Nope. I’m not going to waste a single watt of mental energy trying to come up with a clever way of starting this Starlux Airlines A350-900 business class review. Instead, I’m just going to tell you that it was the best international business class flight of my life.
Everything about it (from the check in process all the way to deplaning upon arrival) was very well choreographed. They made me feel like a rockstar.
My only criticism? Maybe the cabin crew was a bit too proactive. Their insistence on assisting me with everything even had me having second thoughts about using the lavatory.
I prefer to wipe all by myself, thank you very much.
JX801 Tokyo, Japan (NRT) – Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Aircraft: A350-941 Registration: B-58502 Duration: 3 hours 24 minutes Seat: 7K (Business Class)
Starlux Airlines A350-900 (B-58502) side view illustration by NorebboStock.comOur route from Tokyo / Narita to Taipei today as JX801.
My full review of Starlux Airlines A350-900 business class from Tokyo (Narita) to Taipei
If you recall from my Starlux A321neo business class review in 2020, I had doubts about their longevity. It was a phenomenal experience – but launching just months before the Covid pandemic shut the world down was more than unfortunate timing.
I’m happy to report that they survived. Not only that, they have emerged with one of these best long-haul international business class products in the world. EVA Air (the other Taiwanese airline) has every reason to be worried IMHO.
Arrival at the Tokyo Narita Airport (Terminal 2)
Staying the night at the Tobu Hotel adjacent to NRT made the process of checking in for this flight very easy. Too easy, as a matter of fact. I tried to time my arrival to coincide with the opening of the Starlux ticketing counter, but I was premature by about one hour. Oof.
I’m kicking off this Starlux A350-900 Buisness Class review from Terminal 2 at NRT. Not because I think it’s better than Terminal 1, but because it’s my only option if I want to fly Starlux today. Funny how that works.FYI, Terminal 2 is a really nice place to sit and contemplate all the reasons why one might decide to show up a full hour before check-in for this flight even opened. I discovered many reasons. None of them were good.During the wait, I discovered that Starlux contracts JAL check-in personnel here at NRT. And because I had nothing better to do, I researched the hex code for that color on the business class sign. It’s #654339.The main advantage of showing up so early? Being the very first white boy to check in for this flight to Taipei today. #hollaI’m in! The departure gate for this flight is 62 (which is just up over yonder), so my apologies in advance for the lack of terminal pics.
Starlux Airlines business class passengers get complementary access to the JAL Sakura Lounge at NRT. It’s a good lounge (with good food) so that’s where I spent a majority of my time waiting for this flight to Taipei.
There she is. She’s a little late (and a lot wet), but still sexy AF. Is the Starlux A350-900 not one of the best looking airplanes ever?Stupid question. “Dat a**!”Gate check. All systems normal. Looks like we’re still a go for launch.All data confirmed and verified. Commence boarding.
The boarding process for JX801 to TPE
Despite the stormy weather in and around Tokyo on this particular day (and the fact that the aircraft arrived late from TPE), they actually managed to get us boarded right on time. I was not expecting that.
Welp, there goes my priority boarding privileges. That’s what I get for gawkin’ at that A350 for so long I guess.I may have been the very first person to check in this morning, but I very well may be the last one on this aircraft. Oh well. How does that saying about arriving fashionably late go again?SANspotter, bringing up the rear (as only he knows how). Also, if you’ve ever wondered what I would look like if I was female…here you go.Hoo boy. My Spidey sense tells me that my day is about to get a whole lot better the moment I step through that boarding door.Whoa. If the wood floors and abstract wall art isn’t enough to arouse you……the sight of this massive business class cabin (drenched in warm mood lighting) surely will. Unless you’re into really kinky sh*t.
Those magnificent business class seats
Having flown Starlux Airlines once before, I already knew that I was in for a treat. This was my very first time on their Airbus A350-900 though, so it was still a very new-to-me a experience. Long story short, the seats (and the entire business class cabin) looks and feels very high-end. They didn’t skimp on anything.
Seat 7K? M’kay. They certainly didn’t have to twist my arm.I will admit that I was slightly apprehensive about choosing a seat in the very last row of the business class cabin but…God damn!Full size blankets and pillows for a three hour flight? I refer you to the crude (yet highly appreciative) profanity in the caption of the last pic for my thoughts on this matter.I hadn’t even sat down yet, and they came by with drinks and hot towels. My Spidey sense was right!Not only is this one of the nicest business class seats that I’ve ever sat in, that green drink was otherworldly. Easily 3x better than the Mint Condition you saw me throw down the gauntlet in my recent JetBlue Mint review.Legroom is pretty good. That green drink (if I didn’t mention it already) was delightful.This storage cubby sucks (only because it’s too small to contain multiple glasses of that wonderful green concoction).This storage container (the one right over my right shoulder) does not suck. Not only does it contain a wireless charger, the remote control for the video entertainment system, headphones, and power outlets…there’s easily enough space for 5 glasses of that green stuff. At least.Enough about the green drink. Looks like there’s both USB-A and C charging ports in here. One of the many instances you’ll see in this review that is proof that they’ve pretty much thought of everything.Well, almost everything. It was two hours into the flight before I figured out how to turn off this lamp.OMG the size that video screen! (It’s 24 whole inches to be exact)No lie. 24″ is really impressive.Eyelash extensions, a reminder that you could’ve flown Zipair instead, and what looks to be little airplanes being squeezed from the seat. Like I said: they have thought of everything.There were also digital versions of the same buttons. Oh, and that ‘Zero G’ thing? Just wait until I tell you about about THAT little feature.Privacy is excellent! It’s something you’ll be sure to appreciate when you’re messing around with the G Spot Zero G function later in the flight.
The departure
The reality of the abysmal weather situation caught up to us during the taxi out to the runway. We ended up taking off 23 minutes behind schedule despite the on-time boarding process. Honestly though? Considering how rainy and windy (and foggy) it was, I’d say 23 minutes wasn’t all that bad.
I had been so mesmerized by the seat that I didn’t even notice that we pushed off of the gate. Being so curious about the G Spot / Zero G thing will do that to a guy.A decent view of the engine was one of the other reasons why I was apprehensive about choosing a seat in the last row in business class. Other than the rain, this worked out spectacularly well I think.“Omg let’s go already – I’ve got a G Spot button to put through it’s paces!”Lookin’ a little soupy out there, eh?Aaaaand that’s the last we’ll see of Planet Earth until we reach Taipei. Spoiler alert: it was perma-clouds the entire way.
I was also able to record a full video of this departure from NRT. I don’t normally do that when the weather is this bad, but all that rain makes it worth the watch:
In flight entertainment
One of the best parts of this entire experience was the in-flight entertainment system. If the huge 24 inch (4k) video screen isn’t enough to impress you, I can almost guarantee that the brilliantly designed user interface will. It’s as gorgeous as it is functional. The best part? It’s highly customizable.
I can’t read (or speak) a lick of Mandarin Chinese, but I’m pretty sure that translates (loosely) to: Howdy y’all!Stunned. Not only is this the largest video screen I’ve ever experienced in business class, the user interface just might be the best as well. 10/10.From the animated icons to the multiple ways of displaying the catalog of content (icon view, thumbnail view, or list view) – I wasn’t even thinking about that G Spot button anymore. This is so good!
I probably spent more time setting up the UI just the way I like it more than I did actually watching video content. Speaking of which, the catalog of content is pretty good. Nothing I’d call phenomenal, but certainly nothing to complain about either.
And the noise canceling headphones? They were spectacular. I can’t even remember the last time I was this well entertained (and aroused) in business class.
The food
Perhaps the only thing that was disappointing about the lunch service was the fact that no physical menus were provided. The flight attendants came down the aisle taking orders one by one.
There were two choices: Asian and Western. I didn’t fly all the way to Asia to eat the same kind of grub I can eat back at home, so I selected the Asian option and hoped for the best.
Feedin’ time. “Asian” style.No, seriously. This is literally what they called the “Asian” option. Looks awfully Japanese to me (which is a very good thing).The other option was simply “western.” Rumor has it that it was a meatball dish of some kind – which was a no go for me considering I had indulged in “meatball tomato sauce with cheese” in Zipair 787-8 Full Flat business class just the day before.The quality of this meal was excellent by the way. Let’s just say that Starlux doesn’t need to be worrying about what Zipair is doing.Seasoned rice with edamame. One edamame.Miso soup. I’m doing pretty good with the descriptions considering that there were no menus provided, eh?It wouldn’t have even surprised me to find out that the cabin crew had a running bet on whether or not the white guy was going to use chopsticks to eat his rice or not. Hopefully somebody earned some good money from my chopstickin’ skills!Finally, fresh fruit and cake for dessert. No chopsticks though? Come on. I got this!Finally (OK I really mean it this time), hot towels were handed out at the conclusion of the meal service.
Seat comfort (and a demonstration of the “Zero G” function)
Of course it’s a fully lie flat seat featuring a sliding door to shut out the world. That’s not what makes it so great IMHO. The killer function is (by far) the “Zero G” position. It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
Interesting. Either we’re halfway to the moon, or the window tint on the Airbus A350 is a little darker than the window tint on the Boeing 787. There wasn’t a speck of light coming through on the darkest setting.Here we go. Here I am debating whether or not this ultra thick blanket is going to enhance or inhibit my G Spot / Zero G experience. What would you do?Judging how soft (and high-quality) this thing is, I could only assume that it was it was going to add pleasure.Closing the door (because there’s just no telling how disgusting this is going to get).
Upon pressing the Zero G button, the seat transforms itself (and you) into a cradle-like position. The seat back is angled approximately 45°, the seat pan is lowered a bit, and the leg rest is elevated. It sounds convoluted AF having your legs at the same level as your head, I know, but it’s so comfortable.
Oh. My. Gawd. In the ‘Zero G’ position, it’s the most comfortable business class seat that I have ever experienced. It was definitely angled for my pleasure.I see a lot of shut doors all up and down in this aisle. There’s a whole lot of pleasuring going on methinks!At least I didn’t hear any moaning.
The descent and arrival into Taipei
No lie. I could’ve gone another 26 hours in Zero G. But all good things must come to an end, and we began the descent into Taipei approximately 30 minutes behind schedule. I am definitely not complaining about that 30 extra minutes of pure pleasure though.
I was half expecting them to hand out cartons of cigarettes prior to landing (because it really was that pleasurable of an experience). We got these little candies instead.Looks a lot like it did back in Tokyo, doesn’t it? At the very least, this A350-900 got a really nice wash today.Welcome to Taipei!What rain (and gloom)? That’s a really sexy lineup of aircraft!Looks like we’re parking in the “China” section today. Better than getting drenched at a remote gate I guess.Uh oh. I don’t believe that I’ve ever caught feelings for a business class seat before, but…it was a little hard to let go of this one.That “deer in the headlights” look as you try to process what just happened. I think what just happened was my best ever business class flight. Catching feelings for a seat was an all new-to-me experience as well.
Pros and cons of the Starlux A350-900 business class experience
As I said at the top of this review, this was easily the best international business class flight of my life. It wasn’t quite as polished as my Qatar Airways A380 business class experience, but the seat – and its functionality – put it over the top. This would be amazing for long haul IMHO.
Pros
The colors, textures, and materials of the seat are very high class. It it looks and feels like a step above a normal business class seat.
The huge video screen is nothing short of outrageous. It feels like having a personal big screen TV inches in front of your face.
Food quality is excellent. Very fresh. Very tasty.
There was even calming music in the lavatories for the entire duration of the flight for crying out loud.
Two words: ZERO. G.
Cons
It probably would’ve been more relaxing if the cabin crew didn’t insist on checking on everyone every 20 minutes or so.
The video screens are incredibly glossy. Reflections galore.
When you’re sitting in a seat this good, every flight (even the 15 hour ones) will feel too short.
I don’t know very many frequent travelers who would voluntarily choose a Spirit Airlines A320 Standard seat over Delta or…
11 Comments
Great review, Scott. It always amazes me how the Asian carriers seem to get it right when it comes to luxury in the sky. I wonder if there’s just a certain sense of pride in giving people a great experience for their money and figuring out how provide that service in a cost-efficient way.
Conversely, some carriers would seem to relish the fact that by eliminating the second meal in first class on a transcontinental flight (a savings of perhaps $5.00/person), the airline saved thousands of dollars in the following quarter and made their investors happy.
Thanks man! My feelings exactly. Flying in Asia is a completely different experience than the rest of the world. It’s always a treat – even in economy!
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a negative Starlux review haha. The most negative, or rather, least positive review of this airline that I’ve seen is Onemileatatime’s LAX-TPE flight, and even then he gave the flight 4.5 stars and said it was just about flawless (and a ps a matter of fact he gave his connecting flight, also on JX, 5 stars).
Anyway, what I’m saying is this airline seems consistently fantastic, and this flight looked no different. The seats are an evolved version of the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats and are definitely an improvement in space (I’ve heard the footwell is larger) and tech (that Zero G feature sounds really cool!). And speaking of the hard product, the cabin overall looks amazing and really elegant. The IFE looks seriously impressive, and the food looks like something I’d eat at a good restaurant on the ground.
Also, I have a bit of constructive criticism for your future reviews: IMO you should’ve written about the service from the crew a bit more, especially given Starlux’s reputation for excelling in this regard. In the first paragraph you mentioned how proactive the crew was but didn’t talk about it at any point later on during the flight, and I feel like doing so would’ve really driven the point home about this being your best Business Class flight ever. But hey this was still a great review of what looked to be an excellent flight.
Yup, at this moment I’m convinced that Starlux is the best airline in Asia. The attention to detail is something a lot of other airlines can (and should) learn from. As I said in the review, they treated me like a rockstar…and I quite liked that lol.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback! It’s something I’ll try to incorporate in future reviews. In regards to this flight, it seemed like they were always just a few steps away ready to assist in anything. If it looked like I was about to get up to use the lavatory, they would suddenly appear and open my suite door for me. If it looked like I was having trouble trying to figure out how to dim the window (which did happen), they appeared out of nowhere and did it for me.
I do have to say that it sometimes felt like they were trying too hard though. But I guess that’s better than not trying hard enough!
“I do have to say that it sometimes felt like they were trying too hard though.” Wait. Isn’t that what happened in the Qatar Airways lounge before your Qatar A380 business class flight? lol
Haha, yeah, it was eerily similar. This Starlux experience wasn’t quite as hoity-toity as that Qatar Airways A380 business class flight though. That was the only flight of my life where a flight attendant actually reached down and placed a napkin on my lap before eating – an awkward moment that I’ve been trying to forget (but can’t).
I’ve drooled over so many Starlux reviews (as a insane AvGeek) and all the ones I’ve watched/read say great things about the airline. IMHO, I think Starlux is easily one of the best airlines in the world, but I must say I like Cathay Pacific the most, even more than Starlux (#shotsfired lol). Also, both Cathay and Starlux have the A350, my favorite aircraft (by far), which is a reason why I like Cathay and Starlux.
I really enjoy reading your reviews, and I also like the humor and the hashtags hehe. I’m looking forward to some more great reviews (I expect Korean Air and EVA Air, the OTHER Taiwanese airline #moreshotsfired, according to your flight log).
Keep up the good work!
P.S. “Cathay” is actually another (rarely used) name for China.
I used to like Cathay Pacific the most too…until I tried Starlux. 🙂 They are truly on another level IMHO, and I’m so glad that they survived the pandemic.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the reviews! I have many more to come. As a matter fact, I’m putting the finishing touches on the EVA Air 787-9 business class review now…
Great review, Scott. It always amazes me how the Asian carriers seem to get it right when it comes to luxury in the sky. I wonder if there’s just a certain sense of pride in giving people a great experience for their money and figuring out how provide that service in a cost-efficient way.
Conversely, some carriers would seem to relish the fact that by eliminating the second meal in first class on a transcontinental flight (a savings of perhaps $5.00/person), the airline saved thousands of dollars in the following quarter and made their investors happy.
Looking forward to the next review!
Thanks man! My feelings exactly. Flying in Asia is a completely different experience than the rest of the world. It’s always a treat – even in economy!
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a negative Starlux review haha. The most negative, or rather, least positive review of this airline that I’ve seen is Onemileatatime’s LAX-TPE flight, and even then he gave the flight 4.5 stars and said it was just about flawless (and a ps a matter of fact he gave his connecting flight, also on JX, 5 stars).
Anyway, what I’m saying is this airline seems consistently fantastic, and this flight looked no different. The seats are an evolved version of the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats and are definitely an improvement in space (I’ve heard the footwell is larger) and tech (that Zero G feature sounds really cool!). And speaking of the hard product, the cabin overall looks amazing and really elegant. The IFE looks seriously impressive, and the food looks like something I’d eat at a good restaurant on the ground.
Also, I have a bit of constructive criticism for your future reviews: IMO you should’ve written about the service from the crew a bit more, especially given Starlux’s reputation for excelling in this regard. In the first paragraph you mentioned how proactive the crew was but didn’t talk about it at any point later on during the flight, and I feel like doing so would’ve really driven the point home about this being your best Business Class flight ever. But hey this was still a great review of what looked to be an excellent flight.
Yup, at this moment I’m convinced that Starlux is the best airline in Asia. The attention to detail is something a lot of other airlines can (and should) learn from. As I said in the review, they treated me like a rockstar…and I quite liked that lol.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback! It’s something I’ll try to incorporate in future reviews. In regards to this flight, it seemed like they were always just a few steps away ready to assist in anything. If it looked like I was about to get up to use the lavatory, they would suddenly appear and open my suite door for me. If it looked like I was having trouble trying to figure out how to dim the window (which did happen), they appeared out of nowhere and did it for me.
I do have to say that it sometimes felt like they were trying too hard though. But I guess that’s better than not trying hard enough!
You’re welcome, and thanks for the info about the service!
“I do have to say that it sometimes felt like they were trying too hard though.” Wait. Isn’t that what happened in the Qatar Airways lounge before your Qatar A380 business class flight? lol
Haha, yeah, it was eerily similar. This Starlux experience wasn’t quite as hoity-toity as that Qatar Airways A380 business class flight though. That was the only flight of my life where a flight attendant actually reached down and placed a napkin on my lap before eating – an awkward moment that I’ve been trying to forget (but can’t).
I’ve drooled over so many Starlux reviews (as a insane AvGeek) and all the ones I’ve watched/read say great things about the airline. IMHO, I think Starlux is easily one of the best airlines in the world, but I must say I like Cathay Pacific the most, even more than Starlux (#shotsfired lol). Also, both Cathay and Starlux have the A350, my favorite aircraft (by far), which is a reason why I like Cathay and Starlux.
I really enjoy reading your reviews, and I also like the humor and the hashtags hehe. I’m looking forward to some more great reviews (I expect Korean Air and EVA Air, the OTHER Taiwanese airline #moreshotsfired, according to your flight log).
Keep up the good work!
P.S. “Cathay” is actually another (rarely used) name for China.
I used to like Cathay Pacific the most too…until I tried Starlux. 🙂 They are truly on another level IMHO, and I’m so glad that they survived the pandemic.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the reviews! I have many more to come. As a matter fact, I’m putting the finishing touches on the EVA Air 787-9 business class review now…
Ooohh yeah, I’m looking forward to it!
A completely random fact: China Airlines is actually based in Taipei, not mainland China like people assume because of the name.