West Coast to TPE?
Jan 14, 2008, 10:03 am
#1
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West Coast to TPE?
I am flying from San Francisco to Taipei this weekend on UA as I was unable to figure out a decent routing on NWA. UA offers the non-stop SFO-TPE flight which is really scheduled nicely. As for NWA, its only flight to TPE is from Osaka and the only NW flight to KIX from the US mainland is from DTW making a west coast connection difficult at best. there is a flight from HNL but it would require an overnight in KIX to make the connection and to make matters worse, the flight from LAX misses the connection in HNL as well!
How do you loyal NW flyers on the west coast fly to TPE? I know that China Airlines offers several options and with the new "alliance" maybe that is a possiblity. Any other options I am missing?
How do you loyal NW flyers on the west coast fly to TPE? I know that China Airlines offers several options and with the new "alliance" maybe that is a possiblity. Any other options I am missing?
Jan 14, 2008, 10:17 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2005
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I am flying from San Francisco to Taipei this weekend on UA as I was unable to figure out a decent routing on NWA. UA offers the non-stop SFO-TPE flight which is really scheduled nicely. As for NWA, its only flight to TPE is from Osaka and the only NW flight to KIX from the US mainland is from DTW making a west coast connection difficult at best. there is a flight from HNL but it would require an overnight in KIX to make the connection and to make matters worse, the flight from LAX misses the connection in HNL as well!
How do you loyal NW flyers on the west coast fly to TPE? I know that China Airlines offers several options and with the new "alliance" maybe that is a possiblity. Any other options I am missing?
How do you loyal NW flyers on the west coast fly to TPE? I know that China Airlines offers several options and with the new "alliance" maybe that is a possiblity. Any other options I am missing?
Jan 14, 2008, 10:27 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 1999
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But I believe the HKG flight gets in ~10:30p. Not sure if there are any connections that late, thus forcing another overnight. I flew the SFO-TPE flight last month on UA and it was great to get in ~5 and have the evening for dinner and some rest. West coast to TPE is really tough on NW.
Jan 14, 2008, 10:47 am
#4
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Sure I could fly to NRT (or HKG) and take another airline to TPE but that tends to add significantly to the cost. For an example March Itinerary, Roundtrip SFO-TPE:
........................... Y ..... C
China Air (nonstop) $738 $2706
UA (nonstop) ....... $780 $6110
NW/BR(NRT) ....... $1121 $5418
On top of that the NW flight with connection in NRT is about 4 hours longer total travel time. Overall not very practical to fly NW as far as I can tell.
........................... Y ..... C
China Air (nonstop) $738 $2706
UA (nonstop) ....... $780 $6110
NW/BR(NRT) ....... $1121 $5418
On top of that the NW flight with connection in NRT is about 4 hours longer total travel time. Overall not very practical to fly NW as far as I can tell.
Last edited by youngbru; Jan 14, 2008 at 11:08 am Reason: cleaned up table
Jan 14, 2008, 10:57 am
#5
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CX462 leaves at 11PM. CI620 leaves at midnight. There maybe more choices with regional airlines. Someone who flight that route more often will probably know the answer better.
There is also a smaller airport in Taipei (TPE is actually in Taoyuan, 30 min south of Taipei city). Don't know if any flights from Hong Kong fly there.
There is also a smaller airport in Taipei (TPE is actually in Taoyuan, 30 min south of Taipei city). Don't know if any flights from Hong Kong fly there.
Jan 14, 2008, 11:10 am
#6
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There are definitely no non-stop skyteam options (excluding DL codeshare of CI metal which doesn't earn NW EQM either). As for price, that probably fluctuates. I don't know pay attention to west coast <-> TPE prices. But I know east coast <-> TPE fares pretty well. Sometimes it's cheaper for me to do NW (NYC/BOS<->DTW<->KIX<->TPE), sometimes it's cheaper for me to do CO(EWR>HKG) and take a quick HKG<->TPE flight, but in the past month, UA definitely has the cheapest NYC<->TPE fare.
Jan 14, 2008, 2:16 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Taipei Songshan (TSA) is the airport you're talking about. It's domestic only, so no flights from HKG. TPE is west of the city.
Jan 14, 2008, 4:37 pm
#8
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You are right. Taoyuan county is south west of Taipei county and the airport is at the north tip of Taoyuan county. I haven't looked at a map of Taiwan since middle school.
Jan 14, 2008, 8:03 pm
#9
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Have you considered KE or backtracking? NW69 from TPE logically continues from NRT to DTW. I really missed the days when NW69/70 alternated KIX-KHH and KIX-KUL.
Jan 14, 2008, 9:54 pm
#10
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The bane of my LAX residency
So sticking with NW in getting to TPE is tough. I assumed they thought there was too much competition with so many flying LAX-TPE (Eva, CI, SQ nonstop and all the others with connecting service) and focused their slots at NRT on more profitable, less competition routes like to China. Plus NW used to have nonstop LAX-TPE service, which don't think did very well for them.
LAX-ICN-TPE works but limited EQM and pretty expensive last I looked.
On Eva you can get CO miles no EQMs I believe
On CI you can get DL and NW miels but no EQMs
On NW you have to go LAX-DTW-KIX-TPE or LAX-HNL-KIX-TPE.
Last year I bought a ticket to NRT on NW (regretted it until I got op-uped on LAX-NRT which gave me faith to staying loyal) and used miles on UA to go NRT-TPE (which also gave me faith to staying with NW). Connections times were great, hung out at the NW lounge in NRT and had a good trip.
This year, I'll probably do LAX-DTW-KIX-TPE but only because my mom is flying up from IAH to DTW. Of course she'll be in Biz on my miles...I'll be in coach....ugh...
LAX-ICN-TPE works but limited EQM and pretty expensive last I looked.
On Eva you can get CO miles no EQMs I believe
On CI you can get DL and NW miels but no EQMs
On NW you have to go LAX-DTW-KIX-TPE or LAX-HNL-KIX-TPE.
Last year I bought a ticket to NRT on NW (regretted it until I got op-uped on LAX-NRT which gave me faith to staying loyal) and used miles on UA to go NRT-TPE (which also gave me faith to staying with NW). Connections times were great, hung out at the NW lounge in NRT and had a good trip.
This year, I'll probably do LAX-DTW-KIX-TPE but only because my mom is flying up from IAH to DTW. Of course she'll be in Biz on my miles...I'll be in coach....ugh...
Jan 14, 2008, 10:06 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Specifically they canceled the NRT-TPE flight when they started NRT-CAN.
Jan 14, 2008, 10:28 pm
#13
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Ah how wonderful....wonder what will happen to the CO/Eva connection...they'll probably jump ship to another alliance then....
Didn't realize that CI & KE had codeshares, particularly since CI can't fly directly into China. Could they if they wanted with a stop somehwhere? I doubt the Taiwanese gov't would let them...
http://www.china-airlines.com/en/new...wsen000325.htm
Didn't realize that CI & KE had codeshares, particularly since CI can't fly directly into China. Could they if they wanted with a stop somehwhere? I doubt the Taiwanese gov't would let them...
http://www.china-airlines.com/en/new...wsen000325.htm
Jan 15, 2008, 12:37 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2005
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MH flies LAX-TPE and earns banked NW WP miles but not EQM.
MH is also available for WP award redemption, but you must book by phone as they are not bookable on nwa.com.
MH is also available for WP award redemption, but you must book by phone as they are not bookable on nwa.com.
Jan 15, 2008, 1:25 am
#15
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As for NWA, its only flight to TPE is from Osaka and the only NW flight to KIX from the US mainland is from DTW making a west coast connection difficult at best. There is a flight from HNL but it would require an overnight in KIX to make the connection and to make matters worse, the flight from LAX misses the connection in HNL as well!
