The airline: China Airlines
- Route Taipei to Melbourne CI57
- Frequency Four flights weekly (increasing to five from October 28)
- Aircraft Airbus A350-900
- Class Business; seat 1K, window
- Flight time 9 hours, 10 minutes
Checking in
Transferring from Seoul – where check-in was seamless, albeit open only two hours before departure – the secondary security check in Taipei is quiet and perfunctory and pops me out near the main lounge in Terminal 1.
asserted
check → increase → Terminal
It’s one of the best lounges in Asia: spacious, comfortable leather couches, full bar and local noodles on offer.
asserted
It → ’ → offer
But my flight leaves from Terminal 2, a 25-minute walk away.
asserted
flight → leave → Terminal
The lounge there has similar offerings but is smaller and not as relaxing.
asserted
lounge → have → offerings
With a long layover, I spend most of my time in Terminal 1.
asserted
I → spend → Terminal
On my outbound flight from Melbourne, I had my carry-on weighed at check-in and one bag was too heavy, but the supervisor quickly waved me through.
asserted
supervisor → have → me
China Airlines’ Dynasty program is part of SkyTeam, whose members include Delta Air Lines, Garuda and Vietnam Airlines.
asserted
members → include → Lines
The airline also has a codeshare partnership with Qantas, so if your flight has a QF flight number you can earn Qantas points and status credits.
asserted
you → have → points
I join the Dynasty program and, while the app is a pain to set up, it is very efficient with check-in and meal choices.
asserted
it → join → in
The A350-900 has China Airlines’ best business cabin with a staggered 1-2-1 layout.
asserted
A350 → have → layout
My front-row seat (1K) puts me at the back of the business queue for deplaning as there’s no second airbridge in Melbourne for the pointy end.
asserted
seat → put → end
The seats are a little narrow with 22 inches (56 centimetres) width, but very comfortable and convert to a 78-inch (198 centimetre) flatbed.
asserted
seats → convert → flatbed
I sleep well.
asserted
I → sleep → ?
The cabin apparently includes a small lounge between business and premium economy – which I fail to notice being up the front cabin.
asserted
I → include → cabin
A new amenity kit by Marc Jacobs with skincare products from the Danish brand FRAMA has just been introduced.
asserted
kit → introduce → brand
Slippers come separately.
asserted
Slippers → come → ?
Business has its own toilets.
asserted
Business → have → toilets
The seat is equipped with multiple charging points and the 18-inch (45-centimetre) screen pivots to provide the best view.
asserted
screen → equip → view
It’s an HD touch screen with a separate, user-friendly remote.
asserted
It → ’ → remote
The noise-cancelling headphones provided are excellent.
asserted
headphones → cancel → ?
The English-language entertainment choice is not the widest but there are plenty of classics, a few recent releases and an HBO selection.
asserted
choice → be → classics
The Asian range is broader with plenty of highly rated films and TV shows.
asserted
range → rat → films
Taiwan is noted for its friendly people and efficiency and the in-flight service is exactly that.
asserted
service → note → flight
Prompt responses, engaging and as flexible as they can be with requests.
asserted
they → engage → requests
They are very good with recommendations on how to spend my Taipei layover – though there is a limit to how many food venues and cosmetic shops I can visit!
asserted
I → spend → venues
They give me a friendly wave in the terminal, too, which is a nice touch.
asserted
which → give → terminal
With the near-midnight departure – and after excellent beef noodles in the lounge – a full dinner service seems excessive but the choice of dishes is enticing.
asserted
choice → seem → dishes
An appetiser, salad, soup and choice of soy-braised chicken, seared tomahawk pork chop and Boston lobster with braised wagyu in a curry sauce are offered, and I plump for the lobster and beef.
asserted
I → braise → lobster
China Airlines typically offers a choice of one traditional Chinese, one Western and one Taiwanese dish.
asserted
Airlines → offer → dish
Meals can be pre-
asserted
Meals → pre → ?
Breakfast, more timely given the late morning arrival, is welcome, and I opt for congee with an array of intriguing side dishes such as steamed pork patty and dried shrimp loofah.
asserted
I → give → patty
China Airlines has an array of sustainability initiatives centred on net-zero emissions by 2050, fleet modernisation, sustainable fuel and recycling.
asserted
Airlines → have → 2050
It also supports biodiversity and community programs in Taiwan.
asserted
It → support → Taiwan
With the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, China Airlines is gaining a higher profile as an alternative route provider to Europe with extensive connections across the continent.
asserted
Airlines → gain → continent
The addition of an extra Melbourne-Taipei flight from October supports that.
asserted
addition → support → that
With no suitable direct flight for my Korean trip, I saw China Airlines as a good bet.
asserted
I → see → bet
The one letdown is the lounge in Melbourne, which is a shared Aspire lounge and a step down from airline-specific lounges.
asserted
which → share → lounges
The writer flew at his own expense.
asserted
writer → fly → expense
*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org
**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.
asserted
Fares → see → change
The Aporia
