Airlines +Aviation
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch non-stop flights from Singapore to San Francisco, California, on 23 October 2016. Air China will launch nonstop flights between Shanghai, China, and San Jose, California on 1 September.
Singapore Airlines will operate daily service using Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the nonstop route to San Francisco. The aircraft is configured with 253 seats in Business Class, Premium Economy Class, and Economy Class.
The airline had previously announced a second daily nonstop flight to Los Angeles, California, and a nonstop flight to New York, New York, with service to commence in 2018.
The airline currently flies from Singapore to San Francisco twice-daily, with one flight via Hong Kong and the other via Seoul Incheon.
When the nonstop 8,451-mile flight to San Francisco begins, the flight to San Francisco by way of Seoul will be re-routed to terminate in Los Angeles, which is 338 miles, or 543 kilometres, south of San Francisco.
The airline also flies from Singapore to Los Angeles by way of Tokyo Narita.
“Our customers have been asking us to offer more U.S. services and we are pleased to be able to do so,” says Lee Wen Fen, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning.
“With new non-stop San Francisco flights and the increase in frequency to Los Angeles, customers will have two flights to choose from each day to both of these popular U.S. West Coast destinations,”
The airline will also discontinue service to Sao Paulo, Brazil, in South America as a result of weak demand. The last flight on the trice weekly flights, which fly by way of Barcelona, Spain, will operate on 20 October 2016.
The Singapore-Barcelona leg of the service will continue to operate.
Upgraded Cabins
The aircraft is configured with 264 seats in First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class cabins. SIA will be the only carrier to offer a premium economy cabin on the LAX-Seoul route.
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be utilized on the Singapore – Seoul – Los Angeles route from 23 October 2016.
In addition to San Francisco and Los Angeles, SIA’s U.S. network includes flights to Houston via Moscow and New York JFK via Frankfurt.
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
Air China will continue spreading its wings in North America with the launch of thrice weekly nonstop service between San José, California, and Shanghai, China, on 1 September.
The new flight will be operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft with both business and economy class seating.
San José will be Air China’s 10th gateway in North America and its first destination with direct connections to Shanghai from the Silicon Valley.
Other North American travel destinations include Honolulu, Hawaii; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Montreal, Quebec; Newark, New Jersey; New York, New York; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Washington Dulles in Virginia.
“This has been a tremendous year for Mineta San José International Airport, and I’m excited that Silicon Valley business and leisure travelers will soon be able to fly nonstop to Shanghai,” says San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
“Shanghai is a major center of commerce in China and one of the top five requested international destinations by Silicon Valley travelers, and this flight will help strengthen the economic ties between our two regions. I thank Air China for its commitment to and investment in San José.”