Continental Airlines Launches Daily Flights between New York and Shanghai

On Wednesday 25 March, Continental Airlines will launch daily nonstop scheduled flights between New York (Newark Liberty) and  Shanghai, China.

“China is a valued international market for Continental, and we expect great success from this new nonstop route to Shanghai,” said Continental President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Smisek. “China remains an important business destination, with economic growth projected to continue this year despite the weakened global economy. We are proud to bring our outstanding product to Shanghai by launching this service as previously announced, even as other airlines are canceling or delaying similar routes.”

With the success of the Beijing Olympics showcasing modern China to the world, and the upcoming Expo in Shanghai in 2010, Continental expects to see increased demand for service between the U.S. and China over time.

Continental has operated nonstop service between New York and Hong Kong since 2001 and between New York and Beijing since 2005.

The airline will operate the nonstop flight daily with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Flight 87 will depart Liberty at 11:20 a.m., arriving in Shanghai mid-afternoon the following day at 1:45 p.m.

The return flight 86 will depart Shanghai in the afternoon at 3:45 p.m. and arrive at Liberty in the evening of the same day at 6:20 p.m.

Flying times are approximately 14 hours and 30 minutes in each direction.

The flight is timed to provide convenient roundtrip connections at Continental’s New York hub to more than 60 other cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Onboard Product Tailored for China Market

Continental’s Shanghai flights will feature special products and services for customers, with movies and music available in English and Mandarin, and local Chinese newspapers available for BusinessFirst customers. Instructional videos, including the safety and arrival video and pre-recorded announcements, will be available in Mandarin. Menus will be available in English and Chinese, and inflight meals designed by chefs based in the U.S. and in China will feature Chinese choices. A Mandarin-speaking flight attendant will be available to help customers inflight and Mandarin-speaking agents will be available to help customers at check-in.

Continental is installing in-seat power that will not require an adapter. One outlet is available per seat in BusinessFirst and two outlets for every three seats for all rows in main cabin.

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