China Airlines A350 Business Class: A Pleasant Ride To Taiwan!

Hello from Taipei, as I just flew China Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 business class on the 13hr50min flight from Phoenix (PHX) to Taipei (TPE). Taiwan is perhaps the most competitive airline market in the world on a per capita basis, with the island having three full service, global airlines.

I had flown EVA Air business class and Starlux business class across the Pacific in recent years, and was looking forward to flying China Airlines business class for the first time in around six years. I got an amazing deal on this flight, as I paid just 72,500 Flying Blue miles (which I acquired with a transfer bonus).

So, how is China Airlines’ long haul product nowadays? I’d argue that it’s excellent, and offers a very well-rounded experience. However, I do think it’s a tier below its two biggest competitors, both of which I rank as offering among the world’s best business class products. I wouldn’t quite put this in the top tier of Asian carriers… though it’s close. Let me share some initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full trip report.

China Airlines’ A350 business class seats are reliable

China Airlines’ Airbus A350-900s (at least the version I flew on) are configured with 32 business class seats. The airline has Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats, which are among the most popular and common long haul business class seats out there.

These are the typical “off the shelf” seat, so it’s a solid reverse herringbone product. The only thing that stands out is that the finishes are distinctive and beautiful (mainly thanks to the bulkhead design, individual lamps, etc.).

Admittedly this product is now around a decade old, so it doesn’t have all the modern bells and whistles. There are no doors, bluetooth audio, USB-C charging, etc. However, the airline does plan to introduce new A350 cabins in the coming years.

China Airlines’ A350 entertainment & Wi-Fi are pretty good

China Airlines’ A350 business class entertainment setup is sufficient, but nothing exciting. There’s a decent selection of movies and TV shows, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find something to watch. However, don’t expect anything like the systems you’ll find on Cathay Pacific or Emirates, for example.

I appreciated the map feature, though I missed the tail camera feature, given that this is an option airlines have for the A350.

China Airlines has Panasonic Wi-Fi on its A350s. While the airline ordinarily charges $21.95 for a full flight pass with no data caps, business class passengers receive complimentary Wi-Fi, which is appreciated. It’s valid for the entire flight, and you can even switch between devices.

China Airlines’ business class catering is impressive

China Airlines has top notch catering in business class, with lunch being served after takeoff, and breakfast being served before landing (despite a scheduled 10:20PM arrival… you’ve gotta love the challenge airlines have in deciding what meals to serve!).

As is the case on all three Taiwanese airlines, the meals are absolutely massive. The first meal began with drinks, an amuse bouche, and two types of packaged snacks. I had a glass of champagne to drink, and China Airlines serves Laurent-Perrier Brut Millesime 2015 on US routes, which is pricey.

The appetizer consisted of foie gras pate and smoked salmon salad, along with a garden salad (why can’t airline salads always look that nice?!).

That was followed by a creamy cauliflower soup with toasted hazelnuts.

For the main course, I opted for the steamed sea bass with garlic ginger sauce and vegetable fried rice.

Then I finished off the meal with a dark chocolate cherry mousse cake, plus a fruit and cheese plate.

Talk about an absolutely massive meal!

Before landing, I chose the Taiwanese option, which consisted of congee with scallops, shrimp, tofu, etc.

Where China Airlines business class doesn’t shine

China Airlines offers an excellent business class product across the Pacific, so I don’t want to in any way suggest otherwise. However, there were definitely some areas where the experience felt a little second tier compared to EVA Air and Starlux.

My point isn’t to nitpick China Airlines, but instead, to acknowledge the efforts that some competitors make, and how I notice and appreciate those things. All of these are super minor individually, but OMAAT is all about the minutiae of the premium travel experience, which is why I mention these things. For example:

• There were no pajamas, unlike on EVA Air and Starlux Airlines
• I find it bizarre how alcohol (including champagne) is never poured out of the bottle at the seat; even if you ask for a refill, they take your glass to the galley and bring it back, which is quite a contrast to competitors
• I appreciated the mattress pad and thick duvet, though I found the pillow to be way too thin for my liking; fortunately there were some empty seats, so I was able to grab an extra pillow from another seat
• While the crew was generally friendly and had a great command of the English language (more so than on EVA and Starlux), some attention to detail was missing; they weren’t terribly attentive with refills, they were a bit sloppy with clearing empty plates, service just felt more reactive than proactive, the lavatories weren’t as spotless as on some other carriers, etc.

Like I said, I think China Airlines’ business class experience is very good, I just don’t think it offers the little touches and attention to detail that would make it world class, at least based on this flight experience.

Bottom line

China Airlines offers a competitive business class product across the Pacific, with the A350s having comfortable reverse herringbone seats, decent entertainment, and free Wi-Fi. China Airlines’ meal service is also rather bountiful and high quality, with great drinks as well.

While I liked the experience, some minor details made me feel like this was a bit of a step down from EVA Air and Starlux. That’s not terribly surprising, as that’s what I was expecting going in, based on past experiences. Don’t get me wrong, this is still an excellent product, it’s just tough to be based in Taiwan, where you’re competing against some of the best airlines in the world.

What’s your take on China Airlines’ A350 business class?