Featured Map for 17 April 2017:
United Airlines to China

Most everyone who pays attention to the airline industry is aware of the indicent on 9 April 2017 in which Chicago Aviation Police forcibly removed Dr. David Dao, a passenger who had boarded United Express flight 3411 from Chicago O'Hare to Louisville (operated by Republic Airlines), in order to make room for four deadheading crew members. Video of the incident taken by fellow passengers quickly appeared on social media and in mainstream news. United's initial response compounded a public relations (PR) disaster.

Many people suspected that Dr. Dao was selected for removal because he is Asian, of Vietnamese descent. (Far more likely is that he was selected per Rule 25 of United's Contract of Carriage, which says nothing about ethnicity.) This led to widespread calls on social media in China to boycott United, which operates the most non-stop flights between China and the United States of any airline.

Today's Featured Map shows United's network to/from China, including 16 routes between the U.S. and China plus two routes beyond Hong Kong to Singapore and Ho Ci Minh City. United currently flies six flights to Shanghai from five cities—service from San Francisco is twice daily, using a Boeing 747-400 and 787-8 Dreamliner. San Francisco to Xi'an and Hong Kong to Ho Ci Minh City are both seasonal; the other routes operate daily.

References and additional information:

• United Airlines
  • Response to United Express Flight 3411 (10 April 2017)
  • Statement from United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz on United Express Flight 3411 (11 April 2017)
  • Flights to China from the US
  • Contract of Carriage Document (17 February 2017)
• United Airlines incident: What went wrong? – BBC News (10 April 2017)
• United Airlines has big trouble in China's social network – CNET (11 April 2017)
• Why the United Airlines PR Disaster Is Far From Over – The Motley Fool (14 April 2017)
• United made a major change to ensure the nightmare of Flight 3411 doesn't happen again – Business Insider (14 April 2017)