China Airlines Business Class For 2+ People
Business class award space to Asia has been tough to find recently, but China Airlines continues to be a great option from the west coast. There are plenty of dates with space for at least two people.
Even if Taipei isn't your final destination (though, you should visit!), this is an especially good option to Asia with so little award space otherwise. Once you find dates that work, you could look for a separate ticket to your preferred destination in the region - Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, etc.
Now, let's get into the details!
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Straight To The Points:
Routes: LAX/ONT-TPE
Operating airline: China Airlines
Class of service: Business class
Dates: August 2023 - April 2024
Seats available: 2+
Cabin layout: 1-2-1
Book with (nonstop, per person, one-way):
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue: 95,000 miles
- *Delta SkyMiles: From 280,000 miles
- Start in Mexico: 90,000 miles
- Korean Air SkyPass: 155,000 miles (round-trip only)
*No Surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person, one-way):
- From US: $5.60
- From Taipei: ~$34
- Surcharges:
- From US: ~$110
- From Taipei: ~$72
Bank transfer partners:
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott
- Delta SkyMiles: Amex, Marriott
- Korean SkyPass: Marriott
Don't forget to let me know if you book and how you did it!
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Flight Experience
China Airlines provides a solid business class product. The cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout so everyone has a lie-flat seat and direct aisle access. If you fly out of Taipei, make sure you order from the noodle bar at the business class lounge.
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Available Dates
LAX-TPE
August: 2, 7-10, 14-17, 21, 23, 24, 28-31
September: 4-6, 11-14, 18-21, 25, 27, 28
October: 2-4, 9-11, 16-19, 23, 25, 26, 30, 31
November: 1, 6-9, 23, 27-29
December: 4
January: 15-18, 21-24, 28-31
February: 5, 6, 8, 11-13, 18-21, 26-28
March: 4-6, 11, 13, 18-20, 25-28
April: 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-25
TPE-LAX
August: 22, 23, 29
September: 4-7, 11-14, 18-20, 25-28
October: 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 23-26, 30, 31
November: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13-16
December: 6, 11-14, 25
January: 16, 17, 29-31
February: 5, 13-15, 19-22, 26, 27
March: 4-7, 11, 12, 14, 18-21, 25-28
April: 1, 8-11, 15-17, 22-25
ONT-TPE
August: 22, 24
September: 19, 27
October: 12
November: 23, 28
December: 5
January: 16-18, 23-25, 29
February: 8, 12, 13, 19, 21, 22, 26-28
March: 4, 6, 11, 12, 14, 18-21, 25-28
April: 1-4, 9, 11, 15-18, 22-25
TPE-ONT
September: 4-6, 11-14, 19, 21, 25-28
October: 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 23-26, 30, 31
November: 2, 6, 8, 9, 13-15
December: 4-6, 11-13,
January: 18, 22-24, 30, 31
February: 5, 6, 15, 19, 21, 26-29
March: 4, 6, 7, 11-14, 18-20, 25-28
April: 1, 2, 4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-24
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Best Ways To Book
While it might be possible to add a domestic connection on Delta or a connection within Asia, that could increase the award rate. Personally, I would plan on including a separate positioning flight to any of these departure cities.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Best Overall
Flying Blue is your best option for a nonstop at 95,000 miles one-way. If you have Citi ThankYou Points, the 25% transfer bonus means you only need 76,000 points. Now, that's a great deal!
Delta SkyMiles: No Surcharges, But The Award Rate Is Steep
For those positioning from the east coast or central US, you could book a separate positioning flight to Mexico City to start your award ticket from there.
Doing so would allow you to book for 90,000 SkyMiles one-way compared to 285,000 miles from the US.
Inconvenient? Sure. Fun side trip to Mexico? Also yes.
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How To Book
If you don't know the exact dates you want to fly, I would search with Delta.
- Enter the origin & destination
- Select Roundtrip or One-way
- Select the number of passengers
- Select your date(s)
- Select "Shop with Miles"
- Select Advanced search
- Under "Best Fares For", select Delta One
- Run the search
- Select Price Calendar to see additional dates
- Click on Filter then select Non Stop
- Select a date with availability
- Select your flight
- Complete the booking
Once you know the exact dates you want, you can run the search with Air France/KLM you'll be using to book. As always, I recommend confirming the program you're using sees the award space before you transfer points.
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Final Thoughts
If you've never been to Taipei, I strongly recommend it if you like food, nature, friendly people, etc. I'd also suggest using the high speed rail system to explore more of the island from Chiayi to Kaohsiung and more.
Happy booking!
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