United Launches Its First-Ever Service Between L.A. and Shanghai

United Airlines today launched its first-ever service between Los Angeles and Shanghai, China, with daily nonstop flights from the airline's hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

"United operates more routes from the U.S. to China than any other airline, and this new service is another step in the expansion of our U.S.-China network," said Jim Compton, United's executive vice president and chief revenue officer. "The new flights will offer customers additional convenient options for travel between the two countries."

United began operating flights to China in 1986, and today, it offers 11 daily nonstop flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai from its domestic hubs in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington.

United flight 877 departs Los Angeles daily at 1:23 p.m. and arrives at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport (PVG) at 5:45 p.m. the next day. On the return, flight 878 departs Shanghai at 8:10 p.m. and arrives in Los Angeles at 5:07 p.m. the same day. The flights are timed to provide convenient roundtrip connections at United's Los Angeles hub to cities throughout the Western U.S., Canada and Mexico. From the Los Angeles hub, United offers more than 225 daily flights to destinations throughout the world.

United will operate the daily flights using Boeing 777 aircraft with United First, United Business and United Economy sections. The airline is currently upgrading its international first- and business-class sections, including new flatbed seats in business class. By the end of the year, both the first-class and the business-class cabins of the aircraft used on the Los Angeles-Shanghai route will have flatbed seating. The flights will also offer improved economy-class features such as larger personal video screens, video-on-demand and in-seat power ports. For customers opting to sit in the forward section of the economy cabin, Economy Plus offers up to five extra inches of legroom.

United's Shanghai flights will also feature special products and services for customers, with movies and music available in English and Mandarin. Inflight meals will also offer Chinese choices with menus printed in English and Mandarin. Chinese-speaking flight attendants are available to assist customers inflight and Chinese-speaking agents are available to assist customers at check-in.

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