Delta to launch daily service between L.A. and Beijing

Delta plans to begin daily nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport on Dec. 16, 2016, pending U.S. Department of Transportation and foreign government approval.

L.A., the largest market for service to Asia, drives 21 percent of all U.S.-Asia demand, and the start of Beijing service marks Delta’s fifth daily nonstop flight to the Asia-Pacific region in addition to Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Shanghai and Sydney. Shanghai service was added in July 2015, and Delta will be the only carrier to offer service to both Beijing and Shanghai from Los Angeles. The launch of service is timed to capture peak holiday and Chinese New Year traffic.

Delta’s Los Angeles-Beijing flight will offer customers convenient connections to more than 39 cities in China, including - Chengdu, Shenyang, Qingdao, Xian and Hangzhou on SkyTeam partners China Eastern and China Southern, while the Los Angeles-bound Beijing flight will offer key connections to Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, San Diego and Phoenix as well as 35 other markets throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Delta’s new service will continue to support several established and emerging fields of business, including entertainment, technology, healthcare, government, education and professional services.

The route will operate using a 291-seat Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with 37 full flat-bed seats in Delta One, 36 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 218 seats in Main Cabin.

“Delta’s new nonstop service to Beijing continues our expansion in China, providing our business customers with access to Beijing and beyond through our partnerships with the market’s leading carriers, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines,” said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s Vice President of Sales - West. “This is an important route for customers who will enjoy the investments we've made to upgrade Delta’s airport facilities, onboard service, full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in Delta One, WiFi, and industry-leading complimentary in-flight entertainment.”

Including its hubs in Seattle and Detroit, Delta will operate 21 weekly departures to Beijing, China’s capital. Additionally, Delta offers 28 weekly departures to China’s global financial center, Shanghai, from its key markets and hubs in Los Angeles, Detroit, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. 

Delta’s rapidly expanding Los Angeles service currently includes 162 peak-day departures and a recently completed $229-million facilities enhancement of Terminal 5 at LAX that features a remodeled Delta Sky Club, a renovated Sky Priority lobby, and a brand new premium check-in experience, Delta ONE at LAX. Delta’s seat growth in Los Angeles has grown more than 99 percent since 2009, the most of any carrier.

Onboard Delta supports the music of emerging artists and short-form content creators through exclusive partnerships that provide in-flight content for customers, who can now enjoy free entertainment from every seat out of Los Angeles through Delta Studio. Every Delta flight from Los Angeles offers Delta One/First Class and Delta Comfort+ seating, and nearly every domestic and international flight features Wi-Fi service.

Customers traveling internationally in the Delta One cabin will enjoy amenities including recently introduced sleep suits, Westin Heavenly In-Flight Bedding, noise-reducing headsets, Tumi amenity kits, as well as a thoughtful culinary and wine experience. 

Daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Beijing beginning Dec.16: