UPDATED: More airlines suspend China flights as coronavirus hits demand
LATEST UPDATE (Jan. 31, 2020): American, Delta, United suspend China flights as coronavirus fears rise
ORIGINAL POST: Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa are the latest airlines to suspend flights to China, amid a drop in demand associated with fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.
Air Canada will suspend all service to Beijing Capital (PEK) and Shanghai Pudong (PVG) from Jan. 30 to Feb. 29, it said Wednesday. The Star Alliance carrier flies to both Chinese cities from its Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR) hubs, as well as to Beijing from Montreal (YUL), according to Cirium schedule data.
American will suspend its daily flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and both Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong from Feb. 9 to March 27, spokeswoman Nichelle Tait told TPG Wednesday. The Oneworld alliance carrier will continue to serve the two Chinese cities from its Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) base.
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Delta will cut weekly frequencies on its six routes to China in half to 21 flights a week from Feb. 6 through April 30, the Atlanta-based carrier said Wednesday. The airline will continue to fly three- or four-times weekly between Beijing and Detroit (DTW) and Seattle (SEA), and Shanghai and Atlanta (ATL), Detroit, Los Angeles and Seattle.
The schedule reductions do not impact Delta's plan to move to Beijing Daxing airport (PKX) on March 28.
Lufthansa, along with its group siblings Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines, will suspend all service to China until Feb. 9, spokesman Tal Muscal told TPG. Lufthansa serves five cities in China — Beijing Capital, Nanjing (NKG), Qingdao (TAO), Shanghai Pudong and Shenyang (SHE) — while both Austrian and Swiss serve Beijing and Shanghai, Cirium schedules show.
The airlines' decisions to suspend flights follow similar moves by British Airways and United Airlines, the latter being the largest U.S. carrier to China.
On Thursday, two days after its initial capacity reductions, United announced what it calls a "second phase" of temporary flight suspensions. The Star Alliance carrier will begin reducing its four daily flights to Beijing to once daily, its three daily Hong Kong flights to daily, and its five daily Shanghai flights to 10 per week with the changes phasing in from Feb. 9 through Feb. 23. The latest reductions will remain in place through March 28.
United's latest changes will see it temporarily serve Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai from only its San Francisco gateway, save for thrice-weekly service between Newark and Shanghai.
Coronavirus is the latest in several pandemics in the East Asia region since 2000. The most notable was SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which hit the region in 2003. At SARS' peak, traffic on Asia-Pacific airlines fell by more than a third, according to airline industry body IATA.
In a report Wednesday, Cowen analyst Helane Becker notes that travel between the U.S. and China dropped two-thirds during SARS but recovered quickly once the virus was contained.
The Chinese government said Wednesday that nearly 6,000 cases of coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, have been confirmed. Roughly 132 people have died from the virus.
Related: What the coronavirus means for travelers
Here is a list of the flight suspensions, as of Thursday, Jan. 30:
Air Canada: All China flights suspended from Jan. 30-Feb. 29.
Air France: All China flights suspended until Feb. 9.
American: All flights between Los Angeles and both Beijing and Shanghai suspended from Feb. 9 to March 27.
Austrian: All China flights suspended until Feb. 9.
British Airways: All China flights suspended until Jan. 31, situation will be reassessed at that time.
Delta: Reduce China frequencies by half to 21 flights per week from Feb. 6 to April 30.
Lufthansa: All China flights suspended until Feb. 9.
Swiss: All China flights suspended until Feb. 9.
United: 24 flights to China suspended from Feb. 1-8, then a wholesale reduction to 24 weekly frequencies from 12 daily flights (84 weekly) from Feb. 9-March 28. Reductions impact Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Virgin Atlantic: All China flights (Shanghai) suspended from Feb. 2-Feb. 16.
Myth-busting: Will a face mask keep you safe from viruses on a plane?
This story will be updated as more airlines adjust schedules due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.