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. Separately, I covered just how early this flight arrived, which was a near record for me.
In this post:
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?
My biggest gripe is their lower tier second class citizen treatment with Delta.
Flew them on a fully paid ticket in Business and earned 7000 odd miles and 1400 mqd. Or something stupid.
If I had flown Korean it would have been 4x these numbers. This flight left Diamond status in the table.
I must say that my experience on China Airlines was nicer than on Starlux with respect to soft product. And, since hard products were both excellent, I’d lean CI for future NATaiwan flights.
The price from YVR is significantly less on China airlines vs EVA, so I'll sacrifice PJs for 500 bucks.
For EVA, I’ve come to the conclusion that I vastly prefer the reverse-herringbone seats on the 777 to the 787’s staggered product.
I wonder why they drifted away from a reverse-herringbone configuration. You would think for an airline like EVA where such layout is a mainstay and popular, they could've gone with the same layout regardless of vendor.
Having flown Starlux 4 times last year in biz class , I have very mixed feelings. Whilst the hard product is very good indeed, the soft product is quite inconsistent (food and service). Despite all the hype, the airline has some catching up to do with the leading carriers.
I wish for a rich billionaire to build a new airline and challenge SQ. Taiwanese are so lucky to have three great airlines.
SQ is only dominant because most of their competition in ASEAN are terrible. SQ's 'nearest' competitors are at least four hours away (CX + the three taiwanese carriers)
I was actually surprised how good Thai was in Economy. Cannot speak for any other class but the food and service was much friendlier than in SQ.
Sometimes one should balance the amenities vs the ticket price?
Starlux was Uber expensive with a very limited network.
I've been very disappointed with Eva - especially their business lounge in Taiwan.
@Lucky Which lounge did you use at the airport provided by China Airlines? CI uses the Virgin Atlantic lounge at JFK at the moment before their move to the new Terminal One.
That's much better than EVA's lounge at JFK - which is the sad, dark and overcrowded Lufthansa lounge (with the Senator/Star Gold part already closed, given EVA flight's late departure).
Hey Ben,
How easy was it to find that availability on Flying Blue? Any tips or recommendations for the rest of us? I have a terrible time trying to find availability if you look more than a few weeks into the future. Cheers!
How available is the “saver” through Flying Blue? Can’t seem to find much availability through the calendar.
I managed to get multiple 62.5k redemptions for 2026 from West Coast to TPE. They are of course a steal and, although plentiful when released, get snatched up very fast. You have to set alerts and be quick!
Which city and what alerts?
great review. thanks!
great comment, thanks!
(You are definetly Tim Dunn nad create this account to argue with yourself right?)
I haven't flown CI in over 30 years, but did fly BR and JX in business before. JX definitely is better than BR overall in my humble opinion, with better English speaking crew and more updated hard product. I will be trying to fly CI soon!
Heads up for Ben: knowing you are heading to HKG next...
CX just flew the retro 747-8F back to HKG early Saturday morning after a delay to fix...
I haven't flown CI in over 30 years, but did fly BR and JX in business before. JX definitely is better than BR overall in my humble opinion, with better English speaking crew and more updated hard product. I will be trying to fly CI soon!
Heads up for Ben: knowing you are heading to HKG next...
CX just flew the retro 747-8F back to HKG early Saturday morning after a delay to fix the paint job that was a bit off (compared to the original classic lettuce sandwich scheme). Also, CX has pushed out their new Aria Studio promo on their social media.
Something was off with how the green stripe flared towards the front (assuming that was the issue)
And it wouldn't have hurt to add the "cargo" titles along with a more proportionate typeface, but hey, at least effort counts!
Yeah, it was off toward the front of the plane. It was quite obvious to us who lived through the Kai Tak era. It does look better after the fix. However, I am not sure the airplane model makers are following the fix. We'll see!
China Airlines is also another airline who has a pretty consistent layout on their widebody fleet sans A330, but that will be retired in favour of the 787s and I assume they'll have the same layout.
I'm looking forward to what they come with on the 787s as well as upcoming retrofit next year!
The thing with CI is that it deliberately flies under the radar, and intentionally keeps a low profile while simultaneously building an excellent hard and soft product. Its A350, 777 and A321neo cabins look spectacular, and the food and amenities are top-tier too. So far, this is better than what Korean Air has done, but with its big overhaul, KE has a much better global brand recognition than CI and is poised to leverage that...
The thing with CI is that it deliberately flies under the radar, and intentionally keeps a low profile while simultaneously building an excellent hard and soft product. Its A350, 777 and A321neo cabins look spectacular, and the food and amenities are top-tier too. So far, this is better than what Korean Air has done, but with its big overhaul, KE has a much better global brand recognition than CI and is poised to leverage that with its new cabin products.
However, it’s always clear that CI is a state-owned entity that does not promote itself very much the way CX or SQ will do. Then there’s the fact that the command of English at Mandarin-speaking airlines like BR/CI/JX will always be lower than globalised airlines like CX and SQ, or even NH/JL/KE. The same thing goes for SkyTeam partner Vietnam Airlines. This reflects in their poor IFE selections: no Disney+ or HBO Max like CX/SQ or EK/EY/QR!
Does CI’s 777 really have “excellent hard product”? Am I missing something?
ANA’s The Room or JAL’s A350-1000 suite is excellent… while CI’s 777 is BA’s current seat minus the door… it’s still comfortable but really dated at this point - nothing excellent about it
@Proximanova? Which airline does not have Disney+? Vietnam Airlines or what? I know CI has Disney+ because I watched the Mandalorian on a recent flight.
@Volan: I stand corrected. For the 777-300ER, I was saying that based on the impression that the CI cabins certainly look much sleeker than the BR ones. As you’ve flown in it, of course you’ll know about its flaws better.
@Stanley C: I meant to say that I don’t think it’s likely for CI to have a branded Disney+ tile the way CX does. It’s a very insular airline with respect to its branding (as is BR), and does not target Western brand sensibilities like CX or SQ do.
How much did Lai Ching-te pay you to write this?
Bah. Pales in comparison to DunceJet (AKA Tim Dunn's Delta)
@Ben
I would prefer a pic of the amenity kit instead of the screen of the entertainment systems going forward.
@justindev
thats always included in the full review
No PJs on a 13 hour flight... They and SQ need to get their act together. PJs in int'l business on flights over 5hrs is must.
And WTF is bfast being served at 10PM?
5 hours is not the threshold I was personally expecting – might be worth telling BA that, as they operate their intra-European business class product to Cairo?
OK. 6 hours flying time then
Aww, poor little baby Justy needs his "PJs" so desperately...
Man up.
CI is in an interesting spot, overall they feel good, just not quite as refined as BR/JX.
If you even look to the food, several pre-packaged items like the snacks or pork floss, whereas EVA and Starlux would have that plated.
I definitely think they're one of the strongest SkyTeam airlines out there though, probably better than Korean Air.
My experience: China Airlines has the best service. warm and friendly, not robotic. Starlux unfortunately doesn't have the most polished training. Food: EVA is the best, CI is ok, wasn't too impressed with Starlux other than their wine selection. Hard Product: Starlux b/c obviously new tech/seat, then CI, and BR last for 777 (haven't experienced the 787 yet)
Curious how the ground experience was at PHX. For so long (aside from a brief LH interlude) BA was the only long haul game in town. I also haven’t flown out of PHX as the long haul departure point in nearly 15 years.
With the AF and now CI/JX expansions, I was curious what your experience was like.
CI is a state owned enterprise after all, unlike its taiwanese (and many other Asian) peers
I wouldn’t expect too much (saying this as a PHX-based flyer). The only lounge that would be available for J passengers is the Escape lounge in T4. You’d be better off going to the Centurion or the Sapphire (on the opposite end of the terminal) if you have access.
I flew JetBlue out of PHX last year and that Escape lounge was one of the worst lounges I've ever experienced in the U.S. Small space, overcrowded. people waiting 4 deep to use the bathroom. T4 itself is fairly nice so I left after 2 minutes and hung out at the gate (where I did not have to wait to use the bathroom either).
JetBlue is T3 in Phoenix and the Escape lounge is totally different (way worse) than the T4 PHX escape which is a contractor lounge for JX/CI/BA/AF. They use the same kitchen as the centurion lounge in PHX. The decor at the chase sapphire in PHX is nice but the food is worse than centurion/ escape and the line to wait is the pits.
Looking forward to eventually trying this product out from PHX, though it’ll be on the backburner (flying JX first later this year). Happy to see PHX getting more intercontinental options.
I really appreciate design on board CI A350 across all the cabins. It's classy.
As for the entertainment system contents, CI and BR are really mediocre... JX is much, much better in this field.
Overall, TW is truly blessed having these three great airlines
I was blown away by China Airlines catering!!! it tasted as good as Air France... and a cut above everyone else!!!
"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"
Are they secretly topping you off with Andre in the galley?
I'm thinking of starting this luxury-oriented Asian airline, is there an island country somewhere between Hong Kong and Japan that would serve as a good base?
Ben - I recently flew from the US to Taiwan on EVA and back on China Airlines. In contrast to you, I didn’t see much difference. On both flights (both 777-300ER), the seat was comfortable but dated (and obviously not in the same league as eg NH or JL); attention to detail was excellent; food was very good (I’d say CI slightly better than BR); drink selection impressive, including excellent teas on BR. As you...
Ben - I recently flew from the US to Taiwan on EVA and back on China Airlines. In contrast to you, I didn’t see much difference. On both flights (both 777-300ER), the seat was comfortable but dated (and obviously not in the same league as eg NH or JL); attention to detail was excellent; food was very good (I’d say CI slightly better than BR); drink selection impressive, including excellent teas on BR. As you point out, one major difference is no PJs on China Airlines - honestly, with all the investment in other areas I struggle to understand why they can’t match BR here? TPE lounges of both airlines really disappointing. I haven’t flown Starlux yet (other than a regional narrowbody) so wondering how that will compare.
I've flown all three starlux is the best. The lounge in TPE was fantastic a cut above compared to the other 2 carriers. Food was great in the lounge and it has a lot more character. My last EVA flight the seat went past 180 degrees in bed mode and loud squeaking noises when transforming. Definitely showing its age.
Providing some DP as family member flys CI Biz class monthly between Canada and Taiwan/Singapore, flew CX ARIA, UA Polaris, EVA, AC, WestJet
- Crew is hit and miss, but generally pretty good and friendly. Some were SUPER FRIENDLY
- No alcohol, so can't comment there
- Wi-Fi is acceptable (same as EVA), Starlux has faster Wi-Fi (expected)
- Food is impressive > EVA. Starlux again has great/better food
-...
Providing some DP as family member flys CI Biz class monthly between Canada and Taiwan/Singapore, flew CX ARIA, UA Polaris, EVA, AC, WestJet
- Crew is hit and miss, but generally pretty good and friendly. Some were SUPER FRIENDLY
- No alcohol, so can't comment there
- Wi-Fi is acceptable (same as EVA), Starlux has faster Wi-Fi (expected)
- Food is impressive > EVA. Starlux again has great/better food
- No pajama is a miss yes, even UA Polaris gives one
- Hardware. JX > CI > EVA in my opinion though. EVA's 77W and 787 J are really old/lacking.
- Lounges: EVA lounge in TPE is just... buffet. CI lounges are better. JX is the best
- I won't even mention AC/WestJet in the same textbox :P