To Taipei in Starlux Airlines A350-900 business class
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
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Watch the full taxi and takeoff of this flight:
• Starlux A350-900 taxi ...
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Starlux Airlines A350-900 business class is really good. Never in my life have I found it more difficult to be critical of an international business class product than this.
It wasn't a totally perfect experience, but it was obvious that they were seeking total perfection. The seat (and the food) was excellent. My only complaint had to do with the proactivity of the cabin crew.
This is a full review of JX801 from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Taipei (TPE). Total flying time was 3 hours and 24 minutes, my seat number was 7K, and the aircraft registration was B-58502.
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I was the design director who created this user interface!! Scott, your feedback is such a humbling experience for me. One of our many target user groups was frequent business class travelers like yourself, and I cannot express how happy it's made me to know that all of the hard work both myself and my team put into this product made a positive impact on your travel experience. I may not work in IFE anymore, but creating products for innovative airlines like STARLUX has been a highlight of my career. Thank you so much for your review, and for highlighting the difference an IFE system can make!
You’re very welcome Katie! And thank you for putting so much effort into that UI. I truly mean it when I said that it was the best UI of any in-flight entertainment system that I’ve ever tried. Everything about it (the menus, the graphics, the animations, etc) was perfect - and totally on brand with Starlux. Hopefully you and your team will win an award for this. 👍🏻
Wait...so you're telling me that the cabin crew didn't disappear into the galley and look at their phones the whole flight?
What an incredible flight...the way it SHOULD be. Well done, Starlux!
I know, right? We complain when they do, and then we complain when they don’t. 🤷🏼♂️😄
@@sanspotterI am a flight attendant. I am deeply disappointed when you feel the need to complain about the flight attendant being too intrusive while being customer oriented all for the sake of customer satisfaction.
I flew Starlux premium economy this past April and were so impressed with both hard and soft products. More legroom than China Airline and EVA, better tasting food, and attentive cabin crew. I look forward to trying their business class flying from SFO- TPE this winter.
Oh yeah. This would be amazing on a long-haul route like SFO to TPE. Premium economy looks good too! I may give that a go at some point.
@@UCLAalumna Not sure where are you from but some premium economy and economy meals are prepared by both China Airlines (Asia routes) and Eva Air (US routes) kitchen in TPE
The CEO of starlux is the youngest son of the Eva Air family
I’ve always found that to be fascinating. Seems like they created unnecessary competition for themselves. 🤷🏼♂️
@@sanspotterit’s cuz the CEO and his brothers had a power struggle once their father passed and so he got ousted as EVA’s chairman and started STARLUX.
@@sanspotter STARLUX Boss is the 3rd shareholders (4.92%) of EVA Air according to EVA Air shareholders report (2024-3-31)
I think the window alignment, or lack thereof, would have earned Starlux a few demerit points from me. The rest of it looked decent though.
The window alignment wasn’t that bad actually - it was just the lamp blocking my view that was the problem.
@@sanspotter I’ll make sure I take a small screwdriver so I can remove it should I ever get the chance to sample the Starlux experience. Also, whenever I try to type Starlux autocorrect wants to change it to Starbucks 🙄
When reviewers like an airline, everything seems perfect to them. Human nature.
Exactly. 😄
@@sanspotter I didn’t mention that I enjoy your video reviews. Thank You for producing them regularly!
I’ve been wanting to fly starlux for awhile, glad to see they’re still providing an excellent product, hopefully I’ll get to experience it soon 🎉
You gotta do it! They’re so much better than EVA Air IMHO (which is saying a lot considering that I’m a huge EVA fan).
Beautiful Air Craft And Cabin.Great Trip Report
Glad you enjoyed it! That seat was a lot more impressive in person.
Thank you for sharing your nice trip here. The seat here looks very nice and I think you mean being on the right side of the aircraft is where your seat is!😊 You made me laugh a little.😊❤
Hahaha😅! Yes, you were treated very well on this flight. Yes, a little spoiled even! Nice for you on this flight.😊
You’re very welcome! Righty tighty leftie loosie - I can never keep track. 😄
😂! You are a great aircraft trip review flyer. Us former and current Flights Attendants make our observations and reviews as well. ☺
Hi Scott, a nice review! I remember that your last video right before the pandemic was Starlux video. This product looks fabulous!
Hey Kaz! Yeah, that was one of my last flights before the pandemic. I’m still kind of shocked they survived actually. I’m glad they did!
LOVE THAT! I am flying Starlux in a few weeks!
Hope you enjoy it!
Perfect flight but oh darn! A menu would have added to this magic carpet effect! Thank you SANspotter for another fab review!!!
You’re very welcome! Someone else here in the comments said that there are menus in the in-flight entertainment system. I had no idea!
Dude. How do I not see more people talking about this airline?! Looks stellar (pun a little intended)
Rather new airline, and 0 routes to Europe rn
+100 points for the clever use of “stellar” 😄
I''ve been flying EVA for over 10 yrs on the LAX TPE route and they never disappoint. But lately their 777 business class is needing a big update in terms of design. This new Starlux product seems very impressive and will give EVA a run for their money. Will be trying it soon!
I really think you’ll have a hard time going back to EVA Air once you give Starlux a try. They’re good!
I was just in this business class from San Francisco to Taipei. I really enjoyed it overall. My complaints are more about the food was good but not great . Also, the movies need some updates. Other than that, I don’t have much to complain. Good job ❤
I’m really surprised to hear that the food wasn’t all that great. The meals on both of my Starlux flights so far have been excellent. Maybe it depends on the route… 🤷🏼♂️
Looks like an amazing flight. Would definitely love to see their long haul economy from LAX because that is the only chance I could ever experience such an amazing product.
I’m actually really tempted to give that a try…
@@sanspotter must see trip report
Hey Scott You deserve to get spoiled. Hey I am following you since years. And this inflight experience was stunning. I can not find another word for it. DELUXE CLASS. AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY OFFER A FIRST CLASS CABIN on certain flights. Think to/from SFO? Hey hey which Justin and me can not afford!
Thank you so much Scott. Impressing! One of your best vids I guess.
Last time I told you about our French Bee flight. OF COURSE They do not offer such a high level of service . No lie flat seats. But they are focusing on the meal service in PREMIUM CLASS ONLY!!!!
Plus, friend 840,- round trip SFO/LAX- Paris. And then there is the train fare included say Paris to the German border. (coach class though)
May be that would fit into your future travel plans.
All the best to you and thank you!
Yeah, it felt good to be spoiled for once. 😄 And yes, they were selling first class on this flight. It was tempting - but too expensive unfortunately. Anyway - at this point I’m starting to wonder if you’re a French Bee employee (or shareholder). 🤣 Just kidding. But you are doing very good job convincing me to give them a try for my next trip to Europe. I’m very likely to do that…
You should definitely try the Air India A350 on LHR-DEL route in September if possible, it’s the first time for a kind of long haul after the takeover or the JFK-DEL in A350 during the end of this year
That’s one I’m definitely hoping to try someday. I’ve never flown Air India before - those A350s look sweet.
5:19 This genuinely blew my mind! I thought I was looking into some mirror, and only after you zoomed out, I realised I was looking at the reflection of the screen! It was soo clean that it almost looked like a mirror!
😄 yep, definitely my favorite part of the entire video.
If you think I am about to blow my saved stache of Alaska Miles to fly this after watching your video... then you are absolutely correct
Trust me - it’ll be one of the best award redemptions you’ve ever done!
Scott: "I'm a total introvert". Also Scott: Time to post another video for my nearly 57K subscribers.
🤔😄
7:51 it should be Sony WH-1000 XM4
And the STARLUX Chairman (former EVA Air boss) has announced that they’re working on joining Oneworld during a shareholders meeting in June
Thanks for the clarification! And I’m totally onboard with them joining Oneworld. That would be epic.
It figures I would go on a mad search to find them, and once I do I go to the comments to find that someone already has found them.
I read an article that stated the following:
"Other amenities available in business class will include a set of toiletries from Thai brand Thann including hand lotion, eau de toilette and a facial mist, noise-cancelling headphones (the right one in the picture above [it is a picture of the headphones on this flight]), eye masks, as well as blankets designed by Designworks of BMW Group, which also designed the cabin interior and seating of the airline’s A321neos."
So maybe BMW took some WH-1000 XM4s and slapped a Starlux logo on them and called it a day? The article could have been written better, I admit.
Absolutely worth trying
Absolutely agree 😆
Great choice Starlux Airlines for buying the Airbus A330neo and A350 aircrafts.
Yeah I can’t wait to try the A330 at some point.
Damn that 4k screen really got my attention! I'd love to try Starlux business class one day, can't really do it now due to school and all that 😅 but good video as always San! 👍🏿
Can't wait to see the next one
Thanks! They seem like they’re doing well, so they’ll still be there once you finish school. Hopefully you get to try it eventually!
Great review. You forgot to mention that you can order meals online prior to the flight. Not sure why no menu was given but it’s also available digitally on the TV screen in front of you.
Thanks! I actually didn’t know that meals can be selected ahead of time. Good to know. 👍🏻
Can’t believe the size of the food tray that was cleverly stored under the TV! 😮 Of course it had to be that big to hold all that food!
That’s why it’s always a good idea to take a look at the size of the tray upon first sitting down. Big tray = good flight. 😄
I flew both their economy and premium economy on their a330 neo and a350 from Singapore to Taipei but def will try their business class next time...and yes i agree they can be a little too much of great service although between EVA and them I still say those are great except Eva just needs to upgrade their business class product...it's too hard a product though their Jason Wu PJs are awesome! Overall all you can't say anything bad about Taiwanese carriers..they are all good even better at times when compared to my national carrier you know the one that claims they are the best 😂❤
Yeah, you gotta try business class! EVA seems to be getting better though. My next video will be a review of EVA 787-9 business class. Spoiler alert: fantastic seat, but the food wasn’t as good.
@@sanspotter looking forward to...I flew EVA business class round trip KUL to TPE and then to CDG and all I can say is way awesome just that the product is pretty hard...software is awesome but yes EVA better wake up and fast!
idc but i love watching your videos lol its therapy for me! thanks my dude!
Thanks man! Really glad that you’ve been enjoying the content. 👍🏻
Great watch as always Scott - hope you’re well👍
Thanks, you too!
Very nice video, and a fantastic airline.
Thanks! And I agree - they’re one of my all time favorites.
I am going to Taiwan for the first time in a few weeks and have no idea what to expect, but that's all part of the fun of visiting new places isn't it.
Exactly. Taiwan is really nice by the way. To me, it feels like a combination of China and Japan. Have fun!
Excellent trip report Scott!!
Thanks Ryan!
Thanks for the amazing review! Can't wait to try it myself😄
You’re very welcome! The only downside of flying Starlux it’ll be hard to go back to any other airline. 😄
Great video man , great way to fly , would love to fly that across the Atlantic , cheers and thanks.
Thanks! Yeah, this would be amazing on a long-haul flight.
Thanks for the report! As usual, very informative and narrated in your usual humor… 😂 Great! Let me ask you a question, the window access seems to be quite restricted in that seat, is it so in the other seats? Thanks.
You’re very welcome! To be honest I didn’t even notice (the seats are so private that it’s hard to see). I’m sure there are seats with a more unobstructed view though.
5A/K are the only seats in Starlux business with total unobstructed windows in the A350
Hi.. Scott.. Nice to see u back. Nice review. Their airticket are quite expensive than Eva and China Airlines.. 👍
Thanks! I was comparing EVA and Starlux between LAX and TPE a few months ago, the prices were similar. I assumed that it’s always like that… But maybe not?
I'm surprised they're using the A350 instead of the A330 neo for this route. I do remember you flying this airline right as the world was shutting down thanks to rona
I’m actually surprised it’s a widebody at all. Seems like they’d be keeping those A330s and A350s busy on long-haul routes.
There is a lot of demand between Taiwan and Japan, so I presume Starlux is trying to serve the roughly 4 million Taiwanese travelers to Japan, and 2 million plus Japanese travelers to Taiwan every year.
Welcome to Taiwan!
I hope you have a wonderful stay.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thanks! This flight was back in May actually. I always enjoy going to Taiwan!
Really fun video. Always blending information and entertainment very well. If you taught school, i would be a funny genius.
Trust me - you don’t want me anywhere near the front of a classroom. 😆
@sanspotter Haha I would really learn if you were.
First time I have heard a complaint because the crew took too much care :)
Sometimes I think I’d be better off living way up on a mountaintop somewhere far away from civilization. 😄
That window situation hits my nerve hard. Right between them.
I didn’t mind it all that much actually. It was the lamp that blocked most of the second window that irked me the most.
Lovely seat and plane interior. I absolutely would get annoyed by the crew coming up too often, and I'm not an introvert.
What my issue would be though, are the misaligned windows. I'd want one right next to me. But indeed, petty complaints. Great flight.
You’re not the first person that has mentioned the misaligned window thing. Honestly, I didn’t even notice it. Maybe I was just too flummoxed from the insanity of everything else. 🤷🏼♂️😄
@@sanspotter in that case it worked 😃
It looks like they offer Sony WH-1000XM5 for first class passengers and a similar one to WH-1000XM4 for business class.
Thanks for the clarification! I know jack squat about headphones. 😄
Thnx Scott, great review
My pleasure!
Fantastic flight.
It was!
Wow, what luxury! I only fly steerage class, so I get none of the good stuff😢
If this airline ever starts flying to Florida, I’ll find a way to get you and Mom on it - in business class! 😄
hello! new subscriber here! You deserve so many more btw! I have a question. What advice do you have for someone who may want to start getting into making their own airline reviews on youtube? what are some common problems you run into? looking forward to binging your videos later! Keep it up!
Welcome! Honestly? Just do it - You’ll discover really quick what you like and don’t like about the process. Also, be respectful of those around you when you’re recording. Not everybody is cool with the idea of their face ending up on RUclips. Most importantly, have fun - and make reviews the way that you want to make them (not the way people tell you to do it). Good luck!
@@sanspotter thanks so much! I really appreciate the advice and cant wait to see you grow!
NARITA is a very long taxi from gate to Runway
Depends on what runway is in use. It wasn’t so bad for this flight actually.
What happened to your red shoes, did you retire them? Hopefully i will fly from CRK to Seattle business class
Retired unfortunately. I need to get another pair!
Those new graphics are way too smooth
🙏🏻
I’d like to try Starlux, but they are significantly more expensive than EVA or China Airlines out of Seattle.
I’ve noticed that the prices are fairly similar out of LAX. It’s worth looking into…
Looks like about $500 more out of LAX. Better than $1000 more that I was seeing for Seattle. Not convinced they are worth the premium.
When the founder and CEO of an airliner, who is also a multi-certified pilot, and cared enough to personally fly to France to take delivery of almost every single aircraft and fly them back himself, you know you're in good hands!
Yup, it definitely shows! Everything about this experience was nearly perfect.
Starlux is the best airline out of Taiwan.
Agreed!
there is menu inside IFE you can check
Darn it I completely missed that. Good to know though. Thanks!
Alaska Points for me in October 2024.
I’ve seen some pretty good deals for getting into business class that way. Smart move.
@@sanspotter yup opened that Alaska card and closed it once I booked the flight.
Right hand side of the aircraft.
🤦🏼♂️😄
When an American is singing the praises of an Asian Airline its because of the trash experience you get on American carriers so anything would be an improvement.
I think that dessert was a mousse cake of some description. Stunning airline 😊
Yeah, it doesn’t take much to impress me these days I guess. 😄 And I think you’re right - that was definitely more “mousse” than “tiramisu”.
Some business pods have misaligned windows and this bugs me a bit. Did this bug you?
Honestly it didn’t bug me all that much. The thing that annoyed me the most was the lamp (which blocked most of the window).
But the windows do not give proper view
Was this video taken after your zip air flight
Yup! It was the day after as a matter of fact.
I would dock points for the lack of chicken and rice to review. Other than that an excellent travel experience.
Very good point! Although, considering how good this cabin crew was, they probably would’ve figured out a way to make it for me if I would’ve asked. 😄
@@sanspotter Though that would have meant interacting with the crew.
I'm about to take a Starlux Business class flight from LAX to Taipei for the first time. You seem to really like the Infotainment system. Does it support Bluetooth headphones? I like to use my own headphones whenever possible. Not many airlines seem to offer that.
Yes it does support Bluetooth headphones
Hope you have a great flight!
Your facial expression at 5:21 lmfaooooo 💀💀💀💀💀
That’s what a 24 inch video screen does to me. 🤣
are these seats the same seats that Qatar uses for the Q-Suite?
I’m not sure - I can’t recall but those look like off the top of my head, but they just might be the same.
The menu is in front of your screen.
I missed it! I’m sure it looked great in high resolution 4K. 😄
All the windows are blocked.
Honestly it didn’t bother me all that much. They dimmed the windows shortly after takeoff anyway, so it’s not like I missed out on anything.
Did you pay for the flight yourself?
Yes - business class between NRT and TPE isn’t all that expensive actually.
Can’t you book it for something like 60k AS miles?
If you can, that’s one heck of a good deal.
@@sanspotter yeah. There’s a reason availability is hard to come by
When are you flying to Africa?
Good question! It’s one of the few places in the world I’ve never been to before, but I’ll get there eventually…
@@sanspotter looking forward to those flights!
There is a problem with this Airline it's that they are not in an airline alliance yet the competitors they have in Taiwan are in one get their flights canceled between San Francisco and Taipei they will just put you onto an alliance partner that will also fly you to TPE. My parents had one of these stories it's EWR-MNL via LAX/NRT the original plan EWR-MNL via LAX/HND then becoming via TPE/LAX
Rumor has it they’ll be joining a major alliance soon…
@sanspotter good news if it's one world Alliance you would have this competition heavily on Hong Kong to Taiwan CX vs JX 🇭🇰🇹🇼 local traditional Chinese spellings that is simply 國泰航空 vs 星宇航空. Since you've done Philippine Airlines why not try the premium competition like Eva Air🇹🇼 Cathay Pacific🇭🇰 Korean Air🇰🇷 ANA JAL🇯🇵 B777-300er fleets. Back on April 29th my mother was willing to abandon BR5/261 & NH5/819 or PR113 Los Angeles to Manila because she thinks she will be delayed in Taipei in Tokyo Narita for Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
What about China Airlines? They are a competitor to Starlux and EVA… though not as good😅 as
Haha yeah, someone else mentioned that as well. I totally forgot!
I think many do. The name… and they aren’t on the same level as EVA or Starlux
now they fly ta hk don't need ta fly ta macau
I actually didn’t even realize that they flew to Macau. Glad to see their route network expanding!
@@sanspotter b4 was only fly ta Macau only not to hk, this month started to fly ta hk
You also forgot China Airlines. They are Taiwanese too.
Still, after all these years, I keep forgetting that China Airlines is Taiwanese. This is a good reminder that I need to fly them again sometime soon. It’s been a while!
But that's not a chicken and rice dish!
BTW, you forgot to include China Airlines in your list of Taiwanese airlines. 😂
🤦🏼♂️ I always forget about China Airlines being Taiwanese! I blame it on the name. 😄
Window's misaligned...
For some reason or another I didn’t even notice. Normally that’s the first thing I see, but it didn’t even stand out to me on this flight.
@@sanspotter it was noted on their website that those seats have a misaligned window. I choose Row 5.
Please stop saying “international”, when you are referring to “long haul”. Many US and Australian aviation content creators make this mistake. In Europe (and many parts of the world) the majority of short-haul flights (
That’s kind of like me (an American) telling you (a European) to stop saying “kilometers” because we don’t measure distance that way. 😄 Of course I’m kidding, as I do agree that you have a valid point. It’s just natural for me to say “international” I guess.
First 😂
Somebody had to do it. 😀🙏🏻