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Virgin America, Air China and Frontier Lead This Week's New Routes News

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· Virgin America:
One of the best—if not the best—domestic carriers is on the move again, as it looks like Virgin America is busy building their route network. Up next for the carrier is Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport right in the heart of Silicon Valley, and not too far from where the carrier calls home over at SFO.

The new flights will head back and forth between San Jose and Los Angeles four times per day each and every day of the week. Tickets are already up for grabs, so feel free to head over to your favorite travel booking site and start entering those credit card digits. The flights start hitting the skies for the first time on May 1.

· Delta:
The folks over at Delta have been waiting on the necessary stamps, seals, and other approvals, but now it looks like it’s go time for one of their latest nonstop options. We knew this was in the works, but now it sounds like Seattle to Tokyo is now officially going to be an option. The nonstop flights will fly into Tokyo-Haneda, and if all goes according to plan the planes will take to the skies on June 1 of this year. Now’s the time to start checking that award calendar, as this certainly would be a nice way to use up some of those Delta SkyMiles.

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Hainan, Brussels Airlines and Frontier Lead This Week's New Route News

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· Brussels Airlines:
If you’re still thinking about heading across the pond this summer it might be time to finally make a decision, as Brussels Airlines just announced that they’re starting up some brand new nonstop flights between Washington Dulles International Airport and Brussels Airport.

The flights are set to start up for the first time on June 18, so this is pretty much perfect for your summer holiday over in Europe. Airbus A330s will be doing the heavy lifting across the Atlantic, as the flights are scheduled to head back and forth five times per week. There’s solid in-flight entertainment across both cabins, and if you upgrade to business class you’ll even score yourself a fully flat bed—as your seat. Finally, the carrier is part of the Star Alliance, so feel free to cash in some of those United MileagePlus frequent flyer miles.

· Spirit Airlines:
They must be doing something correctly over at Spirit Airlines, as it seems like they’re always stealing a spot in our new route roundup. This week they’re at it again, as they’re looking to connect Las Vegas with Baltimore.

The new flights are set to take to the skies as soon as April 25, and the plan is to fly them back and forth each and every day of the week. Flights head out of Baltimore around 7:30pm and are scheduled to arrive over in Las Vegas at around 9:30pm—all times local. Heading out of Sin City en route to Charm City it’s going to be a redeye flight leaving at just before midnight and arriving back on the east coast at 7:20am.

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So About That In-Flight WiFi Coming to Air China...It's Gogo.

We knew that Air China was testing out in-flight WiFi aboard some of its domestic flights, and it sounds like the initial tests must have gone pretty darn well. That’s because even more tests and trials are planned for additional flights through the first part of 2012.

Again, the in-flight WiFi is technically for accessing the airline’s entertainment system, so online holiday shopping high above China isn’t exactly an option just yet. However, we can’t imagine that it’ll remain that way for long, because it's actually our buddies over at Gogo providing the in-flight magic. Just like back at home in the nifty fifty, it’s Gogo that’s responsible for all the wires, transmitters, and other do-dads that makes the system hum along.

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China Gets Its Very First In-Flight WiFi Flights Thanks to Air China

Alright this might not be as groundbreaking as United’s announcement to finally equip their planes with plenty of WiFi. However, it does have to do with airplanes and in-flight connectivity, so we think it’s a winner.

Air China is testing out their own flavor of in-flight WiFi this week, and that makes it the very first airline in China to do so. It’s even free for all passengers while the airline works to test it out, so that’s definitely a step in the right direction.

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Watch the Skies for United's Eco Plane, Already Flying on Biofuels

Huge news. Yesterday marked the first time a US airline used biofuel in a commercial flight. No, it wasn't Alaska Airlines even though they are trying; it was United, and they flew their eco-friendly 737-800 from Continental's's former home base, Houston, to the United home base of Chicago.

For the #avgeeks: The biofuel is algae-based and includes 60 percent petroleum fuel and 40 percent biofuel produced by a company named Solazyme.

The eco-consciousness isn't limited to what goes in the tank, either. United flight attendants now push lighter serving carts and pilots traded in their 38-pound flight bags for more weight-conscious iPads (already loaded with their in-flight navigation charts and aircraft manuals). Furthermore, United makes it easy for plane spotters to identify the Mother Earth-friendly aircraft by its green winglets and 'eco-skies' written towards the front of the fuselage.

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This Week is All About Bermuda, China, and Liberia Thanks to New Routes

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· Air China:
After a few days in Milan you might just get sick of being in Italy—we’re kidding—but if you do there’s always Air China to help you escape Europe and head into Asia. Beginning on June 15, the carrier will be sending Airbus A330s back and forth between Milan and Beijing just in time for the summer tourism season. The flights will run three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. They’re the only airline flying nonstop on this route, so expect to pay a little bit of a premium if you decide to hop between continents anytime soon.

· Air France:
If you’re looking to impress your friends with a unique trip, you might just want to consider some of Air France’s new options to West Africa. Earlier this month they started up flights to Freetown—that’s in Sierra Leone—as well as flights to Monrovia, Liberia. They’re even heading to the capital of Guinea; that’s Conakry of course! All the flights will depart from Paris—not surprising—and will be operated thanks to a little assistance from those trusty Airbus A330s.

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Air China / New Routes / China Travel / → All Tags

Air China Looks Like They're Going For World Domination

Air China last came to our attention with their cheap and lucky tours; now they want to make us happy (and make themselves some money, no doubt) with a bunch of new domestic and international routes.

China-side, there are now flights between Beijing and Daqing, Chengdu and Zhuhai, and Shenzhen and Dazhou, making it easier to get around this large land. And to get there in the first place, Air China has started new routes between Beijing and Tokyo's Haneda Airport, and from Hangzhou to Frankfurt, Germany.

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$888 Will Get You Ten Days In China, Plus Lots Of Luck

We're not always big fans of package tours, but a deal we just heard about from China Spree sounds like it could be a great way to see the musts of China if you don't have too much cash or too many vacation days. Their 10-day Golden Triangle Tour is priced at a lucky $888 (well, a lucky number for the Chinese, at least) and whirls you around China's highlights by plane and train.

Flying direct with Air China from San Francisco to Beijing, the tour takes in the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China and the Summer Palace, then you spend a night on a train to get to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors. A flight to Shanghai to shop and sight-see rounds out the trip.

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Air China First Class Is Great But Not Fantastic

We don't know what we were expecting, but this first class sleeper seat on an Air China Boeing 747 looks so, well, normal.

Of course, we love the lie-flat idea and Flickr photographer Toby describes the seat at "lovely", so we probably shouldn't be complaining.

Perhaps the problem is just that the whole cabin looks a bit bland. It could be practically any first class cabin in the world. Where are the fancy-looking seats or the pretty pictures? Seems like our expectations are a step beyond what Air China can provide.

Related Stories:
· How First Class on Singapore Airlines Spent Christmas [Jaunted]
· Alitalia Says Bye Bye Pretty Pictures [Jaunted]
· Air China Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Toby Simkin]

Meltdownomics / Air China / China Eastern Airlines / China Southern Airlines / → All Tags

China's Airlines Stick Their Hands In The Pot

Airlines in China are queuing up with the rest of the country’s companies for a ladleful of life-saving capital. Looks like now’s the time to see if this communism thing really works!

In addition to China’s already announced 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) economic stimulus package, Air China and the other big Chinese airlines are seeking industry-specific government aid to cope with their losses. Even the mention of the bailout sent shares of China’s three biggest carriers soaring. According to Reuters, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines were each likely to receive 3 billion yuan, or $439 million.

No word on whether the extra cash will prompt these carriers to trade in the rubbery meat they try to pass off as chicken, but we’re guessing, per usual, the passenger will be the last one to reap the benefits of any eventual government infusions of cash.

Related Stories:
· Chinese Airlines Look to Beijing for Help [Reuters, via IHT]
· China Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: msitting]

Airports / PEK / Buildings / Architecture / T3 at PEK / Air China / Star Alliance / → All Tags

New Airports Travel: Beijing's Terminal 3

With our Heathrow and JFK obsessions, the new Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International almost slipped by us. But we're on the case now, with a gallery of renderings from the project's architects, Foster and Partners. The new building will start trial operations on February 29 and will be up to full speed by March 26.

Air China and other Star Alliance partners will anchor the operations out of T3. The building itself will be almost 2.5 miles long and include a train system for moving passengers between its 120 gates. Once on the ground, travelers will have easy access to the city via a rail link with the Beijing subway.

Related Stories:
· China and India Love the Idea of Airports [Jaunted]
· China Gets a New Tallest Building [Jaunted]
· Beijing Olympics coverage [Jaunted]

China Travel / Airlines / Travel Hell / China Southern Airlines / Air China / → All Tags

China to Airlines: No Flights For You!

Waiting for a deal on plane tickets to China for the 2008 Summer Olympics? Don't wait too long. One year away from the Games, the Chinese government announced plans to cut flights at its busiest airports, and it will not be registering any new airlines until 2010.

China's airspace situation sounds a lot like ours: Massive ground delays and a larger passenger load have made several airports--including Beijing, the world's ninth busiest--experience a dramatic drop in quality of service this year. Rather than redirect flights, the country's aviation authority is asking national carriers like China Southern and Air China to cut some 300 flights from their rosters. (International flights aren't affected... Yet.)

Better to address the problem head on than cover it up, we suppose.

Related Stories:
· China Reduces Flights [Yahoo]
· China Airlines Paints Over Name and Logo of Charred Plane [Jaunted]

[Photo: Stuart Photography]