Part 2 of my return trip to Los Angeles from Bangkok via Taipei.
After an eventful transit in Taipei, security checks were cleared rapidly, I headed to the Dynasty Lounge. I have reported that lounge numerous times in my other FR so I won't do it again. Just a picture from outside.
My friend was already at the gate waiting to board so I joined him and we had a chat before getting on the aircraft, him in Economy, me in Business Class.
At the aircraft's door I was welcomed by the male chief purser and a female cabin attendant, they were both smiling and they directed me towards my seat on the main deck, 18A.
The seats are old cradle style ones, but they have a good legroom and they are comfortable.
The controls of the seat.
The remote control for the entertainment system.
Cabin views.
As soon as I was settled down in my seat, the cabin attendant came to offer a pre departure drink. I chose my usual apple juice with the China Airlines otsumami.
Next to us a Boeing 737-800 is waiting for its next journey to a regional destination.
The crew put the safety demonstrations on and we were pushed back, this was the beginning of a close to 13 hour trip to California.
Thoughout the flight these advices would be broadcast on the airshow channel
After the demonstrations were finished the crew put the camera on so that we could have a pilot's view of the take-off. I do apologize for the quality of the picture.
After take off, I pulled out the 2 screens of my seat duo, I was to travel all alone tonight ! On one screen Hitchcok and on the other the flight plan.
Dinner was served right after take off, no pre-meal drinks. I had pre-booked my choice for the main course on China Airlines website to ensure I would get my preferred meal. In the magazine China Airlines advertises special cocktail and I requested one. Unfortunately the cabin attendant said they weren't loaded tonight… I was disappointed about not being able to taste what sounded like a great drink !
With the cutlery out !
The meal was excellent ! Everything was perfect !
After the tray was collected I requested a Bailey's on ice which was brought to me very promptly.
Then the cabin attendant who I requested the special cocktail of the month came back with it and apologized about it saying that she fought it wasn't loaded and ended finding it in the First Class galley.
Quick check of our whereabouts on our little planet !
The statistics for the flight.
After my movie I decided to sleep a little and this is where I woke up !
Another one of those safety advices on the airshow channel
Time for a drink
Breakfast service starts with the liquids, juice, tea or coffee.
Apple juice and tea with milk for me.
I had ordered the western style breakfast on the website and that's exactly what I was brought !
After breakfast I wen to have a walk in Economy and check on my friend. They had just finished eating breakfast and the crew was finishing clearly the cabin.
After a quick chat with my friend I went back to Business Class to see if with the chief purser he could come and seat next to me for landing like that we could get out at the same time. The Chief Purser accepted and invited me to go and get him when we would start the descent to Los Angeles. So kind of him !
Picture of the main deck Business Class.
The Boeing 747-400 B-18211 trusty GE's that flew us all the way to Los Angeles.
Nearly there !
I went to get my friend in Economy, we stowed his bags and sat there for the last 30 minutes of flight.
Over the Los Angeles suburbs.
We landed on time and we made our way to the immigration and customs formalities. Immigration took forever to complete… Customs was really slow too.
We were out after 1 hour of waiting time and we headed towards Terminal 2 to catch our Air France flight back home.
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Verdict
China Airlines
9.4/10
Cabin9.5
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering10.0
China Airlines Lounge - 2
8.5/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering8.5
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Services10.0
Taipei - TPE
7.5/10
Efficiency8.0
Access5.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0
Los Angeles - LAX
6.1/10
Efficiency4.0
Access5.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness8.5
Conclusion
Excellent flight with a really nice crew ! I have always enjoyed China Airlines' product even if it is not a state of the art one, it is priced accordingly !
0 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Thank you for combining your comments for my 2 FR in one, hopefully it is not going to be a new trend you are trying to create !
Average product indeed but they charge you accordingly and you get a good amount of miles so it's a win-win situation… Most of us seasoned travelers who didn't start flying business class when they discovered FR have been traveling in those seats for years and people were raving about them back then. I, like everyone enjoy the latest techs and products but you have to be honest and admit that even if this is not the latest iPhone or TV, you still can call your loved ones or watch your favorite show ! For me it is the same, a good seat is a seat in which I had a good sleep and a comfortable flight ! Same for the food, a good meal is one after which I had a great tasting experience and where my senses where awaken by flavors, colors and scents. I don't need to get silver and porcelain or caviar and Krug. My best meal ever on a plane was on Air France in the mid-90's in economy ! Salmon with lentils ! It was to die for !!! 15 years later I still think about it. I also I enjoying eating in a little shack of the streets in Bangkok where the recipe and the flavors are authentic and true as much as eating at the Madarin Oriental just like last night where I had a great tasting experience that was dimmed down by the youngish patrons that were seated next to our table and who came to Le Grand Lanna restaurant wearing shorts and sneakers, played with their phone during the meal and shouted at each other rather then talking and having a great evening… A bit like what's happening in the business or first class cabins these days.
Concerning the safety video pictures issue, it is weird that you ask me that question on an FR that doesn't contain any pictures from the safety video !!! But to answer your question, safety is paramount, I know it first hand, I was in an airplane that dived to the ground before the pilots managed to bring it back to safety. It leaves a mark. You can call it my signature like the one you use with the drinks or the boring old winglets or the people using their hands to prove a screen is big or small, or the same hand being used to show good or bad legroom, I won't get into the safety vest or the measuring tape proving an ice-cream is so many centimeters… Permit me saying this though, I believe that I had seen that signature quite a while ago (way, way before FR existed) on airliners.net trip reports. Maybe it was you back then ! I have been on airliners.net for quite a while, earning grand-father rights back then and not paying anything when they became a paying website.
I totally get your point of view and this is exactly why Flight-Report has been created: an unbiased database site based on detailled and trustworthy reviews, this is why we are spending so much effort to get new members.
Ads are unfortunately neccesary, otherwise the cost will be unbearable for us especialy with the v2 (we are now hosting member's pictures). We do however try to integrate them as best as we can.
I am so glad to read this ! I was getting annoyed at all those reference to each other. I know it was a friendly gesture from one another but frankly you must admit that it doesn't look good to call EVA Air Air Marathon or Turkish Airlines Air L'agent secret of what have you. If you want this site to be taken seriously and with great respect these things must go as new members won't get what people mean hence why I prefer to post everything in english were I find the new posters and their reports to be more formal and less polluted by the FR club references.
I don't mind the adds and completely understand their purpose, it is a good thing !
I am not trying to create a new trend, If I am reading 2 reports of the same routing in a row, I will sum-up my comment in one, and I guess it’s better than no comment at all ;)
I agree with your second paragraph.
Regarding the safety video, I didn’t try to be sarcastic, I personally like it and I always pay attention to safety briefings, but now I get why it’s sensitive for you ;) For the signature, it’s up to anyone, you may not trust me but I really don’t care when people are copying my signature to make me a tribute, proof is I hardly ever comment on those who do that in their reports, and as you said I am not the first one to do so and I obviously own no copyright for it, I just found it artistically interesting.
Thanks for your long reply.
Btw Flight-Report is free for anyone, all the costs are sustained by the administrators ;)
Oh great ! I was scared that I was only worth the one reply ! Yet I was being sarcastic with that remark, I do understand that you were not trying to set a new trend.
There is no trust issue towards you, lets be honest, I am here to deliver some information about what I experienced on a trip. I am not here to make friends or fans. I will commend you on your work here and thank you for creating such a website. Personally I prefer the english version where no one sucking up to anyone, it is more formal with people really treating the website as an information source.
And I know Flight-Report is free ! This was just a remark to set a time mark with airliners.net, not to talk about this website. Tell me this, you sustain 100% of the costs or you are now getting some revenues with the adds we have seen pop-up for a while now ?
It might look like the TK+ but I really doubt it has the same legroom, otherwise I understand why TK was done with the Y+ cabin and decided to pull the plug !
You got it ! Excellent value and I must say that I got more than what I paid for !
Thanks for this comprehensive report with very nice pictures as usual! It is definitely an outdated product as there seems to be such a race to have the latest and greatest seat, especially among Asian carriers, and especially on TPAC routes. But, of course, the most important thing is that these seats are comfortable, and they do look to be so. Personally, I prefer these type of recliner seats to angled-flat seats which you can slide down. Cradle seats like these lift up your legs and allow you to stay in place. DL's old 767 seats are somewhat similar and I sleep perfectly in those seats (just slightly narrow, which isn't the case on this 744). You are right that CI has some really great prices in J TPAC. I've been wanted to use them (notably thanks to your reorts) to get to Asia from the US. One reason I hesitate is that DL (I am DL Platinum) has recently devaluated mileage earning on partners..CI in C or Z discounted J fare classes only earns 75% or miles, which I find scandalous for a J class fare (discounted or not) considering that AF Premium Economy earns 150%. Nevertheless, I am seriously looking at CI in J for next year's Thailand trip--this year it will be DL in Y+ again. Have a great vacation in Thailand! I'll be there in a few days.
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107 reviews
12 Comments
Indeed average product with dated seats, and catering is just average, but a pleasant flight nonetheless, with a nice set of crew.
Once again thank you and looking forward to your next report.
btw are you a fond of saftey video, you are always mentionning/picturing them? ^^
Average product indeed but they charge you accordingly and you get a good amount of miles so it's a win-win situation…
Most of us seasoned travelers who didn't start flying business class when they discovered FR have been traveling in those seats for years and people were raving about them back then. I, like everyone enjoy the latest techs and products but you have to be honest and admit that even if this is not the latest iPhone or TV, you still can call your loved ones or watch your favorite show ! For me it is the same, a good seat is a seat in which I had a good sleep and a comfortable flight !
Same for the food, a good meal is one after which I had a great tasting experience and where my senses where awaken by flavors, colors and scents. I don't need to get silver and porcelain or caviar and Krug. My best meal ever on a plane was on Air France in the mid-90's in economy ! Salmon with lentils ! It was to die for !!! 15 years later I still think about it. I also I enjoying eating in a little shack of the streets in Bangkok where the recipe and the flavors are authentic and true as much as eating at the Madarin Oriental just like last night where I had a great tasting experience that was dimmed down by the youngish patrons that were seated next to our table and who came to Le Grand Lanna restaurant wearing shorts and sneakers, played with their phone during the meal and shouted at each other rather then talking and having a great evening…
A bit like what's happening in the business or first class cabins these days.
Concerning the safety video pictures issue, it is weird that you ask me that question on an FR that doesn't contain any pictures from the safety video !!! But to answer your question, safety is paramount, I know it first hand, I was in an airplane that dived to the ground before the pilots managed to bring it back to safety. It leaves a mark.
You can call it my signature like the one you use with the drinks or the boring old winglets or the people using their hands to prove a screen is big or small, or the same hand being used to show good or bad legroom, I won't get into the safety vest or the measuring tape proving an ice-cream is so many centimeters… Permit me saying this though, I believe that I had seen that signature quite a while ago (way, way before FR existed) on airliners.net trip reports. Maybe it was you back then ! I have been on airliners.net for quite a while, earning grand-father rights back then and not paying anything when they became a paying website.
Ads are unfortunately neccesary, otherwise the cost will be unbearable for us especialy with the v2 (we are now hosting member's pictures). We do however try to integrate them as best as we can.
I was getting annoyed at all those reference to each other. I know it was a friendly gesture from one another but frankly you must admit that it doesn't look good to call EVA Air Air Marathon or Turkish Airlines Air L'agent secret of what have you. If you want this site to be taken seriously and with great respect these things must go as new members won't get what people mean hence why I prefer to post everything in english were I find the new posters and their reports to be more formal and less polluted by the FR club references.
I don't mind the adds and completely understand their purpose, it is a good thing !
I agree with your second paragraph.
Regarding the safety video, I didn’t try to be sarcastic, I personally like it and I always pay attention to safety briefings, but now I get why it’s sensitive for you ;)
For the signature, it’s up to anyone, you may not trust me but I really don’t care when people are copying my signature to make me a tribute, proof is I hardly ever comment on those who do that in their reports, and as you said I am not the first one to do so and I obviously own no copyright for it, I just found it artistically interesting.
Thanks for your long reply.
Btw Flight-Report is free for anyone, all the costs are sustained by the administrators ;)
There is no trust issue towards you, lets be honest, I am here to deliver some information about what I experienced on a trip. I am not here to make friends or fans.
I will commend you on your work here and thank you for creating such a website. Personally I prefer the english version where no one sucking up to anyone, it is more formal with people really treating the website as an information source.
And I know Flight-Report is free ! This was just a remark to set a time mark with airliners.net, not to talk about this website. Tell me this, you sustain 100% of the costs or you are now getting some revenues with the adds we have seen pop-up for a while now ?
It might look like the TK+ but I really doubt it has the same legroom, otherwise I understand why TK was done with the Y+ cabin and decided to pull the plug !
You got it ! Excellent value and I must say that I got more than what I paid for !
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