Starlux Airlines Flights to San Fransisco Now Available
As anticipated, Starlux has begun selling flights on its new San Francisco to Taipei route. The new route will launch on December 16th, 2023, and is Starlux’s second destination in the United States after Los Angeles. The San Francisco flight is now available for booking through Google Flights and on Starlux Airlines’ website. I’m excited for Starlux to continue growing its route network after reviewing its A350 business class from Los Angeles.
Let’s take a look at the details of Starlux’s new SFO flight.
Starlux San Francisco Flight Schedule
Starlux will fly its inaugural flight from Taipei to San Francisco on December 16th, 2023, operating as JX 12. The flight will depart Taipei (TPE) at 11:30 PM local time and arrive in San Francisco at 6:15 PM. The flight will be operated by an Airbus A350, featuring Starlux’s flagship first and business-class seats with closing doors.
Starlux’s flight will depart San Fransisco at 11:40 PM and arrive in Taipei at 5:30 AM (2 days later), operating as JX 11. Below are the flight details from Google Flights along with examples of First Class pricing.
Starlux Airlines will operate flights between Taipei and San Francisco 3 times weekly on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Beginning March 31, 2024, Starlux Airlines will operate daily to and from San Francisco.
Book Starlux’s San Francisco Flight with Alaska Miles
Starlux award flights from San Francisco to Taipei are available on Alaska’s website for booking with miles. You can book award flights for economy, premium economy and business class (first class is not available).
While most days business class awards cost 165,000 miles, I am noticing some saver award space costing only 75,000 miles towards the end of the schedule. This follows the same business class saver award space pattern I’ve seen with Starlux’s Los Angeles flight. Additionally, I see a handful of saver dates each month of the schedule as well but I anticipate those will not last long.
Starlux San Francisco Lounge Access
As discussed in my Starlux Galactic lounge review, Starlux business class passengers traveling from Taipei to San Francisco will have access to the Oriental Club Lounge in Terminal 2. This is due to the fact that the Starlux Galactic Lounge in terminal 1 closes after the last departure to destinations in Asia which is currently about 5 PM. You could access the Starlux Galactic Lounge prior to it closing if you are connecting from another Starlux flight in Taipei prior to continuing to San Francisco.
First class passengers can enjoy access to the Huan Yu VIP Termina in Taipei.
If your travels originate in San Francisco, the lounge access details are not yet provided on Starlux’s airport information page. I’m certainly curious which lounge first class passengers will utilize in San Francisco given Starlux provides access to the Private Suite in Los Angeles.
Update: Starlux now indicates that the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at San Francisco (SFO) will be the lounge offered to passengers. I assume this is for both first and business class passengers as I see nothing else mentioned on Starlux’s website at the moment.
Starlux Airlines A350 Seat Map for San Francisco
As noted in my review, Starlux’s A350 has four first-class seats (in row 1) and 24 business-class seats between rows 2 and 8. These premium seats are all located between the first and second doorways to the cabin.
When selecting business class seats, I would avoid rows 7 & 8 due to the proximity to the bathroom. Also note the aisle seats in rows 3 and 7 have partially obstructed views, so they are not the best seats if you want to look outside. Ideally, I’d pick seats in rows 4, 5, and 6.
Starlux’s premium economy is in a 2-4-2 configuration so I’d aim for the seats closer to the window for more privacy. The Economy cabin is in a 3-3-3 configuration.
Starlux New San Francisco Flight – Pilot Debrief
Starlux officially began selling seats on its San Francisco route that will launch on December 16th, 2023. This is Starlux’s second long-haul route to the US on its A350 aircraft, featuring both first and business class. While business class awards with Alaska miles price out mostly at 165,000 miles there is some saver award space that costs only 75,000 miles towards the end of the schedule.
Given how much I enjoyed my experience with Starlux Airlines, I’m rooting for the success of the new San Francisco route and look forward to further US expansion from the airline.
