TPE is outstanding as is CI- the lounge, the food on the plane, great service- I definitely prefer it to KE. However, there is a problem.

TPE works for real SE Asia- Singapore, Thailand, etc. But for other places, it’s just too far south as a connection. It’s 8k miles to get there from NYC even overflying Russia - vs I think about 6800 to Tokyo and 6900 to ICN. That extra 1000 miles adds 2 hours of time and fuel cost and pilot labor to the equation if you’re going anywhere north of TPE, which is most of Asia.

The economics kind of kill it as a “one Asia hub” place.

Nevertheless, it’s my preferred way to get to Southeast Asia on Skyteam. KE’s bebimbap is good, but not as good as CI’s beef noodles