Starlux Airlines announced that it will add a new flight connecting Seattle (SEA) and Taipei (TPE). This will be the third Starlux route which connects the small island of Taiwan with the United States, joining the San Francisco (SFO – TPE) and Los Angeles (LAX – TPE) routes.

Starlux Airlines Seattle To Taipei Route

Starting August 16th, 2024, Starlux will operate a three times weekly non-stop flight between Seattle (SEA) and Taipei (TPE). The new flight will have the following flight times:

Winter Schedule (August 16th – )

• JX21 Seattle (SEA) – Taipei (TPE), departing 02:10 and arriving 05:10 (next day) – 12hr 0min flight time
• JX22 Taipei (TPE) – Seattle (SEA), departing 20:00 and arriving 16:15 – 11hr 15min flight time

Credit. GCMapper. Starlux Airlines SEA – TPE Route.

Starlux Airlines will operate its Airbus A350-900 aircraft on this route in a four class configuration: 4 First Class seats, 26 Business Class seats, 36 Premium Economy seats, and 240 Economy Class seats. Both First Class and Business Class seats have a 1-2-1 configuration and “zero-gravity” seating with privacy doors. The Premium Economy section has a 2-4-2 configuration with seats that feature a leg rest and extra space while Economy Class has a 3-3-3 configuration

Note: Starlux is the first Taiwan-based airline to feature a true First Class product. 

Credit. The Points Guy. Starlux Airbus A350-900 First Class.

Credit. The Points Guy. Starlux Airbus A350-900 Business Class.

Credit. The Points Guy. Starlux Airbus A350-900 Premium Economy.

Credit. The Points Guy. Starlux Airbus A350-900 Economy Class.

Booking Starlux Airlines Seattle To Taipei Route

At this time, the new Starlux Airlines SEA – TPE route is not available for either cash or award bookings. Here is an estimate of the cash booking cost based on the average round-trip cash price for tickets in September on Starlux Airlines SFO – TPE and LAX – TPE routes:

• Economy Class: $900 – $,1000
• Premium Economy: $1,900 – $2,000
• Business Class: $$5,000 – $5,500
• First Class: $18,000 – $20,000

Here is an approximate range for the one-way point cost using the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award chart for Starlux on the SFO – TPE and LAX – TPE routes:

• Economy Class: 37,500
• Premium Economy: 50,000
• Business Class: 75,000
• First Class: Unavailable

Final Thoughts

Starlux enters a crowded SEA – TPE route, with Eva Air, China Airlines, and soon Delta as competitors. The major disadvantages for Starlux are the comparatively small route network and lack of membership in a global alliance as a network supplement. While these are normal “growing pains” for new airlines, it will be interesting to monitor how Starlux fares on this route. With that said, Starlux offers a superior product which has won praise from customers. In addition, Starlux partners with Alaska Airlines (a new BILT transfer partner), which offers an opportunity for award flights at competitive rates versus the cash equivalents and competitor award rates.