OsakaWino

I'm planning a trip from Osaka to Hong Kong in business class, and am considering using China Airlines. We've used Eva business class for 2 trips to Taipei, and also for our last trip to HK, and we've always been very happy with it. But for this upcoming trip, Evas's business class fare has gone up about US$450 from our previous trip and CI business class is about US$350 lower than BR, so for the 2 of us that is US$700.

I know that CI is not rated anywhere nearly as highly as BR, but is this difference worth it? How does CI regional business class compare?

Also, as now scheduled, the CI itinerary would involve changing terminals at TPE in both directions. Am I correct in assuming that this simply means a long walk for the connecting flights? On our last trip to TPE on BR we landed at one terminal but were told the baggage collection would be at the other terminal; the walk was long but not that bad.

Thanks for any input.

coolfish1103

For $700 I would flock to CI.

It won't be a long walk, you can take the train to Terminal 1 when you are at the arrival level. No trains at departures.

longtimeflyin

Would take BR > CI anyday.

OsakaWino

Even with that big of a fare difference for such short flights?

hayzel7773

If the fare difference is that big, I would definitely recommend CI. If you are really adamant on flying BR, perhaps you could look around your dates(+/- 3 days).

BlackHappy

Personally, I would do BR in economy. Would only switch to CI if BR was full or didn’t fly that route.

That said, why not CX?

Mama

Another consideration -- are you an elite member with BR or CI?

OsakaWino

Thanks for the comments. If it just me I would take CX economy, but when I suggested that to my wife, who hates to fly and is indifferent to travel, she said "then let's stay home".

So my choices are:
CX or ANA, both direct, at about US$1550.
BR or CI via TPE, US$1330 for BR and US$990 for CI.
Hong Kong Airlines, direct, US$850

None of the fairs vary within a week either way of our dates.

From what I've read, Hong Kong Airlines seems rather like something between and LLC and a full-service airline, and we don't mind changing in TPE is the fare is good (our last trip KIX to HKG on Eva business was just US$800), so that is why I'm leaning toward CI.

Although I would not expect CI to be as nice as BR, is CI regional business really that bad?

coolfish1103

Most people will opt out CI due to their safety records, is that a thing in your mind?

If you have no status with any airline then I would choose base on the fare alone. In the fare you quote I would choose either Hong Kong Airlines or China Airlines, then Cathay Pacific, ANA and EVA in that order. Regional is vastly different from long haul and I think the $ saving is worthy. I mean, it's only 4-5 hours...

In the case you choose CI, try to see if you can get on the 359 flight.

OsakaWino

Thanks for the detailed input. I really was not worried about CI's safety record, I thought that was pretty much in the past, long past. I was more considering hard and soft product. I know the soft product would be better on Cathay, ANA, and Eva, but the difference is fare for, as you say, such a short trip is considerable.

Hong Kong Air is direct, but the outbound schedule on China Air is better for us. All the info I've seen for the CI flights were A330s, 2 flights with angled flat and 2 with extra reclining. That could change of course.

restlessinRNO

Is it not important which airline program you wish to credit the miles from this business class ticket to?

longtimeflyin

If you aren't worried about CI's safety record, then yes, I would fly CI. That said, I do worry about CI's safety record, so no amount of money would keep me from flying BR because if I can't fly BR (in this case), I won't fly at all. Hope that clarifies my views on this matter.

OsakaWino

The only miles I can effectively use would be UA, and of course that was a factor for choosing Eva in the past, but the difference in fare is a lot more than the value of the miles. If If go for one of the expensive direct flights, I guess I might choose ANA over Cathay for that reason, although it seems Cathay has a much nicer hard product and a slightly better schedule, maybe I could make use of JAL miles from Cathay, but in the past my JAL miles have always expired before I had enough to make use of them.

I thought CI's safety problems were all in long in the past, I guess I'll do some searching on the net...

lolstebbo

It's been over a decade since their last incident, and it's been over a decade and a half since their last incident that was both fatal and entirely their own fault. I've been flying on CI through their bad years and I still keep flying on them now.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dalewood