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China Airlines is Taiwan’s largest airline, known for its friendly service and solid network of routes across Asia and beyond. The airline has over 15 Airbus A350s in its fleet (some of them with the ex-SAS Business cabin) and was recognized several times for their comfort and high standards of service.
As a member of SkyTeam and as part of my EuroBonus Millionaire challenge, I needed a way to add China Airlines to my itinerary. I could find multiple routes using EuroBonus points, but none were in Business Class on the dates I wanted. However, when doing a quick check on Google Flights, I saw some promotional fares from a few European cities, including Amsterdam, which was convenient for me. Here is my recent experience (spoiler alert, totally recommended!).
| Route | AMS-TPE |
| Flight | CI74 |
| Cabin | Business |
| Equipment | Airbus A350-900 |
| Aircraft | B-18909 (7 years old) |
| Flight Time | 12h 30m |
How I Booked This Flight
I managed to get a one-way revenue ticket for USD 1385, which was refundable for a fee of USD 200 and rebookable for another fee. The entire itinerary was from Amsterdam to Seoul (ICN) via Taipei (TPE). Even though it was slightly inefficient for the EuroBonus Millionaire challenge, as I would end up flying China Airlines twice, the connection wasn’t too bad, and the price was unbeatable. As I was booked into fare class D, it also meant I would earn quite a lot of level points for my EuroBonus status.
Check-In & Security
I arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol early, and check-in had already started. The check-in desks for China Airlines are on Departures 3. Even though I already had digital boarding passes and wasn’t checking in any luggage, I stopped by to check that my frequent flyer number was properly entered and to get a printed copy of the passes.
I went through Schiphol’s fast-track security lane, which has been combined for SkyPriority, Star Alliance Gold, and Business/First Class passengers. Even with passport control, getting to the airside took about 5 minutes.
KLM Crown Lounge Schiphol (International Area)
I stopped by the KLM Crown Lounge to get some breakfast. I used to heavily fly Air France and KLM a few years ago, but this was my first time at this lounge since they renewed it; it looked really good. You access through an escalator surrounded by typical Delft houses. At the entrance, you can go either left or right. The lounge occupies two complete floors, with a living room/buffet area on the bottom and a bar and restaurant on the upper floor.
On the downside, the lounge was packed at that time, incredibly busy and loud, and it was almost impossible to get a seat. There were queues at the buffet areas and for the coffee machine, and it wasn’t precisely a place to relax and unwind before the flight. The available food was also poor, so I ended up just having a coffee with a croissant and an apple.
Check our dedicated post on the KLM Crown Lounge with all the details (here, coming soon).
Boarding
I headed to the gate about 15 minutes before boarding time, and the plane was almost ready. In fact, they started boarding 5 minutes before the scheduled time. The A350-900 had been with China Airlines for 7 years, among the first that the airline acquired. I boarded through the SkyPriority lane and through the front door instead of the center door.
Cabin & Seat
My seat was 18A, the very last window seat on the left of the plane, at the end of the cabin. It’s right in front of the galley and the center door. I had read reviews that the ‘noise and proximity to the galley may be bothersome,’ but I didn’t feel that at all, not even for sleeping. There’s no lavatory on that side, whereas on the right side, there is.
As you enter the cabin (greeted by the extremely nice and polite crew), it feels stylish and soothing. The night lights on every seat make it extra cozy, with indirect lighting in a warm tone.
Even though the seats are quite compressed and there are no doors, they feel cozy, large, and private (unlike other cramped cabins such as United Polaris).
A pillow and bedding, including a seat cover, are on the seat. The flight attendant kindly asked me if she could set the seat cover for me, which is a nice touch as there’s no separate mattress pad.
The right armrest can be height-adjusted, and inside, there’s a storage compartment with the headphones.
On the left, there are two smaller compartments, one with the amenity kit and another with slippers, a bottle of water, and access to the remote control and power outlet. Everything is nicely covered and hidden so that, when closed, the area is tidy and well organized. There’s also a storage bucket right at the end of the left side.
Between the left armrest and the seat, there’s a large touch screen with seat controls and lighting options. The tray table is folded and retracted under the IFE. As soon as you unlock it with a button, it starts sliding towards you. When unfolded, it’s very large and comfortable to use. The minor downside is that it is a bit too high when using a computer and typing, and it’s not height adjustable.
The large IFE screen was already on with plenty of Christmas-themed commercials about China Airlines and its destinations.
Welcome Drink
As boarding continues, you are offered a welcome drink, which could be water or juice (no alcohol), plus a hot towel.
Amenity Kit
I was surprised to see that the amenity kit was Moschino-branded, a quite expensive brand compared to what other airlines partner with.
Preparing for Takeoff
As the crew was preparing the cabin for takeoff, a safety video was played at a very gentle (almost too low) volume.
WIFI
China Airlines offers fast wifi at different prices that work quite well, getting a 1h, 3h, or 24h pass. Business Class passengers get a free 24-hour voucher throughout the flight, which must be redeemed earlier. A few days before the flight, you get an email with a reminder to ‘redeem’ your voucher (by entering the ticket number in their system). You also get sent a voucher code via email, which is good to have before boarding the plane.
Lavatories
There are lavatories reserved for Business Class both at the front and at the rear (left) of the cabin. The crew and pilots also use the front lavatory, so sometimes that one gets blocked. The flight attendants checked/cleaned the status of the toilets after every single passenger that used them. The toilets are standard, and the decoration is dull (hospital-style). There were no extra amenities but hand cream and air refresher.
Meal 1
In addition to the WIFI voucher email, you get a second email asking you to pre-select both meals (after takeoff and pre-arrival). If you have connecting flights, you can also select the meals for other flights. These were the options available for the Amsterdam-Taipei route until December 31st, 2024.
Before the main meal, they served drinks with nuts and canapés. I got two drinks plus a glass of water.
The starter was very Dutch, with some cold salad and bread (including freshly toasted garlic bread).
On the tray, there is a wet towel and a dental floss pick already available. In between the starter and the main dish, you get served (a quite salty) soup as a palate cleanser.
For the main dish, I had the lamb with creamy polenta.
Finally, for dessert, there was cheese and icecream.
Sleep
As usual, the cabin was dimmed after the meal service, and even though it was a day flight, we were supposed to arrive at breakfast time in Taipei. Not every window was closed, so the cabin remained pretty bright for several hours. I watched a movie and finally tried to get some sleep.
Galley Bar
During the flight, both the front and center galley get prepared with snacks and drinks. The center galley looks stunning and sophisticated, with some liquors being exhibited.
Mid-flight Snack
After getting a couple of hours of sleep, I was offered a ‘light snack’: a warm croissant with cheese and some tea.
Breakfast
As we got closer to Taipei, it was still dark outside. About 1:30h before arrival, they crew started serving breakfast. They first passed around with hot towels.
I went with the Chinese style breakfast which was white porridge with an egg and some fruit. It was really tasty when adding all the toppings on the side.
Arrival
Taipei was cloudy that day, but the approach was very scenic anyway. I was surprised to see the actual route/path taken when looking at my Flighty app. The flight was long, but felt comfortable and not draggy at all.
Video Review
Summary
I had a fantastic experience with China Airlines. The crew was outstanding, paying a ton of attention to the details. The seat is comfortable and spacious and feels private enough, even without having sliding doors. The cabin looked gorgeous, and despite the first impression that it can look cramped, you don’t see the presence of so many passengers. The toilets were always spotless, the galley looked stunning, and the meals were high-quality. Complimentary WIFI is always a plus; it worked great for most of the flight. I would 100% recommend this airline, and as a EuroBonus member who is now part of SkyTeam, I look forward to those redemptions on their A350. They are launching new routes soon to Brisbane.