March 16, 2007: United Airlines is launching a non-stop flight connecting two of the major capital cities in the world, Washington DC and Beijing, starting March 28. The career, which becomes the first to start a direct flight between these two cities, is also offering special fares on the route.

The new service would be operated between Washington Dulles International Airport and China Beijing Capital Airport.

The carrier is offering fares with prices starting at $363 roundtrip, and is offering passenger miles for flying the route. United Airline is offering 10,000 passenger miles for First (F or A) and Business (C or D) classes; 7,500 for United Business (Z class) and United Economy (Y, B, M or H class); or 5,000 miles for discounted United Economy (Q, V, or W class). The discounts are available for travel from March 28 to June 1.

Many US carriers including American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines were in the fray to win the route, which was bagged by United Airlines. The route is considered lucrative as it opens doors to the fast growing China market.

Both the US and Chinese governments, under an aviation agreement signed in July 2004, had agreed to award seven flights a week connecting the two countries. The two nations had also agreed to increase cargo service under the agreement, and United Airlines was offered the route under this treaty.

On providing permission for the airline to operate the service, US Secretary of Transportation Mary E Peters said, "If there are two countries in this world that understand the need for fast, efficient and convenient service, it is US and China. That is the reason for making it a lot easier to travel between the capital cities of the world's two most dynamic economies starting later next month."

"To celebrate our new China route, we are making it easier for our customers to travel to Beijing by offering special low fares on United Airlines," the carrier's senior vice president (planning) Kevin Knight said.

This enables the airline to become the first carrier to connect to these two cities and provide its customers a daily non-stop service to China, he added.

The airline also operates four daily non-stop flights to the Chinese mainland and this includes services to Beijing and Shanghai from Chicago and San Francisco.

Nasdaq-listed United Airlines operates over 3,600 flights a day to more than 210 destinations across the world from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco , Denver, Chicago and Washington DC . It also has air rights across Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America.

Fares offered by United Airlines

Washington, DC Dulles (IAD) $457
San Francisco (SFO) $363
Chicago O'Hare (ORD) $365
Boston (BOS) $457
New York City $407
Atlanta (ATL) $457
Orlando (MCO) $457
Miami (MIA) $457