I was given the opportunity to fly with China Airlines, a few years after I last flew with them, and it was an opportunity to revalidate the reasons why the carrier was awarded Design Airline, Asia 2023 at our awards last year. The airline is often mistaken for a mainland Chinese carrier, which often don’t have the best reputation for passenger experience, however this Taiwanese airline is one of three outstanding airlines in the region, and thanks to our ratings, awarded the best of them.
Another great advantage which is often overlooked is China Airlines’ great route network which allows for pretty convenient connections across most of China, Asia and South Eastern Asia too. On this flight, I opted to connect on to Osaka to continue a cross-Japan trip, allowing me to fly back to Europe from Tokyo via Taipei as well. But does the airline still stack up against our reviews from years ago?
On the Ground
I started my trip from Amsterdam, one of China Airlines’ European destinations. For this mid-morning departure, I opted to stay at the airport’s Citizen M hotel, which is always a favourite of mine for convenience and excellent runway views.
Amsterdam Schiphol was the busiest I’ve ever seen it, even on a Saturday at 8am! The check in area for China Airlines was pretty easy to find though, and business class was clearly identified as ‘Sky Priority.’ This is the same mechanism used by all SkyTeam airlines which certainly helps create familiarity.
The check in process just took minutes, and before we knew it, we were encouraged to go airside. However, Amsterdam still hasn’t got to grips with the security lines which took forever to get through, albeit the queues separated upstairs and business class passengers were given priority. One great advantage is that the scanners there mean everything can be kept inside your bags.
After getting our first glimpse of the aircraft at the F gates, which features a really elegant livery… we headed to the KLM crown lounge for a quick coffee and a snack before the flight. The lounge is split across two floors, and our favourite place to hang is the top floor, which is always quieter, and has a brighter interior.
There’s lots of design touches, from the route map ceiling lights to the Dutch Mountain, which spans the two floors. The lounge also has a signature ‘pay for’ restaurant, although it’s always closed in the mornings. There is also a Skydeck which offers commanding views of Schiphol’s apron, although it was closed when we visited.
After leaving the lounge passing the hundreds of Delft Houses on the way, we headed to the aircraft gate, where boarding happened on time.
The Cabin
On first impression China Airlines interiors are really striking, there’s a bit of a love it or hate it moment when it comes to the persimmon wood veneer which adorns much of the cabin, but there’s one thing for sure, there is anything but ordinary. The A350 takes the persimmon wood to new levels in the A350, with interpretations of it on the seat shells and carpet too.
China Airlines features a walk-up sky lounge, and although the A350 isn’t as big as the 777’s it’s kitted out with a variety of Taiwanese snacks, drinks, pot noodles and coffees, as well as some decent spirits and wines. It’s a great place to socialise with the crew or other passengers, with areas to relax near the aircraft doors.
Meanwhile the toilets are nicely kitted out, each one features an abstract ink painting on one of the walls, Pure Altitude amenities and piped music which added a certain… something. It’s nice to see the design details even stemming out to areas such as lavatories which is often overlooked by other carriers.
Another signature element is the airline’s adoption of lighting through the cabin which is truly spectacular. I really appreciate the airline’s approach to innovative cabin lighting, which has quite a few scenes including sunsets, moving clouds and night scenes too. It elevates the entire passenger experience.
The Seat
In business class there are 32 seats in a 1 x 2 x 1 configuration, and these are some of the most spacious you can get with wide seats, great seat pitch and fairly unrestrictive footwells. These seats certainly rank highly for me, and the design elements and small touches China Airlines have adopted, take them to new levels – such as with the Dragon Claw lamp – being the signature stamp on a glorious design.
The seats also feature hints of blue in the storage areas, an auspicious colour in Taiwan, and there are lots of sound proofing materials across the suite which also features an intuitive, easy-to-use seat control.
The bi-folding table is huge as well. It slides up out of the way of your legs for when you sleep, much more so than the 777 product. To the side are two storage units, one deeper one featuring charging points and a vanity mirror – albeit there’s no USB-C or wireless charging available – and a shallower one, perfect for amenity kits and documents.
To the other side is a raisable arm rest, which also features storage for headphones or water. Because of the reflective nature of the seat, the cabin feels bright even though it’s very private.
The Entertainment
The entertainment is well designed as well, and the TV screen is certainly large enough. And although it’s touchscreen, it’s a bit of a reach so thankfully the hand controller is pretty intuitive and can act as a second screen with the moving map. There are loads of movies, not so many TV shows, but enough to keep you amused even on these long-haul trips.
On this flight sadly we had decent, but not the best noise cancelling headphones, something the 777 fleet currently offers, although these are being upgraded soon across the entire fleet to the much better noise cancelling headsets we experienced between Taipei and Osaka.
The Food and Drink
Welcome drinks were served on coasters which featured a range of inked designs. Sadly, no champagne was offered until after take-off, a cost saving initiative taken by quite a few airlines as of late.
After the welcome drink hot towels were offered, and we were introduced to the menu, albeit we decided to pre-order our dishes, a service which China Airlines offers to all of its guests in business class.
After take-off I settled in for the long flight, and my post-departure Champagne and amuse bouche was served – which was delicious. This was followed by the starter of scallops and tuna, which was served on China Airlines’ signature plates – another lovely design detail that creates a cohesive brand experience.
I then enjoyed a piping hot mushroom soup followed by a delicious lobster and rice dish, although this was nothing compared to the meal on the return flight – more of that to come on my channel soon.
After this, a banquet of deserts was delivered, including a cheese plate, ice cream and a cheesecake all washed down by one of their many herbal and Chinese teas.
During the flight, even if you don’t want to walk the few metres to the lounge, you are also served treats on demand, as well as a range of anytime dishes, including gorgeous chilli potsticker dumplings, which were so moreish, I ended up having three serving through the flight.
The second meal service was breakfast, which started approximately 2 hours before landing. It started with a refreshing but hot – oh so hot – hot towel, a fresh juice and a coffee of your choice, either espresso or filter, and a huge western or Chinese breakfast. I opted for the western, which featured eggs, bacon, tomatoes mushroom, pastries and a fruit basket with the world’s largest strawberry.
I love the fact the airline has so many coffee and tea options, which make for an enjoyable flight even if you don’t want alcohol.
The extras
On my previous A350 flight a few years ago now, the bedding wasn’t really up to scratch, however I was pleasantly surprised to see their bedding had been improved, including a thin, yet welcome mattress protector featuring an abstract design, a large pillow in a cotton pillow cover which sadly wasn’t as fluffy or firm as we had hoped, and a duvet, inclusive of cotton duvet cover. Which was a lovely lavish touch.
The airline’s amenity kit option was a little strange, as North Face – including the fluorescent yellow case it was presented in – feel at odds from the rest of the China Airlines brand. Funnily enough, as I was editing this video, the airline has announced a new partnership with Moschino which is far more fitting, and these will be rolled out immediately.
One thing we noticed that would have been an excellent additional touch, yet was missing, were pyjamas, a short-coming in comparison to competitor Eva Air. But it was nice to see China Airlines offer slippers.
In conclusion
As I finished my coffee just before landing I started contemplating the flight. I was still so happy with China Airlines’ product even many years later. It lived up to my memories of flying with them, and it is clear the product is a well-oiled, luxury machine. China Airlines in my eyes is often overlooked, and this Taiwanese carrier should be near the top of everyone’s airline list. It’s a very underrated airline by most, but not by us. There’s good reason this Taiwanese carrier won Design Airline of the year last year. The airline keeps investing in its product (even with the roll out of new amenity kits!), and delivers a truly holistic design experience across every passenger experience touchpoint. It’s an effortless design experience that surprises and delights, with a little bit more colour and flair than its other legacy Asian counterparts.
If you want to see our connection in Taipei, take a look at our YouTube video, and stay tuned for the return flight which will feature the airline’s flagship lounge in Taiwan.
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