Tongfamily.com

If you can believe it, there are only seven daily nonstop flights between the US and China and three via Tokyo. But it is really harder than heck to actually figure out the right flights using expedia or even a travel agent. The routings are wierd. So here is a summary that I’ve found really helpful. First thing is to actually find the long haul routes that exist. There are very few. I use flightstats.com to track flights and their changes. After a bunch of digging, you discover how few US to China flights there areally are.

It is very hard to discover, but Flychina.com seems to have the best list of nonstops. See Shanghai to America as a summary including decent connections:

US-based Carriers Flight to China

For instance, there are only seven non-stops from the US to China each day on American carriers (there are an additional three that stop via Narita). There are a total of ten Chinese carrier flights each day. Of these, they all leave in the afternoon pretty much, so if you are g

United

UA 851 ORD PEK Lv 1240PM Ar1500 plus 1 day 747 Flightstats
UA 897 IAD PEK Lv 1223PM Ar1355 plus 1 day 747 Flightstats
UA 889 SFO PEK Lv 1107AM Ar1425 plus 1 day 747 Flightstats
UA 857 SFO PVG Lv 1350 Ar1725 plus 1 day 747 Flightstats

Continental

CO 89 EWK PEK 12:10PM Ar1425+1 day Flightstats
CO 88 PEK EWK 12:00 Ar17:25

American

AA 289 ORD PVG 10:35AM Ar1405 +1day 777 Flightstats
AA288 PVG ORD 1625 Ar1700 777

Connections to China

Then you have connections, which can be via Narita or via Incheon ICN and Seoul

United

SEA NRT PVG via ANA

Northwest

They have three connections via Tokyo, but no nonstops

Korean Airlines

KE246 Lv 0907 Ar 11:33+1 Flightstats
KE 26 Lv 1406 Ar 17:35+1 777 Flightstats

Asiana

China-based airlines

Also, you have Chinese airlines, which are definitely a second choice with one to New York and also three to LAX. There are 10 flights by Chinese airlines daily:

China Eastern

I’ve taken this flight and it is very OK is how I would describe it. Bring you iPod touch and watch movies on it. The times are just awesome though. You can get a full day of work in New York and then essentially take a red eye to Shanghai and on the return, you really rock and roll. Only the LA flight is daily

PVG JFK MU588 Lv 1:30am Ar 4:50Am+1 1246
JFK PVG MU587 Lv 18:30 Ar 20:45
LAX PVG 12:30 Ar 18:30+1
Vancouver PVG Lv 13:30 Ar 18:20+1 MU582 1356
PVG LAX 2:50pm 10:30am MU 583 Daily
PVG Vancouver 2:55pm 9:30am MU 581 1356

Air China

These are very hard to find as they don’t appear in the reservation systems, so you have to go directly to their websites

Also, you have Chinese airlines, which are definitely a second choice with one to New York and also three to LAX. There are 10 flights by Chinese airlines daily. Most folks feel that Air China is probably better than China Eastern and if you can fly an American carrier that would be great.

PEK LAX CA983 Lv 20:30 Ar 17:45 747
LAX PEK CA984 Lv13:40 Ar17:20+1 747
PEK JFK CA981 Lv 13:00 Ar 14:30 747
JFK PEK CA982 Lv 16:30 Ar 18:00+1 747-400
PEK SFO CA985 Lv 16:00 Ar12:40 747-400
SFO PE CA 986 Lv 14:20 Ar 17:05+1 747-400