What I love about your videos is that you don't have an agenda and give every airline a fair shake, even though manufactured drama and klickbait titles would probably get you more eyeballs. Don't ever change, Patrick.
Patrick - Love your content! Beyond the typical flight, seat, menu, amenities, and lounge I extremely appreciate the stats, historical facts and heavy analysis providing a 360 degree, holistic review of the airline! Seriously, great review!
@@PatrickSheaAviation I’m SFO-based as well. (Migrated to Alaska after the Virgin America merger and so now exclusively oneworld.) Hopefully we’ll cross paths in Terminal 1 someday. Continued safe travels!!
I did that flight in late July last year. I was coming from Osaka through Taipei. A friend/hometown next door neighbor who was living in Taipei picked me up and we went to a nearby night market. It was just a couple of hours, but we had a blast and the food and drinks were cheap. The flight from Taipei to Ontario was very good and Ontario airport was everything that LAX was not. Ontario was convenient, less stressful, and the immigration was simple and to the point. I would recommend this flight to anyone. Taipei is a great stopover with an excellent airport.
5:27, Really, they have Dyansity lounge in Kuala Lumpur and Honolulu? No way, wow. China airlines used to fly to Hawaii with stopover for refuel to fly to Los Angeles. Before the pandemic, China airlines used to fly to Hawaii from Taipei, sending the Airbus A350-900. Unfortunately when the pandemic began in 2020 and even post covid, China airlines stop flying to Honolulu, very sad. Hopefully next year, Starlux will fly to Hawaii for the 1st time, but will see what happen if Starlux announce new flights with approval.
How many hours did you sleep on the plane and did you sleep well on the plane with a comfortable seat? I wish China airlines, Airbus A350-900 have 1st class. 1st class is better than flying business or premium economy.
CI is certainly highly under rated, both hard and soft product and safety improved vastly in recent decades. The ROC Taiwan government owns just under 40% of CI now, (down from almost 70% 2 decades ago) about 1/3 via the government owned China Aviation Development Foundation and the rest via the sovereign wealth National Development Fund.
Huh? Their hard product sucks. This is the worse A350 cabin in the sky. In fact, CI has a terrible fleet, from their retired 747, current super old A330, this crappy A350 and densified B777. The problem is all the avgeeks are not objective. Frequent flyers like me hate China's A350. This is so true that China Airlines already have plan to redo the A350 cabin to make it more competitive and humane.
Excellent review I have flown with China Airlines many times, and each time their service has made me feel comfortable and surprised. Although there was one occasion when they forgot my checked luggage in Bangkok, they promptly delivered it back to me the next day. After all, which airline hasn't misplaced luggage before? I'm also curious why, despite China Airlines providing such excellent service, their ranking on Skytrax is consistently in the forties. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific, which I often find provides average service, has been ranked fifth this year.
The lounge near D4 is probably the worst lounge that CI has in TPE. It's dreary and not a window in sight as your in the basement. Sorry, food offerings here aren't that great compared to what I would call their best offering in T1. Unless they have recently opened their own lounge in KL, they are using a commercial outfit (?Priority)which is gawd awful and located just after the 1st security check. I entered, did one turn around and left. Definitely not worth it.
this is probably the most unique long haul flight in the world. If I lived close to that airport I would considering flying china air and connect at TPE to get to Korea to see my parents. Especially if I can get business class or premium economy. I think China airlines will put you in business class for the regional sector if you fly premium economy and the connecting flight doesn't have a premium economy.
Regarding China airlines’ routes in America, you mentioned they were interested in Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta. Which of those do you think is most likely? I think Atlanta could really use them. Are there any ongoing talks?
12:36, That's weird. EVA air flies to Paris non stop, but not China airlines. Interesting. EVA flies to London and Amsterdam with a stopover in Bangkok, but China airlines flies to London and Amsterdam non stop, which is interesting and weird. Even US flights, EVA air flies to Houston, Chicago and Toronto, not China airlines, that's interesting. 22:12, Hainan airlines used to fly to San Jose from Beijing, but stop flying because of the pandemic and even to this post covid day, no signs of resuming flights to San Jose from Beijing.
Seriousely, love you are trying China Airlines but get the name of Communist Party of China and flag of the Republic of China right. Taiwanese flag is something else and not what used to be on CI's tails. Also, CI and BR are about exacly the same in size with one having higher revenue and the other passenger count.
I didn't even know that there was an Ontario in CA - I assumed it was Canada (also CA - confusing huh?! How many Canucks have booked the wrong flight?!) - looks a great service - I loved the finish on the back of the business class 'shell' seats - and the nice touch of the eagle claw lamp- - even it a little incongrous in a modern airliner! You are very knowledgeanle and I really appreciate the time and research you clearly put into your videos - so thank you from London - UK (not London, Ontario lol)!
Looking at the Passengers you would have CI703/704 passengers from Manila NAIA because CI has better service than PR102/103 which is basically the same plane As your Manila to San Francisco trip PR104/105. If you have Hong Konger passengers some see it as CI (中華航空)🇹🇼 A350-941 > CX(國泰航空)🇭🇰 A350-941. Will this beat a DL A350 or not? Excellent trip report, Patrick and for Eva Air TPE-SFO you might use a Hello Kitty gate. From what I can see their they are definitely an improvement from the 2006 era
No, DL's A350, all 3 variants, are better than CI's A350. Lucky for me, I have flown nearly all of SkyTeam A350. CI's A350 is the worst of the worst. In fact, they have a B777 and A350 take off to/from LAX/SFO back to back during parts of the year, and the regular flyers pick the B777. The issue is so serious, CI already have plan to retrofit the relatively new A350 cabin.
@_w_w_ thank you for telling me about it have you tried doing the East Asian versions for me CI 🇹🇼= CX🇭🇰 = SQ🇸🇬 > PR🇵🇭. You will get a different result if you asked a hong konger that did Skyteam Alliance CI vs Oneworld Alliance CX is actually the opposite of yours CI > CX
SJC actually had nonstop flights to TPE at one time: In 2001 when SJC was still an American Airlines hub, American Airlines served TPE from SJC. The route only lasted very briefly and was permanently discontinued not long after 9/11.
There is already talk of CI moving one of the SFO flights to SJC. I keep hearing that from our company's CI rep. Most Taiwanese passengers and those connect to other parts of Asia live closer to SJC.
Please do hard pass DL!!! CI has nothing on DL. Not even close. I am STEP and fly CI and DL every week. CI sucks. I wish SkyTeam kick CI out and replace it with JX.
Patrick -- you and Kevin (Flip Flop Traveler) are BY far the best airline reviewers out there. Thanks for your intelligence, industry knowledge, fascinating narratives and great videos.
It’s always great to avoid the giant airports like LAX. I just wish that these secondary airports became more normal of an option with long haul flights
@@PatrickSheaAviation Same, def a ways to go still but I think we will see the industry trending in this direction if demand keeps up.....there's almost no choice. I only hope that we continue to build out reliable infrastructure to support.
Regarding China airlines’ routes in America, you mentioned they were interested in Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta. Which of those do you think is most likely? I think Atlanta could really use them. Are there any ongoing talks?
Ontario has space for a Terminal 3 next to the main existing terminals. It will replace the older Terminal 1 , link the two and have the international arrivals.
Nice review, could you review emirates business class from jfk to dubai or something of that matter. If you want, I could give some potentially popular ideas for trips. If not and you have a schedule, that’s fine. Cheers from a 14 year old aviation lover. Saying hello from Athens.
The Chinese "brushstrokes" on the lounge walls is called calligraphy; I don't think I'd wanna get lucky with any of United's crew, Singapore yes but not United.
In April and November of 2023, I flew China Airlines to Bangkok Thailand out of Ontario International Airport. China Airlines' presence at Ontario Airport is a heaven-sent because I live only 20 minutes south of the airport, and driving to LAX is a nightmare! The price difference between flying out of LAX and Ontario is negligible when you consider driving over 1 hour+ to LAX from the Ontario area. I don't have to burden my family or friends for a ride to LAX, instead, I take LYFT or UBER to Ontario Airport. Coming back is amazing! Usually, China Airlines is the only aircraft arriving during the afternoon timeslot so you breeze through US Customs and Immigration! At LAX, there could be as many as five international arrivals so you could be waiting in line at immigration with over 1K passengers! This October, I will be flying to Bangkok again on China Airlines out of Ontario. I hope other international carriers will follow China Airlines' example and schedule flights out of this wonderful airport! By the way, I heard that Ontario Airport has plans to build a new international terminal with jet bridges.
Taiwan is my favourite country in Asia that I've been to, and TPE is a great airport. It's not as big as HKG, NRT, HND or ICN so it's easier to navigate, and it's very well equipped with lounges and dining options. I hope you had time to explore Taipei - it's a very cool city worth spending at least a few days in. What I love most about Taiwan is that it's a great place to experience Chinese culture but without the onerous visa requirements, Orwellian surveillance and hostility towards foreigners you often find in mainland China. I flew CI LAX-TPE round trip and TPE-SIN round trip, and they didn't disappoint. The A333 cabins on the SIN flights at the time were a bit tired, but I heard they've been updated. The 773 cabins on the LAX flights were in great shape. The crew were some of the friendliest and most efficient I've dealt with. I was pleasantly surprised to hear you say "aubergine"! I lived half my life in the USA and I think the E word is about the most unappetising name for a food I've ever heard. The 3 Yankese words I refused to let pass my lips are the E word, the C word for "biscuit" and the S word for "football."
as a Californian I find it so fascinating this flight goes to Ontario of all places! Really enjoyed this as I do all your videos. Love you exploring all these different airlines and sharing with us :-)
@elliebeep27 me too. It's, methinks, the smallest airport in Greater LA. Much smaller than Burbank or John Wayne, with a lot less domestic connections. But then, San Bernardino and Riverside are now considered their own metro area, separate from LA. In fact, until CHA launched the flight, Inland Empire was the largest metro area in the US without international-carrier operated direct services. Plus, CHA is one of the largest cargo airlines in the world, and Ontario is the SoCal hub for UPS, so I'm sure cargo flights had flown to Ontario from Taiwan for decades before the passanger service begun. So, on closer examination, it makes a lot of sense.
@@PatrickSheaAviation It makes sense but is still so weird being ONT is such a small airport! I could just imagine some huge plane coming in to BUR or something lol.
@@elliebeep27 Actually, ONT is a much larger airport from the standpoint of its facilities. BUR has two relatively short runways whereas ONT has two very long runways that are double the length of BUR's. ONT is also a major but for UPS and sees large aircraft every day.
Nothing strange at all!! China Airlines used to run multiple shuttle buses from Ontario's nearby cities to haul everyone to/from LAX. This way, they get rid of the cost of the bus, lower their takeoff/landing cost, and reduce the crew's overnight hotel cost. Most Taiwanese do not like to fly China Airlines and prefer EVA, so by increase the convenience, they hope people will overlook the checker past of China Airlines. If they don't do this, EVA and Starlux will eat away all of their business. Most of their SFO/LAX flights have very few Taiwanese passengers - they are mostly carrying connecting passengers to Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and so on these days.
With regards to service to San Jose, CA, I feel it would cannibalize their SFO flights. San Jose has literally lost all their International flights pre Covid. Air Premia, Korea, initially announced a ICN-SJC but launched SFO instead. The “business” argument for SJC is a myth. AA tried 3 times to make it a hub, even launching SJC for 6 mths, but failed. IMO, you will not see another TW carrier into SJC.
Tbh I don’t know if cannibalizing SFO flights is the worst thing in the world. SFO is way way way over capacity and they still have big growth plans. If some of these carriers moved to SJC, it could open up most space at SFO for Alaska to grow their presence, or some of the other international carriers. San Jose just needs to grow its international recognition
No visit to the onboard Sky Lounge located just behind Business class? Last time I flew CI, the business class Sky Lounge was stocked with Taiwanese snacks, teas, Nespresso, and even had a mini bar. On both their 777 and A350 it’s located by the L2/R2 doors.
How is the load factor on this flight? I saw this one on approach to ONT and I was like mhmm detour but after some research i got to know it was a scheduled flight and was pleasantly surprised.
It was fairly full but not quite as much as LAX/SFO. I didn’t get a good look at economy, but most airlines make the money off business class which was probably around 75% full
Flying into ONT has benefits. It's closer to Disneyland and only 37 minutes (39.5 miles) from downtown LA. Also, the landing fees are far cheaper than LAX.
Hi Patrick, thank you for this flight report. I still prefer EVA Air, then Starlux, finally China Airlines. We still have phobia flying CI due to its past accidents which could be prevented. Anyway I enjoyed this flight report and hope to watch your flight report with EVA Air.
Another superb video Patrick! Ontario is the airport to supplant LAX in LA county for a handful of asian airlines. They purportedly abstain from flying into and out of an oversaturated airport such as LAX. Amusingly, I was thinking of Ontario province Canada first while seeing the title of the video.
@@PatrickSheaAviation it was my first time in business. I flew from Miami to Madrid then to Barcelona. They were supposed to have a 1-2-1 layout mia to mad, but switched aircraft. It was a 2-2-2. But hey, was my first business class flight, wasn’t going to complain. Service was great, food was great, but I didn’t have anything to compare to, LOLI hope you fly them soon! Can’t wait to see the report.
Weird that you got this intermediate step towards hell that is the basement lounge of china airlines in a very empty state. I never experienced any trace of nice or quality food there. I would rather go to any random food shop in this entire airport than suffer this horrible apocalyptic lounge.
You are sort of right, the economic freedoms of Taiwan, Republic of China has allowed two other companies to start and grow competing airlines. But CAL was the original International Carrier of Taiwan, Republic of China.
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What I love about your videos is that you don't have an agenda and give every airline a fair shake, even though manufactured drama and klickbait titles would probably get you more eyeballs. Don't ever change, Patrick.
Thanks man! Great to hear that!
+100, really appreciate the straightforward approach!
I totally agree! it’s just a relaxed but honest Review without drama or constant exaggeration :)
Patrick - Love your content! Beyond the typical flight, seat, menu, amenities, and lounge I extremely appreciate the stats, historical facts and heavy analysis providing a 360 degree, holistic review of the airline! Seriously, great review!
Thanks man! Love to hear it!
@@PatrickSheaAviation I’m SFO-based as well. (Migrated to Alaska after the Virgin America merger and so now exclusively oneworld.) Hopefully we’ll cross paths in Terminal 1 someday. Continued safe travels!!
Thanks for the info as always. I didn’t know that China Airlines is flag carrier of Taiwan 🇹🇼.
I did that flight in late July last year. I was coming from Osaka through Taipei. A friend/hometown next door neighbor who was living in Taipei picked me up and we went to a nearby night market. It was just a couple of hours, but we had a blast and the food and drinks were cheap. The flight from Taipei to Ontario was very good and Ontario airport was everything that LAX was not. Ontario was convenient, less stressful, and the immigration was simple and to the point. I would recommend this flight to anyone. Taipei is a great stopover with an excellent airport.
Very nice video, interesting history lesson. Love the interior, it looks very nice, maybe a little too much though.
They don’t fly to Montreal or Toronto there only Canadian destination is Vancouver - Eva serves Vancouver and Toronto but not Montreal.
Yup. On their bucket list still
Excellent as always Patrick. China Airlines is a great experience - both hard and soft product.
Thanks! I definitely enjoyed it!
Love they have different themes at the gates. The inflight food looked delicious.
Totally! A fun experience for sure!
@@PatrickSheaAviation please fly the exact route again soon and show us the other meal option 😅
5:27, Really, they have Dyansity lounge in Kuala Lumpur and Honolulu? No way, wow. China airlines used to fly to Hawaii with stopover for refuel to fly to Los Angeles. Before the pandemic, China airlines used to fly to Hawaii from Taipei, sending the Airbus A350-900. Unfortunately when the pandemic began in 2020 and even post covid, China airlines stop flying to Honolulu, very sad. Hopefully next year, Starlux will fly to Hawaii for the 1st time, but will see what happen if Starlux announce new flights with approval.
glad you had a great flight! I commented on your delta video from Seattle into Taipei, told you that you'd like it😂
How many hours did you sleep on the plane and did you sleep well on the plane with a comfortable seat? I wish China airlines, Airbus A350-900 have 1st class. 1st class is better than flying business or premium economy.
American Airlines used to have a major San Jose Asian hub, in the 1980's.
CI is certainly highly under rated, both hard and soft product and safety improved vastly in recent decades. The ROC Taiwan government owns just under 40% of CI now, (down from almost 70% 2 decades ago) about 1/3 via the government owned China Aviation Development Foundation and the rest via the sovereign wealth National Development Fund.
Yup! I totally agree with you. Just look at my comments.
Huh? Their hard product sucks. This is the worse A350 cabin in the sky. In fact, CI has a terrible fleet, from their retired 747, current super old A330, this crappy A350 and densified B777. The problem is all the avgeeks are not objective. Frequent flyers like me hate China's A350. This is so true that China Airlines already have plan to redo the A350 cabin to make it more competitive and humane.
San Jose did have nonstop service to TPE that started up just before 9.11 operated by AA. It didn’t last long but I flew it twice back then.
Yea I do miss the SJC days of long haul travels
Excellent review
I have flown with China Airlines many times, and each time their service has made me feel comfortable and surprised. Although there was one occasion when they forgot my checked luggage in Bangkok, they promptly delivered it back to me the next day. After all, which airline hasn't misplaced luggage before?
I'm also curious why, despite China Airlines providing such excellent service, their ranking on Skytrax is consistently in the forties. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific, which I often find provides average service, has been ranked fifth this year.
The lounge near D4 is probably the worst lounge that CI has in TPE. It's dreary and not a window in sight as your in the basement. Sorry, food offerings here aren't that great compared to what I would call their best offering in T1. Unless they have recently opened their own lounge in KL, they are using a commercial outfit (?Priority)which is gawd awful and located just after the 1st security check. I entered, did one turn around and left. Definitely not worth it.
Taipei Airways or Airlines? Air Taipei? Few people know that China Airlines is actually from Taiwan.
It’s the airlines of Taiwan, the Republic of (Free) China.
Starlux Airlines is the best.
I did enjoy Starlux as well. A very different experience, but both great in their own ways
China Airlines starts SEA-TPE service in 2 weeks, July 14th, 2024.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
SJC did in fact see service to TPE! AA flew (or at least planned to fly) this route pre-9/11 daily with a three class 777.
this is probably the most unique long haul flight in the world. If I lived close to that airport I would considering flying china air and connect at TPE to get to Korea to see my parents. Especially if I can get business class or premium economy. I think China airlines will put you in business class for the regional sector if you fly premium economy and the connecting flight doesn't have a premium economy.
It’s definitely a fun route. Not sure if it wins the award of “most unique” but it’s up there for sure
Korean Air is better. I sometimes do SFO-ICN-TPE just to avoid flying on China Airlines.
Regarding China airlines’ routes in America, you mentioned they were interested in Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta. Which of those do you think is most likely? I think Atlanta could really use them. Are there any ongoing talks?
12:36, That's weird. EVA air flies to Paris non stop, but not China airlines. Interesting. EVA flies to London and Amsterdam with a stopover in Bangkok, but China airlines flies to London and Amsterdam non stop, which is interesting and weird. Even US flights, EVA air flies to Houston, Chicago and Toronto, not China airlines, that's interesting. 22:12, Hainan airlines used to fly to San Jose from Beijing, but stop flying because of the pandemic and even to this post covid day, no signs of resuming flights to San Jose from Beijing.
Seriousely, love you are trying China Airlines but get the name of Communist Party of China and flag of the Republic of China right. Taiwanese flag is something else and not what used to be on CI's tails. Also, CI and BR are about exacly the same in size with one having higher revenue and the other passenger count.
Fair enough
The flag of the Republic of China is 🇹🇼
Seeing how it’s China Airlines, that lamp is probably a dragons foot.
I think it symbolizes a dragon capturing the dragon ball as the passenger is literally flying
Interesting. I guess that could make sense
So lucky we took the same air craft and also same seat 😂😂
I was on the flight 6/10 ONT-TPE also sitting on 17K.
Ha damn almost the same place same time
I didn't even know that there was an Ontario in CA - I assumed it was Canada (also CA - confusing huh?! How many Canucks have booked the wrong flight?!) - looks a great service - I loved the finish on the back of the business class 'shell' seats - and the nice touch of the eagle claw lamp- - even it a little incongrous in a modern airliner! You are very knowledgeanle and I really appreciate the time and research you clearly put into your videos - so thank you from London - UK (not London, Ontario lol)!
The man who founded Ontario, California came from Ontario, Canada.
A350, im hyped!
This is one of the worst A350 interior. Once you fly it on a regular basis, you will realize how deficient it is...
American Airlines once operated between San Jose and Taiepi in early 2000s
FYI: From Spool-Up to Rotation:
49:41 Seconds.... 👍
Looking at the Passengers you would have CI703/704 passengers from Manila NAIA because CI has better service than PR102/103 which is basically the same plane As your Manila to San Francisco trip PR104/105. If you have Hong Konger passengers some see it as CI (中華航空)🇹🇼 A350-941 > CX(國泰航空)🇭🇰 A350-941. Will this beat a DL A350 or not?
Excellent trip report, Patrick and for Eva Air TPE-SFO you might use a Hello Kitty gate.
From what I can see their they are definitely an improvement from the 2006 era
No, DL's A350, all 3 variants, are better than CI's A350. Lucky for me, I have flown nearly all of SkyTeam A350. CI's A350 is the worst of the worst. In fact, they have a B777 and A350 take off to/from LAX/SFO back to back during parts of the year, and the regular flyers pick the B777. The issue is so serious, CI already have plan to retrofit the relatively new A350 cabin.
@_w_w_ thank you for telling me about it have you tried doing the East Asian versions for me CI 🇹🇼= CX🇭🇰 = SQ🇸🇬 > PR🇵🇭.
You will get a different result if you asked a hong konger that did Skyteam Alliance CI vs Oneworld Alliance CX is actually the opposite of yours CI > CX
I miss China Airlines Boeing B747-400.
SJC actually had nonstop flights to TPE at one time: In 2001 when SJC was still an American Airlines hub, American Airlines served TPE from SJC. The route only lasted very briefly and was permanently discontinued not long after 9/11.
SJC used to have a big AA trans-pacific presence… I wish that still existed
@@PatrickSheaAviation It was never a large presence, just flights to NRT & TPE.
There is already talk of CI moving one of the SFO flights to SJC. I keep hearing that from our company's CI rep. Most Taiwanese passengers and those connect to other parts of Asia live closer to SJC.
Traveled SEA-TPE-SEA on BR and CI. Favorable experiences, to say the least. Can't wait to try JX.
I'll (hard) pass DL.
Definitely a great collection of airlines in TPE!
Please do hard pass DL!!! CI has nothing on DL. Not even close. I am STEP and fly CI and DL every week. CI sucks. I wish SkyTeam kick CI out and replace it with JX.
Patrick -- you and Kevin (Flip Flop Traveler) are BY far the best airline reviewers out there. Thanks for your intelligence, industry knowledge, fascinating narratives and great videos.
Thanks! I appreciate it
I Have Experience A350 Business Class Amsterdam-Taipei,I Love Product.Great Video And Info
Awesome!
Ont is a solid little airport. With the ongoing rail infrastructure upgrade and build going on, it could become much more important soon
It’s always great to avoid the giant airports like LAX. I just wish that these secondary airports became more normal of an option with long haul flights
@@PatrickSheaAviation Same, def a ways to go still but I think we will see the industry trending in this direction if demand keeps up.....there's almost no choice. I only hope that we continue to build out reliable infrastructure to support.
Regarding China airlines’ routes in America, you mentioned they were interested in Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta. Which of those do you think is most likely? I think Atlanta could really use them. Are there any ongoing talks?
@patrickshea
Ontario has space for a Terminal 3 next to the main existing terminals. It will replace the older Terminal 1 , link the two and have the international arrivals.
That would be great to see, especially if they plan on growing their international route network
Nice review, could you review emirates business class from jfk to dubai or something of that matter. If you want, I could give some potentially popular ideas for trips. If not and you have a schedule, that’s fine. Cheers from a 14 year old aviation lover. Saying hello from Athens.
I ❤ Chinese Taipei
The Chinese "brushstrokes" on the lounge walls is called calligraphy; I don't think I'd wanna get lucky with any of United's crew, Singapore yes but not United.
In April and November of 2023, I flew China Airlines to Bangkok Thailand out of Ontario International Airport. China Airlines' presence at Ontario Airport is a heaven-sent because I live only 20 minutes south of the airport, and driving to LAX is a nightmare! The price difference between flying out of LAX and Ontario is negligible when you consider driving over 1 hour+ to LAX from the Ontario area. I don't have to burden my family or friends for a ride to LAX, instead, I take LYFT or UBER to Ontario Airport. Coming back is amazing! Usually, China Airlines is the only aircraft arriving during the afternoon timeslot so you breeze through US Customs and Immigration! At LAX, there could be as many as five international arrivals so you could be waiting in line at immigration with over 1K passengers! This October, I will be flying to Bangkok again on China Airlines out of Ontario. I hope other international carriers will follow China Airlines' example and schedule flights out of this wonderful airport! By the way, I heard that Ontario Airport has plans to build a new international terminal with jet bridges.
TPE=DTW would be a great route for them with the DL connectability. DL/NW used to fly DTW-NGO-TPE with the 744.
I flew them once from SFO to Singapore and return via TPE. Even their economy service is pretty good.
Dynasty used to be the name of their Business class and why the lounge is still call the Dynasty Lounge.
07:15 - Pikachu Jet CI
16:01 - Donnie Yen as the Wing Chun master Ip Man?
Taiwan is my favourite country in Asia that I've been to, and TPE is a great airport. It's not as big as HKG, NRT, HND or ICN so it's easier to navigate, and it's very well equipped with lounges and dining options. I hope you had time to explore Taipei - it's a very cool city worth spending at least a few days in. What I love most about Taiwan is that it's a great place to experience Chinese culture but without the onerous visa requirements, Orwellian surveillance and hostility towards foreigners you often find in mainland China.
I flew CI LAX-TPE round trip and TPE-SIN round trip, and they didn't disappoint. The A333 cabins on the SIN flights at the time were a bit tired, but I heard they've been updated. The 773 cabins on the LAX flights were in great shape. The crew were some of the friendliest and most efficient I've dealt with.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear you say "aubergine"! I lived half my life in the USA and I think the E word is about the most unappetising name for a food I've ever heard. The 3 Yankese words I refused to let pass my lips are the E word, the C word for "biscuit" and the S word for "football."
Thanks for the info + video!
Thanks!
26:55 COVID
as a Californian I find it so fascinating this flight goes to Ontario of all places! Really enjoyed this as I do all your videos. Love you exploring all these different airlines and sharing with us :-)
@elliebeep27 me too. It's, methinks, the smallest airport in Greater LA. Much smaller than Burbank or John Wayne, with a lot less domestic connections. But then, San Bernardino and Riverside are now considered their own metro area, separate from LA. In fact, until CHA launched the flight, Inland Empire was the largest metro area in the US without international-carrier operated direct services. Plus, CHA is one of the largest cargo airlines in the world, and Ontario is the SoCal hub for UPS, so I'm sure cargo flights had flown to Ontario from Taiwan for decades before the passanger service begun. So, on closer examination, it makes a lot of sense.
Thanks! Ontario is mostly because of the Taiwanese population of the inland empire. Still fun to see big airplanes in small places
@@PatrickSheaAviation It makes sense but is still so weird being ONT is such a small airport! I could just imagine some huge plane coming in to BUR or something lol.
@@elliebeep27 Actually, ONT is a much larger airport from the standpoint of its facilities. BUR has two relatively short runways whereas ONT has two very long runways that are double the length of BUR's. ONT is also a major but for UPS and sees large aircraft every day.
Nothing strange at all!! China Airlines used to run multiple shuttle buses from Ontario's nearby cities to haul everyone to/from LAX. This way, they get rid of the cost of the bus, lower their takeoff/landing cost, and reduce the crew's overnight hotel cost. Most Taiwanese do not like to fly China Airlines and prefer EVA, so by increase the convenience, they hope people will overlook the checker past of China Airlines. If they don't do this, EVA and Starlux will eat away all of their business. Most of their SFO/LAX flights have very few Taiwanese passengers - they are mostly carrying connecting passengers to Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and so on these days.
9:55 it’s not essential oil. It is hair treatment oil. I mean it does smell good
With regards to service to San Jose, CA, I feel it would cannibalize their SFO flights. San Jose has literally lost all their International flights pre Covid. Air Premia, Korea, initially announced a ICN-SJC but launched SFO instead. The “business” argument for SJC is a myth. AA tried 3 times to make it a hub, even launching SJC for 6 mths, but failed. IMO, you will not see another TW carrier into SJC.
Tbh I don’t know if cannibalizing SFO flights is the worst thing in the world. SFO is way way way over capacity and they still have big growth plans. If some of these carriers moved to SJC, it could open up most space at SFO for Alaska to grow their presence, or some of the other international carriers. San Jose just needs to grow its international recognition
No visit to the onboard Sky Lounge located just behind Business class? Last time I flew CI, the business class Sky Lounge was stocked with Taiwanese snacks, teas, Nespresso, and even had a mini bar. On both their 777 and A350 it’s located by the L2/R2 doors.
Something else for next time I guess 🤷♂️
When you try Eva, try departure from Houston
An American saying "aubergine" instead of eggplant causes me astonishment, Patrick Potter! Thanks for sharing!
How is the load factor on this flight? I saw this one on approach to ONT and I was like mhmm detour but after some research i got to know it was a scheduled flight and was pleasantly surprised.
It was fairly full but not quite as much as LAX/SFO. I didn’t get a good look at economy, but most airlines make the money off business class which was probably around 75% full
Thanh you Patrick for uploaded this trip,I have been waiting for couple weeks.
Awesome! Thanks!
Can you get into the lounges with economy?
Great video Patrick - I flown them several times and they are always excellent
Awesome! It’s definitely a fun flight
Flying into ONT has benefits. It's closer to Disneyland and only 37 minutes (39.5 miles) from downtown LA. Also, the landing fees are far cheaper than LAX.
It has its benefits, but people still book LAX because it has better recognition still. SJC shared the same fate
Not everyone wants to land at lax if they live Closer to ONT! Let’s get real😮🤔
Hi Patrick, thank you for this flight report. I still prefer EVA Air, then Starlux, finally China Airlines.
We still have phobia flying CI due to its past accidents which could be prevented.
Anyway I enjoyed this flight report and hope to watch your flight report with EVA Air.
Starlux is still my favorite Taiwanese carrier, but I do hope to get an EVA video out soon!
@@PatrickSheaAviation I am looking forward, which route will you fly on EVA Air? Their longest flights are Taipei to Houston or Taipei to LHR via BKK.
great job on the review!
I prefer long beach. It's easier to get in and out. Good airport
But limited amount of flights and not allowed to handle international flights thanks to NIMBYism.
14:20 Long take-off roll.
Another superb video Patrick! Ontario is the airport to supplant LAX in LA county for a handful of asian airlines. They purportedly abstain from flying into and out of an oversaturated airport such as LAX. Amusingly, I was thinking of Ontario province Canada first while seeing the title of the video.
Tbh idk if we will see other Asian carriers in Ontario soon. The Taiwanese population is definitely the main draw to ONT
Ontario California airport is in San Bernardino county! Not LA county😮
Amazing review as always and thx for the history lesson 😊
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Also try Philippine Airlines' A350, too, either from Manila to Toronto or Manila to JFK
I’m holding out for their A350-1000s but then I’ll be back for sure!
@@PatrickSheaAviation what about their A330? Or their A321neo?
❤ the video bro…
tried eva air
Ontario is kinda like the Narita of LA, it's like a secondary airport to LAX.
I see your point. You’re correct, although it’s a much much smaller airport obviously
Not for LONG 😮😮😮
Ontario Airport’s International Terminal is so small lol. It almost feels like it can accommodate only one big airplane in one time
Yea basically lol… maybe a couple but like still no other interest outside of China Airlines 🤷♂️
It’s only for arrivals. So you clear immigration, customs, get your bag and leave.
Nice❤😍
Is that a wood pattern or a bamboo pattern?
Good point. Looks wood to me… but bamboo I guess could be symbolic of culture 🤷♂️
I was looking forward to this one! Thanks for posting 🎉
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Soon sea will have 4 services
It’s fun seeing a new trans-pacific hub in the US. A 4th airline is big time. Not quite the frequency of LAX/SFO but still seeing a good share
I am curious, how this compares to EVA as well.
Should find out soon 🤞🤞
@@PatrickSheaAviation Hope you have fun!
Air Europa put my mattress pad on when arrived at the seat.
Interesting. I gotta try Air Europa
@@PatrickSheaAviation it was my first time in business. I flew from Miami to Madrid then to Barcelona. They were supposed to have a 1-2-1 layout mia to mad, but switched aircraft. It was a 2-2-2. But hey, was my first business class flight, wasn’t going to complain. Service was great, food was great, but I didn’t have anything to compare to, LOLI hope you fly them soon! Can’t wait to see the report.
Check out long Beach airport
That airport has to many restrictions on it noise abatement😮
@@jdcaldwell5088And no international arrivals ability.
Ontario is owned by Los Angeles
Pretty sure ONT retook control back from LA in 2016
If ONT was owned by LAX ??? Wouldn’t see China airlines there!!! So no San Bernardino county OWNED IT.
Not anymore. The City of Ontario took it back from LAWA 10 years ago.
Way too much talking. Also the audio sound is very weird. Sounds as if you are using a pair of headphones to speak.
die-nasty lounges and endless fake wood accents, oh my! looked like a great trip
Weird that you got this intermediate step towards hell that is the basement lounge of china airlines in a very empty state. I never experienced any trace of nice or quality food there. I would rather go to any random food shop in this entire airport than suffer this horrible apocalyptic lounge.
Dang that’s wild. I loved the noodle bar and snacks. Not sure why it was so empty 🤷♂️
Flag carrier? Fake!
You are sort of right, the economic freedoms of Taiwan, Republic of China has allowed two other companies to start and grow competing airlines. But CAL was the original International Carrier of Taiwan, Republic of China.
Wonderful video!