It was my first time flying with China Airlines, I took this flight in mid-February from Singapore to Frankfurt via Taipei, a few weeks before COVID was classified as a pandemic. My first flight from Singapore to Taipei was scheduled for four hours.
SINGAPORE TO TAIPEI
About 20 minutes after takeoff, the drinks service commenced, offering a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. I opted for a soft drink, and the crew provided some mixed nuts.
Surprisingly the duty-free carts rolled into the cabin, which I thought was quite strange. Usually, this service begins after the meal service; however, it was quite smart of the airline to offer it between the drinks and meal service. This certainly got the attention of passengers resulting in a number of inflight sales.
One hour after takeoff the meal service commenced, there were no inflight menus offered. Meal choices included chicken with rice and a fish option; I opted for the chicken. The quantity of food offered was impressive, a large main meal dish, proper dessert, freshly cut fruit and a side salad.
Cabin crew provided additional beverages after the meal service, and extra red/white wine was offered by hand. This was followed by a water tea and coffee service. The crew were present in the cabin throughout the service and finished 1.45mins after take off.
TAIPEI TO FRANKFURT
I continued to on a 13-hour flight to Frankfurt that evening on the airline’s Airbus A350, the loads were quite light, resulting in an entire row to myself.
Twenty mins after takeoff the crew offered water and juices from a service tray. Ten minutes later, the meal carts rolled into the cabin, with the inflight service beginning in premium economy then moving to economy class.
The inflight menu was displayed on the cart which I thought was a novel idea.
I opted for the chicken, which wasn’t too bad, it was served with salad, cut fruit and a sweet biscuit. Additional water, wine and tea/coffee was offered by hand.
The meal service finished 1.5hrs after takeoff, the lights were dimmed, and most of the passengers went to sleep.
Between meal services, one could go to the galley for some snacks and drinks; the only items on offer were crackers or nuts.
The second service commenced quite early at 2h and 50mins before landing, from start to finish it took the crew 40 mins to complete.
Service commenced with the offering of hot towels, meals and a tea/coffee service. From the time I received my meal to when the crew collected, it was about 20 mins.
Options for breakfast included a Western (Frittata) or Asian (chicken fried rice) option. I opted for the fried rice, which was served with yoghurt and fresh fruit. This meal was delicious, and probably my favourite dish of all three.
I had an enjoyable experience with China Airlines; I found the cabin crew to be attentive, professional, easy to communicate with and eager to please.