Starlux Airlines Launches New Taipei–Seattle Route

Taipei-based Starlux Airlines will launch a new route to Seattle later this year.

As of August 2024, the carrier will begin thrice-weekly service on its third US route, following its existing flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Starlux Airlines Launches New Taipei–Seattle Route

Starlux Airlines is set to begin service on its third US route later this year, as first reported by AeroRoutes.

As of August 2024, the Taipei-based carrier will offer thrice-weekly non-stop service between Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Starlux launched routes to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) in 2023, and also entered a partnership with Alaska Airlines, which we’ll discuss in detail below.

Service is set to begin on August 16, 2024, with flight times as follows:

• JX022 Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) to Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), departing 8pm and arriving 4:15pm
• JX021 Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) to Taipei Taoyuan (TPE), departing 2:10am and arriving 5:10am the next day

Starlux will operate its flagship Airbus A350-900 aircraft on this route, with four classes of service to choose from: economy, premium economy, business class, and First Class. 

Reservations on this route have yet to open; however, it’s likely that the route will be open for booking in the near future.

It’s worth noting that Star Alliance-member EVA Air and SkyTeam-member Delta Air Lines also operate this route, albeit with daily service. 

Booking Starlux’s New Seattle Route with Alaska Miles

Once the flights become available for booking, they should also become available to book through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, since Starlux Airlines and Alaska Airlines have a partnership that formed in 2023.

As a reminder, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is undergoing sweeping changes which take effect in March 2024. Flights between the two cities will be subject to distance-based pricing on the new Asia–Pacific award chart.

With the new award chart, non-stop flights between Taipei and Seattle should start at the following levels, since the distance between the two cities measures 6,074 miles, according to Great Circle Mapper:

• Economy: 37,500 miles
• Premium economy: 50,000 miles
• Business class: 75,000 miles

It’s worth noting that Starlux Airlines hasn’t made First Class awards available to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

However, keep in mind that these are “starting at” prices, and you can also wind up paying much more for the same flights.

For example, demand for booking the San Francisco or Los Angeles routes has been quite high since Starlux awards became bookable with Alaska miles in 2023.

While it’s possible to find some availability at these lowest levels if you book far in advance…

You’re more likely to see pricing at elevated levels in premium cabins, which are usually at least double the lowest “starting at” price…

Therefore, if you’d like to give Starlux Airlines a try on the new Seattle route, your best bet will be to book as soon as flights become available through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, as there will hopefully be many dates on which the lowest prices are offered.

Going forward, you’ll likely need to book far in advance to get prices at the most favourable level.

In the US, you can earn Alaska miles through the Bank of America Alaska Airlines co-branded credit cards, by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points into Alaska miles, or by buying points outright (ideally during a sale). 

In Canada, the only ways to earn Alaska miles are to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points or buy miles. However, MBNA has teased that MBNA Rewards will become transferable to Alaska miles this year at a 1:1 ratio. 

While there’s still not a timeline associated with MBNA Rewards becoming Canada’s newest transferable points currency, we’re hopeful to receive confirmation in the near future.

Conclusion

Taipei-based Starlux Airlines will launch a new route to Seattle, beginning in August 2024.

This becomes the carrier’s third destination in the US, following the launch of flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2023.

Once the flights are available for booking, they should be eligible for redemptions through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. If this turns out to be the case, it’s expected that there will be strong demand for awards on the route, especially in premium cabins.