Airlines Woo Future Passengers on U.S.-China Route

The four US-based airlines bidding to win landing rights to the future ‘prestigious and lucrative´ rights on the U.S.-China route have upped their ante by lobbying future passengers for support.

The four carriers –American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines- have devised separate strategies to add the service to their Asia routes by wooing support from the public and businesses, in addition to pitching a winning bid to the United States Department of Transportation.

Competition for the rights has become very stiff as the department will approve only one additional daily route to China to a carrier currently flying the route.

China´s emergence as an economic powerhouse in the coming decade represents the future market for the carriers. Steep competition from low cost carriers in the US domestic market is forcing the carriers to look at the more lucrative international routes for growth.

United is seen as the front runners as it is a member of the Capital-to-Capital Coalition, a Washington DC organization that supports the Washington-Beijing route it is bidding for.

Northwest, currently has the best presence and history of service in the Far East as it offers regular flights on the route, stopping in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The carrier, in addition to briefings to potential customers and officials, plans to launch a website, seeking support for its application to fly on the Detroit-Shanghai route.