ConciergeBrandon

Having scored two biz award tickets using Skymiles, we will be flying LAX-TPE-HKG round-trip in October. I read reviews that their 747-400 seats are old, not lie-flat. What about the in-flight service, food, etc.?

Any tips and advice to make our long flights more comfortable will be much appreciated.

Lulu Chen

I think the business class seating on the 3 class configuration are pod style seat with 160 degree angle.

it's not bad, but not the best in class by any means either.

frankflieslots

yeah those old 747 seats aren't too comfortable. service is nice though. they will be flying their brand new 777 in december.

Readynow

I did LAX to TPE in June in J on CI. I did upper deck out and main deck back. Upper deck preferable. They have those side cabinets you can put stuff in flight which is convenient.

craig44485

May be some Oxygen or a mask, especially if your a non smoker. It seems many pilots for the Chinese Airlines are chain smokers, and they smoke during the flights. YMMV

TerryK

One of the weirdest posts.

Sabai

Not entirely; I used to experience this on GA as well.

koreanair720

particularly, given that CI isn't actually, um, a Chinese airline...

JORBUST

CI food and service are fantastic, the flight attendants are very attentive and professional. Food is yummy, seats are comfy, not lie flat on that route though. It'll be a great ride, I hope you booked a stopover in Taipei because it's a great city.

The smoking thing is from someone who hasn't flown CI, I would be shocked to see anyone smoking on CI.

RealHJ

That only happens for China Eastern (frequently - as in most of the time, based on my first hand experience) and possibly China Southern, Shanghai Airlines and Xiamen Airlines (can't speak first hand experience for those).

So is never the case, to the best of my knowledge and based on my experience, on China Airlines.

It's two different worlds MU, CZ, FM and MF come from (China) vs. CI (Taiwan). (Guess which one is more civilized. And guess which country is trying hard to keep the other and its masses out of it and staging protests to keep it so.)

+1000. I would very highly doubt it ever happens on CI. I am quite sure that if anyone tried to do so they'd be reported and would lose their job for breaking the Taiwanese laws and regulations. (Unlike on the Chinese airlines where it's the norm and socially acceptable, and where laws are not worth the paper they are written on.)

Snidely Whiplash

Depends on your point of view!

TerryK

I suppose from your point of view, CX is a Chinese airlines with chain smoking pilots.

koreanair720

i know! as a pro-ROC guy, i cringed a little even as i wrote that...

MrAAUGA

Flying China Airlines is the worst experience I have ever had and I only took them once on that LAX-TPE route.

Rude flight attendants, old/disgusting plane, bad food, the list could go on.

Save yourself some sanity and do DL through Tokyo onto TPE and/or HKG

Lulu Chen

CI is absolutely great, fun flight attendants, media selection is nice and they are one of the few ST partners that would greet you by name in flight if you have Delta status.