China Airlines A350-900 Business Class: A Great Price Across The Pacific

Business class on the China Airlines A350-900 is a comfortable experience at a great award price when you book it via Flying Blue.

Booking China Airlines business class

I’ve already done a deep dive into the booking process for this flight, but a quick summary:

We needed to get home from Asia, so any departure that lands in North America would work for us, but the closer to Los Angeles, the better.
As luck would have it, China Airlines announced a new route from Taiwan to Phoenix, Arizona. One of the best ways to get award space is booking a brand new route right as it becomes available.

I ended up needing a “trick” to book this flight. The Air France / KLM app is a bit janky in that it will sometimes show award space when the calendar says none exists. And sometimes you just need to keep refreshing the results several times to make the flight you want appear.

In this case, I wanted 4 seats on China Airlines in their business class cabin. Search for 4 seats and you won’t find anything. But search for 2 and you’ll find it available. So, I booked it assuming I might have to come home over the course of two separate flights or two separate days–not ideal but sometimes that’s what you have to do.

Stubbornly, I tried making award space “appear” anyways because I noticed that sometimes a flight will appear and sometimes it won’t. Well, three days after booking the first pair, I did exactly this on the date I booked and just flipped between that date and another date more to the point I was questioning if I were insane. Sure enough, a second pair of 2 seats appeared and I booked those too. Same flight, same cabin, same price. I paid 72,500 Flying Blue miles per person. Who says persistency doesn’t pay off?

Choosing seats isn’t so simple

I wish I could say that was the end of the struggle, but I found some difficulty with choosing seats. I could pull up my reservations on the China Airlines app, but it wouldn’t allow me to choose seats in advance. While I could likely have just called in, frankly I’d much rather handle it myself online if possible. On top of China Airlines not letting me choose seats, Air France wouldn’t let me either.

Sometimes when you want to play around with your ticket and you can’t do it with either the operating carrier or the marketing carrier, you can get it done with an alliance partner. In this case, I went to Tarom’s website. I haven’t flown the Romanian airline before nor did this trip touch destinations it served, but it works. Go to “My Booking” and enter your last name and reservation code.

From there, the Tarom system allowed me to choose my seats. It’s as simple as that. When we checked in for the flight, those seats were indeed reserved for us. Just what we wanted to see.

Earning Air France / KLM Flying Blue miles

If you reside in the United States, your best way to earn more Air France / KLM Flying Blue miles is to work the bank program transfers:

All major bank transfer programs can convert points over to Air France / KLM Flying Blue
Get the Air France / KLM credit card, which often comes with a decent sign-up bonus.
Consider buying Flying Blue miles, but wait for a bonus offer for doing so. An 80% bonus offer translates to a cost of 1.7 US cents per mile (good in this case but check your points and flight costs before committing).

While you could also credit your SkyTeam flights to Air France / KLM to earn miles, we wouldn’t consider this to be a quick method to earn more miles in their program.

First impressions of China Airlines A350-900 business class

We arrived at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) at around 3PM, about 2 hours before we would board our flight. We didn’t need to get here this early, but with us already checked in thanks to the TPE In-Town Check-In service, we figured why not.

Unfortunately, since that service disallows checking in duffel bags, I had to bring it here to check it in. Still, pretty easy.

After spending some time in the China Airlines lounge in Terminal 2 (4F), we made our way out of the lounge to do some last-minute shopping and to explore the terminal. The flight from Taiwan to the United States is pretty long, so getting some exercise before flying feels necessary for the kids. There are plenty of areas for kids, including some playgrounds and some photo opportunities.

McHugs is something I had never heard of before but looks pretty cute. And don’t overlook the Switch 2 behind if your kids need some screen time before going on the plane.

When it was time to board, we headed over to the gate. There’s a quick check upstairs to confirm you’re on the right flight and then you’ll head downstairs to the waiting area.

And it’s… crowded down here. Imagine a whole plane full of people sitting around waiting for their flight to board in a room that doesn’t have enough seating. Either come here early or come here late (to bypass needing to sit down).

Onboard the China Airlines A350-900

It was a bit chaotic with so many people in the area that it seemed like everyone started boarding at the same time, business class or not. After showing our passports and tickets, we headed down the jet bridge marked for business class passengers.

I didn’t get a photo of the cabin during the boarding process given the chaos, but instead you’ll see it here mid-flight. You know that fake wood look from the 1970’s? That’s the overall theme of the cabin but thankfully aside from the fake wood, everything else felt pretty modern. The China AirlinesA350-900 business class cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 format. Having no overhead storage in the center really opened things up, making it feel spacious.

The center seats don’t have a center divider but the seat wall curls around enough to make it private. That doesn’t make it too great for those traveling together as you’d have to lean forward to talk to each other.

As we normally do, we get the kids set up first before settling in ourselves. To be different, we arranged ourselves in a 1-2-1 format too, with the parents sitting by the window on either side of the plane and the kids in the middle seats. Hey, at the end of a long trip, sometimes it’s nice to unwind by yourself in the window seat.

The other thing I should note about this particular plane is that it has a Pikachu theme. The outside of the plane is pretty inconspicuous but surprise, surprise we had plenty of Pikachu love on the plane. Yeah, it’s completely unintentional that we flew on a Pokémon jet earlier in the trip on Garuda Indonesia and now here we were flying another one. The kids loved it, and if they asked, sure, that was all my planning.

The China Airlines A350-900 business class seat

I chose seat 11A, which is a window seat on the port side of the plane. While I said it in some jest about the wood theme earlier, the seat itself feels modern–and dare I say beautiful? Some might find it a bit sterile but since this has plenty of Pikachu decor, it actually feels like it has the right splash of color. There are no suite doors on these seats but given the seats are already in a reverse herringbone arrangement, doors are not necessary.

I found the seat to be pretty comfortable for the journey. There are no extra options like massage functions or extra lumbar support, but it works even on a long 12-hour journey like this one.

Near the window is a lamp, which works well at illuminating the seat with the window closed. But a word of warning that using it will also illuminate the seat behind yours too. There are also a couple of small storage areas in some of the compartments.

In the larger compartment is a bottle of Fiji water, some slippers, a mirror, a universal electrical outlet, and the controls for the monitor.

In the smaller compartment was just an area to store a few things like a phone or other small items.

There’s an armrest near the side facing the aisle and that too can store items. It’s nice to have so much storage at your seat but I don’t have enough stuff to store.

In front of you is a decently large video monitor. The downside of it is that it’s very reflective, so it can be a little challenging if you have the window open or the lamp turned on.

Underneath the TV is a small nook for your legs when the seat is turned into a bed. Reverse herringbone seats always have a narrow footwell, and this one is no exception. Thankfully, it seemed tall enough for side-sleepers but with one exception. That tray table under the TV gets in the way of when you’re lying down. I kept hitting my shins and knees on that tray table if I changed positions

Above the seat are some additional cabin lights. There are no individual air nozzles sadly. It was a bit warm when on the ground and the temperature fluctuated quite a bit during the night section.

When you turn the seat into a bed, be sure to use the mattress pad for a little extra cushion.

Sorry for the poor lighting, but I didn’t think to take a picture of the seat in lie-flat mode until the middle of the flight when everyone else was also sleeping. Oops.

Amenities in China Airlines business class

Shortly after sitting down, a friendly flight attendant offered me a choice of predeparture beverages. The choices were water, orange juice, and dragonfruit juice. I chose the dragonfruit juice, which was tasty. I’m a little surprised there was no alcoholic option but I guess they pay less tax this way. (Generally the rule is the airline pays tax on all alcohol served on the ground and not in the air.)

We also received a rather large amenity kit and an extra paper envelope. The amenity kit is by Marc Jacobs and works well if you want to use it to store some Pokémon cards in it. If only these flights would give free promo cards…

Inside the amenity kit is a wide variety of items including eyeshades, a hair brush, mouth freshener and dental kit, earplugs, hand cream, lip balm, and a strap to turn the amenity kit into a purse. As a dad, it’s always my dream to turn an amenity kit into a purse, right?

In the paper envelope was a pretty practical gift. It’s a charging cable with multiple plugs for devices like USB, USB-C, and the old Apple lightning cable.

I mentioned it above, but here is a better picture of the slippers and Fiji water.

At our seats when we boarded was a very comfy pillow with a picture of Pikachu sleeping. Because of course.

And underneath the pillow was the bedding: a mattress pad and a thick blanket.

The food in China Airlines business class

The menu

In China Airlines business class, you can pre-order your food before you get on the plane. Even though I had difficulty selecting seats, I didn’t have a problem at all selecting my meals before the flight. Some options are exclusively available online, so you might want to log in and check before your flight to see what’s there.

If you’d like to wait until you’re on the plane, there is a menu outlining the options. I’ve always found the menu on China Airlines to be a little more focused on Chinese options over other cuisine choices. This menu mostly confirms it. Of the 8 dinner entree choices (including pre-order options), 5 are Chinese, 2 are Western, and 1 is Japanese.

Given the timing of the flight, the first meal is dinner and the second is breakfast.

There is also a separate wine menu. The champagne on board is Laurent-Perrier Brut Millésimé 2015, Prestige Charles Gardet Millésimé 2007, and Boll & Cie Extra Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2010. If there is a certain champagne you want, it’s best to specify.

Dinner

Our flight departed at 5:51PM. All timestamps will use this time as the reference point.

At 6:22PM (31 minutes after departure), we received our drinks and some canapes. This is their Southeast Asian Style Potato and Egg & Shredded Roast Chicken with Cucumber. The dish is a little spicy, so if you can’t handle heat, you might want to skip it. The flavor is fine but the texture threw me off a little. Parts of it were a bit springy as you eat it, which makes it light and airy but I thought it would be a little more dense. On the side are some light snacks. I guess that’s the equivalent of warm nuts?

Southeast Asian Style Potato and Egg & Shredded Roast Chicken with Cucumber

Also, you get a cute Pokémon napkin under those snacks.

At 6:50PM (59 minutes after departure), the appetizer course arrived. This includes some Charred Squid and Mixed Salad with Crispy Pork Sheet. The squid is served cold and it’s fine. I tend to find cold squid a bit tough to eat and that’s fairly accurate here too. The flavor is good but I haven’t found a cold squid I crave yet.

The appetizer also comes with a baked good with “T&T” written on top of it. I’ll be honest in saying I’m not exactly sure what it was; it’s not listed on the menu. All I could taste was truffle oil. While I enjoy eating truffles, I can’t stand truffle oil, so it will have to remain a mystery.

As for the salad, the pork sheet comes on the side, so if you don’t want it, you don’t have to add it. Without the pork, it’s a pretty standard salad. But I didn’t care for the salad dressing, which was a combination of palm sugar, pineapple, and fish sauce.

Charred Squid and Mixed Salad with Crispy Pork Sheet

As for the pork sheet, it actually reminds me more of pig ear, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.

At 7:04PM (1 hour, 13 minutes after departure), the Chicken Broth with Black Pork Spare Ribs arrived. While it’s advertised as having Japanese yam and spare ribs in it, the dumplings reminded me more of shrimp. The flavor of the soup is distinctly Chinese and tasted like something we would typically get at a Chinese restaurant.

At 7:15PM (1 hour, 24 minutes after departure), the entree arrived. I ordered the Boston Lobster and Slow-Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek. Naturally, when my son Alex found out that I had lobster on my plate, he took it all for himself and fully enjoyed it. Guess it was good! The sauce on the side is on the spicy side but after all the food we ate in South East Asia, it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. The noodles that come with the dish aren’t seasoned much but it works with the sauce on the side. Overall, it hits the spot and makes up for the lackluster appetizer course.

The kids meal also arrived around when we received our main course. I think this is a very flavorful, saucy chicken dish, but I could be wrong given there was no description provided. Just looking at it, I think you could tell it might be a bit too bold for children. On some airlines, you get a choice between a Western kids meal and an Asian kids meal. Here, I think they just combined it all into a single dish. The fruit was good though! I’m glad my daughter Char ate enough bowls of beef noodle soup in the lounge before the flight.

At 7:42PM (1 hour, 51 minutes after takeoff), dessert arrived. We had a choice of ice cream (green tea or strawberry) or a cream puff. I went with the ice cream. Naturally, since you’re flying an Asian airline, either selection comes with an assortment of fruit on the side. Simple, but I like it.

At 8:10PM, the setting was cleared, marking the entire meal service at taking 2 hours, 19 minutes. It’s a bit slow but given this is a 12-hour flight, it wasn’t like we were in a rush.

Mid-flight snacks

At the close of the dinner service, the flight crew handed out some more snacks including fermented lemon and a chocolate cookie.

Fermented lemon slices and chocolate cookie

Other choices for midflight snacks include:

Taiwanese popcorn chicken
Fish Fillet Burger with Truffle Sauce and Salmon Rice on a Charcoal Bun
Instant Noodles

If I were hungry on the flight, I would have considered ordering something but I had no room left in my stomach until breakfast service began. I thought the kids were going to end up hungry too but they mostly slept through the flight.

Breakfast

At 2:55AM based on time in Taiwan (around 2.5 hours before landing), the breakfast service began and the cabin lights came on. Service started with a hot towel and coffee or tea. Seems strange to me that they start the breakfast service so early–usually it starts at about 90 minutes before landing.

At 3:17AM, breakfast arrived on a single tray. I ordered the Spinach and Wild Mushroom Quiche with French Scrambled Eggs. In my opinion, the quiche tasted very bland. But, the beans next to the quiche were oversalted. I guess if you’re eating them together they almost cancel each other out… except it doesn’t work that way. The fruit is the best part about the meal, otherwise it’s a bit forgettable.

Yeah, yeah, it’s my fault. I’m flying an Asian airline and ordering Western food. Other airlines seem to have better success with it, but each time I fly China Airlines, I give it a try and end up unimpressed.

What about the kids meal? This breakfast is a bit more approachable with a basic omelet and some fried shrimp. Throw in some bread and fruit on the side and I honestly would have preferred this meal for myself over what I ordered.

Wi-Fi and Entertainment

Thankfully, Wi-Fi is available on this flight. That’s great because on a 12-hour flight, do you really want to be disconnected the whole time when you have work to do? Connecting to it is simple and the splash screen should take you to the appropriate website to access the plans.

Wi-Fi service is free for all passengers in premium economy and business class, along with China Airlines elite members. Regular economy passengers only get messaging for free.

I wish it was as simple as just logging in with your seat number and name, but you have to do an intermediate step first. You still need your date of birth and seat number but this is the process needed to get a voucher code. Once you get the code, be sure to save it somewhere so you don’t lose it.

Now, you’ll go into the area where you would typically purchase Wi-Fi access, scroll to the bottom to “Use a Voucher Code”, and enter the code on the next screen. A little convoluted but I don’t mind going through the process for free Wi-Fi.

As for the inflight entertainment, I mentioned above just how reflective the video monitor is. I couldn’t find a good lighting to take my photos and sometimes just watch the TV.

There’s a good selection of movies and TV shows. Depending on the series you’re wanting to watch, you might be able to binge. Some series only had a few episodes while others had over a dozen. Not sure if there was any rhyme or reason to it.

For family entertainment, there’s a good selection. I’d like to think there is enough onboard to keep the kids entertained even if they stay awake the entire time (please don’t).

Service

Before I talk about the service on this flight, I want to head back 8 years circa 2018 when we first flew on China Airlines. At that time, service felt a bit stilted, with flight attendants who seemed more like they were going through the motions, had poor English comprehension and a clear language barrier, and even a bit restrictive in terms of desserts you could have (either the ice cream or the fruit, but not both).

Flash forward to this 2026 flight and many of the issues I noticed before are gone. The flight attendants were friendly, English seemed very second nature, and you get the desserts you want. I’ll admit I was curious to see how things held up and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Could it just be a different crew and thus different results? It’s possible, but I feel encouraged by the improvement in service.

Timing of flight

This flight is scheduled to depart Taiwan at 5:30PM and arrive in Phoenix at 3PM earlier that same day in the summer (it shifts an hour earlier during the winter). With the time change, that’s a length of 12.5 hours, but the flight seems to generally have about 30 minutes of buffer.

Dining takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to complete after takeoff and arrival service starts about 2.5 hours before landing. Worst case scenario, that eats up 5 hours of your ~12 hour journey. In between, you can get most of a full night’s sleep with a great 5-7 hours of rest.

That said, since we were arriving at 3PM local time, I didn’t mind telling the kids to keep sleep to about 5ish hours so that they remain ready to sleep at a normal time when we get back home. Sleep too much on the flight and I know it will be a long night that awaits.

The timing of this flight feels ideal–you get a full day in Taiwan, get practically a full night’s rest on the flight, and get an afternoon to let your body adjust.

Arrival to Phoenix, Arizona (PHX)

We arrived on time into Phoenix where I got to see the jet bridge connect to the plane. Once the doors opened, we bid farewell to the flight attendants and made our way over to the Global Entry line, which was completely empty.

And before we knew it, we were waiting by the baggage claim.

Recommendation: Yes, for a comfortable seat but food could be better

Grabbing 4 business class award seats across the Pacific is a difficult task these days. I miss the days when award travel was readily available but that’s just the way the game goes these days. Finding award space on a brand new route just might help you find award space if the timing is lucky. That’s practically the same luck we had when we flew Starlux a couple of years ago. Always keep your eye out on new routes.

As for the China Airlines business class flight itself, it’s mostly positive. The seat is comfortable and the service is better than I recall. Where the flight could see improvement would be in its Western meals. Jenn ate the Chinese-styled meals and she said they were fine, so that’s probably what you should be eating if you fly them.

And with us back in the United States, that’s officially the end of Secret Trip 2.0. Thanks for reading along!

Curious about how China Airlines compares to the other Taiwanese airlines? Check out our review here to find out more.

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