There are a lot of great choices when it comes to flying business class out of Taiwan. One of my favorites is China Airlines 777-300ER business class.
Maybe the food isn’t as good as other Taiwanese airlines. And perhaps the service is a smidge impersonal. But other than that, it’s an extremely spacious, private, and stylish premium airline experience.
And the woodgrain? Delightful.
CI160
Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) – Seoul, South Korea (ICN)
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Aircraft: 777-309ER
Registration: B-18005
Duration: 2 hours 16 minutes
Seat: 11A (business class)
Checking in
You want to arrive early when flying China Airlines out of TPE. Not only because of how nice the business class lounge is, but because of how crowded the check-in hall can get in Terminal 1. It’s something you kinda need to psych yourself up for.
The business class queue for checking in was far too long for my liking, so I took my chances with a self-serve kiosk instead:
The China Airlines ground experience at TPE
I have two words to describe the experience of walking around Terminal 1 at TPE: big and bland. This is a huge airport, and frankly, there isn’t much to see once past security. It’s just a series of very long white hallways with doors leading to downstairs gate areas.
All Air China business class passengers get complementary access to the Air China Business Class Lounge. That’s where I went for a hearty breakfast (and to protect myself from purchasing something very expensive out of the main terminal).
The boarding process
Boarding started right on time at 7:10 AM. Unlike how they do it back in the US, business class was the first group to be called. Everyone else (including passengers who needed extra time) had to wait.
China Airlines 777-300ER business class cabin and seats
Business class on the China Airlines 777-300ER consists of 40 seats in two cabins separated by a galley. It’s a 1-2-1 seating configuration, and my seat was 11A (a window seat in the second row of the forward cabin).
The amount of woodgrain in this business class cabin is next-level awesome. I don’t even care if it’s not real wood. It looks great.
Amenities
Shortly after sitting down, the lead a flight attended offered the usual assortment of pre-poured beverages on a tray (champagne, water, and fruit juice). I declined, but I did appreciate the quick followup with a hot towel and breakfast menu.
Although full amenity kits were not provided on this flight, China Airlines does provide them on long-haul routes to and from Taiwan.
The departure from TPE
The skies over Taipei were gloomy and gray as we pushed off the gate at 8:07 AM (17 minutes late). I took advantage of the delay to peruse the safety card. Like the total dork that I am.
Absolutely nothing exciting happened during our taxi out to runway 05L. Other than the scent of breakfast becoming stronger with each passing minute, I mean.
In-flight entertainment
Because these are the exact same seats that you saw in my American Airlines 787-9 business class review, everything I said about how amazing (and large) the video screen is still applies. It’s really nice – though a bit too glossy and reflective in my opinion.
The in-flight entertainment system consists of mostly Asian movies and TV shows, with a smattering of western options. Anyone hoping to watch the latest and greatest Hollywood blockbusters might be disappointed. If that’s you, bring your own.
Business class meal service
It felt like we were still climbing to cruising altitude when the flight attendants started coming by with tablecloths and drinks. This is not a criticism. Prompt cabin service is a good thing!
The following two pictures are the contents of the menu (click on each to see higher resolution versions). The one on the left is breakfast, and the one on the right is lunch:
The other meal option was a western-style scrambled eggs plate. I have no regrets going with the rice noodles. Was it as high quality as what I experienced in Starlux A321neo business class? Not even close. It was tasty enough though.
The lavatory
There are 3 business class lavatories on the China Airlines 777-300ER. The one at the very front of the plane is the largest. They were all very clean, but notably void of any style.
Seat comfort
Even though this is a very common reverse herringbone style seat that you’ll find on a variety of other airlines, China Airlines did a very good job of making theirs feel warm and inviting. The mood lighting, side lamp, and woodgrain (when mixed altogether) is pretty darn nice.
Yes, these are fully lie flat seats. I didn’t recline fully on this flight, but I know from past experiences on other airlines with these exact same seats that’s a really comfortable experience.
The arrival in Seoul
The descent into ICN was beautiful. Especially as we get closer to Seoul. The brown arid landscape of southern South Korea slowly morphed to a glistening winter wonderland, and my eyes were glued to the window all the way in.
We touched down at exactly 10:54 AM – which just so happened to be exactly on time. Yet more evidence that our pilot was indeed a total badass.
It was a very lengthy 21 minute taxi to the gate. The longer the better when you’re sitting in the seat as good as this, right?
Pros and cons
I found the hard product (seats / cabin) to be very nice. The soft product (service) on the other hand, was typical of what you’d find on a US airline.
Of course the cabin crew was friendly and efficient, but they weren’t exactly tripping over themselves to make sure I had everything I needed for a comfortable flight.
Pros
- They put a lot of effort into style and design of the seats. Everything feels “rich.”
- There’s a second (smaller) business class cabin behind the one that I was seated in. Choose a seat in that smaller cabin for a more intimate (and private) experience.
- The video screens are great – at least when the cabin is dark.
Cons
- The quality of the food is mediocre. I recommend flying Starlux if you want a really good in-flight meal.
- The footwell will feel a little tight to anyone with restless feet. It’ll be even worse if your feet are large as well.
