Starlux Airlines Launches New Taipei–San Francisco Route

Taipei-based Starlux Airlines will launch its second route to North America in December 2023, with a new route to San Francisco. The route will begin with thrice-weekly service, before ramping up to daily service in Spring 2024.

As a reminder, Starlux Airlines flights are now bookable through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and you’ll want to act quickly to score award flights at the lowest rates on this route.

Starlux Airlines’s New Taipei–San Francisco Route

Starlux Airlines will begin its second route to North America in December 2023, with service between Taipei (TPE) and San Francisco (SFO).

The inaugural flight is set to begin on December 16, 2023, and will operate on a year-round basis from then.

The eastbound flight from Taipei is scheduled to run just under 11 hours, while the westbound flight from San Francisco clocks in just under 14 hours. 

Initially, flights are scheduled in both directions on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, befor ramping up to daily service in March 2024.

The flight times are as follows:

• JX12 Taipei (TPE) to San Francisco (SFO), departing 11:30pm and arriving 6:15pm
• JX11 San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei (TPE), departing 11:40pm and arriving 5:20am two days later

The route will be served by Starlux Airlines’s flagship Airbus A350 aircraft, with economy, premium economy, and business class cabins.

The flights are already loaded and bookable through Starlux Airlines sales channels, as well as on the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan website.

Booking Starlux Airlines’s New Taipei–San Francisco Route with Points

Earlier this year, flights with Starlux Airlines became bookable with Alaska miles to much fanfare. The introductory pricing on the Taipei–Los Angeles route evaporated within hours; however, it’s still possible to find flights for 75,000 miles on that route.

The good news is that there’s fairly wide-open award availability on the new San Francisco route, with one-way transpacific flights pricing out as follows:

• 37,500 Alaska miles in economy
• 50,000 Alaska miles in premium economy
• 75,000 Alaska miles in business class

Award availability at these rates is quite favourable throughout the next year, at least for now. 

If you don’t find award prices at those levels, you may also see Starlux Airlines flights available at higher levels. For example, business class flights can go for as low as 75,000 miles, but can also sell for as much as 165,000 miles.

If you missed out on booking Starlux Airlines before, be sure to act quickly before the “Saver”-level flights get snapped up. With such a dearth of premium cabin award flights between North America and Asia these days, these seats are sure to get gobbled up quickly.

You can also book connections further afield on Starlux Airlines’s network to 16 destinations across Asia, including to Japan, Thailand, and Singapore.

As a reminder, Starlux Airlines offers a very competitive business class product, and is a great option for flying across the Pacific and beyond.

Its flagship A350 business class product has a cutting-edge offering, complete with sliding doors, bespoke service, and the opportunity to sip on bubble tea in the skies.

Conclusion

Taipei-based Starlux Airlines will launch a new route to San Francisco, beginning on December 16, 2023. This is the airline’s second North American route, and it will operate thrice-weekly to begin, before ramping up to daily service in March 2024.

Starlux Airlines offers a very comfortable way to get across the Pacific, and the route will be served by the airline’s flagship three-cabin Airbus A350.

As a reminder, Starlux Airlines flights can be booked through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. It’s likely that the lowest-priced flights will sell out quickly, so be sure to book yours as soon as possible.