Review of China Airlines flight Taipei → Honolulu in Premium Eco

Welcome to my latest trip report, covering a flight on the final passenger 747-400 built.

When one of my very closest friends announced he was organizing a combined 40th birthday celebration and Thanksgiving holiday on Oahu, I was excited to see what itinerary options from Hong Kong would offer at least one segment flying on a 747. My love for Boeing's 747 stretches as far back as I can remember. The hugely influential and iconic plane has taking me on countless family holidays around the world, shuttled me to my first and second times living outside of the US and brought me back to California to say goodbye to my godmother who spent 38 years as a flight attendant with United.

Three great options popped up, Korean on a 747-8, Asiana on a 747 Combi and China Airlines on a 747-400. While I initially preferred Korean’s equipment type, China Airlines’ schedule and price were too hard to ignore.

So how was the flight with China Airlines? Overall, fantastic! I had two other friends traveling with me on separate itineraries so I called the customer service hotline to ask if we could consolidate, the friendly agent said that since we were on three separate fare codes, she couldn’t do anything at the time but to check back a week or so prior to departure date. Since two of us were booked on the cheapest fare types, we could only preselect seats in the last three rows. As instructed, I called back a week before our flight and after some typing on her end, the agent said to check on the website. Logging in, I could see that the rest of economy was now available including the coveted first bulkhead seats that offer a great view of the wings. I also noticed that there was an “upper deck” tab and clicked on it just to see, interestingly enough, I was able to preselect upper deck business class seats. While I know that China Airlines offers the upper deck on short haul flights to some economy passengers, I didn’t know that this option was available to passengers without elite status on a long haul flight. Other carriers may have much more modern business class seats but none offer a free seating upgrade which gave me my first chance at flying in the hump of the Jumbo Jet. In the end, we were upgraded on three of our four segments with two awesome flights in the 747’s hump and one in premium economy on China Airlines’ brand new A350.

We connected from Hong Kong early so that I could work remotely and caught this great shot of our plane, B-18215, the last passenger 747-400 to roll off the assembly line in 2005.



Boarding commenced right on time and we were among the first to board via L2.

Heading up the stairway to heaven.



Equipped with the early version of Boeing’s Signature Interior, China Airlines’ GE powered 747s are the last 400s built and come equipped with a fairly typical three-class layout. While the airline has upgraded the seats of their older and now retired Pratt & Whitney powered 747s, the GE models have very outdated hardware. I wonder if the airline will now swap the newer seats into the remaining 747 fleet.

The upper deck is equipped with business class recliners that recline to 130 degrees. We were seated in the last two seats of the cabin. While we would receive economy food and service, we were provided with business class blankets and headsets. I love the large storage bins by the upper deck windows which are significantly larger than the ones in the A380.



The takeoff roll was long yet powerful, which is normally the case with a fully loaded 747. After the seatbelt sign was switched off, I took a tour of the beautiful plane.

Economy class is set up in a standard 3-4-3 configuration with decent pitch. The inflight entertainment system is ancient and the low resolution screen is passport sized.



The business class cabin with business class service on the main deck.



First class offers a first generation fully flat seat. I took this shot on our return flight on B-18211 which is configured identically.



While the 747-400’s stairs are outdated now, there is still something special about being able to climb stairs on a plane.



A shot of the upper deck as I returned to my seat.



The meal service started as I settled back into my seat and with two flight attendants covering the 24 passengers seated in the upper deck, service was quick and efficient. I had the pork and noodle option which was surprisingly tasty.



With the late departure, the meal service was completed quickly and the cabin prepared for the long flight ahead. While the 747-400 is now a fairly loud plane, the upper deck is a relatively quiet place to be.



Full and relaxed, I browsed the entertainment system which is ancient but has a surprisingly robust selection of movies and TV shows.



A closeup of the seat controls.



The lights were dimmed and I fell asleep for a few hours. The recliners are comfortable and remind me of a La-Z-Boy. I woke up and peeked out the window to be blinded by the sunlight. I once again took a stroll around the plane and caught this incredible view of the gorgeous wings and GE power plants. Sadly, the sight of two-engined wings is rapidly becoming a relic of the past.



About 90 minutes before landing, the crew started the pre-arrival meal service. I selected the pasta rather than eggs for breakfast which wasn’t as tasty as dinner but not too bad.



Getting ready for our arrival into Honolulu.



The view from the upper deck windows wasn’t great as they showed their age with serious crazing and scratches.



We began our descent into Honolulu and landed slightly ahead of schedule.



My flight with China Airlines was a very pleasant surprise. The experience flying on the upper deck of the last passenger 747-400, the friendliness of the crew (who served us on the way back and remembered us) and the additional upgrades were highlights. This was great timing too as the route is now served by A330s or A350s.