CHICAGO, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On Sunday, Oct. 31, 2004, United Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). To launch its Chicago-Shanghai service, United is offering customers a Mileage Plus® bonus miles* promotion and limited-time introductory fares.**

The inaugural flight will kick off with a cultural exchange in United's O'Hare terminal. Shanghai-style acrobats will perform and Shanghai refreshments will be provided by acclaimed Chicago eatery Wow Bao.

United will now serve Shanghai nonstop and daily from its hubs in Chicago and San Francisco. In addition, it serves Beijing daily from both of these U.S. cities, and has applied for air rights to serve Guangzhou from San Francisco.

United offers more flights between the 50 United States and Asia Pacific than any other airline, including service to Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. Through the Star Alliance network, United customers have access to virtually all destinations in the region.

Mileage Plus members can earn bonus miles -- 15,000 miles for United First®, 10,000 miles in United Business® and up to 5,000 miles in United Economy® -- when they purchase and fly a qualifying roundtrip between Chicago and Shanghai between Oct. 31, 2004, and Dec. 2, 2004. See bonus miles terms and conditions below or visit http://www.united.com/mileageplus . United also is offering an introductory fare of $400 for qualifying travel each way between Shanghai and other U.S. cities via Chicago, including New York, Boston, Atlanta and Washington D.C. Introductory fares are each way based on required roundtrip purchase by Nov. 8, 2004, and valid for qualifying travel between Oct. 28 and Dec. 8, 2004. See fare facts, terms and conditions below** or visit http://www.united.com/shanghai.

"The Chinese government is delighted that United will be flying nonstop to Shanghai from Chicago," said Xu Jinzhong, Chicago Consul General of the People's Republic of China. "The economic benefits of this new service are clearly apparent and we look forward to increased cooperation in the areas of trade, commerce and tourism between these two great cities."

• United Flight 835 departs Chicago at 12:40 p.m. (CST) and arrives in Shanghai the next afternoon at 5:15 local time.
• United Flight 836 departs Shanghai at 7:10 p.m. local time and arrives in Chicago at 7:05 p.m. (CST) the same day.

United will operate this route with a Boeing 777 aircraft.

The cargo-friendly Boeing 777 aircraft offers United Cargo customers significant capacity between the United States and China. Due to the high demand for technology products, electronic parts, machinery, garments and shoes, Chicago is an ideal intermodal gateway for cargo bound for Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston and Miami.

Also on Oct. 31, United will launch daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare and Buenos Aires.