China Airlines a350-900 business class

Lots of exciting things about this flight. My first A350, flying to Taiwan from Ontario, and flying business class. How did China Airlines A350 Business Class do? Read on to find out.

Flying from Ontario instead of Los Angeles was a bit odd, but it was definitely better. It’s a small airport, so you don’t have to deal with traffic or long lines. And pretty much everyone at the airport was on the same flight. And the small lounge, called Escape Lounge, does the job with solid food, a bar, and just enough seating to comfortably fit everyone going on the flight. Ontario doesn’t have all the shops and restaurants LAX does, so I guess that is one category where LAX wins, if you care about that. But traffic, efficiency, and overall vibe make Ontario a better airport to fly internationally. The only issue is that the only international option here is this one flight to Taipei.

Now on to the plane. The A350-900 is an absolute beauty. The flight was quiet, except for a few bumps. The natural mood lighting was great. And the cabin space just felt larger and more open. Overall, I loved everything about this plane. The 787 is probably marginally better thanks to its larger windows and fun window shade system.

Nice and open A350 cabin without the middle overhead bins

Now on to the seat. As a hard product, this seat is the best seat I’ve ever sat in. Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Delta, China Eastern, Lufthansa, Air France, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific-none of these airlines had as good of a seat in my opinion. The plush seat is wide at 22”, but when you lower the armrest you add another 3-4”. And when reclined to a fully flat bed, I felt no restrictions in the footrest area or shoulder area, and it was one of the most comfortable 7 hours of sleep I have ever gotten on a flight. The TV is larger than that of any plane I’ve been on (maybe just about the same as Emirates business class). And the storage-which, in my opinion, is quietly one of the most crucial features to a business class seat-was MORE than ample. There are so many options to store your phone, computer, shoes, books, etc. All these qualities, as well as direct aisle access, beautiful touches like a little lamp, and clean lines and beautiful material finishes make this the best hard product business class seat in the sky.

And China Airlines delivers on its soft product as well. The food was solid, with both Western and Chinese food options. There is also a great little “pantry” for business class passengers if you want some fruits or ramen (just know if you get the ramen, it will smell). The flight attendants were very attentive, albeit slightly robotic. Regardless, I had no complaints, and all the attendants did a fine job.

So overall, this is a plane, route, and airline I HIGHLY recommend.

That was a really simple post. I liked everything. A lot. Good day.