American, Continental, Northwest and United have all submitted bids for the potentially lucrative daily shuttle flight on offer to US carriers and expected to go into service next March.

In a reality TV-style twist, American and Continental have set up electronic voting through their websites, hoping travellers' endorsements will sway the US Department of Transportation's decision on the route, to be announced early next year.

"The Internet petition is open to people all around the world the names submitted will be included in American's application to try and influence the decision over the award of the route," said American Airlines' spokeswoman in Beijing.

Up against American's Dallas to Beijing route, Northwest has proposed a Detroit to Shanghai link; United offer Washington DC to Beijing; and Continental Newark to Shanghai. As well as being the first gateway to China from the Southern US, American claim the Dallas to Beijing flight would generate up to 1.6 billion yuan (US$200 million) for the North Texas economy.

Northwest's proposal to operate a Boeing 747-400, meanwhile, would create capacity for shuttling more than 5,500 passengers between the two countries each week more than a quarter of a million per year.

Continental argue that more local passengers fly from the Newark catchment area to Shanghai than from San Francisco, Chicago or Los Angeles, which all already have a service, and United emphasize the symbolism of direct flights between Washington DC and Beijing.

"Capital-to-capital service will support the continuous dialogue that is critically needed between these two governments " a United press release quoted Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of the US House of Representatives as saying in a letter to the Department of Transportation.

In Shanghai, the Marriott Hotel's John Northern, chairman of the travel and tourism committee of the city's American Chamber of Commerce, gave reserved backing to the United bid.

"The most important thing is to have a balance of destinations so there is even coverage in both directions and that would lead me to favour Washington and then maybe the Dallas route," he said.

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