August 16, 2024; Friday
JX 32 TPE-SEA Lv2000 Arr1630 Airbus A350-900 B-58505





Photo link:
https://app.photobucket.com/u/Carfie...TITLE&desc=asc

I came in from Bangkok and given that there was a good amount of transit passengers to Seattle from that flight, they moved us from our original gate D10 to a better located gate at D3, so we were closer to the transit security checkpoint at the D Concourse.

Gate D1 was our assigned gate this evening. Since it was a USA bound flight, you needed to go through a brief document check prior to going to the gate area downstairs.

The setup was cute and they even replicated the signature Public Market Centre’s red neon sign to the gate. Two Starlux F/As were taking photos with passengers holding all these cute cardboards. There was of course a Starbucks coffee station but thank god, Starlux Airlines did not sign a Starbucks branding deal on these Seattle flights like LA Dodgers and Peanuts/Snoopy on all non-USA flights. It is interesting that Seattle flights are completely non-Snoopy/Peanuts theme and even my return boarding passes issued in Seattle have no Snoopy sign, along with normal baggage labels/tags. The onboard products have the normal Starlux branding (LA has the Dodgers’ items). There was a musical group performing various songs and dances, and then they imitated the “fish throwing” at Pike Place Market with fish-shaped cushion. It was creative and creates a nice vibe for the inaugural flight.







However, everyone was wonder this big question: Would Chairman Chang Kuo-wei (also known as Chairman K) piloted the inaugural Seattle flight? Just a quick note, Chang’s title is Founder and Chairmain, and the CEO of Starlux Airlines is Glenn Chai, who is also onboard the inaugural flight and the second return from Seattle to Taipei. He was of course in seat 1A.





The answer was of course YES. Since Chairman Chang did not participate on the Hong Kong inaugural flights, some AvGeeks were wondering if he was no longer doing inaugural flights. Thankfully he was the captain of the inaugural flight and there is one thing that you can’t claim easily – the Chairman of the airline is an ACTIVE pilot and actually worked the inaugural flights like a normal pilot. Yes for those who are curious, he made all the Chinese and English announcements too, just like a normal pilot. The only difference is that “I am Captain Chang Kuo-wei and the Chairman of Starlux Airlines.” But on the return flight, he did not mention his title as Chairman of Starlux. If you did not know anything about Starlux, no one would even notice that the Founder and Chairman was the pilot of your flight.

PS> Not very good photos, but given his speedy entrance, it was the best I could do.

Boarding started a bit late today at 7:45pm. The aircraft actually did a roundtrip to Osaka Kansai in the morning too. They managed to return to Taipei early even a major typhoon was affecting flights to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. I think the prep was taking a bit longer this evening, and Chairman Chang had a press conference too before coming to the gate for the flight. However flying time was shorter than normal, so we arrived early and parked at gate on time.

The Starlux PR staffs also handed out Starbucks gift bag to each departing passengers.



The vibe was great, but it was clear that there were plenty of special guests this evening. First and Business Class were 100% full too, which meant that first class F/As could not help out with business class this evening. However Phoebe, the purser, and her teams did a great job given that they were handling many new procedures and a full cabin with some special guests. You can feel that they were a bit nervous too. All the business class crews were great and two guys, Ethan and Ryan, were in charge in service delivery, with their two female colleagues working in galley. Sorry I did not get the girls’ names because they were mostly working in the galley and did not do a personal introduction like their male colleagues. The guys seem to be more confident in their English too. Regardless, all four of them were best of the best, and did a great job in patrolling the cabin during non-meal hours and nothing ever seemed to be too much to ask. They always asked if you need another drink or more snacks before cleaning out dirty cups/plates/glasses.





Door was closed at 8:11pm and we pushed back at 8:15pm. It was not a particular busy time and we took off from R/W5L at 8:30pm for our ten hours and thirty-one minutes flight to Seattle. The route took us over Sanzhi and Shiman with a nice view of Taipei city from right side window seats, before heading to Japan at 35,000ft. We passed cities of Mianamiosumi, Kushima, Shirahama, and Minabe before climbing to 37,000ft. We then flew over Totsukawa, Matsusaka, Nagoya Chubu airport, Obu, Nakatsugawa, and Sano before crossing the Pacific Ocean. The flight hit a few rough patches of air throughout the night and over Tokyo area, as they were hit by a typhoon this evening. We climbed to 39,000ft before hitting Alaska, Becharof Lake and Kodiak, and then passing Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park of Canada and then Neah Bay, Port Angeles, and Bell Hill, Port Gamble, Shoreline, city of Seattle and then into Sea-Tac.

Business class amenities:
The BRIC amenity kit
Pajamas, eye-mask, and slippers





La Mer cosmetic kit for “Taipei to Seattle” inaugural flight





Starbucks gift bag – Starbucks drip coffee and some kinds of mobile service gift certificate
I prefer first flight certificate and more aviation themed souvenirs, but it is a nice gesture anyway. I missed the old JetBlue and Singapore Airlines’ inaugural gift bag.






Since Seattle flight departs at normal meal time, Starlux offers a slightly enhanced meal. In reality, the difference is a pre-meal drink and amuse bouche service. The amuse bouche is “Oyster Panna Cotta, Champagne Gelee, Plum, Shiso”, the dish in the Starlux’s edition menu designed by Chef Kin. I like it but have to understand that some non-seafood people may not like it too much.





Here is the wine list for the three Transpacific flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle:
Wine List
Champagne
Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs NV

White Wines
Musann Blanc Vintage 2021, Weightstone Vineyard Estate & Winery, Puyen & Puli Estate, Taiwan
TRIMBACH Riesling Reserve 2018, Alsace, France
Rimapaere Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Marlborough, New Zealand

Red Wine
Chateau Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chateau Clarke, 2011, Bordeaux, Listrac-Medoc, France
ERRAZURIZ Aconcagua Alto, Carmenere 2021, Aconcagua Valley, Chile
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, South Australia

Fortified Wine
Dow’s Fine Tawny Port, Douro, Portugal
J 2024B

Here is the full dinner menu from Taipei to Seattle:
All Day Menu
Star Gourmet X Chef Kin X NINAO

Mise En Bouche Served with Apertif
Oyster Panna Cotta, Champagne Gelee, Plum, Shiso

Starter
Honeydew Melon and Bottarga Salad, Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Soup
Loofah Soup, Clams, Dill

Breads Selection
Multi-grain Apricot Bread, Green Peppercorn Rye Bread, Garlic Bread
Served with Isigny Sainte Mere butter, extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Main
Braised Lamb Shank, Baby Cabbage, Couscous

Sweet Finish
“NINAO” White Peach Oolong Tea, Sea Salt Milk Gelato

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

All Day Menu
Exclusive International

Mise En Bouche
Served with Apertif
“Oyster Panna Cotta, Champagne Gelee, Plum, Shiso”



Breads Selection
Multi-grain Apricot Bread, Green Peppercorn Rye Bread, Garlic Bread
Served with Isigny Sainte Mere butter, extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar


Starter
Caesar Salad, Salami, Asiago Cheese




Soup
Chestnut Cream Soup, Fried Bacon Bits



Main
Choice of One
Online Exclusive
Lemongrass Red Curry Lobster, Pad Thai
Or
Online Exclusive
Hutong A5 Wagyu Steak, Grilled Rice Balls


Or
Milanese Red Wine Braised Lamb, Saffron risotto
Or
Braised Pork Short Ribs with Scallion and Soy Sauce, Steamed Rice with Vegetables
Or
Goji Berry Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms, Green Asparagus, Aubergine Caviar, Red Wine Caper Sauce
By Chef Kai
*Michelin Star Chef Kai Ho, prepared with natural ingredients and containing less eggs and dairy, our plant-based selections are designated to provide healthier, sustainable choices.

Sweet Finish
“NINAO” White Peach Oolong Tea, Sea Salt Milk Gelato
Or
Panna Cotta with Osmanthus and White Fungus

Seasonal Fresh Fruit



2024C J TPE-SEA 00

The meal service was completed within two hours and the cabin began to calm down. The flight attendant offered a turndown service, which meant a special mattress pad for the seat. The pad actually made the seat better for sleeping. It is a step above EVA Air for just basically some sheet for decorative purpose.





I went to sleep immediately and my goal was to get a four hours nap and stayed up for the rest of the flight.