When competing with fellow Taiwanese carriers China Airlines and EVA Air, the relatively new kid on the block Starlux Airlines has to impress in order to win market share. Still, in its few years of operations to date, the carrier has established itself as a competitive alternative to Taiwan's two main legacy airlines, with its three different premium cabins, in particular, certainly putting the (Star)lux in luxury.
The three non-economy offerings that Starlux makes available to its passengers are premium economy, business class, and first class, with the exact cabins offered depending on the aircraft used. Nonetheless, whichever plane or premium cabin the carriers' passengers choose, they will likely be in for a treat, given the quality of the product available. Let's take a closer look at the makeup of these cabins.
First class on the Airbus A350
We will begin, rather aptly on account of the product's name, by taking a deep dive into Starlux Airlines' first class offering. What passengers should immediately be aware of is the fact that this is only available on the carrier's Airbus A350-900 aircraft. According to data from ch-aviation, the airline has eight of these in its fleet with an average age of 1.1 years old, and two more are on order.
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Starlux Airlines' eight Airbus A350-900 aircraft, of which six were active and two were undergoing maintenance at the time of writing, each have four first class seats onboard. Present fleet data from aeroLOPA shows that these are laid out in a single row with a 1-2-1 configuration, located at the very front of the aircraft's cabin, offering prime access to the bathrooms situated at the nose of the jet.
According to Starlux Airlines, these suites feature high-definition 32-inch screens, as well as a personal wardrobe and minibar in the vicinity of the seat. They also benefit from optimum aspects when it comes to privacy, as they feature a 60-inch partition and a door. Passengers can charge their devices in a multitude of ways, including universal AC, USB-A, USB-C, and even wireless charging.
Photo: Starlux Airlines
A particularly noteworthy feature of the fully reclinable seats themselves is the fact that, as detailed by Starlux Airlines, they feature a 'Zero Gravity' mode. This setting "is made possible by NASA space technology and is designed to lower blood pressure, ease weariness from long flights, and relax the whole body." All in all, for those who can afford it, air travel doesn't get much better than Starlux first class.
Business class on the Airbus A350
While all three of Starlux's aircraft types have business class cabins, the logical one to begin with is that of the Airbus A350-900, in order to allow for the most direct comparison with the plane's luxurious first class suites. The business class flatbeds on the carrier's A350-900s are also laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, with the 26 seats taking up the rest of the space between the first and second doors.
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Those readers with a quick mathematical comprehension will have noticed that the 26 seats don't divide exactly into the four that are available per row. Indeed, the cabin consists of seven full rows (numbered from two through to eight) followed by just the middle pair of seats in row nine at the rear of the business class section. Window seats generally have two windows, but row two has just one.
According to aeroLOPA, the seats used in business class on Starlux's A350-900s are "Collins Aerospace Elements suites modified to a BMW Designworks design." While, like the first class suites, these also feature a privacy door and dividing partition, the latter of these is somewhat smaller than in first class, measuring 48.5 inches. The touchscreen is also smaller, but still sizeable, at 24 inches.
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When configured in their bed setting, these seats stretch to between six and seven feet in length, with a maximum width of 23.6 inches. As for when business class passengers on Starlux Airlines' Airbus A350-900s are seated in an upright position, they can expect a width of 19.5 inches between the armrests. Passengers also have a small storage at their disposal, as well as the same chargers as first class.
Business class on the Airbus A330neo
Starlux Airlines' other widebodies at the time of writing are its five examples of the Airbus A330-900 from the European manufacturer's A330neo series. These are 2.3 years old on average, and the carrier has outstanding orders for another three units. Going forward, these aircraft (and the airline's Airbus A350-900s) will be joined by further widebodies in the form of the Airbus A350-1000 and A350F.
Photo: Starlux Airlines
The A330-900s that presently serve Starlux Airlines have 28 business class seats onboard, with these laid out, much like onboard the A350-900, in a four-abreast 1-2-1 configuration. These seven premium rows occupy the entirety of the real estate between the aircraft's first and second doors, and have a staggered layout whereby outer seats are either closer to the window or aisle in alternating rows.
As was the case with the A350-900's business class cabin, these seats were also modified by BMW Designworks, although the model of the seats themselves is different. Indeed, Starlux Airlines chose the Safran Skylounge Core design for business class on its A330-900s, with these flatbeds clocking in at 20 inches wide. Inflight entertainment comes in the form of a UHD screen measuring 17.3 inches.
Photo: Phung Quang Minh | Shutterstock
While this represents something of a compromise compared to the Airbus A350-900's 24-inch offering, passengers can still expect the same abundance of universal AC, USB-A, USB-C, and wireless charging outlets. Unlike the business class cabin onboard Starlux Airlines' Airbus A350-900s, however, the carrier's Airbus A330neo aircraft don't have any blocked windows in this section of the aircraft.
Business class on the Airbus A321neo
Starlux Airlines' third, and most numerous, aircraft type from multinational European planemaker Airbus is the narrowbody A321neo model. The carrier currently has 13 of these single-aisle twinjets at its disposal with an average age of 3.4 years old, as well as another six examples on order. Fitted with Airbus XL overhead lockers, these aircraft have eight business class seats at the front of the cabin.
Photo: Melv_L - MACASR | Wikimedia Commons
Unlike the offering on the carrier's widebody aircraft, not every seat in this small section has direct aisle access, with the 2-2 layout meaning that window seat passengers have to step past their neighbor. However, while the four-abreast layout is a common fixture on narrowbody business class cabins, Starlux Airlines' offering stands out for the fact that the seats aren't just recliners, but, rather, full flatbeds.
The design in question is the 19-inch-wide Collins Aerospace Diamond Parallel, which measures 82 inches in length when converted into its sleeping configuration. Passengers also have access to a small storage compartment and a tablet holder, with the HD touchscreens used for inflight entertainment measuring 15.6 inches. While smaller than the widebody screens, this is still similar to a large laptop.
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Charging options are somewhat more limited, although the shorter flights operated by Starlux Airlines' Airbus A321neos mean that this is less of an issue anyhow. Nonetheless, those who do need them have the choice between universal AC and USB-A outlets. Business class passengers are also provided with double-sided blankets, which Starlux Airlines notes are "made of 100% upcycled plastic bottles."
Premium economy on the Airbus A350
As well as being the only aircraft type in the Starlux Airlines fleet that features a first class cabin, the carrier's Airbus A350-900s are also the only ones that give passengers the chance to sample a premium economy experience. Such cabins, if priced well, can often offer an affordable compromise between value and luxury, allowing passengers to pay a more reasonable rate for their elevated experience.
Photo: Starlux Airlines
Onboard Starlux's Airbus A350-900s, the premium economy section is situated over the front section of the aircraft's wings, directly behind the second door. It consists of 36 seats laid out in four and a half rows in a 2-4-2 configuration, with row 24 being the odd one out and only consisting of the two outer pairs of seats. The model of the seat in question is the PL3530 from German manufacturer Recaro.
At 40 inches, the pitch is more generous than most long-haul premium economy products (that typically sit around the 38-inch mark), and is some nine inches better than what is offered in economy class on Starlux's Airbus A350-900s. The width is also marginally better, at 18.7 inches compared to a flat 18 in economy class, and the seats also recline further, managing a total of eight inches compared to five.
Photo: Omid Behzadpour | Shutterstock
The HD touchscreens used to provide inflight entertainment to Starlux Airlines' premium economy passengers measure 15.6 inches, and also have the option to connect your own wireless headphones via Bluetooth. Charging comes in the form of universal AC and USB outlets, with these located between each pair of seats. On North American routes, premium economy passengers also receive amenity kits.