chinese cities. Hainan’s operation is based out of the “old” side of the airport; mostly in Terminal 2, with a few flights from Terminal 1 just next door.

American Airlines has a daily run from Beijing to Chicago. AA flight #186 leaves PEK at 6:55 am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and at 7:55 am on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. This flight arrives ORD before breakfast and delivers connecting passengers to their final destinations in the Midwest and East Coast by lunchtime. AA flight #187 arrives inbound from Chicago at 11:30 pm Beijing time.  American’s flights use the new Terminal 3 complex on the far side of the airport.

You may suspect that late-night arrivals and early-morning departures at Beijing don’t make for easy connections, and you would be correct. As it stands today, any connection heading into China or heading out to the U.S. would require an overnight stay in Beijing. (On the airport grounds are two full-service hotels: a Hilton and a Langham Place.)

The late-night-early-morning timing was not American Airlines’ choice; they had requested mid-day slots when the route was approved. The Beijing airport authority had other ideas. Perhaps now with a strong local advocate it might be possible to shift the timing of the Chicago run to allow for good connections on both ends so that AA and HU can both profit. (A separate question would be if American could move its flight to Terminal 2 to allow “walking” connections instead of requiring passengers to use shuttle buses.)

If we assume the timing for AA #186 and #187 stays as-is, early-morning departures from Beijing that American may want to put their code on could include:

• Chengdu
• Chongqing
• Dongying
• Fuzhou
• Guilin
• Hailar
• Harbin
• Kunming
• Lanzhou
• Manzhouli
• Mudanjiang
• Shanghai-Hongqiao
• Shanghai-Pudong
• Shenzhen
• Urumqi
• Wenzhou
• Xi'an
• Xiamen

Flights from these cities get into Beijing late at night, so may be potential code-share candidates:

• Changchun
• Changsha
• Changzhi
• Chengdu
• Chongqing
• Haikou
• Hailar
• Hangzhou
• Harbin
• Hohhot
• Jiamusi
• Jinjiang
• Kunming
• Mudanjiang
• Nanchang
• Nanning
• Ningbo
• Qiqihar
• Sanya
• Shanghai-Hongqiao
• Shenzhen
• Urumqi
• Wenzhou
• Wuhai
• Xi'an
• Xiamen
• Yinchuan

Cities that have both inbound and outbound potential codeshare are shown on this map (click for larger view):

To recap, while the Hainan-American partnership is important, at present there are few new service possibilities for U.S.-originating passengers looking to travel beyond Beijing. If American’s Chicago-Beijing flights can be rescheduled, however, a significant number of new connections may become possible. The HU-AA connections through Shanghai will be useful for only one or two cities, and are not likely to develop further.

We will keep watching developments in this association with great interest – follow @weninchina on Twitter and bookmark this blog for the latest news.

Spot the American!

Click on the photo to enlarge. Yes, the Little Mermaid is *really* that little...

Whether it's your first time outside the country or your 20th trip through Tokyo, whether you're on vacation or making a business presentation, dressing appropriately for international travel seems to be a particular challenge for us Americans.


I took this photo a couple weeks ago in Copenhagen at the Little Mermaid statue. The cruise ships were in town with tourists from all over, and there were also package tour groups in the city that day from Korea and Hong Kong.


Not that everyone was dressed as fashionably as the Scandinavians in this photo, but I think you can tell which person was the American.


And if you can see the difference, so can a pickpocket, or a beggar, or someone with an axe to grind, or a security officer who wants to impress his superiors. The point isn't to look Asian when you're in Asia - although wearing clothing that works with the climate is important - the point is to NOT look like a negative stereotype.


If you're traveling to adopt a child - or on a sales call - or just there to sightsee - remember that the quality of your experience overseas often depends on how others see you. You could be treated like a country bumpkin, or you could be treated with respect. You don't need to look like a fashion model; you do need to wear clothes that fit you well. Try your outfits on before you go, and look at yourself in the mirror.


Saggy pants and shirts that don't cover your belly? Clothes that are too big? Baseball caps? Leave them at home. 


Some entries on weninchina.com that may help include -

• Dealing with Heat and Humidity
• Physical Preparation for the Trip
• Packing Checklist

3 new Airport Guides - Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta

On Saturday, May 28, I spent the entire day in the skies and on the concourses of three of the biggest connecting airports for family travel: Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Atlanta, investigating the features that matter most when taking your children along - places to play and cool off, restrooms, ease of getting around, choices of food and shopping.

Finally got back home to Minneapolis at 11:30 pm, and slept like a rock when I made it to bed...

I took hundreds of photos and pages of notes - and have spent the rest of the Memorial Day weekend putting them into order - to create three new pages on weninchina.com:

Detroit: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Detroit.html

Dallas/Ft. Worth: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Dallas_DFW.html

Atlanta: http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Atlanta.html

This Saturday - the Day of Flying

I'll be in the skies all day this Saturday, May 28, scoping out the family-friendly amenities and hidden quiet places of three more Transpacific gateway airports: Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Atlanta.

My day will begin in Minneapolis/St. Paul at 6:35 am, where I'll be boarding Delta flight 2240 for Detroit. I'll be at DTW's McNamara Terminal from 9:20 through 12:30, when I'll board Delta 5762 bound for Dallas.

At DFW, I'll be arriving at 2:30 and checking out the new Terminal D, as well as C and E, then boarding Delta 2212 for Atlanta.

At ATL, I'll be arriving at 7:05 and departing at 9:55 back home to MSP on Delta 300, where I'll be landing about 11:30 pm.

If you have suggestions on play areas, restaurants, shopping, good restrooms, and spaces to chill out in, please send a reply here at Blogspot, or through my Twitter feed, @weninchina.

Am I a little nuts? Perhaps, but the fare was amazingly good and I need the segments :)

Now things start getting interesting!

After years of waiting, we are now finally at the beginning of a major expansion of flying between the USA and China, and this is going to be great news for family travel!

American Airlines will be entering the Los Angeles - Shanghai market in April 2011, which will help keep a lid on fares.

The bigger news is a set of new routes Delta will be launching from April through July 2011:  Atlanta - Shanghai, Detroit - Beijing, and most importantly for adoptive families, the return of Tokyo - Guangzhou service!

The Guangzhou flight will be operated by a Boeing 767-300, which is a much larger airplane than the 757-200 that predecessor Northwest Airlines used up to 2009.  That should also make seats more available and likewise keep fares out of Guangzhou from getting out of control.

As schedules start to load, we'll be updating our Transpacific Flight Planning page with fresh details.

In Beijing, the airlines have the hots for slots

Whoa there buddy, don't get too confident about that start date...

Stuck in Chicago O'Hare for a month?

While US carriers are finally increasing nonstop service to China, the process this year hasn't gone all that smoothly.

American Airlines was due to start Chicago-Beijing flights on April 24, and had been selling tickets since November. Delta Air Lines has been advertising Seattle-Beijing service to begin June 4.

Even though both countries' governments have authorized the services (years ago, in fact), the airlines also need permission from the Chinese air traffic authority to land and take off at specific times at Beijing. 

In American's case, the takeoff and landing slots they requested would have put their flight into Beijing at 1:55 pm, and out at 4:50 pm - very convenient. American never received the OK to use those particular flight times. But, they kept planning as if they were going to get them - all the way up to the day of the inaugural flight. Which they had to cancel.

The slots that American was approved for had the aircraft landing in Beijing at 2:20 am, and taking off at 4:20 am. Not exactly what you'd want if you were doing business in Beijing - or for trying to get a hotel room on your arrival.

American ended up canceling the flight for an entire month; today (May 25) is supposed to be the new launch date. And they're stuck with the 2:20 / 4:20 slots.

You can't always get what you want, either.

In Delta's case, the times they'd requested would have their Seattle run leaving Sea-Tac at 3:30 pm, arriving Beijing at 6:05 pm, and the return flight leaving Beijing at 1 pm, getting into Sea-Tac at 9:30 pm.

These schedules would have allowed passengers arriving into China excellent same-day connections on Delta's SkyTeam partner, China Southern, to dozens of domestic cities. More importantly, the eastbound flight would have been perfect for same-day connecting traffic from domestic Chinese cities - and for adoptive families, would have given them the option to take either of the first two Guangzhou-Beijing departures on China Southern.

The 9:30 pm arrival in Seattle would have hooked up with the "red-eye" runs leaving there after midnight bound for Delta's other hubs at Minneapolis, Atlanta, Detroit, and Memphis, saving families the expense of a hotel room somewhere on the way home.

The requested slots were also a clever bit of engineering for Delta, in that they could use their aircraft coming in from Seattle to turn around to make a run to Tokyo, with the inbound Tokyo flight turning around to head for Seattle. Their airplanes would spend less time on the ground and more in the air, making money.

You shouldn't be surprised to read that Delta's plans didn't go how they wanted, either. Delta's slots were assigned just over a week ago. Instead of arriving in Beijing at 6 pm, the actual arrival will be 11:40 pm. And instead of leaving Beijing at 1 in the afternoon, the departure will be 8:55 in the morning.

Comparing the two airlines, Delta came out better than American; the eastbound arrival into Seattle will now be 5:30 am, so travelers can clear Customs and make all the morning flight banks to both coasts and all Delta's hubs. But Delta still doesn't have a chance of connecting to Chinese domestic flights inbound or outbound, and flyers going through Beijing are still stuck with an overnight stay in each direction.

And now once again I'll have to modify the weninchina.com Transpacific Flight Options page...

JAL chooses to stay in oneworld; adoption travel choices through Japan still poor

In previous postings I'd discussed the changing landscape of US-Japan air service and how new possibilities for China adoption travel might come about. With the bankruptcy and re-organization of Japan Airlines, speculation was strong for a tie-up with Delta and the SkyTeam alliance, which might have been very interesting for new service between Guangzhou and North America.


However, this scenario will not be happening, as JAL has decided to stay in its current partnership with American Airlines and the oneworld alliance. JAL and American intend to form a joint venture to plan and market their Transpacific services. But JAL's bankruptcy recovery plan calls for sharply reducing international service, and American flies to Tokyo from only a handful of U.S. cities. 


Therefore I don't foresee the JAL-AA combination offering much new competition - whether in new city-pair connections, or through permanently reduced fares - anytime soon between the U.S. and China.

JAL files for bankruptcy: impact on China adoption travel?

This week's widely-anticipated announcement of Japan Airlines' bankruptcy and restructuring does not have much immediate impact for adoption travel:

• JAL services to China have been largely positioned for the local market, shuttling business travelers to the primary Chinese cities (with most of the seats to just Beijing and Shanghai,) plus some short-haul leisure routes to places like Dalian.
• Services out of Guangzhou do not connect to the North American flights leaving Tokyo - whether on JAL or its current oneworld alliance partner American Airlines. Remember, your child's Chinese passport prohibits her from leaving the airport security zone, so an overnight stay in Tokyo on the way home is out of the question. 
• JAL did not offer "adoption fares", and so have priced themselves out of consideration for the short-notice travel that these families require.

There is speculation that after JAL has restructured, the airline may switch alliances and join the SkyTeam grouping. There are several good reasons why this may happen:

• American Airlines does not offer many flights to Tokyo - with its own aircraft, AA serves Los Angeles once daily, New York JFK once daily, Chicago O'hare once daily, and Dallas/Ft. Worth twice daily; and does not directly serve any other Japanese cities.
• The main Asian partner in oneworld is Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong, and it basically flies to the same places that JAL flies. There's no need to fly from America, Australia, or Europe to Hong Kong and then connect to Japan when you could just fly straight to Japan.
• SkyTeam offers the broad network of Delta Airlines, flying to 10 US cities from Tokyo. Delta also has rights to fly local traffic from Japan to other Asian countries (a legacy of Northwest Airlines,) which American does not have. 
• SkyTeam also offers nearby Korean Air and its big 24-hour hub operation at Seoul-Incheon. Incheon is easily reached with short-haul aircraft from any Japanese city. This is appealing because Tokyo-Narita airport is short on landing slots and restricted on hours of operation. Plus, if you can schedule an extra trip with your aircraft overnight, that lets you more easily cover your fixed costs.
• Korean Air also serves more cities in China and central Asia than JAL. This would help JAL compete better for corporate travel contracts.
• JAL must also consider how it will compete against the very strong Star Alliance combination of local carrier ANA-All Nippon Airways, plus United Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Air China. United covers many US cities from Tokyo, and has rights to fly local traffic to Asian cities. Continental covers parts of the US that United doesn't, and brings its Pacific Island services to the table - very popular with Japanese leisure travelers. Finally, Air China has a strong hub operation at Beijing, easily reached with short-haul jets from Japan.

American has reportedly offered JAL over $1 billion to stay in the oneworld alliance. Delta, it is rumored, has put a similar number on the table (and its SkyTeam partners may be chipping in as well.) However, the trustees now in charge of JAL's management have said they won't make any new commitments until after they've put their restructuring into place and installed new permanent management. It may be late 2010 before we learn what they decide.

Even if JAL should join SkyTeam, that company would need to be willing to modify its business model to at least give more emphasis to connecting traffic between China / SE Asia and North America.

We will be watching closely, and will update the weninchina.com "Planning Transpacific Flights" page as your options for China travel change.