Another interesting fact : K. Chang, the owner of Starlux, who is also a Pilot himself, piloted the flight JX201 to Macau himself He was a 777 Captain back in the EVA Air days, and now also an Airbus A321 pilot
K.W. Chang was actually the chairman of EVA Air, he established Starlux after he left, there's actually a very interesting backstory worth checking out.
The CEO was the son of the 2nd wife. When his father passed, the children from the first wife expelled him from the company. But he is selling Eva air shares to find this new airline. Btw, my wife is a captain on this airline, I'm pretty sure you were on her flight
Hi, it’s so glad to finally see a foreign RU-vidr doing an STARLUX episode. Cuz starlux do need some more expose to the global nations. Btw, Mr.Chang was never angry about being kick out from his own company. To him, EVA air is the legacy which his father left to him, it doesn’t matter who runs it. So actually he’s ok with it. Starting up STARLUX is only because he still loves the aviation industry so much and he feels like there is still some responsibility he must take on so that he decided to built his own empire to honor his father. In the end, I wish you the best and hope to see you on board some other time. Love your vlog, peace.
"It tastes very tasty as well" - How very diplomatic Josh bahahaha. EXCELLENT review. I was really pleased you noticed and highlighted the GH element. It immediately stood out to me and i'd agree that it's pretty unique for a new airline to not use a GHA and do it all in-house. I was a little taken aback when I saw both the tug and the car branded like that but like you said it shows commitment to the brand which imho is never a bad thing. Hard product: I loved that interior. The bronze inflected gold was classy without looking brash or garish. The chocolate brown went well with it and the stitching in the seats looked great. I think having the same color accents in the bathroom really showed some attention to detail as well. 2-2 or not a lie-flat on a narrow body is still a pretty new concept and I think the seat choice was a good one. Soft product: Yupppppp it's that new airplane problem! You kind of can't blame a crew for taking a bit of time when they are getting used to the plane and service standards. No amount of training ever really lives up to having a full cabin of paying pax to attend to so i'd give them a pass as well. Food looked great maybe they were bitter leaves as the rest seemed ok to you? Presentation was bloody great. Crew: First those uniforms - WOW! The ladies were well tailored and sculpted well to their shape but without clinging too much and thereby looking a little trashy. They looked highly sophisticated as well as beautiful in them. I wonder how the crew find it to work in though. The guys. I have to say I was a massive fan of the no-tie and unbuttoned top button on their shirts. Some how they all managed to look professional despite it and it just gave a much more modern and approachable air to them. Think i'll have to add these guys( and girls) to my bucket-list. If they expand their network to include the UK or even somewhere in the EU that the 321XLR can reach then tbh i'll be jumping on one of the 1st flights they do if I can afford it.
They won't be limited by the A321: they have several A350s ordered, set to arrive in 2021. But it seems their next step will be California. The chairman confesses his admiration for Emirates and his long-term plan is to make Taipei a major East Asian connecting hub with Starlux.
@@goytabr Thanks for that info and that makes greater distances a bigger possibility despite your, again excellent intel, that they seem to be looking towards the US. Appreciate the info
I am sure they will be flying to Europe by 2021 with their A350s. London would be a feasible choice as they will be competing with China Airlines and EVA Air. And another direct connection with Taipei as China Airlines only offers it at the moment. If you haven’t visited Taiwan, go! It’s an amazing country with a lot to offer. Taipei is bustling metropolitan city and reminds me of a mini Tokyo.
@@josefarrugia6903, what I heard is that Taiwan has the best Chinese food in the world, because the island received refugees from all over China when the Kuomintang lost the civil war and it developed a unique mélange of flavors from the entire China, with Japanese influences also present because of the long occupation, and later Korean because until the early 1990s South Korea was Taiwan's closest political ally in Asia and they had a lot of commercial and cultural exchanges. Taiwan's night markets alone are already a reason to visit. Taiwanese culinary schools are also reputed to be among the best for Oriental cuisines in general, not only Chinese.
@@goytabr I am a big fan of Taiwan and love visiting the country. I have visited it 5 times already during the course of the decade). Shilin night market is amazing and a must! If you are feeling adventurous head out of Taipei and visit Alishan. It's a mountain town with strong Japanese influences due to the Japanese occupying the island during World War II.
I’ve been waiting for Starlux since early 2019 and I was very excited to see this video pop up! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this amazing Airlines! Waiting for your next video ❤️
I thinks its a smart strategy to start with secondary city hubs such as Penang, Macau, Danang and Cebu. Its less competitive and allow them to learn and grow before flying into major city hubs such as Singapore, KL, Hong Kong and others.
@@brendanp6741 As a airline alliance enthusiast I find it hard to understand why Cathay is so finicky in OneWorld. To me, OW has so much potential that is hampered by Cathay. Cathay has stopped mainland airlines like China Southern or Hainan airlines from joining the alliance, which has to be a big disadvantage for OW since mainland China has one of the fastest growing aviation market. And now they may not be happy about Starlux joining OW? I honestly think Cathay should grow up already. If Star Alliance can have AirChina, ANA and Asiana, 3 major airlines with hubs in close proximity, accommodate each other nicely, I see no reason why OneWorld can't do something similar.
@@mikewang1439 I guess Cathay wanted to keep as much passengers using Hong Kong as the transit stop as possible, so it will push other nearby-based airlines out of OW.
And above all Josh an airline that appears to have found a way of getting you to eat your vegetables...by serving a vegetable smoothie as a welcome drink!!!
After a day of teaching to students, documentaries and vlogs (such as yours) give me relief and bliss, that I feel I travel with you in your journeys. Thanks for your videos, Josh! 😇😊
Nice clip.. I fly out of Penang often and was interested in Starlux. I usually connect with different carriers in Taipei. I contected Starlux and asked them if they had arrangements to transfer luggage to other airlines for passengers with connecting flights. They responded quickly and told me they did not do this. As this is the case at this time I will not be flying with them as I have no desire to clear into the country just to collect my baggage and then check in again and go through the immigration again to get on my connecting flight. If this changes I would give them a try but not until they accomodate passengers with connecting flights with checked luggage.
Great review as always Josh...especially of a "new" airline which appears to be VERY good. Hope they start flights to Melbourne ( Australia) !! I agree about Penang...one of the great places in South East Asia and the food !!!! You summed it up so well at the end of the video...great stuff mate and very jealous you are in Penang and GeorgeTown !!! Looking forward to your next trip report as always !!
The story goes like this: K Chang, the owner of Starlux, is the son of the founder of Evergreen Group and EVA Air. He got forced out by the EVA board in a family power struggle, after his father Yung-fa Chang passed.
seriously, son got removed from a company his father founded ?? that's outrageous . I seriously hope this airline totally destroys EVA Air. Another lamborghini story on the card guys......
Just to elaborate a bit further. So KW Chang, the founder of Starlux, was the youngest son of Yung-fa Chang, who had two wives. KW is the only son of the second wife, and also the one who has been the most outspokenly passionate about aviation. Most of EVA's signature service upgrades were initiated by KW when he was in charge of the company. His brothers, some were the founding members of EVA Air back in the late 80s, apparently were happy about it and expelled KW out of the company after the father passed away. KW used his portion of the inheritance to found this new Starlux Airlines. Ironically, there had been some rumors that the other brothers who remained in the Evergreen Group are also fighting against each other. The general public does have a good impression of KW but there are some within the local aviation circle who think his team spends too much effort idolizing him.
There is definitely a need for another airline such as the Starlux to serve this region. A bit of luxury doesn’t hurt anyone. Pleased to have a former CEO of EVA starting his own airline. Bravo!!!
Unfortunate timing. If the virus continues another few months, I can't see them surviving. What a pity, and hope the current situation fades to memory before summer; unlikely but possible.
I mean if they can do flights like Taipei-tokyo or Taipei- Singapore or Taipei- Dubai i guess they'll survive Mid to high demand routes, efficient new planes, flying only one type of aircraft...all this helps
With only three planes at the moment, they will survive, good thing their launch routes didn't include Mainland China or they really would be in trouble. At the moment the cities they're flying to will be fine.
Hi, loved this detailed review. Lol on the bathroom portion, thank you for not omitting it. I can tell when really enjoy a product and the crew, your smile speaks volume. Loved it! Be safe
I LOVE the design and styling of Starlux, VERY classy! Hope to fly them myself sometime soon (the sooner the better!). I wish them all the best, they really put in the effort. Very exciting airline!!!
Hi Josh ! Starlux definitely gonna be tough competition to Singapore Airlines. Starlux had good scope when it will stretch their wings to other international destinations.
It's pretty sad to encounter the coronavirus outbreak when it just operated. But anyway hope the Starlux could overcome it and be successful in its journey.
Btw the lounge a la carte menu has an option for “fu hang soy milk”. It is a super famous traditional Taiwanese breakfast place in Taipei usually with super long lines. Worth a try next time you fly Starlux or are in Taipei!
@@winniefong7248 it’s complimentary if you have access to the Starlux Lounge. If you are in Taipei, can also hit up the actual store. Food in tw is very cheap, especially breakfast food like this. Super worth it!
@@TurtleRailTSR not on the last Qatar Airlines flight i took about 10 years ago....passengers were crapping on the floor and they ended up having to seal up 3 of the toilets on the plane
They also don't seem to be competing with Eva and China air on popular routes, but seem to have carefully chosen routes were they can provide non-stop service which cater to a wealthier clientele.
Very nice NEW airlines. Although they used narrow body aircraft but their Business Class seat looking very stunning and better than some 5 Star Airlines. Oh BTW Josh... Those who give you thumbs down, they are just jealous because you got to board Starlux first 😂❤️💖
Ye, this look's like a very nice airline and because I trust you and have known you from your beginnings, I know that I'll be on that airplane in 6 weeks time! Thank you very much mate. Tim Edmunds.
I’m glad you enjoyed your hot buns and facial mist Josh. You always bring a smile to my face. The cabin, seat and food looked lovely. Their routes would have to increase before I could travel with them. However I wish them well. Safe flying in 2020 Josh.
Nice review. I hope Starlux succeeds and does better than EVA air. I hope they expand their routes into more US cities and in Asia. Would love to fly with them someday. Hopefully they will be able to join an alliance soon. The FA had a very beautiful smile. Seemed very happy and friendly.
Nice video, Josh :) Love watching your videos. SAS (Scandinavian) have 3 A321LR in their fleet as of 2022. Would be nice if you could review that aircraft one day.
The best part of watching Josh's vlog is his accent it's just so different & hearwareming(sorry for new word) just let me watch more of his vlog videos BTW watching Starlux now is just like a new baby as you said let's see how'd they redeem there self.
Happy Chinese New Year Josh. Loved the lounge the branding the friendliness of the crew and that business class seat and product. Starlux isgoing to be a key player in this market
Josh, you shoudn't be wearing yellow. Because you you look slightly green in yellow. A better choice is always any shade of blue - or red. ;-) Enjoy your flights and always happy landings!
Thanks a lot Josh for an amazing video yet again.... I was waiting for a starlux review for long and here you come up with it... Love you and your content...
Josh Another good review. Two points I'd like to make. Firstly the idea of spending on quality catering. I think alot of people who choose to fly a full service carrier over a LCC do so because of the extra perk of a food and drink service onboard which is all inclusive. Especially if flying in the premium cabin where the cost of the ticket is a multiple of an economy class seat I don't understand why airlines choose the cheapest catering options available to them. The Food and beverage service will always be a memorable part of flying so as you mentioned, cater with a business who will use quality ingredients and give decent portions of food. Giving food that is obviously cheap and not all that tasty is a kick in the face to the passengers. They are what is keeping the airline alive so give them something to rave about rather than be stindgy to try save a few dollars per meal. A bit of money spent on good catering will increase profits over the long term and likely increase passenger popularity. Second point, just about every airline I know uses contract services which you pointed out is not the norm with this new startup. Good on you CEO, for the most part once again contracting parts of the business out to third parties is an invitation for problems to arise as the likelyhood is that the staff just don't care as they are only contracting. Good to see that the majority of services are all done in house, it shows more appreciation in my opinion. Your point on who to blame also is strong as you would only have to deal with the airline itself. Some ideas to think about😀
How nice! I was invited to cover the landing of the inaugural flight in Penang. Sadly didn't have a chance to have a peek in the flight. But was at the area just as passengers exited the plane. May have missed you exiting the plane or you exited it later on?
You tried to eat your vegetables but your salad didn’t taste fresh, oh no! It’s a good thing you got that healthy drink in the end. Thanks as always for a great review Josh!👍❤️✈️
I know that you and your Aussie followers will understand when I say..........."you are the only person I know who gets so excited over a dunny". However, in this case it looks fantastic. My opinion of the onboard lavatory on any flight is ALWAYS influenced by this........"is the floor dry?". If yes, thumbs up........if no, yuk. Specially when you are paying to sit up at the pointy end. Smart looking aeroplane. Happy days. Keep smiling.
