Starlux Will Begin Flying From Taipei to Ontario, California

Updated: February 6, 2025, 9:58am CST

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Why Is Starlux Flying to Ontario, California?
First Class to Taipei
Final Thoughts

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Taiwan-based Starlux Airlines is launching another flight to the United States, adding Ontario, California, as its fourth destination. Starting in June, Starlux Airlines will operate from the Los Angeles-area airport, offering 4 flights per week.

Let’s look at the latest expansion in the U.S. by the young, ambitious Starlux Airlines.

Why Is Starlux Flying to Ontario, California?

Aeroroutes reported that Starlux filed an operational schedule for its latest U.S. service, with reservations to open soon.

The airline is set to launch flights from Taipei (TPE) to Ontario, California (ONT), starting on June 2.

GCM Ontario to Taipei — Starlux is set to launch a new U.S. route covering 6,831 miles from Ontario, California, to Taipei, Taiwan. Image Credit: Great Circle Mapper

This route will be served 4x weekly, subject to government approval, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in both directions.

The schedule is as follows:

Departs Taipei (TPE) at 8:05 p.m. and arrives in Ontario (ONT) at 5:05 p.m.
Departs Ontario (ONT) at 11:10 p.m. and arrives in Taipei (TPE) at 4:15 a.m. (2 days later)

The decision to fly to Ontario, which has a relatively small airport, is influenced by the significant Taiwanese community located in the area. The only other airline with long-haul flights from Ontario is fellow Taiwanese carrier China Airlines, offering daily flights to Taipei.

According to the Ontario airport, China Airlines projected to carry 80,000 passengers a year when it opened the service in 2018. China Airlines has expanded service to ONT since then, proving that those forecasts for a large travel demand to Taiwan were correct.

First Class to Taipei

Starlux, which began flying in 2020, serves 3 other U.S. destinations: Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA).

Like Ontario, those are all served with the Airbus A350-900, which in Starlux configuration offers something that Taiwanese competitors China Airlines and EVA Air do not: first class. The Starlux version of first isn’t an actual separate cabin, though.

In actuality, the first row of the business-class cabin on the A350 is dedicated to first-class seats, which are wider and offer more privacy than the rest of the cabin.

Starlux A359 First Class cabin view — First class on Starlux gets you these seats and additional services like being chauffeured to and from the Taipei airport. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Starlux configures its A350-900s with 4 seats in first, 26 in business, 36 in premium economy, and 240 in economy.

While still relatively small, Starlux has a growing fleet and markets itself as an upscale airline, a claim that matches our experience. When we flew Starlux business class on the A350, we found it to be excellent.

Hot Tip:

Starlux has its own loyalty program, but a great idea for U.S.-based flyers is to credit Starlux flights to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

Final Thoughts

Starlux Airlines is a small but growing airline based in Taiwan, offering an upscale experience and now a fourth destination in the U.S. from Taipei to Ontario, California.

While a long-haul flight to Ontario may seem strange, there is a good reason for it: the area has a big Taiwanese community. In addition, Starlux allows U.S.-based travelers to earn and redeem Alaska Airlines miles and offers an interesting network of connections to Asia via its Taipei hub.