Starlux Airlines is Taiwan’s newest global airline. While it launched operations in early 2020, the airline has really ramped up its network in the past few years, including increasingly flying across the Pacific.
Continue reading: Starlux Airlines’ A350 First Class: What’s The Strategy, And Will It Ever Change?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
My guess - this is intentional and not supposed to be monetized. I suspect these seats are typically for the Govt officials/elite wealthy/Starlux Owner/C suite people and the cabin is there to keep them separate from the corporate plebs.
They could also be utilized as crew rests for pilots when (most of the time) unoccupied, assuming they don't have enough crew rest installed above.
I flew BKK-TPE-SFO on Starlux last month. My first leg was in first, the latter in business. This was booked by Qatar, replacing my original itinerary through Doha when those flights were cancelled.
Three of the four seats were occupied - two by my son and me, the third a buy up from Coach.
Stellar crew, far more efficient and friendly than the business leg. Outstanding offerings in food and drink, though we didn’t partake much as this was a late flight. What I remember most was the Loro Piana blanket that I desperately wanted to fall into my carry on bag, but no such luck.
Our departure from BKK was from the new terminal, a trek from check in but not horrible. The lounge was fine but not memorable.
I did love the buggy pick up in Taipei, but I may be an outlier here - I do not love the Galactic Lounge. I think it’s kind of goofy, really.
It was interesting, flying our first leg in F, then business home. Even though there’s little difference in appearance between the two classes, there is. All was better on the first flight in terms of food, drink, service, amenities. It’s a pity it’s so expensive to upgrade. Not going to happen with me, but I wish it would.
Hi Ben.
The main reason starlux has first class (an interview with the CEO) is due to the CEO wanted to have first class catering / amenities etc, and apparently according to him, it is not possible to get the top notch stuff without first class, no matter how good your biz product is.
So I am guessing he is using part of the stuff he get from first class and use it for biz class passengers. Just a guess, not sure if that make sense
On a recent Starlux Biz class award flight, the flight attendant told me that all business class passengers were not permitted to use the front restroom because there was a passenger in first class (she was in Seat 1A).
I think that was the only time I have seen someone is in first on my Starlux flights.
It’d be pretty typical for Starlux First class to be cancelled before you get the chance to fly it
Starlux Airlines is widely considered a "revenge" project by founder K.W. Chang following his rather humiliating ousting from EVA Air, his family’s company, after his father's death. Having F class may be a part of the revenge, to show that his airline can go for it, but EVA won't...
"Our departure from BKK was from the new terminal" --- What are you talking about ? The new SAT terminal is steps to the train and you are there.... If you go any of the older connected landside gates, you have to walk and walk and walk
Is it possible they are just overselling business class and filling these seats with full fare biz pax when no F seats are sold?
It would only take selling 1 F seat per flight to make their strategy worth it.
@Tim Dumdum Ci and BR both had first class many years ago but they discontinued it. JX is not the first airline from Taiwan to offer first.
Dumdum is correct.
It's entire existence is a middle finger to the family.
His late father realize his half siblings are incompetent and left the groupbto him just to get taken away.
It's his way of saying I can still do better with an empty F cabin that you brothers can't even keep.
Your calculation on load factor represents a certain vision of monetization of aircraft real estate. It's also interesting you don't report load factors to/from LAX.
Now if business class is never full, the airline isn't really losing money on first class, apart from the soft product fixed costs (amenities Lounge catering) that must cost something to be "on" all the time. When business class is getting full its fare increases and the trade up price of first starts to make sense.
If they engineered the soft product well to have mostly variable costs and very little fixed costs, and they rarely sell out (not mile out or upgrade out) business class, it does not look like bad business to me.
Some day, their network will expand to Cairo, and those fares will be reasonable. Oh what a conundrum you’ll be in…
Starlux Airlines offers first-class service within Asia on routes like Tokyo and Singapore, with tickets priced around USD 4,000–4,200.
The funny part? You used to get access to both the Galactic Lounge and Huan Yu VIP Terminal—but now it’s a “pick one” situation.
Cost-cutting move? Let’s just say… luxury now comes with a side of decision-making.
When it comes to corporate clients, this airline isn’t exactly in the same league as EVA Air or China Airlines
No need to write a review of a flight no one will ever take/no one ever takes. Save your money for something else.
I also agree with you about the Galactic Lounge. It’s not particularly competitive—adequate for a domestic lounge, but not for long-haul business class. The lower level lacks natural light and can only be accessed via a long staircase, which is quite dicey when trying to carry carry-on luggage, especially as there is no lift.
The hard product in business class is fantastic but the soft product is very inconsistent (both food and service). On two of the flights I took, the crew were merely on par with what I would expect from a US carrier.