Since attending its inaugural launch, I’ve been hungry to fly this officially in Asia. The opportunity came when I noticed Starlux (for a limited time) still uses its long haul planes intra-Asia on select routes. Being in Taiwan already, I figure this is the perfect opportunity to sample this airline at its flagship home.
Taoyuan International Airport
It’s an exciting New Year early morning at TPE. Instead of going to the usual EVA or China Airlines check-in, we followed signage today for Starlux Airlines. As a cherry on top, we’re also sampling what it is like to be their “Insighter” passenger… the airline’s top member status.
Normally you need to accrue 120,000 tier mileage to attain this privilege, but we luckily got it thru a generous status match from the airline.
“Mrs. Chai, did you guys happen to get our Insighter annual membership gift yet? “
“No… this is our our first time!”
“Follow me to the ticket counter. We have a surprise gift for you.”
🤩
Starlux Galactic Lounge
Just look at the gift packaging! We eagerly enter the terminal to open the airline’s gift. As of this writing, this Galactic Lounge is the only Starlux branded lounge in the world. For Insighter passengers, you can even bring family/guests to enjoy this facility.
Let the unboxing ceremony begin
It’s LA Clippers x Starlux and LA Dodgers x Starlux branded luggage tags! With Shohei Ohtani joining the baseball lineup this year, this is particularly an exciting gift from the airline.
After the unboxing, we decided to check the amenities of the lounge. The drinks are quite premium including fresh squeezed juice, cold-pressed tea, and Evian bottled water.
The lounge is restaurant style where you can order a la carte from a menu. I ordered a ramen dish.
while Miki tried the breakfast congee dish with hot soybean milk
Starlux Business
The cabin feels spanking new. With its sleek design and orange hues, the plane feels like a plush mini spaceship ready to take-off.
The 4K screen is intuitive and super tech. You can even connect your own AirPods via bluetooth to the screen.
I decided to try their Asian style lunch courses. For beverage, I paired it with a Taittinger Champagne and…
BOBA ON AN AIRPLANE
Like showering in the sky, drinking boba 38,000 ft in the air definitely feels like a giddy novelty. I usually only drink one glass of boba max per week, but on this rare occasion I decided to order three 😋 just for this flight
REFILL? YES PLEASE
Overall, this was a great sample of Starlux Airlines. Though this luxury startup may not be as polished as its competitor EVA or China Airlines, its soft products and tech on the spanking new planes is definitely giving the other airlines a run for its money. On top of that, you can definitely feel a sense of excitement and pride amongst the Starlux staffs.
From the surprise “Insighter” gifts to the little details like boba on a plane, you genuinely feel the Taiwan hospitality welcoming you onboard. I can’t wait to try this boutique product again on my next transpacific flight back to Asia.
Chai Bear World 