You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
27 Sep 24	JX 11	68H	A350-900
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
Economy	768	English	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

Welcome to this trip report on a new airline that lately has been featured prominently on several aviation outlets and social media - Starlux Airlines.

This new entrant sets itself apart from all the others by offering a "luxury" experience throughout all cabins, including those who fly in Y.

As an aviation geek I have been very curious about this claim and set myself up to discover if all the hype was worth it so I booked a quick weekend trip. I left past midnight on Fri morning and arrived in TPE Sat morning. Booked a hotel for 1 night and then left the following day at night.

The last minute RT fare was about $821 but I bought it for $589 by applying point credits from my Chase Sapphire credit card.

Seat assignments are charged up to 48 hrs before dept. Afterwards you are able to choose a standard seat for free. I gambled by selecting an aisle seat all the way in the back hoping that it would be open and in the end I had the middle seat in my row free. Flight was maybe 80 pct full.

There are many touches that make Starlux a premium carrier so join me in discovering them as we continue with the report.

Arrived by 10:30P at the counter and it was not busy at all.

An agent checked me in and she was very professional. She took the time to go over the details on my boarding pass.

Security was done in 10 min. and I walked from the Intl terminal to T1 where my flight was going to depart. A look at my plane from the Intl side.

The Club at T1 SFO - the newest club at SFO and it's been a popular spot with lines extending from the entrance during peak times.

It looks impressive and overall it's a nice space however the elevator has been out for more than 1 month. It doesn't feel so premium when you have to struggle to bring your bags up and down the long stairs.

Interior is stylish.

Bar.

WC

Food is a little limited and mostly vegetarian. We are in California after all. ;)

Salads.

Orange chicken with broccoli and rice.

Red pepper gouda soup.

Vegetarian wrap with mushrooms and veggies.

Dessert - some sort of cheesecake and chocolate brownies.

Vegetarian wrap and soup for dinner.

Gate area

There were quite a few people at the gate area and boarding was conducted in a very orderly manner.

Greeted by 2 friendly crew members. The seating in Y on this aircraft is 3-3-3.

As I entered the plane another flight attendant asked me where I was seated and escorted me all the way to my seat. I was really impressed by this gesture since this treatment is very rare for those sitting in Y. I am just a regular Y pax with no status with this airline.

At the seat there was already an amenity kit slippers pillow with a cloth cover and a thick blanket wrapped in a bag. An amenity kit and slipper in Y? This is quite a treat I must say. Now in all fairness there are a select number of airlines that also provide kits in Y long haul but slippers too? Usually the sock contained in the kit is generous enough.

Crew were busy assisting pax and helping them store bags. Good luck asking the crew of a certain airline starting with "U" if they can help and chances are that they will answer that they are not allowed to lift bags for pax due to "safety" issues.

Starlux is running a promotion with the Peanuts characters and its beloved "Snoopy" until the end of Oct. This is only on the SFO-TPE flight and certain intra-Asian ones. No such luck on the LAX or SEA flights.

Contents of the seat pocket - a magazine safety card shopping catalogue headset bottle of water and sickness bag.

From row 68 on the overheard bins in the middle becomes smaller so if you have a regular carry on you should use the bins located on the sides.

A top tray and can be folded down and hold your electronic devices and a beverage cup.

The lower tray that can be folded in half.

Safety video with a space theme.

Menus with more information about the trip.

Another feature that can be considered "luxurious" at JX is that all pax in Y can pre-order their regular meals in advance. This is the only airline that allows this.

The entertainment system is OK but there are not many horror and Wester foreign language films. Mostly popular American and Taiwanese movies. Hopefully this can improve in the future.

One of the WC's in the back.

Very well stocked with amenities that are reserved for J cabins or higher.in other airlines. Hand lotion and facial mist?

Visual decoration.

No paper menus but information can be accessed through the entertainment screen.

Meal menu

Dinner service started with the distribution of special and pre-ordered meals.

Warm rolls are placed on the set up.

Crew offered coffee or tea after the meal trays are distributed.

After the first dinner service crew passed around offering snacks from a basket a few times throughout the flight.

A crew member offered me a ham sandwich in addition to the basket items.

Mid-flight snack.

Breakfast service.

Frittata was a little watery from the veggies.

7-11 store dedicated to Starlux partnership with promotional items on sale. The store is located by the Arena metro station.

========== San Francisco Intl Arpt (SFO) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 10/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

========== Starlux - Airline ==========

Cabine comfort: 9/10

Crew: 10/10

Entertainment: 8/10

On-time performance: 10/10

Appetizer: 0/10

Starter: 0/10

Main Meal: 9/10

Main Meal-2: 0/10

Cheese: 0/10

Desserts: 0/10

Alcohols: 0/10

Mid-flight snack: 9/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 8/10

========== Taiwan Taoyuan Intl Arpt (TPE) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 10/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

Summary:

Starlux proved to be a great airline to fly with. It sets itself apart from the competitors by offering special "touches" that can make a difference. Crew are proactive and very professional and they are a major asset for the airline.

Taiwan aviation industry is very competitive and one wonders if it can sustain 3 major airlines. Hopefully with time Starlux can grow further and become a member of Oneworld to enhance its expansion. It already has a close partnership with Alaska which provides feeding service into its 3 North American gateways - SEA, LAX and SFO.

6 Comments

saraoutou — Oct 02,2024

Good catch Adan!
Reply
Thomas — Oct 02,2024

Such an impressive airline ! Thanks a lot my friend and can't wait to see you in the LPL in CDG !
Reply
Capoune — Oct 23,2024

Hey Adan!!!

Thank you for this very nice addition to the database!!!
All this in Y is just amazing!!!

Thank you for sharing my friend!!
Reply
Casper — Oct 24,2024

Outstanding report amigo !
Reply
Bibopaul — Nov 20,2024

Such a great airline !!!!
Reply
SERGE13 — Oct 02,2024

WAOUH SO AWESOME...
Thank you it was perfect.
Reply

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