Starlux Airlines' new Phoenix-Taiwan flights now on sale
Taiwan has become a popular destination for both business and leisure travelers, and, starting Jan. 15, travelers will be able to fly nonstop to the island nation from Phoenix.
This spring, upscale Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines revealed it would begin operating nonstop flights three times weekly between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
And now, those flights are available to book.
They will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, departing Taiwan at 8:45 p.m. and landing in Phoenix at 5:40 p.m., all times local. The return flights will depart Phoenix at 10:45 p.m. and land in Taipei at 4:55 a.m., technically two days later.
Related: First look: Capella Taipei marks the first major luxury opening in over a decade for Taipei
Starlux already operates direct flights to Taipei from Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Ontario, California. It will be the only airline operating the direct route between Taipei and Phoenix. This new route also marks Phoenix's first-ever nonstop route to Asia.
Flights will operate on Airbus A350-900s, and they will clock in at 11 hours and 55 minutes eastbound and 15 hours and 10 minutes westbound. The planes feature economy, premium economy, business-class and first-class cabins. When TPG's Clint Henderson flew from LA to Taipei in Starlux's business class in 2024, he had nothing but rave reviews of the airline's food and service.
Prices for a one-way economy ticket fall between $448 and $650, and premium economy prices climb to more than $1,000 each way.
This direct route doesn't offer much business-class or first-class availability until the summertime. In July, a business-class seat costs around $4,000 one-way.
Meanwhile, a first-class seat comes in at more than $10,000 one-way.
Luckily, travelers will be able to skip the cash costs and instead pay for seats on this new Starlux route using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. There are no good business-class redemption opportunities at the moment, but Starlux's direct-to-Taipei routes from other U.S. cities like Seattle come in at around 75,000 miles (plus taxes and fees) each way via Alaska Airlines. So, once this Phoenix route gets up and running, there will likely be some solid rates.
We recommend setting an alert on Seats.aero or a similar redemption-availability platform website so you can be notified when better offers pop up.
Related: High-gloss glamour: A review of the W Taipei in Taiwan
Related reading:
- Flying Starlux and Japan airlines in business class: How I used Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles to make it happen
- The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
- Best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
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