[photopress:airportBejing.jpg,full,alignright]The good news is that passengers flying between Beijing and Shanghai will now find it more convenient. Flights between the two cities will arrive and depart every 30 minutes.
The bad news is that it will probably more expensive. Discounts will disapper. Xu Feijun, the general manager of a Shanghai-based travel agency, said, ‘Most airlines have withdrawn discounts, while others are offering a maximum 10 percent discount. Passengers on business trips usually don’t mind the price. They care more about whether flights arrive and depart on time.’
The new air service known as the Beijing-Shanghai Express Flight was launched by five major domestic airlines – namely Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Shanghai Airlines.
Passengers will be able use one ticket for any of the five airlines.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China which is responsible for this is promising a maximum three-hour turnaround from final check-in to baggage claim.
A total of 4,180,000 passengers took flights between the two cities last year, an average of 11,000 passengers a day, and there were 36 flights every day.
The two airports will gradually increase the number of automatic ticket vending machines.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China said the express service will hopefully be expanded to other major cities, such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, after a one-year trial operation.
CAAC data show that the Beijing-Shanghai route is the busiest domestic commercial route, used by 4.18 million passengers last year, accounting for 2.98 % of China’s total civil aviation passenger numbers.
Sources: China Daily and Shanghai Daily