讀後心得

United Airlines officially launched its direct flight route from Taipei to Guam on the 2nd, with a flight time of only 3.5 hours and offering two flights per week. The resumption of this route allows travelers to connect directly without needing to transfer through other countries. The Guam Visitors Bureau noted that Taiwanese spending power in the area was at its highest before the pandemic, with an average expenditure of nearly 30,000 New Taiwan Dollars per person. The flights are operated by Boeing 737-800s, each with 166 seats, including 16 business class seats. Guam's unique ecology and tourism resources also attract many Taiwanese travelers.

The latest direct flight route from Taiwan to the United States officially opened today (the 2nd), taking only 3.5 hours to reach Guam. This route, operated by China Airlines, has been reactivated by United Airlines after a 5-year wait, with two round-trip flights each week. In the future, travelers can go directly without transferring through Japan or South Korea! The Guam Visitors Bureau pointed out that before the pandemic, Taiwanese people were the highest spenders, with an average expenditure close to 30,000 Taiwan dollars per person, excluding airfare and accommodation, which is nearly double the average of other countries.

Today, United Airlines held a maiden flight ceremony at Taoyuan Airport, officially launching the direct flight route from Taipei to Guam, with two round-trip flights each week. Attendees included the regional sales director of United Airlines and the director of the Guam Visitors Bureau, who welcomed the first batch of passengers arriving in Guam together. At the same time, Guam Airport will also hold a welcome ceremony for travelers from Taipei.

The flight schedule for this route is as follows: departing from Taipei at 10:30 AM every Wednesday and at 11:00 AM every Saturday, arriving in Guam at local times of 4:20 PM and 4:50 PM, respectively. The return flights will depart Guam at 7:00 AM every Wednesday and Saturday, arriving in Taipei at 9:25 AM the same day. This route will be operated by a Boeing 737-800, which has 166 seats, including 16 business class seats.

The Guam Visitors Bureau noted that the resumption of this direct flight shortens the distance from Taipei to the U.S. territory, which previously required transfers through Japan, South Korea, or Manila in the Philippines. Currently, East Asian points flying to Guam include Narita, Kansai, and Nagoya, operated by Japan Airlines, United Airlines, and Tigerair Taiwan; South Korea has two points, Incheon and Busan, served by Korean Air, Jeju Air, and Tigerair Taiwan. Although Jeju and Tigerair are low-cost carriers, Tigerair Taiwan has not been able to launch direct flights due to equipment issues.

The primary source of incoming tourists to Guam comes from Japan and South Korea, with about 700,000 to 800,000 visitors each year from each, reaching up to 80% of the total. In recent years, the number of visitors from the Philippines has also increased, but before the pandemic, the highest spending power still belonged to Taiwanese travelers, with average spending (excluding airfare and accommodation) around 900 USD (approximately 29,923 Taiwan dollars), significantly higher than the 400 to 500 USD spent by travelers from other countries.

Analysis shows that Taiwanese people's main spending in Guam is concentrated on water activities; however, due to the ecological protection measures that prohibit certain activities like jet skiing in some bays, scuba diving naturally reveals more diverse species of fish. Additionally, Guam also attracts many visitors with unique species like the "cacao bird".

Since 2014, United Airlines has operated the direct flight route from Taipei to San Francisco, with over 2 million passengers traveling back and forth. With the opening of the Taipei to Guam route, it is expected that a route from Kaohsiung to Narita will launch on July 12. In addition, there are plans to open new routes from Mongolia to Narita and from Palau to Narita in the coming winter. United Airlines stated that it currently leads the world in airline capacity and will take delivery of 100 new aircraft over the next five years to continue improving service quality, and plans to collaborate with Musk's Starlink to provide in-flight Wi-Fi services this year.