September 25: Air Canada Fare Sale Slashes Round Trip Costs Between San Francisco/Chicago and China by up to 35%

Air Canada has continued its pursuit of American travelers to China by launching its second unannounced fare sale on flights between the two countries in two weeks. Round-trip flights from both San Francisco and Chicago to either Beijing or Shanghai have been slashed by up to 35%, according to average prices reported in Hopper’s when to fly and buy reports.

The sale began on September 25 and includes tickets with departure dates running from October until the end of March. Flights between San Francisco/Chicago and Beijing have fallen to just over $600, a saving of at least $266. Flights between San Francisco/Chicago and Shanghai have been reduced to just over $700, a saving of up to $379.

All flights connect in Vancouver or Toronto and take around 16 to 17 hours to reach their destination. The connection via an Air Canada hub airport significantly increases travel time, and quicker direct flights are available, though they are more expensive. For example, US-American and United operate direct flights between Chicago and Beijing; travel time is reduced to under 14 hours, but tickets cost over $800, $200 more than Air Canada’s discounted fares.

"The last Air Canada fare sale from San Francisco to Asia was two weeks ago and lasted 4-5 days," said Patrick Surry, Chief Data Scientist at Hopper. "Air Canada clearly wants to increase its US market share on the routes, so if you’re considering flying to China in the next six months now would be a great time to book tickets."

Fare sale details

Airlines participating in fare sale: Air CanadaStart of fare sale: September 25Fare sale length: Flash fare sales like this typically only last for a few daysConditions: Departure dates are available from now until November 30.Airfare savings: Up to 35% lower than the average prices reported in Hopper's when to fly and buy reports.

The Air Canada flights from Chicago to China currently on sale:

• Chicago to Beijing for as low as $578, a $285 savings

• Chicago to Shanghai for as low as $693, a $383 savings

The Air Canada flights from San Francisco to China currently on sale:

• San Francisco to Beijing for as low as $600, a $266 savings

• San Francisco to Shanghai for as low as $709, a $94 savings

About Hopper Research

The research team at Hopper uses data drawn from a combined feed of Global Distribution System (GDS) data that includes 10 million flight price queries per day, containing about one billion individual trips per day, to provide insights on airline pricing to consumers.