MONTREAL and BEIJING, China, Sept. 30, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada and Air China are pleased to announce the expansion of their long-standing commercial cooperation agreement. The expanded agreement further enhances the carriers' interline and codeshare services offered via their respective hubs, making it more convenient for customers to travel between Canada and China while extending the Star Alliance partners' international networks.  Now available for purchase, these new codeshare flights enable seamless bookings and connections for customers and their bags via the carriers' Vancouver, Toronto and Beijing hubs to six new China destinations and six new destinations in Canada throughout their respective networks.

"Air Canada is delighted to strengthen its relationship with Air China, China's leading airline and our valued Star Alliance partner since 2007. This expanded agreement provides our customers with seamless connections on a single itinerary for travel to six of the most important commercial, transportation and communication centres in Western China, six cities with millennia of history, each an exciting travel and cultural destination in its own right," said Calin Rovinescu, Air Canada's President and Chief Executive Officer.  "Air Canada's unprecedented 21 weekly flights from Toronto and Vancouver to Beijing this summer confirms the importance of this key market and the growing numbers of customers travelling between China and Canada.  With China being Canada's second largest trading partner, we look forward to providing customers with more convenient travel options to Chinese destinations by working closer with our Star Alliance partner, Air China.  We also look forward to welcoming travellers from China's major urban centres onboard our flights to six Canadian cities."

"There has been a rapid growth in the Chinese outbound travel market over the past few years. Working together with Air Canada, our Star Alliance partner and Canada's flag carrier, expanding our code-share cooperation will provide more travel options, ‎and more convenient and seamless travel for both carriers' customers," said Cai Jianjiang, Air China's President and Chief Executive Officer.

The carriers currently codeshare on flights operated from Vancouver and Toronto to and from Beijing and Shanghai. With the expanded codeshare agreement, Air Canada will place its code on Air China-operated flights to six new destinations in China, enabling Air Canada customers to conveniently access via Air China's Beijing hub: Guanghzou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan and Xi'An to the south and west of Beijing and Shenyang to the northwest.

Air China customers will in turn have convenient access from Air Canada's Vancouver hub, with Air China's code being placed on Air Canada-operated flights to six of Canada's major cities - Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. These codeshare flights are now available for purchase on www.aircanada.com and www.airchina.com , as well as through travel agencies.

Air Canada-Air China codeshare flights provide customers with benefits such as a single itinerary, through-checked bags and mutual Star Alliance status recognition including lounge access and other premium services for eligible members.  In addition, Aeroplan and PhoenixMiles members can redeem reward miles and accumulate mileage that counts towards top tier status.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 175 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2012 served close to 35 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 67 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,328 destinations in 195 countries.  Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax that ranked Air Canada in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers as Best Airline in North America in 2013 for the fourth consecutive year.  For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.

About Air China

Air China Limited (Air China) is the exclusive national flag carrier of China, a member of Star Alliance, and a leading provider of passenger, air cargo and airline-related services and products in China. As of 31 December 2012, Air China (including its holding companies) owns 461 aircraft, featuring Boeing and Airbus, with an average age of 6.54 years. It operates 284 passenger routes, including 72 international, 15 regional and 197 domestic routes, covering 145 cities (45 international cities, 4 regions, and 96 domestic cities) in 29 countries and regions. In cooperation with Star Alliance member airlines, its service network is further extended to 1,329 destinations in 194 countries.

Air China is committed to offer services of Credibility, Convenience, Comfort and Choice. Our frequent flyer program, PhoenixMiles, is the first program of its kind covering multiple airline brands in Asia. It now has a membership of 27 million. For more information, please visit www.airchina.com.

About Star Alliance

The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

SOURCE Air Canada