China Airlines

Customer Reviews

4 star Skytrax Rating
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Seat Comfort 12345
Staff Service 12345
Value for Money 12345
Customer rating from 335 reviews
6/10
4 star Skytrax Rating
Filter Reviews by :
Show
9/10

"appreciated our luggage arriving with us"

(Canada)

Trip Verified | Taipei to Sanya. Our plane was late getting into Taipei from Los Angeles and we had just enough time to disembark and walk to the gate of our connecting flight to be the last persons to board. I told my wife that I was sure our luggage wasn’t going to make the connection. I sat down at my window seat and watched the last of the luggage being loaded but did not see ours. The cabin door closed and I expected us to leave but we didn’t. I could see the baggage handlers impatiently waiting for something. Alas, 10 minutes later a buggy showed up with our luggage and was quickly loaded and we were then on our way. Our flight ended up late and although I felt a little guilty we really appreciated our luggage arriving with us. The food we just ok. The staff were friendly but busy.
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteTaipei to Sanya
Date FlownNovember 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
3/10

"worst flight I've ever been on"

(United States)

Trip Verified | New York to Taipei. This is the worst flight I've ever been on in my life. I got a discount on this flight, and the stewardesses were nice. Everything else about was a nightmare. I called a week in advance and had to pay for the desired seat I wanted for $30 extra because this airline doesn't let you choose your seat. But they ended up giving me the wrong seat anyway, rather than 40E, which is larger. They could not fix the issue on the plane, so I was stuck with the tiny seat and wasted my $30. Some seats can lift the armrest, but the one I had to go to could not and was quite uncomfortable. I then learned that this was the first flight I've been on that doesn't offer free WiFi. I had to pay $50 (specifically $43.90) to use their very bad WiFi service. The "entertainment" tablet doesn't work, even if you rub it or clean it, and there's nothing on there you've ever heard of, anyway. The food looked inedible, but that's okay because I opted not to eat anyway. It just sucks you have to pay for water, since TSA obviously doesn't let you bring any liquids on. Guess I should've brought a bigger water bottle. Sixteen hours of this, and they don't even offer you WiFi or working power outlets (though I'm surprised we even had those). This airline just seems cheap, even if their actual prices aren't that cheap.
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteNew York to Taipei
Date FlownNovember 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
10/10

"special meal of a good quality"

(Taiwan)

Trip Verified | Tokyo to Taipei. Priority check-in at Narita was quick and easy. I was able to change my seat at the counter. Boeing 777 has a beautifully designed cabin and offers lots of choices on the inflight entertainment system. The cabin manager on this flight was kind and helpful. I was welcomed on board and addressed by name. The vegetarian special meal was of a good quality. There was a selection of drinks available, I tried Kumquat Lemonade and Formosa green tea. On arrival, my luggage was first off the belt as it was marked Priority. I am a SkyTeam Elite Plus member and I never experienced such attention to detail and personal service.
AircraftBoeing 777-300
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteTokyo to Taipei
Date FlownOctober 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
6/10

"crew need to lift their game"

(New Zealand)

Not Verified | My wife and I flew to Brisbane from Auckland and return. A350 was roomy and comfortable in Economy Class. Crew were friendly. IFE with a good selection of movies, TV and music. Crew on return flight indifferent and sour. Meals were awful - spiced chicken and rice - worse than a microwavable meal from the supermarket. In summary crew need to lift their game. English is often poor and engagement nowhere near Singapore Airlines.
AircraftA350-900
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteAuckland to Brisbane
Date FlownOctober 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
6/10

"mostly pleasantly surprised"

(French Polynesia)

Trip Verified | Bangkok to Honolulu via Taipei. I fly regularly between Honolulu and Bangkok, but I've never flown on China Airlines. However, it emerged as the least-expensive option for a recent trip and since the price and flight schedules were good I decided to give the airline a try, despite some hesitation. I was mostly pleasantly surprised by the airline: Though the staff seem to be unable to smile and service both on the ground and in the air is bare-bones, the A350 is a fabulous aircraft, the seats were mostly comfortable, and the entertainment system was alright. There were a few negative experiences: For instance, not one single flight arrived or departed on time; The airline's pillows and blankets are pitiful, and the catering is mostly inedible; China Airlines has the serving style favored by many Asian airlines, wherein a few drinks choices are offered on top of the meal service trolleys, and if a passenger requests anything not on top of the trolley, the flight attendants tend to lie and say they ran out. It's very, very tedious to constantly have to ask and remind them for something as simple as a can of Coke Zero, and for it to be brought with a scowl. I arrived at Taipei from Honolulu in the middle Typhoon Mitag; My onward flight to Bangkok that evening was cancelled and I was expecting a chaotic, uncomfortable evening in Taipei's airport. Much to my surprise, the situation had been rather expertly arranged before my arrival: An agent met our flight and informed all of us going to Bangkok that we had been rescheduled for a flight the following morning and that accommodation had been arranged for us for that evening. I was impressed by the efficiency of China Airlines and the Taipei airport authorities, and I commend them for their handling of a difficult situation. In all, I recommend China Airlines because of the very low cost paid for this set of flights. While China Airlines certainly pales in comparison to ANA, JAL, EVA Air, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines, it is at least as good as Korean Air.
AircraftA350-900
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBangkok to Honolulu via Taipei
Date FlownOctober 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
2/10

"not fly with this airline again"

(Canada)

Trip Verified | Taipei to Vancouver. The onboard experience was fine. The problem with this airline is the ground customer service and code-share system. I have no idea why, but China Airlines would not allow me to select my seats in advance or even change my seats at check-in. It seems that some tickets simply do not have an online check-in or seat selection option. You are forced to get to the check-in desk when it opens (about 3hrs before a flight) and try to get them to change the seat they assign to you. This creates a mad rush at check-in, and a strong likely-hood of not sitting with your companion and getting the middle seat. This is exactly what happened to me in Taipei. I flew in on a code-share flight with Vietnam Airlines. There was no online check-in option for the China Airlines portion of the flight. At check-in in Saigon, China Airlines automatically assigned my wife and me to two middle seats in different rows (not together). I asked the Vietnam Airlines agent if we could change the seat assignments, but they were unable to access seating for China Airlines. When I got to Taipei for the connection, I went to the China Airlines office to change the seats, and they said all seats were assigned and the flight was full, but that the boarding counter could probably do something. I went to the boarding gate, and they said they would make a note of this. I asked what that meant, and they said they would tell the stewardess. I asked what that meant, and they said the stewardess would look for spare seats. I asked why they couldn't see if there were any spare seats, and the boarding gate said they could, and there were none, 'but maybe someone would be too sick to fly'. There was no attempt to look for people that were willing to move from one seat to another to accommodate my wife and I sitting together. No effort what so ever, they just wanted to tell me they took my name. The boarding agents said it was a common problem that people could not check-in online or select their seats in advance. The boarding agents even laughed as I walked away. The problem is not just the boarding agents, its China Airlines inability to allow online check-in or seat selection on booking flights. I'm not sure why they don't have a system that would do this? Regardless, I will not fly with this airline again.
AircraftA350-900
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteTaipei to Vancouver
Date FlownOctober 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
9/10

"service was very good"

(Germany)

Trip Verified | Vienna to Auckland via Taipei and Brisbane. I am very happy with the experience . I flew in Economy Class, at the height of 1,83m / 6ft I had enough legroom. Vienna to Taipei I was offered to change my original seat to a seat in a row which was completely free (I did manage to sleep a couple of hours on this flight as I could kind of lie down during the flight.) The remaining two flights were fully booked and if 3 men sit next to each other, there is not too much space in Economy class but it did not feel uncomfortable. The cabin crew was very friendly and the service was very good. I enjoyed the meals and the in-flight entertainment. The A350-900 is a great and modern airplane I can definitely recommend.
AircraftA350-900
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteVienna to Taipei via Auckland
Date FlownOctober 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
8/10

"I enjoyed both flights"

(Taiwan)

Trip Verified | Taipei to Beijing return. The inbound flight was delayed over one hour. The customer service in Beijing offered passengers snacks and soft drinks. Overall, the service was very nice. Seats are comfortable. I enjoyed both flights.
AircraftBoeing 747-400
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteTaipei to Beijing
Date FlownAugust 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
7/10

"Would recommend for the price"

(Australia)

Trip Verified | We flew Brisbane to London Gatwick via Taipei and return with China Airlines. We weren’t delayed on any of the flights there or back. Blankets, pillows were waiting for us when we boarded. On the longer legs (Taipei - Gatwick & Gatwick - Taipei) amenity kits were provided (we were in economy!) so that was a nice little extra. The seats were not comfortable at all which is a shame and the food was a little disappointing. The cabin service was alright. Would recommend for the price. They were the cheapest tickets at the time of booking.
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBrisbane to London via Taipei
Date FlownSeptember 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
1/10

"lacks basic human courtesy"

(Singapore)

Trip Verified | China Airlines has the worst customer service and support. We booked a round trip from Singapore to Vancouver last week. Our flight got cancelled due to a typhoon in Taipei and we got to know of it just a day before we were suppose to fly. There was no way to reach out to the airlines - no helpline 24*7. It was a struggle to contact the airline and we wrote on their Facebook page on which they responded. They asked to wait and asked to visit the airport next day morning. Got there early morning and they blatantly said they can’t do anything! Flight is cancelled and no replacement to fly. We were told there is one flight which was on very short notice and we coudnt have possibly taken it! With no way out we booked another flight to do our trip paying a lot more extra. We reached Vancouver and were continuously getting messages from China Airlines for our return flight which made us comfortable that our outgoing flight is on! To our horror, we were stopped from boarding the flight! And then came in the China Airlines supervisor who broke some news to us which none bothered to convey till then by the airlines. First he said if you board the flight you can’t get refund for the incoming flight which we technically did use. Yes, we couldn't use because you cancelled the flight and did not give any backup flight to the helpless customer. None of the customer service people at the airport told us about the refund and cancellation in such scenarios. Zero communication. The supervisor blatantly asked to decide whether to board and forget the refund for one way or buy another ticket and take a full refund. We were aghast. This isn’t just a monetary situation but a big mental pressure for someone travelling with family. The airline showed no sympathy towards the child too. To convey the same we went to one of the representatives and they kinda looked lost had no idea and then directed us to someone else, laughing at out back. This is ridiculous and shows the airline lacks basic human courtesy! A little later the supervisor came and said That we can't board the flight altogether! Since the ticket stands null and void! None from the airlines conveyed us till now and instead we were getting all flight updates on messages. Is it a technical problem that your system shows customer wrong information and you the right information? We coudnt sleep looking for another pocket friendly Flight to go Home and hotel to stay. Who’s to be blamed? We may forget the financial loss but the mental agony China Airlines has caused is beyond words.
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteSingapore to Vancouver via Taipei
Date FlownAugust 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
9/10

"A350 is a great plane"

(Italy)

Trip Verified | Denpasar to Rome via Taipei. The first leg on our return journey (DPS-TPE) was by an old 747- 400: the aircraft was pretty rundown, with a bad smell and very narrow seats; the old IFE didn't work properly and FA tried to reboot the system multiple times but my personal screen didn't work properly. Food average. The second leg (TPE-FCO) was a different story: the A350 is a great plane : plenty of space, great IFE and I could stretch my legs and sleep almost the whole flight, wonderful mood lights and smiling FA made this 13 hours journey very pleasant.
AircraftA350-900 / Boeing 747-400
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteDenpasar to Rome via Taipei
Date FlownAugust 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
9/10

"would recommend China Airlines"

(Australia)

Trip Verified | Melbourne to Bangkok via Taipei return. All 4 flights were nothing short of exemplary, operated by an A350, which is much quieter and noticeably reduces jet lag. The crew on all my flights were friendly, professional and very safety conscious. Meal service was prompt and with a smile, and the crew were polite and friendly. I ordered several drinks and requested a toothbrush and an adapter and all were delivered quickly. They passed out hot towels for economy class passengers which is a much-appreciated gesture. During the overnight flight staff often passed through the cabin with water and juice, and kept the toilets clean. My flight back to Melbourne was delayed by 8 hours and we were provided accommodation at the Novotel near Taipei airport and they organised a shuttle bus to take us back to the airport in the morning, I found the ground staff at Taipei airport to be friendly and customer focused. The onboard entertainment system is easy to navigate and had many new releases and TV shows to choose from. The only aspect that could be improved is their food options, I found most of my meals to be lacking flavor, however they did offer an ice cream bar and a bread roll with all meals. Staff offer a selection of juice soft drinks, wine and coffee/Chinese tea with the meal service. I would not hesitate to fly with them again, in fact I found their service to be superior to Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines and would recommend China Airlines without hesitation.
AircraftA350
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteMelbourne to Bangkok via Taipei
Date FlownAugust 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
7/10

"there is good legroom space"

(Australia)

Trip Verified | Taipei to Vancouver. Relatively new A350 with comfortable seats and nice 11" IFE screen with USB and power outlet. The back seat design lacks enough forethought in not making available slots for tablets and mobile phones and a hook for small items to hang. Having said that there is good legroom space. The entertainment choice is still limited. The flight crew service was better than the ICN-TPE leg but they lack the courteousness that other Asian airlines are known for. One example, one flight attendant told a passenger to bring the seat back upright for a meal. She was quite rude and abrupt. For a Chinese her manner would have been viewed as a typical request, but as a flight attendant serving passengers of various nationalities, that would not be acceptable. She looked as if she was one of the more senior member of the flight crew. The food was still below average and the flight attendants were once again rushing through the meal service offering coffee and tea even though passengers had not finished the main meal. Overall, they lack the expected attention to detail and professionalism to compete effectively with other airlines. The excellent hardware, ie. the plane, is let down by the subpar flight crew service.
AircraftA350-900
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteTaipei to Vancouver
Date FlownJuly 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
6/10

"lacks polish and professionalism"

(Australia)

Trip Verified | Seoul Incheon to Taipei. The flight crew lacks the polish and professionalism of some airlines. The meal service was rushed with coffee and tea being offered even before most could finish the meal and in a rushed manner that if you were not paying attention you would have missed them. The IFE is an old outdated 6.5" touch screen that is due for an update with relatively limited choice of entertainment. The pillows and blankets were not separately packaged raising questions of possible sanitation. The food quality is below average. One thing that is going for China Airlines is their fare which tends to be cheaper than others.
AircraftA330-300
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteSeoul Incheon to Taipei
Date FlownJuly 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
5/10

"bad experience in my baggage"

(Canada)

Trip Verified | Manila to Vancouver via Taipei. My overall experience is okay. Needs further improvement on the audio. Also, the food should be improved, aesthetically and by flavor. Our taste buds aren’t much functional when in high altitude, so it is a must that aroma and flavor of the food compliments each other, or else, all of the food will just taste all pretty much the same. I had a bad experience in my baggage when the ground steward in Manila told me that my baggage will go straight to Saskatoon (my final destination), and not to be picked up in Vancouver. Since I was a new flyer, I didn’t know much of this. I even clarified (twice) with the steward if I will be picking it up in Saskatoon or Vancouver, and he kept on saying that it’s gonna be in Saskatoon. But when I arrived in Saskatoon, my baggage wasn’t there. So much inconvenience on my part. They need to have well-trained and knowledgeable staff when it comes to these types of situation, or a mentor should be around in this case. With this, I don’t know if I will fly with China Airlines anymore.
AircraftA333 / A359
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteManila to Vancouver via Taipei
Date FlownJuly 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
10/10

"Amazing cabin crew"

(Germany)

Trip Verified | Frankfurt to Hanoi via Taipei. Amazing cabin crew. They are professional, caring and nice. Updated in-flight entertainment programme. Food is fairly good. They serve ice-cream for lunch.
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteFrankfurt to Hanoi via Taipei
Date FlownJuly 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
2/10

"food was very boring"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | Sydney to London via Taipei. The walking aisle was no bigger than for 1 person (like planes in short flights), therefore it was not possible to stretch your legs, and in the flight London - Sydney you really need it. I would not recommend this company for more than 4 hr flight max. The food was very boring, pretty much all the same - rice with something. I was woken up by staff in the middle of the flight and ask to move to my original seat even I was already there, I showed my ticked, however the staff didn't apologise me. Very upsetting when it is very hard to fall in sleep in the very uncomfortable flight, but instead of enjoying it you been woken up.
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteSydney to London via Taipei
Date FlownJanuary 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
10/10

"comfortable and quiet"

(Taiwan)

Trip Verified | Delhi to Taipei. Service excellent and staff were professional. Food was far better than expected. The plane was very comfortable and quiet. After 8 hours plus of travel arrived to Taipei Flights seem to go quick.
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteDelhi to Taipei
Date FlownMay 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
10/10

"Fare unbeatable"

(Australia)

Trip Verified | Service excellent, all staff were professional. Food was far better than expected. The A350 was very comfortable and quiet. After 24 hours plus of travel arrived into Gatwick with no aches and pains. Flights seem to go quick. Leg room excellent. Only thing missing was the camera. Previously flown China Airlines from Syd to Akl and on the A330 they had the nose camera and the kids loved seeing take off and landing. The A350 does not have this. The camera is a very minor point as the IFE made up for this. System very quick and did not cause any issues. Good selection of movies and TV shows. Fare unbeatable.
AircraftA350
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteSydney to Gatwick via Taipei
Date FlownApril 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
1/10

" Unbelievably horrible"

(United States)

Not Verified | Los Angeles to Manila via Taipei. Unbelievably horrible! Flight for my brother was May 1st. It's now the 7th and my brother still doesn't have his luggage! He can't buy clothes his size in the Philippines. I spent 7 hours and $200 in international calls trying to track down his lost luggage. His luggage "may" show up in Manila tomorrow - seriously? Worst customer service.
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteLos Angeles to Manila via Taipei
Date FlownMay 2019
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no