China Airlines business class?

[iamsuperandrew]

Has anyone flown China Airlines Business class recently and able to share how they found it and also any details on the wine list (& champagne) and dinning options?

 

[Forg]

Flew them before COVID … great hard-product, very pleasant staff. Lounges outside of Taiwan very 2nd-rate. Onboard IFE, food, drink very average c/f QF. Stuff like dumplings & noodles & drinks in their Taiwan lounges pretty good, showers were great.

Specific questions about wine list & dining options … meh. For food refer food-court.

I should add; I’m a bit of a fan. That food & drink is one of the most-irrelevant aspects of J travel, IMHO. If you save $500 to travel China Airlines vs <insert-best-J-meal-airline-here> it’s worth it, because even the best F meal you can get isn’t near as good as a $500 meal in a reasonable restaurant.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Recent trip report here:

Can’t vouch for the quality of the food, but presentation looks great! There’s also a review of the wine list.

Friends flew with them and were very happy.

 

[puchu]

I also flew them before Covid, in J FRA-TPE-SYD. Decent service, food wasn’t the most amazing but the A350 from TPE was close to new and very comfortable.

 

[iamsuperandrew]

Flew them before COVID … great hard-product, very pleasant staff. Lounges outside of Taiwan very 2nd-rate. Onboard IFE, food, drink very average c/f QF. Stuff like dumplings & noodles & drinks in their Taiwan lounges pretty good, showers were great.

Specific questions about wine list & dining options … meh. For food refer food-court.

I should add; I’m a bit of a fan. That food & drink is one of the most-irrelevant aspects of J travel, IMHO. If you save $500 to travel China Airlines vs <insert-best-J-meal-airline-here> it’s worth it, because even the best F meal you can get isn’t near as good as a $500 meal in a reasonable restaurant.

Agree and really appreciate your opinion
I got this on points as a leisure flight with my wife and wanted to more know about the food and drink as a lot of youtube videos do not show what champagne they serve (I've seen both Piper Heidsieck 2012 and then sub-rate champagne)

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2024

I also flew them before Covid, in J FRA-TPE-SYD. Decent service, food wasn’t the most amazing but the A350 from TPE was close to new and very comfortable.

Thanks, do you remember what champagne they served?

 

[Forg]

Hmm, this was 2018 so the champagne they serve has likely changed since then … but the fanciest drink they had onboard was a Johnny Walker Blue Label, which is a very mass-market blend & very Nothing Special (so sorta like Emirates where the wine’s bought more on price than quality, except without the budget, than a Qantas or Air France where they tend to have stuff which is chosen based more on taste albeit without being as exxy - you can tell the booze buyer isn’t a booze consumer).

 

[puchu]

I don’t recall exactly but a look at OMaaT’s review from early 2020 suggest Piper or Pol depending on when the flight was. Could all have changed post Covid though.

 

[rbjhan]

Twice in 2019 & 2020...another one booked next month.
I am a fan. The seats are great, food very good - only tried the Chinese version.
Can't help with the wine list, I don't drink.

 

[Forg]

Yes I know someone else around here said they thought the onboard food was good, too. Maybe I’m spoiled, to me it was Chinese take-away at the Westfields food-court, at best.

The seats, aircraft & staff were the winner for me.

I’d be very happy to fly with them again. Although would organise my own IFE.

 

[iamsuperandrew]

Hmm, this was 2018 so the champagne they serve has likely changed since then … but the fanciest drink they had onboard was a Johnny Walker Blue Label, which is a very mass-market blend & very Nothing Special (so sorta like Emirates where the wine’s bought more on price than quality, except without the budget, than a Qantas or Air France where they tend to have stuff which is chosen based more on taste albeit without being as exxy - you can tell the booze buyer isn’t a booze consumer).

Yeah I know what you mean, I mean I did have one of the best wines on an Emirates flight '1998 Chateau Leoville Las Cases'. I do look forward to flying

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2024

Twice in 2019 & 2020...another one booked next month.
I am a fan. The seats are great, food very good - only tried the Chinese version.
Can't help with the win list, I don't drink.

View attachment 377515

View attachment 377516

Thanks, Cant wait to fly!

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2024

I don’t recall exactly but a look at OMaaT’s review from early 2020 suggest Piper or Pol depending on when the flight was. Could all have changed post Covid though.

Yeah I know PointHacks did a review which had the same but then a random video showed Didier Chopin Champagne which is a huge downgrade from the vintage champagnes

 

[elanshin]

My brother just went to Rome (FCO) from Syd on China Airlines in March.
Here's his menu. (i think this is over 2 flights)

 

[Forg]

^ That looks really enticing!!!
Although they’ve still got that flavourless congee Clag stuff, but you leave that & eat the rest around it …

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yeah I know PointHacks did a review which had the same but then a random video showed Didier Chopin Champagne which is a huge downgrade from the vintage champagnes

To be fair, I think EVA is the only mainstream airline I know of that serves vintage champagne in business class?

 

[iamsuperandrew]

My brother just went to Rome (FCO) from Syd on China Airlines in March.
Here's his menu. (i think this is over 2 flights)

You wouldn't happen to know what the champagne was?

 

[iamsuperandrew]

To be fair, I think EVA is the only mainstream airline I know of that serves vintage champagne in business class?

Emirates does on certain flights/ certain times of year they mix between Moet Brut / Moet Grand Vintage & Veuve Cliqout Brut / Veuve Cliqout Vintage

I know Singapore airlines had an allocation of Piper Heidsieck vintage but that only lasts a few months

 

[elanshin]

You wouldn't happen to know what the champagne was?

Unfortunately not. He didn't quite take a photo of that (he was just getting dazzled by everything as it was the first J flight ever for him and GF.

He did mention the catering out of TPE was better than Syd. Had some lobster thing.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Emirates does on certain flights/ certain times of year they mix between Moet Brut / Moet Grand Vintage & Veuve Cliqout Brut / Veuve Cliqout Vintage

I know Singapore airlines had an allocation of Piper Heidsieck vintage but that only lasts a few months

Oh

I was thinking the higher end vintages in the $300-400 range!

 

[iamsuperandrew]

Oh

I was thinking the higher end vintages in the $300-400 range!

EVA has vintages in that range?

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2024

Unfortunately not. He didn't quite take a photo of that (he was just getting dazzled by everything as it was the first J flight ever for him and GF.

He did mention the catering out of TPE was better than Syd. Had some lobster thing.

Good to know as we have a flight from SYD to TPE & then from TPE to Osaka in J

 

[MEL_Traveller]

EVA has vintages in that range?

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2024

Yes! Famously so. VC La Grande Dame was standard offering pre covid. Now not so extensive, with LP grand siècle served only on Paris and NY flights according to OMAAT.

 

[iamsuperandrew]

Yes! Famously so. VC La Grande Dame was standard offering pre covid. Now not so extensive, with LP grand siècle served only on Paris and NY flights according to OMAAT.

I need to try it