Shanghai Airlines was established on December 30, 1985.[4] It is China's first commercial airline of multidimensional investment funded by the Shanghai municipal government and Shanghai local enterprises. The airline was initially restricted to domestic flights, but has operated international services since 1997.[5]
In late 2002, Shanghai Airlines was successfully listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, which enabled the airline to fuel its further expansion. In 2006, the airline's cargo subsidiary was founded.[5]
On December 12, 2007, Shanghai Airlines was officially welcomed as the 19th member of Star Alliance, which consolidated the alliance's presence in the Shanghai market.[6]
On June 11, 2009, it was announced that Shanghai Airlines would merge with China Eastern Airlines. The merger of the two airlines was expected to reduce excess competition between the two Shanghai-based carriers, and allow them to compete more effectively with domestic rivals Air China and China Southern Airlines. It was also aimed at consolidating Shanghai's status as an international aviation hub.[7]
In February 2010, the merger was completed. Shanghai Airlines was delisted from the Shanghai Stock Exchange and became a wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines. The new combined airline is expected to have over half of the market share in Shanghai.[8] Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Jing'an District.[9]
As a result of the merger with China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines reached an agreement with Star Alliance to terminate its membership. On November 1, 2010, the airline officially left the Star Alliance and announced its intention to join its parent company in SkyTeam.[10] Shanghai Airlines also maintained its own cargo division, Shanghai Airlines Cargo, which was merged into China Cargo Airlines.
Shanghai Airlines has a substantial domestic network shared with its parent company China Eastern Airlines. The airline serves over 140 domestic and international destinations, giving access to more than 60 large and medium-sized cities in mainland China and abroad. Its international flights focus on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.[5] Shanghai Airlines also operates services from Shanghai to Melbourne Airport, Australia on behalf of China Eastern Airlines utilising its own aircraft and crew. From June 2019, Shanghai Airlines opened direct flights to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
Crane Club (simplified Chinese: 金鹤俱乐部; traditional Chinese: 金鶴俱樂部) was the frequent-flyer program of Shanghai Airlines prior to the merger with China Eastern Airlines. However, Shanghai Airlines announced in April 2011 [25] that the Crane Club will be merged into China Eastern's Eastern Miles Program. It was officially merged into Eastern Miles on June 8, 2011. After the merger, members can earn and use their mileage on China Eastern's flights. The Crane Club had two tiers: Crane Club Gold and Silver.[26]
Shanghai Airlines' frequent-flyer program is called Eastern Miles (东方万里行; 東方萬里行). After the merger with China Eastern Airlines, the frequent-flyer programs were also merged. Eastern Miles became the official frequent-flyer program of Shanghai Airlines on June 8, 2011. When enough miles are collected, members can be upgraded to VIP. VIP membership of Eastern Miles can be divided into three tiers: Platinum Card Membership, Golden Card membership and Silver Card membership.[27]
^"第二节 新中国建立后上海民航机构". Office of Shanghai Chronicles (in Chinese). December 19, 2003. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2023. On December 30, 'Shanghai Airlines' was formally established.
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