China Airlines and Virgin America operate codeshare flights, connecting to 17 domestic U.S. routes

Reported by Reporter You [Redacted] / Taipei

China Airlines has successively launched codeshare partnerships with Virgin America of the United States, WestJet of Canada, and Qantas of Australia starting from October, offering up to 531 weekly flights between Taiwan and North America. By strengthening its routes to the U.S., Canada, and Australia, the airline provides passengers with more flight options and greater convenience.


▲ Illustration: A China Airlines 777-300ER aircraft. (Photo / Reporter You [Redacted])

Through the new codeshare agreement with Virgin America, passengers traveling on China Airlines flights to Los Angeles or San Francisco starting October 26 can connect to 17 domestic U.S. destinations via Virgin America flights, including Dallas (DAL), Chicago (ORD), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), Washington (IAD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Seattle (SEA), Boston (BOS), and Las Vegas (LAS). This one-ticket service enhances connectivity between Taiwan and North America and expands China Airlines’ passenger network in the region.

Meanwhile, China Airlines and WestJet have been operating 87 weekly codeshare flights between Vancouver and various Canadian cities, as well as between Los Angeles and Canadian destinations since October 1, 2014. Passengers on China Airlines flights from Taipei to Vancouver can transfer to WestJet’s codeshare flights to Toronto (YYZ), Calgary (YYC), and Edmonton (YEG). Those flying from Taipei to Los Angeles can also opt to connect via Vancouver (YVR) or Calgary (YYC). Based in Calgary, WestJet serves over 85 destinations across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, making it Canada’s second-largest airline.

Starting from the 2014 winter schedule, China Airlines has also increased codeshare flights with Garuda Indonesia. The Taipei–San Francisco route has been expanded from two weekly flights to seven. Additionally, China Airlines and Qantas have signed a codeshare agreement. After October 15, flights between Taipei and Sydney or Brisbane will be jointly marketed, operated by China Airlines aircraft, strengthening the Taiwan–Australia route and attracting more international travelers.

China Airlines currently has codeshare partnerships with 17 airlines. In addition to the three newly added partners—Virgin America, WestJet, and Qantas—in October, these include Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, ITA Airways, Transaero Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Vietnam Airlines, Korean Air, Czech Airlines, Japan Airlines, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines.