In June 2023, I took a trip from Taipei to Japan. This time I flew to Naha on the delightful Japanese island of Okinawa. With a scheduled duration of around one and a half hours, I flew on what is currently Starlux’s shortest flight.
The airline operated its first flight in January 2020 and since then has been growing its fleet of Airbus aircraft and its network. Its latest destinations include Sendai in Japan and Cebu in the Philippines. In April 2023, Starlux started its first long-haul intercontinental route to Los Angeles, USA.
Continue reading to see what the flights from Taipei to Naha and back were like and what you can expect when flying in economy class on a Starlux Airbus A321neo.
Check-in in Taipei and Naha
Starlux operates from Terminal 1 at Taoyuan International Airport and has a common check-in arrangement for its collection of flights, with separate check-in desks for economy, premium economy/self-check-in, and business class. On the day I flew to Okinawa (a Friday) queueing was well organized and queue lengths were short.
Check-in and baggage services, including manual transfer of check-in bags from the desk to the baggage conveyor, at Taoyuan International Airport are performed by Starlux’s staff in their smart and eye-catching uniforms.
At Naha International Airport, Starlux’s check-in is located in Zone C where seven desks were available when I checked in – one for business class, one for special assistance passengers, one for self-check-in/bag drop, and four for economy class/groups.
Since Starlux Airlines has teamed up with the animated film Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse from June 1, 2023, to August 31, 2023, some of the service was Spiderman-themed. Among things:
- Check-in information screens have a Spiderman animation
- Boarding passes are Spiderman-themed
- Spiderman hand baggage tags are available
- Spiderman stickers are given out to all passengers
Unfortunately, though, the airline did not make any Spiderman special liveries.
Boarding and Departure – Outbound Flight
At Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1, after check-in, passengers ascend to the next level of the terminal for departure security and immigration checks. I experienced a relatively short and fast-moving queue at security and no queue for immigration. I was in the airside departure hall within minutes.
The airport currently has two terminals (1 and 2), with four concourses (A, B, C, and D). You can walk airside to any gate regardless of which terminal you use to check in, but the aircraft are usually parked at gates in concourses A and B for Terminal 1 airlines including Starlux. My departure gate was in Concourse B (gate B1). The gate waiting area is located one level down from the main concourse level and is accessible by stairs and a lift.
The gate was large and had enough seats for all waiting passengers.
Boarding was organized by class with special assistance passengers and business class entering the aircraft first, followed by economy which was divided into zones based on seat numbers.
The flight departure time was scheduled for 11:25AM. Boarding began on time at 10:55AM and we pushed back a few minutes early. After a relatively short taxi to the runway, the aircraft took off at 11:33AM.
Boarding and Departure – Return Flight
After check-in, I went up one level for security, customs, and immigration checks. The security queue was short but moved very slowly. After security, I very quickly passed the customs and immigration checks by simply scanning my passport.
The departure gate (43B) was just a short walk away. The retail and F&B facilities after security and immigration are quite limited. If you want to eat or shop, it might be better to do this before you go through security.
My return flight’s departure was scheduled for 3:00AM with a boarding time of 2:30PM. However, there was a delay owing to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft from Taoyuan International Airport. Boarding commenced at 3:00PM and was completed at around 3:20PM. We pushed back just after 3:30PM and took off at 3:45PM.
Starlux A321neo Economy Class Cabin and Seat
The Starlux A321neo is equipped with a total of 188 seats in just two classes.
At the very front of the aircraft, the business class cabin has 8 lie-flat bed seats in a 2-2 layout. Behind that are 180 economy class seats with a 30-31” pitch in a 3-3 layout. The economy class cabin has an attractive and coordinated color scheme using the ‘champagne’ and silver/grey Starlux corporate colors.
On my way to Naha International Airport, I was lucky enough to sit in seat 15H which is an emergency exit row seat with very generous legroom. On the return journey, I sat in standard row 10 seat, but even though I am quite tall I found the legroom acceptable for a short flight.
There is one toilet located at the front of the aircraft for business class passengers and three toilets at the rear of the aircraft for economy class passengers.
Each economy class seat has a decently sized crystal clear, high-resolution IFE screen housed in the rear of the seat in front of you. The bottom edge of the IFE screen is equipped with a USB charging port and a headphones socket.
Each seat has a fold-out table for the meal service. The back of the seat in front of me had a document storage compartment with a safety card, an in-flight magazine (Kiânn), and an in-flight shopping catalog.
Blankets, pillows, and amenity kits are not provided by default but are available on request. There is an adjustable leather headrest to help you sleep.
Starlux A321neo In-Flight Entertainment System
The Starlux A321neo is equipped with a comprehensive inflight entertainment (IFE) system. There are around 100 movies and around 60 TV shows to choose from. The music choice seemed endless and there were around 15 games to play.
In addition to the in-flight entertainment itself, there is also an in-flight map that allows you to follow the progress of your flight. There were plenty of different map views to choose from.
Starlux Safety Demonstration Video
Like a number of airlines these days, Starlux is making a statement with its safety demonstration video. Starlux’s video is called ‘Star Wonderers’ and the theme is futuristic space travel. The video is very much in the style of Pixar with wacky cartoon-like alien characters and humans that seem to have mutated and have only one large eye.
The video is amusing and is available to watch again via the in-flight entertainment service.
Starlux Short-Haul Economy Class Lunch
Given the short duration of these flights, the meal service started as soon as the seatbelt signs were switched off.
On these very short Starlux flights there is no meal choice available and the meal is served cold. On both flights, we were served cold noodle dishes with a drink carton. Other drinks are available only on request. The food was well presented and quite tasty. Even economy class passengers have the luxury of eating with metal cutlery on Starlux.
It’s worth noting that during the partnership, part of the meal is Spiderman-themed too and so are some amenities including drink stirrers and eye masks.
Starlux A321neo In-Flight Wi-Fi
Starlux aircraft are equipped with a variety of Wi-Fi services available for passengers.
There’s a free service that you can use if you just want to use messaging apps such as Whatsapp, Line, Messenger, or WeChat. If you want to surf the internet or use social media then you need to get one of the paid packages. There are two options:
- 30MB: 5 USD
- 100MB: 10 USD
While those prices seem reasonable in absolute terms, it’s necessary to keep in mind that the data limits are stringent and easy to use up quickly.
Arrival in Naha and Back in Taipei
The aircraft cabin was prepared for landing and we touched down at 1:46PM local time at Naha International Airport. Prior to the landing, we vectored to the east before the approach but still landed almost a quarter of an hour before the scheduled arrival time of 2:00PM. We were parked at the gate by 1:58PM.
After disembarking we made our way to the customs and immigration control which were both quick and easy processes. The Japanese authorities accept online forms with a QR code for these processes, or your details and declarations can be completed using paper forms.
On the return journey, we touched down at 3:54PM, around 20 minutes late, and we were at the gate at 4.04PM. I was through all the arrivals processes and in the arrivals hall around 30 minutes later.
Starlux A321neo Economy Class Summary
Overall, Starlux’s economy class product is very good – the cabin is stylish, the cabin crew is helpful and friendly and there are lots of little extra touches that make flying economy class with Starlux a pleasant experience.
I think Starlux has made a fantastic start and is definitely a great choice if you are flying to or from Taiwan, or if you want to travel between Los Angeles and various destinations in Asia via Taipei. I will be very interested to watch as Starlux continues to grow its network across Asia and hopefully around the world.
In the meantime, make sure to check out my other Starlux revies including their A350 premium economy class and A330neo economy class.
