American Airlines Becomes First U.S. Airline to Launch Daily Nonstop Service Between Los Angeles and Shanghai

LOS ANGELES, April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines and its regional affiliate American Eagle today launched a significant service expansion from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with 10 new destinations, including new daily nonstop service to Shanghai. American is the first U.S. airline to offer daily nonstop service from Los Angeles to Shanghai, the largest U.S.-China air travel market.

The new service is part of a series of recent and upcoming flights, as well as improved schedules, between the United States and global destinations that are being delivered by American and its fellow oneworld® Alliance partners British Airways and Iberia Airlines.

American Eagle also is launching today nine new daily domestic destinations from LAX. American Eagle is introducing new two-class service to Denver and four of the new routes – Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Albuquerque, N.M. The service features a First Class cabin, with premium food and beverage service, and nine newly designed seats that offer adjustable headrests and ergonomically contoured back and seat cushions on the CRJ-700 aircraft.

The American Eagle flights will depart from American Eagle's new terminal at LAX, which opened last year and will be expanded by up to four additional gates by the end of 2011 at an investment of approximately $20 million.

American also will add seven additional daily flights from LAX, including two additional flights each to Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami and one additional flight each to Chicago, Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.

In addition to the new routes, American continues to offer customers more travel options and opportunities to earn AAdvantage® miles at LAX and on the West Coast through the expansion of its trans-Pacific agreement with Japan Airlines and its trans-Atlantic joint business with British Airways and Iberia Airlines:

• Iberia Airlines on March 28 began service between Los Angeles and Madrid – the only nonstop service between these two global business and financial centers.
• British Airways will offer the only nonstop flight from San Diego to London, when the airline begins service on June 1.

Passengers also can make connections to China, Japan and other points in Asia from American's and Japan Airlines joint business route from San Francisco to Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

The addition of more than 30 round trip flights lifts total daily departures for American and American Eagle at LAX to over 150, up 28 percent. The additional routes and choices for customers strengthens American's position in Los Angeles, one of its five cornerstone markets in the U.S. and one of the top five markets in the world for premium passengers.  This effort further underscores American and its oneworld® Alliance partners' position at LAX as the preferred airlines in providing customers international travel from the West Coast. oneworld offers customers 17 international departures from LAX.

The expanded service is expected to benefit the Los Angeles area by raising American's estimated annual economic impact to approximately $6 billion, up $600 million from before the start of the new service.

The expansion of American's LAX network and its investments in facilities complement existing investments for premium travelers that include an Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge in Terminal 4 and VIP travel assistance through American's Five Star Service. For details, visit www.aa.com/admiralsclub and www.aa.com/fivestarservice.

To celebrate the Los Angeles service expansion, American is offering customers the opportunity to earn triple AAdvantage miles by flying on a purchased First Class or Business Class fare on LAX-Shanghai, adding up to more than 20,000 miles for a one-way trip. Customers who fly on a purchased LAX-Shanghai Economy Class fare can earn double AAdvantage miles. The bonus miles offer is valid for travel between April 5 and June 30. Customers can also earn double AAdvantage miles for travel on any of American Eagle's nine new domestic routes to and from Los Angeles. Registration prior to travel is required. Register and learn more at www.aa.com/morelax.

"Los Angeles is a key international gateway for American, as well as our oneworld partners," said Derek DeCross, American's Vice President – Sales. "Our focus is on providing customers with as many travel options as possible at LAX, and that's what our moves today are all about. These new routes, along with our joint businesses with British Airways, Iberia and Japan Airlines, give customers more choices for flights, connections and ways to earn AAdvantage miles."

"Los Angeles is proud to partner with American Airlines, a world-class carrier, to bring more flights, tourists and economic opportunity into our great city," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. "American Airlines' daily nonstop flight to Shanghai will further strengthen LA's cultural and economic relationship with China."

"American's flight from Los Angeles-Shanghai will not only benefit the people of our two countries, but also play a positive role in enhancing the friendship of our two peoples and promoting the  economic and tourism cooperation between our two nations," said Consul General Ambassador Qiu Shaofang of the People's Republic of China to Los Angeles.

Connecting Convenience, Onboard Amenities and more

At Shanghai's Pudong International Airport (PVG), customers will enter Terminal 2, close to American's oneworld partners and providing smoother, faster connections to other cities. More than 200,000 travelers flew between Los Angeles and Shanghai in 2010, with Los Angeles accounting for more passengers to China than any other U.S. city.

The new LAX to Shanghai flight will use a Boeing 777 with 247 seats, 16 in First Class, 37 in Business Class, and 194 in Economy Class. Customers aboard this flight can enjoy the style and comfort of the American Airlines Flagship experience in First and Business Class as well as entertainment at every seat in the Economy cabin. The First Class cabin Flagship Suite® offers privacy dividers, 1-2-1 across cabin seating, and the ultimate in video and audio entertainment options. American's Next Generation Business Class cabin features fully customizable lie-flat-at-an-angle seats and a library of entertainment at your fingertips. Bose® QuietComfort® Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones are available in both First and Business Class.

Premium class customers can enjoy traditional Chinese amenities onboard, including specially designed menus, featuring select entrees inspired by celebrity chef Sam Choy and the choice of jasmine or black tea served in a teapot with teacups specially designed for American's flights. Inflight entertainment includes newly released Hollywood films with Mandarin subtitles and a selection of Chinese films. Flights will also be staffed with Mandarin-speaking flight attendants.

Shanghai is one of the most important cultural, commercial and financial centers in China. Known for rapid cultural change, it is the hotspot of modern China - a cosmopolitan city of nearly 20 million that balances contemporary urban living along with the remains of its colonial past.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 50 countries with, on average, more than 3,600 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve approximately 900 destinations with more than 9,000 daily flights to 145 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).

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The address is http://www.aa.com

SOURCE American Airlines