Rather than adding an east coast destination like New York, Starlux doubles down on Southern California and launches a new route to Ontario California. This exciting development is also a rare opportunity to preemptively snag award flights for people in Los Angeles/Orange County area.
Booking
If you have Alaska miles, you can currently book Starlux A350 Business Class to/from Ontario for 75,000 miles. You’ll notice it says “route pending government approval” because the destination just got announced and it’s not official yet.
Nevertheless if you plan on going to Taiwan this year, it’s good to hurry and just book it since award availabilities for Starlux are quite difficult to come by. It’s a comfortable and fun way to travel to Asia. Fun fact, it’s the only airline in the world where you can drink boba on the plane!
China Airlines Competition
This new route is also interesting because it competes directly with China Airlines. Previously, China Airlines is the only Taiwan airline that flies to/from Ontario California. It’s a fantastic way to skip LAX traffic and fly its premium Business Class without the crowd.
Starting June 2025, Starlux is trying to gobble up half the Asian market share for Ontario. Will China Airlines be able to handle the competition? Which airline do California people prefer more? How will the pricings for this new route play out? Only time will tell.
Overall, this is great news for consumers. The more competition airlines have, the better price and options consumers have when they travel. For those with Alaska miles, this is a great opportunity to use your miles to redeem for Starlux Business Class. Snag them quick before it’s gone.
Chai Bear World 