STARLUX Airlines Economy Review from San Francisco to Taipei: Comfortable, Underrated, and Reliable—Use with Confidence

Compared to other airlines in industry, Starlux is relatively new and was started in 2020, so it’s still building up its reputation. STARLUX’s founder is Chang Kuo-wei, a former chairman of EVA Air. In October, they also just recently won the prestigious 2025 Five Star Major Airline Award in the esteemed global APEX passenger rankings. They are also a partner and exclusive Taiwanese partner of the famous baseball team Dodgers in Los Angeles! Talk about whoa.

It seems like there is quiet momentum and Starlux is becoming a luxury airline we should be watching, especially for those who fly to and from Taiwan often.  

The airline is based in Taipei and serves a number of destinations, including: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tokyo, Osaka, Macau, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur. You can take a look at their detailed route map here.

There are 3 things I can say:

• I would fly this over United Airlines any day.
• I would confidently book this airline for my parents because I trust it and know they’d enjoy the new airplanes and premium service. I know they would be comfortable and well taken care of.
• The two flights I’ve been on are spacious and very new compared to EVA (also verified my thoughts and saw on reddit that people agreed).

To be honest, when I first flew Starlux, I was expecting Starlux to be similar to the likes of AirAsia or Scoot—they are two budget airlines that are generally cheaper; the seats aren’t as comfortable, service is limited, and airplanes are mid. In hindsight, perhaps it was the low pricing that made me think it was a budget airline; that, and I had no previous context about the airline itself. Eva Airline usually just dominates the market for Taiwanese airlines.

However, I was really surprised to see that this airline felt more luxurious, and could compete with Eva Airlines and United Airlines.

Food on Plane

They have pretty decent meal plans catered to the city they’re flying out of, as well as giving two meals per flight. We had two options per meal, including western and Asian cuisine. It includes all the works, and I always get red wine to drink with dinner. You can also get free unlimited cocktails, even in economy. The cutlery is actually metal and gives a nice fancier touch to the overall experience.

I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty everything was. While I don’t eat seafood on flights in general, I ate everything else on the tray. What surprised me the most was how delicious their croissants were. I am always skeptical of bread on planes, and it blew my mind by how good it was. All in all, the food was great for what it is, basically airplane food in mass quantities. If you have certain meal requirements, you can customize your meal online on their website for religious, vegetarian, or even baby needs.

There is hot water on the plane and I saw another man bring his own cup of noodles onboard. He went to the back to ask for hot water, which they were able to give. Genius! That was a good idea I wanted to do next time.

Entertainment System

The screens are wider than average, you can connect to bluetooth if you bring your own headphones/airpods, there’s free headphones, and there’s a variety of trending and new movies you can binge watch on your flight.

According to Starlux, “Each seat has a 32-inch 4K screen for First Class, while Business Class can enjoy 4K resolution on a 24-inch screen. Premium Economy Class and Economy Class passengers can also enjoy 4K resolution on a 15.6-inch or 13-inch screen, respectively. In addition, passengers can use Bluetooth to connect to their headphones and the Galactic Wi-Fi service to connect with the world, even in the sky.” Read more in their article.

I also played online games towards the end because I wanted to use my brain after watching 3 movies back to back.

I also found out from this Reddit thread that you can get playing cards from the staff. “Another free schwag tip is they have commerative decks of playing cards you can request for free from the staff. Usually themed too. Got an LA Dodgers themed one as it was around playoff time. Was told by staff it was Snoopy previously.”

On flight Service

Service was efficient and good. I will say that they seemed rushed at some services and were not as hospitable as EVA Airlines. They’re not bad at all, but just not as the gold standard I see they COULD have. EVA goes out of their way to do things for their customers, whereas flight attendants on Starlux may need some work on that part; they’re efficient and get things done, but there lacks a charm that EVA service has. Regardless, their service is better than any other American airlines so can’t complain.

Freebies I Got in Economy

Yes, even if you’re sitting in the last row of the airplane, you will also get something!! They put a useful kit bag on your chair which includes earplugs, socks, toothbrush, pair slippers, and eye mask. There’s also a small water bottle given to you in the front pouch in front of you as well. This was a nice touch, since it’s usually business or first class only getting these nice luxuries.

I appreciated it a lot, especially how cute it was. Each freebie packet had Snoopy branding on it.

Peanuts x Starlux Collaboration

This is something I’ve seen in a lot of the marketing and branding everywhere. It’s pretty cute, with the cute designs on the freebies they give us, marketing, and even the below tags they gave us during my first flight from San Francisco. They don’t have those anymore, but boyfriend and I were surprised to receive one when we did. While we were going through the gate, they passed us these gifts. My nephew adores it, and always likes to look at it when he sees my luggage.

I am hoping they can join another prominent airline alliance soon, because I’d want to garner points so I can continue flying with them. Previously, I would fly United because of my loyalty program and cards, but in the most recent case, I found it was cheaper to book with Starlux Airlines so I booked directly with them. It was $481 USD one way a month before flying out to Taiwan. I did drag my feet when booking flights because of poor planning on my behalf!

What My Taiwanese Relatives Think

During family lunch, everyone asked which airline I took, and even my Taiwanese family didn’t really hear of Starlux Airlines. Partially because they travel more domestically within the island, but they were surprised to hear my accolades of the airline and my uncle from New York said he’d try it once they have routes to New York as well. My uncle is also a die hard Eva Airlines member, so he was interested in hearing about Starlux as a competitor.

Starlux has done a good job marketing within Asia perhaps, but they may need to do some more marketing in North America once they start expanding their flight schedules.

Starlux Airlines is Partnered with Alaska Airlines

Starlux connects the United States to places in Asia and is a partner of Alaska Airlines. You can book on Alaska Airlines to fly with Starlux, whether it’s on Alaska Airlines website or booking award travel on Starlux Airlines through Alaska Airlines. Below is a screenshot from Alaska on what you can do with your points and this partnership.

According to their recent press release on October 4th, 2024, “STARLUX Airlines today announced the launch of its codeshare partnership with Alaska Airlines, enhancing its network in North America. The codeshare is STARLUX’s first, and provides a seamless travel experience and flexibility for passengers of both carriers. Reservations are now open for booking through STARLUX Airlines official website and app.”

Make Sure to Grab your eSim before Landing in Taiwan

Because I wanted to hit the ground running when I landed, I bought an eSim before my trip and just activated it while at the airport. eSims are so convenient, and I don’t have to wait in line or rush to get an eSim along with everyone else heading off the flight. I use Airalo consistently and just wanted to share my code down below.

Need an eSIM? Get USD $3.00 off your first eSIM purchase with Airalo. Use code EMILY5926 when you sign up or at checkout: https://ref.airalo.com/SZDP

What I Bring on my Long Haul Flights

I do tend to travel from Asia to the US often, so here is a list of my favorite things that make my long haul flight a bit more bearable when I’m on the go. While Starlux gives you most of the things you’ll need for a flight, I like bringing on face masks and lip balm to help sooth the dryness.

Feel free to check out the list of items I like bringing on long haul flights.

Enjoy Taiwan! Visit the Town That Inspired Spirited Away

One of my favorite places to visit and take my friends is Jiufen. I generally like going to one of the no-frills tea homes with a gorgeous view and sipping on a hot fresh cup of tea. We also released lanterns the last time I went, which was a wonderful experience.

It is a bit difficult to navigate there, so I recommend taking a tour. GetYourGuide shares, “Explore the northeast coast of Taipei on a tour with a licensed guide. Feel the force of nature at Shifen Waterfall, launch a sky lantern from Shifen Old Street, and discover Jiufen as night falls.”

Hope you found it helpful!

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