Help! We are tired of 17-hour flights home

A few weeks ago, we told you that several US airlines are jockeying for one opening route to and from China early next year: Northwest from Detroit to Shanghai, United from Washington, D.C., to Beijing, American from Dallas to Beijing and Continental from Newark to Shanghai.

Why are we rehashing old info? Well, yesterday Shanghaiist received, not one, not two, but three emails from family and friends asking us to sign this petition, which supports Continental’s bid to operate direct daily flights from Metro New York region to Shanghai. A little fair disclosure is in order before we go further: Neither we nor anyone we know works for Continental Airlines, but we do hail from the Garden State, aka New Jersey, aka that stretch of boggy marshland directly south of New York City. Self serving? Guilty as charged! We are just sick and tired of 17 hour flights every time we need to go home. If approved, the Continental route will help us (and many others) shave at least four hours off the trip. So help us, please?

Not to be left behind, other airlines competing for the slot have also put up their public campaign site. Here is one from American Airlines touting its route between Dallas and Beijing. Since Shangahiist isn't Fox News, we have no interest in being "fair and balanced". We want Continental!!!

While we are on the subject of flying, CalcuttaNews.net (no doubt a hotbed for news related to the Chinese aviation sector) reported that direct flights between Shanghai and Taiwan during the upcoming mid-autumn festival will go on sale today: Economy class tickets will cost about US$587 and business class at about US$862. The flight will operate between Sept 30 and Oct 7, coinciding with the week-long national holiday in the PRC. Those of you holding a foreign passport and are still looking for an (expensive) getaway spot, Taiwan may just be your answer.