This Unknown Startup Airline Just Ordered 17 A350s
A new startup airline has made an ambitious order at the Farnborough Air Show today. Taiwan-based StarLux Airlines placed an order for 17 Airbus A350s in an effort to build out its long-haul fleet.
A competitor to the Boeing 787, the A350 went into service in 2015 and is known for its ability to make the economics of long-haul point-to-point routes more feasible with its better fuel burn and reduced maintenance costs.
The $6 billion deal includes orders for 12 of the larger A350-1000s and five midsize A350-900s. It's a boost to Airbus' -1000 model, which hasn't sold nearly as well as the -900.
StarLux has yet to operate any flights but plans to begin short-haul operations in 2020 with an initial lease of 10 narrow-body Airbus A321neos. The airline was founded and is currently lead by Chang Kuo-wei, former chairman of Taiwanese carrier EVA Air.
StarLux has plans to operate long-haul routes by 2022, including flights to North America, in addition to shorter intra-Asia flights. It will compete with other Taiwanese carriers like Star Alliance carrier Eva Air and SkyTeam carrier China Airlines.
Airbus has confirmed 27 orders for the A350 at Farnborough so far, with China's Sichuan Airlines signing on to purchase 10 A350-900s.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month

