Here’s my impressions of my STARLUX flight from Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan to Noi Bai:
Getting to the Airport: I used my Bilt Platinum $150 Blacklane credit for my early morning pickup (515am) to the airport. The Blacklane service was great, but I wouldn’t say it was worth it if I were paying full price. A note to anyone planning to use their credit: it doesn’t interface with the Blacklane app. You’ll get texts regarding your ride, but no live updates like you would with a rideshare app (that being said, I don’t know how the Blacklane app itself works).
Check-in and Security: There was no line at the STARLUX premium check-in, so I was able to quickly drop off my bag and get my boarding pass (I got a mobile pass, but the check-in agent said it wouldn’t work. Security was quick (even though I went into the standard line instead of the priority), I was waiting in line no more than 10 minutes.
Lounge: Was invited to the Galactic Lounge in Terminal 1. It’s a small space, but comfortable enough (and it did not get too busy in the morning). There’s a small buffet and some à la carte items. I wasn’t too hungry (and I knew there’s food on board), so I just ordered the smoked salmon guacamole toast, which was pretty good. There’s no bathrooms in the lounge, so you did have to leave to use them.
Boarding: Boarding was supposed to start 30 minutes before takeoff at 8am, but when I got there at 720 they called Group 1, so I walked right onto the plane. Boarding was efficient, but we had an ATC hold of about 20 minutes before we left the gate. On the way out, I got to witness the AIRSORAYAMA Gold A350-1000 parked with a bunch of other planes. It sure did look very sleek. I know STARLUX is planning to fly the two AIRSORAYAMA planes to PHX starting in October, and I’m a little jealous I missed out on that opportunity.
Hard Product: This plane used the Collins Aerospace Diamond Parallel seats in a 2-2 configuration (2 rows). Luckily there were only 4 passengers in Business so no one had a neighbor. The seat was pretty nice for a international short-haul flight, considering it could go into a flat bed if I had desired (I was a bit tired, but also had enough caffeine that I didn’t feel like trying it out). A pillow and blanket were on each seat. The IFE was good, but with no Bluetooth, I ended up using the provided headphones, which sounded good and did have some noise canceling.
Soft Product: The two flight attendants working Business were great. Were very attentive and served the breakfast efficiently after takeoff. I preordered the HUTONG Barbeque Braised Beef Cheek, it was served with a salad and some sides all at once, and was very good. Dessert arrived shortly after, and then I had to wait for my coffee due to turbulence (but it did eventually arrive).
Amenities: Being a short-haul flight, there was nothing offered.
Arrival: We landed about 10 minutes late. Arrival immigration was not too busy (through in 10 minutes) and my bag was once again waiting for me when I got to baggage claim.
Leaving the Airport: Used the Grab app to call a ride. Didn’t realize it was a bit of a walk from the terminal exit (where I called the ride) to the rideshare area, and the driver was already there when he accepted the ride. Thankfully, he had no problem waiting. Took about 45 minutes to get to Capella Hanoi.
Overall: To be fair, I can’t make a comparison between the Taiwanese carriers, because as of now, I’ve only flown STARLUX. But I would say this flight was a very enjoyable short-haul experience, would certainly recommend STARLUX if you’re flying out of TPE to somewhere else within Asia.
Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ThQ9y2RoEPCHh5XV8
Looks nice and it's a short flight so doesn't really matter, but as a one-off I wonder if I would choose one of the other carriers if only because I believe they do fly widebodies on the route.
@peter_ I was considering the EVA afternoon flight (just to avoid waking up at 4am), but it was a narrowbody with recliner seats according to AeroLOPA. Not sure what China Airlines flies on the route.
Another great update, Samar! Thank you for sharing these with us!
"The Blacklane service was great, but I wouldn’t say it was worth it if I were paying full price." 100%. Exactly how I've felt about them (mostly in NYC), too. I'm curious if your ride was fully-covered by the BILT Cash redemption, or if you had any overages, and, say, used Citi Strata Elite (which has the $100 semi-annual statement credit for Blacklane. The question of whether that double-dip is possible is an unanswered question for some of us with both cards.) Good to know about the lack of coordination with the Blacklane app.
On JX, glad this one went well for you, too. It's cute how they keep that Peanuts theme alive! (If EVA's gonna do the Hello Kitty flights, they gotta do something). Sleek indeed; those a350 liveries look so good. For your TPE-HAN flight, while 2-2 lie-flat isn't that fancy, it's still far better than mere recliners (or *gasp* 3-3 middle seat blocked). For a relatively short flight, you also scored with that meal.
Looking forward to your comparison between the Capellas (Taipei vs. Hanoi)!
@1990_ with regards to Blacklane, I paid $2.50 out of pocket, but I don’t have a Strata Elite so I couldn’t be the guinea pig for testing it out. It did code as a Bilt Travel purchase (see attached).