Taiwan’s self-proclaimed “luxurious” airline will contact down in its third U.S. gateway later this 12 months.
Starlux Airways will start flights to Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) from its hub at Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport (TPE) on a thrice-weekly foundation starting Aug. 16.
The Taipei-based service will deploy an Airbus A350-900, which options 4 first-class suites, 26 business-class pods, 36 premium economic system recliners and 240 economic system seats, on the route.
This new 6,075-mile is now on sale, with round-trip tickets departing the U.S. beginning at round $950 for economic system, $2,200 for premium economic system, $6,000 for enterprise class and a whopping $10,000 for firstclass.
Moreover — and maybe most fun — Starlux has launched saver award availability for this new route. Whereas availability can change at any time, there appears to be one business-class award seat out there for 75,000 miles (and $46) bookable by way of the Alaska Airways Mileage Plan program on some flights.
For those who can snag one in all these award seats, you will doubtless be in for an exceptional flight expertise. Starlux’s A350s characteristic Collins Aerospace’s new Parts suite (designed in partnership with BMW Designworks), a product that builds on some extremely fashionable predecessors to lift the bar for business-class seating.
The service’s catering, personalised onboard service and facilities additional elevate the premium expertise.
Starlux was the launch service for the Parts suite, and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways additionally launched this seat on its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner deliveries.
Starlux provides a singular four-seat first-class cabin on the pointy finish of the A350 as effectively, however there is no nice approach to redeem miles for this expertise. With round-trip fares beginning at $10,000, I can not think about these seats promoting too shortly.
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Although Starlux provides one of many world’s finest business-class experiences — belief me, I’ve tried it — the Seattle-to-Taipei market is hotly contested, even amongst another world-class carriers. By the point Starlux launches flights, Taiwan’s two different main carriers, China Airways and EVA Airways, will already be working this route.
Moreover, Delta Air Traces will start day by day flights from Seattle to Taipei starting in June.
With such stiff competitors, it is doable that we’ll see aggressive fare wars (and presumably extra award availability) within the coming weeks and months.
Past Taipei, Starlux flies to greater than 20 fashionable locations in Asia, giving Seattle-based vacationers loads of one-stop itinerary choices. The airline additionally has a codeshare partnership with Alaska Airways, so vacationers can e book flights past Seattle to cities like Denver and Houston.
Starlux started flying to the U.S. final April with flights to Los Angeles. The service then expanded to San Francisco in December.
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