New China routes for six U.S. cities?

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

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New China routes have been the must-have accessory for airlines as of late, so you can bet back-slapping and merry-making were the orders of the day when the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced two final decisions and four more probable new routes between China and the U.S.

Transportation Secretary Peters announced final approval decisions for Delta’s Atlanta to Shanghai route starting on March 30, 2008, and United’s San Francisco to Guangzhou route in spring 2008.

Peters also proposed awards for service starting in 2009 for Chicago to Beijing service from American Airlines, a Newark to Shanghai route from Continental, service between Detroit and Shanghai from Northwest, and a US Airways route between Philadelphia and Beijing. Final decisions about these routes will be announced in the near future.

If you remember, last year only one airline (United) was awarded a new route. This jump in routes is the first direct effect of the recent air service agreement between the U.S. and China, created in part to lower fares and increase convenience for travelers.

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