Royal Jordanian to Launch Nonstop Amman–Beijing Flights on January 26, 2027 | A New Route to China? Business-Class Award Examples

Royal Jordanian (RJ) has added its Amman–Beijing Capital route to the booking system, with service starting on January 26, 2027, operated by a Boeing 787-8. This will be the first nonstop route between Jordan and China. In August, RJ signed a memorandum of understanding with Air China to deepen cooperation, helping pave the way for the new service. Together with RJ’s North American destinations, the route gives travellers a new way to get to China: North America – Amman – Beijing.

Schedule for the new Beijing route

The route will initially operate twice a week, with all times shown in local time:

The flight to Beijing takes about 8 hours 55 minutes, while the return takes about 10 hours 50 minutes. From March 28, 2027, service will increase to four flights per week: RJ184/RJ185 will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while RJ186/RJ187 will operate on Mondays and Fridays.

Why this route matters

Amman is RJ’s hub, so one connection links into its network across Europe, the Middle East, and North America. This is especially useful for North American travellers. RJ currently serves seven North American airports: in Canada, one routing stops at Montreal (YUL) before continuing to Toronto (YYZ); in the United States, the destinations are New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), Detroit (DTW), Washington (IAD), and Dallas (DFW), which was added in May 2026. From Beijing, you can connect through Amman to several North American gateways without routing through Europe.

Aircraft: Boeing 787-8, with business class as the main point

The Beijing route will use RJ’s Boeing 787-8. The fleet has seven of these aircraft, configured with two cabins: 24 Crown Class (business-class) seats and 246 economy seats.

Crown Class (business class) uses Collins Diamond seats in a 2-2-2 layout:

• The seats recline fully flat, so they work for an overnight long-haul flight.
• Keep your expectations in check: this is the previous-generation product. Window seats do not have direct aisle access, so you need to step over your neighbour to get out, and there is no Wi-Fi onboard.
• Seat-selection tip: if you are travelling alone, a middle-row seat is easier to get in and out of. If you are travelling as a pair, the two seats by the window offer more privacy.

RJ’s newly delivered Boeing 787-9s—six are on order and deliveries have started—feature a completely different business-class product: Collins Elements 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone seats with doors and Viasat Ka-band Wi-Fi. They currently operate on routes including London, Bangkok, and 🇨🇦 Montreal–Toronto, with some dates on the New York, Chicago, Washington, and Dallas routes also using the aircraft. RJ has also announced plans to gradually retrofit the 787-8 fleet to the same standard.

The Beijing route launches with the older 787-8 cabin, so do not expect the 787-9’s new seats on this service. If the schedule later changes aircraft, this article will be updated.

The 787-8’s older business class is shown in the featured image: a 2-2-2 layout with lie-flat beds. The newer 787-9 business class uses a more private 1-2-1 layout, as shown below:

Award-ticket options

Royal Jordanian is a oneworld member, so AA or AS miles are the first options to consider for its award tickets.

🌰 Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards miles example

• Toronto – Montreal – Amman – Beijing, all in Royal Jordanian business class: There is actually a fair amount of availability.

130,000 miles is on the expensive side, but still manageable.

Used well, an AS one-way award can also include a stopover, so you can spend a few days in Amman before continuing to China:

🌰 American Airlines AAdvantage example

The search results are a little funny. AA treats the U.S.–Amman segment as a married itinerary, so you must add an AA-operated flight to book it and cannot see a nonstop award on its own. But on the Amman–Beijing segment, AA separates the North America–Amman portion from the itinerary, and each segment shows availability when searched separately.

• United States – Amman

• Amman – Beijing

A manually assembled itinerary with a stopover costs 70,000 + 40,000 miles, which is also reasonable. You can spend a few days in Amman before continuing to China.

Chinese passport holders can get a Jordan visa on arrival, but Jordan is not visa-free

Visa on arrival: A single-entry visa costs 40 Jordanian dinars (about RMB 400). It can be issued at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman and most other ports of entry, and allows a 30-day stay. If you want to stay longer, you can register for an extension at a local police station, for a maximum of about 60 days. One exception is the Allenby / King Hussein Bridge land crossing, which does not issue visas on arrival. This is not an issue if you enter through the airport.

eVisa: Apply in advance through the Jordanian Ministry of Interior’s website (eservices.moi.gov.jo). It generally takes about three business days. This option avoids lining up after landing.

The money-saving option is the Jordan Pass. Buy it at jordanpass.jo before entering Jordan and stay for at least three nights to have the 40-dinar visa fee waived. The pass also bundles admission to more than 40 attractions, including Petra. If you plan to spend time in Amman and visit Petra or the Dead Sea, the pass will usually cost less than paying the visa fee and attraction admission separately.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months.