You can now book American Airlines' third long-haul flight from Seattle to Shanghai
The pandemic is causing airlines to rethink their route networks. What worked in 2019 likely won't be a successful strategy in the coming years.
In early July, American Airlines announced a major "reset" of the international network. The news included plans to drop 19 long-haul routes with deep cuts in Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX) and Philadelphia (PHL).
LAX was the hub hit the hardest. American shared plans to wind down much of its long-haul flying from Los Angeles, cutting three routes to Asia and two to South America.
Of the five routes getting axed, American announced an immediate replacement for one of them. Specifically, American's service from LAX to Shanghai (PVG) would be moved to Seattle (SEA). At the time, it wasn't immediately clear when AA would start the new service.
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Well, we now have the details. The daily flight launches on March 27, 2021 with the following schedule:
- AA 183 Seattle (SEA) to Shanghai (PVG) departing 12:50 p.m arriving 4:25 p.m. (the following day)
- AA 182 Shanghai (PVG) to Seattle (SEA) departing 6:25 p.m. arriving 3:10 p.m.
American plans to operate the flight with a Boeing 777-200, featuring 37 business-class pods, 24 premium economy recliners and 212 economy seats. AA operates two configurations of the Boeing 777 — one with a far superior business-class product. Unfortunately, there's no way to determine which of the two products will be assigned on any given day.
Related: Best American Airlines seats ranked from best to worst
Roundtrip fares begin at around $1,100 in coach, $1,400 in premium economy and $5,500 in biz. There's not much award or upgrade space right now, but that'll likely change as the route launch grows closer.
The Seattle to Shanghai route is just the latest in American's expanding presence in the Pacific Northwest. In Feb., AA stunned aviation observers when it announced nonstop service from Seattle to both Bangalore, India, and London Heathrow. The former is scheduled to begin in winter 2021 and the latter slated to start on March, 27, 2021.
Seattle is not a hub for American, nor did the carrier have an unusually large presence there. But the two high-profile international routes were announced in conjunction with news that American would deepen its ties with Alaska, which also said it would join the Oneworld frequent-flyer alliance that includes American.
As part of the partnership, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines will help feed connecting passengers to American's new overseas routes from Seattle, where Alaska is the biggest carrier.
Brian Znotins, AA's vice president of network planning, told TPG that "as we're moving away from L.A. as an Asian gateway, we have our new partnership with Alaska and Seattle, which has even better geography than L.A. does." He added that American believes business demand to Shanghai "will snap back fairly quickly" once coronavirus concerns ease.
As for attempting to shift the route to Seattle, he pointed not only the feed from Alaska Airlines, but also to a less-crowded marketplace than what American encountered in Los Angeles.
Related: American Airlines, JetBlue plan 'slot moves' at New York JFK
American's tie-up with Alaska is similar to its recently announced Northeast-focused alliance with JetBlue. As part of this new pact, AA announced new transatlantic routes from New York to Athens and Tel Aviv. AA will use JetBlue's domestic routes to feed its JFK-based long-haul flights. The new JFK routes are expected to launch "upon implementation of the alliance agreement."
Regulators still must approve AA's Seattle to Shanghai service. But putting the flights on sale is one step in the right direction for American's third long-haul route from Seattle.
Additional reporting by Ben Mutzabaugh
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
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.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $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.