China Airlines Airbus A350 Sets New Trans-Tasman Standard

It does not seem all that long ago that Qantas and Air New Zealand had the market between Australia and New Zealand all tied up. The trans-Tasman route delivers each country’s largest inbound flow of travelers, making it an important part of their networks, particularly given the large amount of family, business and educational travel between Australia and New Zealand.

High-quality competition continues to build

As an end-of-the-line destination, it is not uncommon for international airlines to arrive in Australia in the morning and depart late at night, leaving expensive aircraft parked during the day. China Airlines has solved that problem by extending its five weekly services between Taipei and Melbourne, adding a return leg to Auckland during the day.

China Airlines A350-900 Melbourne Auckland Inaugural Flight

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

There is no doubt travelers want more choice and lower fares on the route, and in launching the new flight, Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said the new service offers more competition on the busy trans-Tasman route.

“China Airlines’ decision to extend its Taipei-Melbourne route to Auckland provides travelers with a high-quality and competitive option to cross the Tasman. This service also creates new opportunities for New Zealanders to connect to Asia via Melbourne, opening up a gateway to Taipei and beyond. It’s a win for consumers on both sides of the Tasman.”

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China Airlines Starts Airbus A350 Services Between Melbourne And Auckland

China Airlines has launched its extended seasonal A350 service between Melbourne and Auckland.

Last week, China Airlines launched its inaugural seasonal service between Melbourne and Auckland. The service will operate daily except Mondays and Saturdays and add more than 3,000 seats weekly to the route. It is operated with an Airbus A350-900, configured in a three-class layout of 306 seats, including 32 lie-flat in premium business, 31 in premium economy and 243 in the full-service economy cabin.

China Airlines Airbus A350 Premium Business Class

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

The CI57 service from Taipei arrives in Melbourne at 12:05, and the onward leg to Auckland Airport (AKL) departs at 13:40. Flight CI58 returns to Melbourne Airport (MEL) at 23:05, in good time for the onward leg to Taipei Taoyuan International (TPE), which departs at 00:25. On December 3, 2024, Simple Flying traveled on the inaugural flight, which was flown with a 2017 Airbus A350-900, registration B-18910 and MSN 151.

China Airlines Melbourne – Auckland flight review

With a preference for avoiding crowded check-in queues, I took care of that online through the China Airlines App, although as a business class passenger, I arrived at Melbourne Airport (MEL) to find that the priority check-in counter boarding was empty anyway. It was a speedy few minutes spent there before taking the express lane through security screening with the automated immigration gates allowing me to pass without a hitch.

China Airlines Premium Business

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

China Airlines provides business class passengers with the choice of two shared airside lounges – the House or the Marhaba Lounges, and both have excellent viws of the apron. This time, I was in The House by Aspire Lounge, a very open and comfortable space with an enticing array of meals, snacks, comfortable seating, unlimited WiFi and shower facilities.

China Airlines Airbus A350 Inaugural MEL-AKL Doran_5032

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

The airline arranged for early boarding to take the pictures and to see the crew cut the launch cake. I have seen many launch cakes, and most are intricate designs that are stabbed rather than sliced, so it was nice to see a rather large piece of this delicious Black Forest cake find its way to my seat during the lunch service.

The China Airlines Premium Business Class experience

The business class cabin is configured in a 1-2-1 layout of 32 seats, and I was seated in 15A, the window seat on the left-hand side of the A350. Each seat offers direct aisle access, and while there are no sliding doors, the herringbone layout affords all the privacy needed without creating the walled aisles.

China Airlines Doran Premium Business

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

The seat is 28 inches wide with a 39-inch pitch, and when turned into a fully flat bed, it has a length of 78 inches. It has an 18″ HD entertainment screen and a variety of useful and accessible storage spaces, including room for shoes and bags in the footwell.

China Airlines A350 Premium Business

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

There is also storage space for magazines and a water bottle, a personal reading light and the China Airlines signature Dragon Claw lamp. With fast WiFi onboard, it was pleasing to find three in-seat charging outlets, including two USB-A and one laptop outlet, which kept my devices fully charged throughout the three-hour flight.

China Airlines Airbus A350 Premium Business

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

Given that this was a daylight, short-haul flight, there were no amenity kits handed out, but in the interest of giving me a complete picture, the cabin manager gave me one. As the picture shows, the Moschino bag is a beautifully presented piece, and it includes the most luxurious eye mask I have ever seen anywhere, along with a toothbrush and paste, earplugs, comb/mirror and Moroccanoil body lotion, hair treatment and lip balm, along with a very high-quality leather bag tag.

China Airlines A350 Premium Business Amenity Kit

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

With a short sector of around three hours, lunch was served early in the flight, so while enjoying a pre-lunch drink and snack, a choice needed to be made from the menu, which included:

  • Stir-fried Chicken and Scallop served with Egg Fried Rice
  • Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin with Green Peppercorn sauce served with Polenta Cake
  • Grilled Salmon with Creamy Miso sauce served with Roasted Sweet potatoes
  • Accompanied by fresh Ciabatta rolls and followed by Seasonal Fresh Fruits and Premium Ice Cream

The Grilled Salmon caught my eye, and it was deliciously cooked with a tasty Asian-style sauce, crunchy beans and smooth sweet potatoes. There is an excellent collection of French Champagne, Wolf Blass Australian Shiraz, Italian Chianti Riserva and New Zealand Edmund de Rothschild Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc, along with German Desert wine, Tawny Port from Portugal and an abundance of spirits and cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks to choose from.

China Airlines Inaugural Cake MEL-AKL

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

Once all that was done, it was nearly time to start descending, but not before the more than generous helping of Black Forest cake, a delightful liqueur and coffee arrived. The service throughout the flight was consistently friendly, attentive and professional, with any push of the call button immediately answered.

In addition to building traffic between Melbourne and Auckland, this is also the continuation of a long-haul service from Taiwan to New Zealand, and it is China Airlines’ premium cabin. The standard of service, quality of food and cabin comfort are a testament to how much effort China Airlines has put into making Premium Business Class a top-class experience, and based on this flight, they have certainly succeeded.

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