China-US direct passenger flights increasing this month with an average 50% price drop

During the upcoming winter-spring flight season, the number of direct regular passenger flights between China and the U.S. is expected to increase, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Currently, there are 48 flights per week, including 24 round trips, and this is expected to rise to 70 flights per week.

The increase in flight options will offer greater convenience to travelers who frequently journey between the two countries. Additionally, it is expected to lead to reduced airfare prices compared to the rates at the beginning of this year.

Wang Xiuzhen, who works in Beijing and specializes in toys for children, shared her experience of traveling to and from the U.S. in the first half of this year. During this period, she had to take a total of seven flights, all of which required international connections.

"During these flight transfers, I often found myself waiting for more than four or five hours due to limited flight options, which also resulted in relatively high fares," Wang said. "At that time, my round-trip airfare amounted to approximately 20,000 yuan (about $2,733), and we had to book well in advance."

However, the situation has improved significantly, and passengers now have the option to purchase direct flight tickets. Wang mentioned that when she recently checked for a flight departing on November 8, the round trip to and from San Francisco cost only slightly over 10,000 yuan.

Since February of this year, air ticket prices for direct flights between China and the U.S. have consistently dropped. For instance, the cost of a ticket for the direct flight from Beijing to Los Angeles has fallen from 20,000 yuan at the beginning of the year to approximately 7,500 yuan currently.

The new winter and spring civil aviation season in China started on October 29 and will end on March 30. During this period, a total of 13,004 international passenger flights, involving 65 countries, are scheduled every week, said Liang Nan, director of the transport department of the CAAC during the press conference on October 27.

During this season, China's international flights are projected to reach 70 percent of the volume observed in 2019, according to Liang.

The administration will continue to promote and support both Chinese and foreign airlines in resuming international passenger flights, to enhance the international route network and facilitate the movement of people between China and other countries to ensure stable foreign trade and investment, said Liang.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced new arrangements on October 27, increasing the number of round-trip flights that Chinese airlines can operate to the U.S. from 24 to 35 flights per week, with the new cap taking effect from November 9.

The DOT expressed its intention to maintain an ongoing and productive dialogue with the CAAC to facilitate a gradual and broader reopening of the U.S.-China air services market.

Throughout this year, China and the U.S. have steadily increased their flight frequencies.

On August 11, the DOT issued a notice, stating that starting from September 1, 2023, Chinese airlines could operate up to 18 weekly round-trip scheduled passenger flights between the two countries. This capacity was then further expanded to 24 weekly round trips, starting from October 29.

The DOT clarified that the initial approval for the first set of flights on September 1 was "to meet an anticipated increase in demand around the start of the academic year."

The primary objective is to create an improved environment in which carriers from both countries can fully exercise their bilateral rights, ensuring a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunities for both U.S. and Chinese air carriers, as stated in its approval order.

China and the U.S. need to "both take positive actions from now, starting with concrete, small steps that will benefit the two peoples," said Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. As an example, he highlighted the initiative to establish a timetable for increasing the number of direct flights between the two countries.