Starlux Airlines Business Class Experience To Taiwan
This trip to Taiwan, I’m flying business class with my mom with Starlux Airlines between Seattle and Taipei! It’s my first time flying with this Taiwanese airlines, and let me tell you, it might be the most comfortable flight ever! With wide lay-down seats and Michelin-chef designed in-flight meals, the comfort made our long-haul flight go by so fast. Here’s my review of every part of my two flights, from airport lounges to in-flight amenities!
Flying with My Mom in Starlux Business Class
It’s a dream come true to take my mom on her first ever brand trip this time in Taiwan! This trip, we not only get to experience a full day of hotel dining at the Regent Taipei, we also got to try out Taiwan’s Michelin Star Fine Dining scene for the first time. I’m really getting to see another side of Taiwan’s restaurant scene!
To get to Taiwan and back, we’re flying round trip on business class with Starlux Airlines between Seattle and Taiwan. If you’ve never heard of Starlux Airlines, it is a boutique airline based in Taiwan known for their premium service and comfortable experience. It’s also my first time flying with them, but it’s been on my bucket list for a while! Here’s everything from check-in to food service, so you can see if it’s worth the upgrade next time you fly to Taiwan!
Business Class Check-In
Flying STARLUX Business Class from Seattle to Taipei felt smooth and elevated from the very beginning. The experience started with a dedicated Business Class check-in, which made the airport process feel much more seamless and relaxed. You’ll also get faster baggage handling, seat selection, and priority boarding!
Baggage Allowance
One of the best perks for a long-haul flight was the generous baggage allowance. This made a huge difference, especially for a longer trip or if you are bringing a lot back home. For Business Class passengers, you get:
- 2 checked bags at 32 kg each
- 2 carry-on bags at 10 kg each
Exclusive Airport Lounge Access
After boarding and security, you can relax at their exclusive lounge at each airport. I always love hanging out at the lounge before a flight. There’s just something about taking a pause relaxing with some snacks that makes the long flights easier.
SEA – The Club at SEA
Business Class passengers departing from Seattle get access to The Club at SEA, located in Concourse S on the mezzanine level. To be honest, this lounge was pretty minimal. There were barely any food or drink options. The space felt older and a bit underwhelming. That said, it felt more like a Sea-Tac airport lounge issue rather than anything to do with STARLUX itself.
TPE – GALACTIC Lounge
On the way back from Taiwan, we had a chance to visit Starlux’s GALACTIC Lounge at Taoyuan Airport, available to Business Class, First Class, COSMILE Explorer and Insighters This was a completely different experience and felt much more in line with the STARLUX brand! The lounge felt spacious, polished, and much more luxurious overall. It also has EVERYTHING, from made-to-order foods to a fully stocked shower! Walking in, the first thing you see is the rows of lockers free of charge. Once you’ve stored your bags, you can eat, shower, and relax until your flight.
Shower
One of the biggest highlights of this lounge is actually their galactic space-capsule themed showers. You can reserve one at the front desk by showing your boarding pass. These private shower rooms are fully stocked with quality amenities, with everything from towels to toothbrushes. There’s nothing like a nice and hot shower, especially after a layover, to reset!
Salad Bar and Buffet
The Galactic Lounge offers a range of yummy buffet food options. There’s a super fresh salad bar for you to mix and match, and some cooked classic Asian food options to choose from. Plus, the cabinets are packed full of cakes and treats for you to grab. Starlux often has collaborations with other popular Taiwanese brands as well, like their Hot Dog Station which is the same as 7-11’s. They also have a freezer full of ice cream from Ninao’s, a super popular ice cream brand from Japan.
Full Bar, Draft Beer, Boba
If you’re thirsty, they also have all the options you need. There’s a fully stocked self-serve bar for you to mix your own drinks, or grab a fresh, ice-cold draft beer.
For those who are looking for non-alcoholic options, there’s also boba tea from Chi Cha San Chen, an internationally popular boba shop from Taiwan. Or, try their super well stocked fridges full of juices, sodas, and teas.
Made To Order Foods
If you need a little more than buffet snacks and salads, there’s also their yummy and unlimited Made To Order options. Their menu has everything from night market Pepper Buns to slow simmered Chicken Soup. Of course, we had to order some dumplings, Pork Rice, and Chicken Rice to taste test everything. And honestly, they were a pretty good snack before our long-haul flight.
Airbus A350-900 Business Class Suite
The Seattle to Taipei route is operated on the Airbus A350-900, with a 1-2-1 configuration, which means every seat gets direct aisle access. The Business Class Suite is arranged in a herringbone-style for maximum space, with a sliding door which made a huge difference for rest and privacy. The service on board was excellent and really helped make the flight feel polished and comfortable from start to finish.
Seat Review
The seats here are around 21 inches wide, with 44 inches of pitch, and converts into a fully lie-flat bed around 6 feet 7 inches long. They’re super comfy and spacious! When the crew turned the seat into a bed, it came with a thick and soft mattress pad, duvet, and fluffy pillow. It was genuinely some of the best sleep I have ever had on a plane.
Pro tip: I sat in both the middle seats and the window seats this trip. In my opinion, the window seats are the best choice for privacy and comfort.
Seat Storage and Features
The seats are fully kitted for convenience. There’s a touch screen seat control panel with a massage function. I especially love the zero G mode! It also has the biggest HD TV screen I’ve ever seen on an airplane! There’s free wifi on the plane, and ample tablespace, so you can also easily setup your laptop.
The seats themselves also have tons of storage. It can definitely fit a whole bucket bag inside the cubby, or a book or two for later. Inside, you’ll find the amenities kit, face mask, water, and headphones. If I wanted to charge my phone, I just plugged it into the charging port or place it on the wireless charger inside.
Amenities Kit
Starlux’s in-flight amenities are great! To start, the face mask is super handy on a long haul flight. Inside their kit, they provide a skincare set from Japanese brand THREE, earplugs, dental kit, hair brush, and eye mask. It’s everything you need for a restful flight. Near bedtime, You’ll also get comfy PJ’s in your size and slippers to switch into. You can get ready for bed with a face mask using their convenient seat mirror, while the flight attendant prepares your bed with a mattress, cover, pillows, and plush blanket.
Food and Service
Right as you board, you’re greeted with pre-departure juice and the Michelin Chef-designed menu for the flight. There were lots of food and drink options throughout the flight, which made the whole experience feel even more premium. All the meal services included both and Asian and International option to choose from. There’s also a snack menu you can order anytime.
Dinner service includes a full course of appetizers, soup, bread, main course, dessert, and fruits. It was so yummy! My mom chose a lobster ravioli for her main course, while I picked a saucy pork and rice.
For breakfast, we have a comforting set of plain congee. It comes with the classic must-haves of salted egg yolks, pork floss, pickles, and tofu curd. Plus, 3 more rotating side dishes. Ours today included veggies, a fried egg, and some ground pork and tofu. It was the perfect breakfast to wake up to.
They had a range of drinks available on the flight, but what really caught my eye was the Boba Milk Tea. I also had boba milk tea on my China Airline flight home from Singapore, but it still makes me so so happy. If you’re into cocktails, you’ll have to try their range of signature cocktails, including the Sci-Fi Cosmos, designed by famous Taiwanese bartender Huang YiXiang
Overall Thoughts
Overall, I was genuinely so impressed by the STARLUX Business Class experience from Seattle to Taipei. From checkin-to landing, you feel taken care of every step of the way. Between the comfortable seat, thoughtful design, great food and drinks, and friendly service, it felt like such a luxurious and restful way to travel. I noticed a lot of the guests mentioned they used American Express’s 1:1 point transfer to COSMILE to upgrade, so that may be worth looking into!
See What I Ate After Landing In Tai
