The A350 is also a joy to fly. The menu read as follows: 40 minutes after takeoff tablecloths were distributed and the first round of drinks was served. And find when you average out what each does well they are about equal. I had a fantastic time aboard EVA, but China Airlines business class left me scratching my head. I flew with them to London last year for $4400 round trip business from Melbourne. China Airlines business class dinner — dessert & cheese. Indicates external site which may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. I’m surprised that a matching trucker cap didn’t come with it. Anyone else surprised about the flightpath over India instead of Russia. I booked the following: 01/25 CI70 London to Taipei departing 9:15PM arriving 6:30PM (+1 day) [Business]. I couldn’t help but notice all crew members wearing masks — obviously that’s now totally common, but this flight was right around the point that the coronavirus was getting more attention, and airline crews started getting permission to wear masks. China Southern is a strange beast. To drink I ordered a glass of champagne — the only option was a 2009 Pol Roger Rose, which retails for $100+ per bottle. Premium Business Class. I split the rest of my time between looking at my laptop screen and looking out the window. China Airlines business class dinner — soup. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. However, they definitely had bedding on that flight – you just had to proactively ask for it. Travel in the Time of COVID: The news, resources, & information you need, • Introduction: Starluxing Through A Zombie Apocalypse• Review: Delta Air Lines A320 First Class• Review: The Club Boston Airport (Terminal E)• Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Boston Airport• Review: Virgin Atlantic 787 Upper Class Business Class• Review: Virgin Atlantic Arrivals Lounge London Heathrow• Review: National Express From Heathrow To Gatwick• Review: Yotel London Gatwick Airport• Review: China Airlines A350 Business Class• Review: Starlux Airlines Galactic Lounge Taipei Airport• Review: Starlux Airlines A321neo Business Class• Review: The Edison Hotel George Town Penang• Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Penang Airport• Review: Starlux Business Class• Review: China Airlines Lounge Taipei Airport Terminal 1• Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Taipei Airport• Review: Philippine Airlines A321 Business Class• AWFUL: Connecting In Manila On Philippine Airlines• Review: PAGSS Lounge Manila Airport• Review: Philippine Airlines A350 Business Class. From there I headed to immigration and then to the nearby Novotel for a night of rest, before continuing on Starlux Airlines the next morning. JW Blue in business class is impressive! Personally I found it uncomfortable because when flat, the gap between the seat back and the cushion base was quite noticeable, so I could only sleep sideways. Arrive: 6:30PM (+1 day) This was served with steamed cabbage and a seafood roll, stir-fried chicken and bean curd strips, black fungus salad with green beans, pickled cucumbers, and salty egg. He chronicles his adventures, along with industry news, here at One Mile at a Time. We had a rough landing at 5:45PM, and from there a short five minute taxi to our arrival gate. The 32 business class seats are configured in a 1-2-1 herringbone arrangement, creating a great … Furthermore, they never cleared the salad plate, even though it was empty. From a passenger perspective, the A350 brings modern enhancements, like larger windows and higher cabin pressurization. Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points | Terms Apply. Your email address will not be published. My god, SkyPennies really are worthless. China Airlines’ service is very inconsistent especially if you don’t speak Mandarin. Having to fight for luggage space and no air vents is not worth the 5 sec feeling of spaciousness before you sit down for 12 hours. China Airlines Business Class A350 seats. The dessert consisted of a praline cake and fruit tart, then there was an excellent cheese plate, and I had a coffee to go along with it. EVA provides a much more polished service and soft product. One other thing to note — the champagne was brought out pre-poured. The CI station crew at YVR were very nice and luckily maintenance was able to retrieve my phone the next day before the plane left. About AU$2,000 less than say Qatar Business. Off to google I go…. Depart: 9:15PM Looks at least 1000 miles off shortest great circle route. 50 minutes after takeoff the first course was served. Then to the left of the seat was an armrest that could be raised or lowered, which could be opened to reveal a storage compartment. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. There are a large group of aviation enthusiasts from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, … Lastly dessert and cheese were served. With regards to breakfast, I chose the congee option (which CI offers for kangaroo routes) and although the congee was good, the side condiments were all fairly inedible aside from the pickled cabbage (the menu said preserved vegetables, but it’s really just pickled cabbage). Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 Which I knew to do ahead of time because of a review I read – I thought it was yours, but guess not! Weiterhin Klasse! Isn’t the wonton you had in pre-landing meal made of pork? New China Airlines cabins delicately integrate oriental aesthetics and traditional cultural elements in a modern design, creating a space that is unique, yet rich with refinement. Register here to save your space. I was given an invitation to the No1 Lounge South Terminal, though didn’t end up going to the lounge. China Airlines A350 & 777-300ER Business Class overview What we'll be covering First of all, China Airlines is not Air China nor is it from the mainland—it’s one of the two big Taiwanese airlines… External site which may or may not meet acsessibility guidelines. Earn 60,000 bonus points | 2X points on travel and dining. I didn’t understand why there was so much praise for China Airlines as the experience itself seemed a lot more budget business class, especially when compared to EVA Air. Can’t beat that. Without a doubt, the ugliest amenity kit I’ve ever seen. The amenity kit was waiting in the seat’s armrest, along with a bottle of water. While I usually prefer to sit further back, when I booked this was the last window seat still available. Flight attendants seemed more like they were going through the motions. If they adopted qsuites it new ANA style seats it would arguably be the best overall J experience. Eva Air and China Airlines are Taiwan’s two global airlines, not “Taipei’s.” As a long-time reader of this blog, it is regrettable that you would choose to kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party’s line. The dish was fine. I had assigned myself seat 11K, the window seat on the right side in the second row of the cabin. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. Now with daily Airbus A350 flights between Sydney and Shanghai, Australian Business Traveller took to the skies to bring you this review of China … The amenities, entertainment, and food and drinks are all average. The flight attendant simply took it off my plate and placed it back on my tray to be reused — fair enough, as I didn’t realize they didn’t have extras. He travels about 400,000 miles a year, primarily using miles and points to enhance his first class experiences. China Airlines has already won awards for its A350 business class product – and rightly so. After a relaxing afternoon at the Yotel Gatwick, I headed to China Airlines check-in. Nice review, as always. As one of the largest airlines of Taiwan, China Airlines unsurprisingly has flights to five North American cities including Honolulu (HNL), LAX, New York-JFK, San Francisco (SFO) and Vancouver, Canada (YVR) to its hub in Taipei (TPE). Hainan Airlines A350 Business Class – Lavatory Hainan Airlines A350 Business Class – Lavatory Hainan A350 Business Class – Clarins products Seat. One Mile at a Time is owned by PointsPros, Inc. Many top airlines in business class (like EVA Air, Qatar Airways, and many more) bring out the bottle and pour it at your seat, which is a nice touch. China Airlines has Collins Aerospace Super Diamond reverse herringbone seats in business class, which you’ll find on many airlines. Please note that with this link you are visiting an external website that may not follow the same privacy, security or accessibility policies. Beyond that, the reasonably priced Wi-Fi with on data caps is a treat. I wish they could’ve given us the option to have the main course after takeoff or before landing. Expectations should be set accordingly. You’re right about the service though – the FAs weren’t proactive in refilling my water or clearing used dishes away. . Very helpful review. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. London (LGW) – Taipei (TPE) Once boarding was underway it moved quickly. The greater noise doesn’t really bother me since I’m someone who likes to sleep with white noise anyway, but I was still surprised by how obvious the difference was. Shouldn’t “(…) China Airlines and EVA Air are Taipei’s two global airlines (…)” be “(…) China Airlines and EVA Air are Taiwan’s two global airlines (…)”? EVA business is better than a number if long haul first class in terms of soft product and is industry leading for business class in my opinion. That’s a feature I sure enjoy, so I was sad to see that missing. Excellent job as usual with the trip report. It is a very long story that I have neither the time or space to explain. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Duration: 13hr15min Required fields are marked *. All things considered I thought that was a great use of SkyMiles, given that the currency is increasingly revenue based, where each mile is worth about a penny. I selected some garlic bread from there. Since this flight was on Chinese New Year, each passenger was offered a small envelope as they boarded, with a chocolate coin. China Airlines business class dinner — appetizer & salad. I freaquently fly both up front. On the plus side, the airline has chosen stunning finishes for their cabins, among the nicest out there. China Airlines (CAL) (Chinese: 中華航空; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Hángkōng) is the state-owned national carrier of the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan), and one of its two major airlines along with … For one, the lack of overhead bins in the center of the aircraft really makes the cabin feel significantly more spacious. The 32 business class seats are configured in a 1-2-1 herringbone arrangement, creating a great … No Blue Label throughout the flight. Both were quite good. I definitely like the A350 more and more; bravo China Airlines. I managed to sleep for about five hours, and woke up with about 5hr30min remaining to Taipei. There are two right behind the cabin, which is standard for the A350. Athletes from Taiwan compete under the name Chinese Taipei, because mainland China doesn’t recognize Taiwan as its own country. I had a good number of SkyMiles in my account, and even just booking a few days out, the award cost 90,000 miles one-way. If you’ve flown China Airlines business class, what was your experience like? *China Airlines' 777/A350 Premium Economy Class is mainly available on flights to and from North America, Europe, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) and selected Asian destinations. At 9:05PM we started our pushback, at 9:10PM we started our taxi, and by 9:15PM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 26L, for our 12hr30min flight to Taipei. That’s my impression of China Airlines vs EVA as well. Thanks. Any reason for it? Service wasn’t particularly proactive during the meal. Nonetheless I found the footwell to be a good size, especially in comparison to most staggered seats, for example. China Airlines’ A350 is beautiful on the inside and out– The … China Airlines business class pillow & blanket. The whole service approach just seemed a bit rushed. China Airlines A350 Business Class Review The China Airlines A350 is a huge improvement over the comparatively elderly aircraft it will be replacing. For what it’s worth, it seemed the first officer was local, while I think the captain was Italian, at least based on his name (which they announced), as I know China Airlines has some ex-pat pilots. Please enter your Card No/Email/Mobile (country code + number), Please enter a valid Card No/Email/Mobile. We had a rather rough approach, as it was raining heavily. As someone mentioned EVA is a 100% private company and CI has strong government influence hence CI might be much more “dated” in terms of soft products. I have enjoyed reading your travel posts in the past. The first A350 was delivered to the airline in September 2016. The font used for the menu not so much. It seems like an odd approach to take, but whatever…. I also agree with one of the comment above that the font on the menu is very off. Boarding was efficient, and by 8:55PM the main cabin door was closed, with roughly 20 of the 32 business class seats taken (most of the center seats remained empty). I thought it was great! But I’m glad this review shows that my experience wasn’t necessarily a one-off. Then about 2hr40min before landing the cabin lights were turned on, in anticipation of the pre-landing meal. Meanwhile for the TPE-KUL leg, it was very weird that the appetizer was served about half an hour after takeoff (basically just a Boursin cheese), and then there was nothing all the way until an hour and a half later (2 hours before landing). Footnote: Ben, I’ve been reading your blog for several years now and this is the first time I’m commenting on a post. It seems you get what you pay for though. Agreed, very good hard product, but the service and food cant beat EVA. They had Acca Kappa toiletries, and the one thing that stood out to me about the lavatories was that they had music that played when you locked the door — cute! Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. I flew CI J from JFK-TPE-KIX a few years ago (my first premium cabin actually). The seatbelt sign wasn’t really turned off after takeoff. In my opinion it will beat EVA in both hard products and service once it matures. Anyway, after the meal I checked out the lavatories. It is one off the options worth considering to Hawaii. The kit had a dental kit, eyeshades, earplugs, and a few types of lotion. I know it doesn’t scream luxury but I really like that North Face bag. Gotta agree with Ben on the bedding – no mattress pad whatsoever. China Airlines business class seat tray table. China Airlines Business Class A350 catering Our takeoff was at 10 am local time, and the flight attendants handed out a menu with lunch options just before takeoff. Business class aboard China Airlines' Airbus A350s comes in a 1-2-1 layout with 32 seats spread across eight rows, giving every passenger direct and uninterrupted aisle access. I’d happily fly them again, really good value below $5k, If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. *China Airlines' 777/A350 Premium Business Class is mainly available on flights to and from North America, Europe, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) and selected Asian destinations. China Airlines is a member of SkyTeam, so you can redeem your Delta SkyMiles or Air France-KLM Flying B… China Airlines, the flagship carrier of Taiwan, currently has 14 Airbus A350 aircrafts with a reverse herringbone business class. China Airlines business class seat footwell. Generally only found in high quality F cabins…. While Delta usually has surcharges on award redemptions originating in Europe, that doesn’t apply on China Airlines. It’s not easy to beat EVA in J class service but I found CI service acceptable (better than the service I get on CX long haul sometimes). Usually I choose to sit in the back of business class, closer to the engine, and the difference in noise is definitely noticeable. Specifically, I had the salt baked chicken in ginger scallion oil with egg fried rice, which was okay. Once back at my seat I reclined into bed mode and made myself comfortable. I took a pillow from the seat across from me that was empty, which allowed me to get a bit more comfortable, since the bedding otherwise isn’t that great. China Airlines business class pre-departure drink. To my delight, the beautiful cabins have not changed. There was also a mirror in this compartment. Their A350-900 is the latest aircraft to join … Hainan Airlines has opted for the … On the plus side, the cabin wasn’t too warm at any point. The China Airlines A350 seatmap — Business Class … Arguably one of the cons is that the tray table is underneath the personal television, so you may find that the footwell is a bit more restrictive than on other types of reverse herringbone seats. There are pros and cons to the Super Diamond reverse herringbone seats. Anyway, the dinner service started about 40 minutes after takeoff. Opens a new window. My one major complaint about the seats is that China Airlines doesn’t have individual air nozzles in the otherwise snazzy overhead consoles. And better entertainment selection, and IMHO marginally better food. China Airlines A350 Business Class Wi-Fi Wi-Fi was available for purchase and worked well for most of the flight, even flying over Mainland China. Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure. China’s — and Asia’s — largest airline has a particularly unusual and not particularly helpful brand, and I’m not just talking about the suggestive shape of the cotton-tree … For details, please … I was keen to experience China Airlines’ A350 business class: China Airlines is in SkyTeam, so there are a variety of programs through which I could book this award. Beyond that, while China Airlines has “generic” seats, they have some of the nicest finishes out there of any airline, in my opinion. The older chief purser seemed to be having a bad hair day and didn’t address me by name when taking orders. The “wall pattern” is persimmon wood. China Airlines A350-900 Business Class. They usually are, unless specified. This site is for entertainment purposes only. I recently flew CI’s J product from MEL-TPE-KUL and back (it was a few hundred bucks cheaper than direct flight via MH, and I didn’t mind the much longer routing since I like staying in the air and enjoyed CI’s lounge in TPE – they’ve quite a few there, I liked their largest one in T1 of Taoyuan best). A few minutes later I was offered a warm towel. Business class is all about the seat right? The service on EVA Air is way more polished and has a lot more attention to detail, and generally EVA Air’s food quality also seems a bit better to me. The flight had plenty of award availability, and for once one of the best values was booking through Delta SkyMiles. Help us fund therapy sessions for black women and girls, What You Need to Know About Airline Partnerships & Alliances, The Latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates & Policies, The news, resources, & information you need. For details, please check our flight timetable or consult our staff. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. They really make an otherwise standard reverse herringbone seat look special. The total taxes and fees came out to $253, most of which was made up of the hefty UK Air Passenger Duty, which applies for flights departing the UK. Visit the Sky Lounge and enjoy a blend of the West and the Orient. One of the fans kindly shared his China Airlines A350 cardboard. Our cabins will make all flights more elegant and enjoyable. The crew was friendly and the service was efficient, though there’s definitely a significant difference between the EVA Air and China Airlines experience. However, another (much younger) FA attended to me throughout the second half of the flight and was extremely friendly, constantly addressing me by name and happily brought me extra portions when I requested. In my case, I was already in Seattle, so decided to limit my searches to flights from the West Coast. At 5:10PM Taipei time the first officer announced that we would be landing at 5:45PM, and that we’d be descending soon. China Airlines seems to just keep the seatbelt sign on for most of the flight for no reason, and then when it gets bumpy they just flick it off and then back on. That was the first announcement from the cockpit. However I would still choose CI over BR sometimes simply because A350 is a much better plane for passenger than BR’s 777. While you don’t get a mattress, I just asked for another duvee and slept on that and I normally don’t lie completely flat so I had a great sleep of over 7 hours. These are in a 1-2-1 configuration, and are the most common types of reverse herringbone seats out there. Business Class on the A350-900. CI has better lounges in Taipei than BR. As far as I’m concerned, the best aspect of China Airlines’ inflight entertainment is their excellent Wi-Fi. China Airlines business class dinner — main course. For example, there was only one fork and knife with the meal, so when I finished the starter I put the fork and knife on the plate. China Airlines consistently has great fares from Sydney to London, with a slightly long layover in Taipei. At 9PM meal orders were taken, with the crew asking for dinner orders, breakfast orders, and drink orders for dinner, along with whether I wanted any coffee or tea after dinner. The speeds were good as well. China Airlines business class pre-landing meal. It’s consistently overcrowded, and I’ve reviewed the lounge in the past. The selection was reasonably good, though not amazing. Thanks for the review. I found A350 extremely quiet and the air circulation is also much better. First, the cabin size on the A350-900 is smaller — there are a total of 8 rows of business class seats for a total of 32 seats. I too was concerned about not having the individual air vents (because I hate feeling hot and stuffy) but the cabin was really airy and never got too warm at all. There were dozens of movies and TV shows, rather than the hundreds or thousands you’ll find on some top airlines. I much prefer having overhead bins in the centre. New China Airlines cabins delicately integrate oriental aesthetics and traditional cultural elements in a modern design, creating a space that is unique, yet rich with … Just a question Ben as its something I always wondered, how come you don’t eat pork? I would pay money for one of those claw-foot reading lamps. To continue my journey to Taipei, I flew China Airlines’ A350-900 business class nonstop from London Gatwick to Taipei. On my return trip, the KUL-TPE leg service was cold. China Airlines last year won two awards from us for their formidable turn-around of their inflight and ground product, especially in business class. Earn 85,000 Membership Reward® points | Terms Apply. $11.95 for a one hour plan with no data caps, $16.95 for a three hour plan with no data caps, $21.95 for a 24 hour pass with no data caps. China Airlines business class menu & wine list. Are you just going threw the motions? Luckily I was staying in Vancouver for 2 nights so it was a wait and hope they were able to retrieve my phone before the plane left for Taipei again. The tray table could be extended from the front of the seat, and folded over in half. Your email address will not be published. The napkin on this leg was also thin and could be best described as a giant piece of tissue paper. Instead I headed to The Grain Store, which is the Priority Pass restaurant in the terminal, and had a salad with chicken (I hadn’t eaten since I was in the Virgin Atlantic Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow earlier in the day). the music in that plays in the bathroom is to drown out the sound when you take a dump… its nice not to hear your fellow traveler letting loose at FL 350. If you go to Cantonese restaurants the dry version is usually called Hong Kong style, while the standard version is will say wonton noodle soup. The way the crew used this was a strange — this was clearly intended for customers to help themselves, though the manifest was openly laying there, along with some dirty glasses. Also waiting at my seat were a pair of slippers. I decided to get some work done on my laptop, which was easy thanks to the Wi-Fi. For one, the lack of overhead bins in the center of the aircraft really makes the cabin feel significantly more spacious. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Die China Airlines Business Class in der A350 von Taipeh nach Sydney. This is a limited time offering for the airline, and that’s an incredible champagne for business class, though personally I’m generally not a huge rose champagne fan. The first drink was served with the same packaged snack mix they served before takeoff — you’d think that they would mix things up. Last week China Southern Airlines revealed their new Airbus A350 Business class cabin. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Starlux. Saturday, January 25 As we climbed out I browsed the entertainment selection. I thought the crew was very good although this was my first time flying J internationally so I was excited. Like I said, there’s such nice attention to detail when it comes to the seat finishes. I think EVA wins this one with their 777ER just because of the foot space on the EVA seat. The introduction of the Terminal ) is very off too warm at any point has 274 seats this! 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