A nice long haul on the newer aircraft!
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Introduction
It’s been a while since I last took a long-haul flight to the U.S., but this year I finally did several! Among them, my experience with Starlux Airlines was surprisingly comfortable.
One of the main reasons I decided to go on an Alaska cruise over the Teachers’ Day long weekend (and yes, I even saw the northern lights!) was because I discovered that Starlux’s Taipei–Seattle nonstop flight was much cheaper than I expected — around TWD 23,000 round trip(less than 800USD) . That was even cheaper than flying to Hokkaido at the same airline!
I booked the ticket during the its anniversary sale in June and thought it was already a good deal, but by July the price dropped even further — about TWD 2,000 less per person, roughly the same as what I paid after applying the shareholder discount code (worth TWD 1,500). For four people, that’s a difference of TWD 8,000 — quite a saving!
Checking now, late-February 2026 fares are still around TWD 23,000, which is honestly great value. Premium economy costs about TWD 10,000–20,000 more, and although the return leg is about two hours longer, the upgrade price is cheaper in that direction.
Also, a fun discovery — I just learned that the U.S. has regulations for powder-like substances in carry-ons!
I always enjoy taking photos of the nicely designed boarding gates at Taoyuan International airport. I also saw salmon swimming upstream this time.
There’s even a miniature lighthouse at this D2 gate.
Starlux A350 Economy Class Overview
- Flight date: September 2025
- Route: TPE → SEA (10 h 38 min)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
This is my second Starlux flight this year, I flew in Business to Fukuoka and back in Econ in June.
STARLUX A330neo Business vs A321neo Economy: Full Review from Taipei to Fukuoka
Starlux A350 Economy Class Overview Seat Features
The adjustable headrest makes such a big difference — I didn’t even need my neck pillow this time.
Here’s a look at the premium economy seats, which also come with a different amenity kit.
When booking, our family of four intentionally left one empty seat between us in the middle section, hoping it would remain vacant. Luckily, it did! Despite the discounted fare, the flight ended up about 80 % full. The average occupancy rate of this route in September 2025 of Starlux is 73.5%.
I also really liked the destination-themed background images on the seat screens — a nice touch unique to Starlux. This is their second Snoopy cooperation. I also took the first one on my flight to Danang, Vietnam in 2024. See my review here.
Each seat has a USB-A port and power outlet, which is essential on long flights.
There’s also complimentary Wi-Fi, supposedly for messaging only, though mine didn’t seem to work.
The amenity kit for long-haul economy includes stretch socks and slippers, similar to what Turkish Airlines offers.
There’s also a bottle of water and blanket already placed at every seat — small things that make boarding easier.
Starlux A350 Economy Class In-Flight Menu
You can browse the drink menu to plan ahead — it’s surprisingly detailed.
If it’s your first time on Starlux, make sure to get the signature blue cocktail Sci-fi Cosmos. It’s offered on flights longer than 2.5hrs only. The outbound and return flight may serve different cocktails so get it when you see it on the menu.
Starlux A350 Economy Class Meal
My brother and I both pre-selected our meals online, so they were served first — it almost felt like we had “special meals.” Efficient and convenient! The food was a little oily but the meat was flavorful. This is also an well known cooperation with a famous yakiniku restaurant in Taiwan.
I ordered the Sci-fi Cosmos cocktail — the menu says it’s an upgraded version of their earlier creation.
And yes, the Tainan-based award winning Ninao Ice Cream (蜷尾家冰淇淋) was excellent — I already loved it in the Starlux lounge!
During dinner, you can also ask for a potato cream soup, which was warm and satisfying.
I saw online that some passengers on the L.A. route requested mid-flight snacks, so I tried asking too — and the cabin crew brought me a full tray of goodies!
The cereal stick was the same one served in business class. Later in the flight, they walked down the aisles distributing egg rolls and cereal sticks again (twice!). No rice crackers this time though — I missed those, they were really good.
Another highlight: the A350 features electronically dimmable windows, and Starlux is the first airline to adopt Airbus’s version of this system. It blocks 99.99 % of external light, and the larger window size makes a big difference.
At one point, we were flying right over Alaska — our final destination for the cruise!
I watched Promising Young Woman and Dead Poets Society on the way there — both excellent. (Funny that the reason I watched Dead Poets Society is because I thought my mom played the movie to her students and she told me it’s another movie with the same Mandarin title, anyways it was a good one, captain!)
For breakfast, I had the Whitebait fish with vegetables quinoa congee topped with bonito flakes — the dish was surprisingly good with lots of eggs!
Also, a cool little thing — I caught my airplane shadow surrounded by a circular halo in the clouds!
Useful Add-Ons
I bought the AT&T SIM card via Klook for mobile data in the U.S., as it was the main operator in Alaska.
Book Seattle CityPASS® through KKday and Klook for sightseeing.
At Seattle-Tacoma Airport, note that you collect your luggage before going through immigration, not after. The policy changes from time to time though.
Return Flight
- Flight date: October 2025
- Route: SEA → TPE (12 h 07 min)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Because we were on a cruise and didn’t have Wi-Fi onboard, I missed the early seat-selection window. By the time I logged in, most seats were gone. My parents and brother sat in the middle section, while I got an aisle seat in the second-to-last row — luckily, the middle seat next to me stayed empty again.
The main course this time was disappointing — the “chicken soboro donburi” tasted bland, and the egg was quite dry. I rarely leave plane food unfinished, but this was one of those times. Thankfully, I had eaten beforehand. (Took my family to Denny’s and they loved it, although it’s a bit understaffed.)
The cheese and cracker set was nice. Something that would never appear in Asia based flights.
I tried the green-tea mocktail, but it was too bitter — the apple sparkling drink was much better.
The egg roll and cereal bar snacks came in different flavors on the return leg, which shows some thoughtfulness.
I also learned that the L.A. route gets sandwiches as snacks — I assumed Seattle was too short for that, but apparently you can ask for them! My dad did, and they provided one.
Still, since this flight departs around 1 a.m., I was too sleepy to care about extra food.
For breakfast, the fish-fillet congee was light and mild, and the bread roll on the side was actually pretty good.
Although we arrived 45 minutes early, we had to wait for a gate, and public transportation from the airport wasn’t running yet that early, so we had to wait a bit.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Transfers｜Meet & Greet Pickup
Final Thoughts
This year alone, I’ve flown Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Cathay Pacific on long-haul routes, and I’d say Starlux ranks among the most comfortable of the bunch — especially considering the value for money.
The meals were average, but everything else — seat comfort, amenities, atmosphere, and service — made for a very pleasant trip.
With this, I’ve now officially flown on every Starlux aircraft type!
Also read:
Starlux Lounge Experience at TPE Terminal 2: Luxury, Beautiful Design
STARLUX A330neo Business vs A321neo Economy: Full Review from Taipei to Fukuoka
Taipei to Da Nang on STARLUX A330neo: Economy Class Review
Complete Guide to EVA Air Lounges at TPE: The Star vs The Infinity (2025)
Cathay Pacific Lounge Review(Taipei): Spacious & Best Beef Noodle
The Mandarin version of this article can be found here.
