-- The 14-hour flight by Air China is a preferred choice for business travelers

BEIJING, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 11, Air China commenced its Beijing-Houston nonstop service, making Houston, a leading commercial city in the southwestern part of the United States, more accessible to the Orient. The new route will greatly facilitate the commercial exchanges between China and the United States, and will also provide an additional option to those of Chinese descent living around the cosmopolitan city of Houston to "travel back home."

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Houston is the fourth largest city and the energy and petrochemical center of the United States. The city's highly developed heavy industry has been a strong boost to the rapid growth of import and export. Nowadays, Houston is not only the "energy capital of the world," but also an important international financial and trade center. Preferential import and export prices and low home prices in the city center have attracted many Chinese businessmen. In recent years, the trading ties between Houston and China have become increasingly closer. A telling example of this is that hundreds of Chinese trading enterprises have signed agreements with the Houston Trade Center on starting their operations at the Center, and more and more Asian businesses will make investments there.

However, business travelers between the two places have long voiced gripes about the inconvenience of travel. In the past, Chinese travelers to Houston had to make transfers in New York or Los Angeles, which meant a long and excruciating journey. Now, Air China's Beijing-Houston nonstop service will not only cut flight time from 21 hours to 14 hours, but also offer a much comfortable and pleasant business travel experience. The B777-300ER, an aircraft type very much applauded by the world's business travelers, is operated on the route. As the most advanced, most comfortable and most luxurious twin-engine long-range aircraft in Mainland China, the B777-300ER can meet the needs of the most discerning travelers. Its First and Business Class seats can recline 180 degrees to become full-flat beds; all three classes of service are equipped with individual power outlets and personal AVOD offering a variety of programs, keeping passengers entertained for the duration of the flight.

The Beijing-Houston nonstop route is the first direct route connecting Houston with the Asian continent. Its opening is very good news for the 300,000 people of Chinese descent in the Houston area. With this new route, Air China now serves five destinations in North America, the other four being New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver. With its extensive, balanced global route network with Beijing as the hub, Air China will make it much easier for passengers from Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Japan and other regions to make transfers via Beijing and continue their journey to North American destinations.

SOURCE Air China