An Exemplary Short-Haul Business Class: China Airlines on the Airbus A321neo [Review]

After spending 2 weeks in May 2026 traveling around Vietnam, I headed to Japan.

There are many nonstop options between Vietnam and cities across Japan, but I was heading to Miyakojima, a remote island in Okinawa Prefecture. It’s closer to Taiwan than to Japan’s main islands, which is why I flew from Taipei rather than flying past the island to go via Tokyo.

I could have chosen from 6 airlines to fly from Hanoi (HAN) to Taipei (TPE), including Vietnam Airlines and all 3 of Taiwan’s major carriers: EVA Air, China Airlines, and Starlux. After checking timings and options, I chose a well-priced China Airlines flight on the Airbus A321neo with lie-flat seats in business class.

Booking China Airlines Business Class

Searching for and booking this China Airlines flight via its website was a breeze. I used my U.K. version of the Platinum Card^® from American Express to pay $452 for this one-way business class flight. I wouldn’t normally pay that much for a flight this short, but I was willing to spend on novelty, since it was an airline and a product I’d never flown before.

China Airlines is a SkyTeam member, meaning Delta frequent flyers can earn SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) — Delta’s status-earning currency — from their booking.

I added my Air France-KLM Flying Blue membership number instead, earning 1,961 miles and 15 Experience Points (XPs) toward my status-earning goals.

Hot Tip:

China Airlines also flies several routes from Taiwan to the U.S. Its business class on the Airbus A350 is worth considering if you’re planning a trip to the island nation.

Check-in and Sky Priority at Hanoi International Airport

The last stop on my trip to Vietnam was Hoi An, so I needed to connect to Hanoi. I took an 8:50 a.m. departure with Vietnam Airlines (also SkyTeam) from Da Nang and arrived at the capital’s domestic terminal just before 10 a.m., almost 8 hours before my China Airlines departure.

I hopped on the free transfer bus to the international terminal, where I was surprised to find a huge dining concourse on the second floor above the check-in area. I ate my first and last pho of the trip and worked while I waited.

When I checked in 3 hours before my flight, the process took just a few minutes.

Despite not having access to the priority security and immigration lane, even with my SkyTeam Elite Plus status, I managed to complete the process in around 10 minutes.

Vietnam Airlines’ Lotus Lounge

My business class ticket with China Airlines gave me access to Vietnam Airlines’ Lotus Lounge. It was easy to find by following the signs.

It was a large space with lots of seating, mostly in the dining area near the buffet.

There were plenty of options, including Vietnamese, Western, and other Asian dishes. I kept it simple with some boiled vegetables and a few delicious char-siu bao.

Soft drink options were plentiful, but the small staffed bar was less well-stocked than I expected to find at an airline’s flagship lounge.

In addition to shower rooms, the lounge offered sleep pods free of charge for up to 3 hours.

Boarding China Airlines at Hanoi Airport

Boarding started on time at 5:20 p.m.

Rather than an announcement, I liked that crew members stood in a line with signs to clearly indicate where passengers should stand based on their cabin class or status.

Onboard China Airlines Airbus A321neo

From the moment I stepped on board, it was clear that China Airlines had invested time and effort in designing its cabins. I immediately noticed details in the galley, where the walls are usually a drab eggshell white or grey.

Purser Mr. Ho was also standing at the door, welcoming each passenger onboard.

The business cabin has just 12 seats in 3 rows.

Even though it’s in the less favorable 2-2 configuration, I was still wowed by my first impression.

China Airlines has a second version of this jet that doesn’t have lie-flat seats in business class.

In economy, passengers are seated in a regular 3-3 configuration.

Premium Long-Haul Style Service and Amenities

Boarding was a bit chaotic. It’s not easy to provide a premium service when all passengers board through the front door and walk through the business class cabin. However, this China Airlines crew still offered a selection of welcome drinks: dragon fruit juice, orange juice, or water. I chose a glass of flavorful dragon fruit juice that was placed on an ingenious flip-down cocktail tray. No alcohol was offered at this point in the flight.

Passengers were still boarding when Hang, the crew member in charge of the business class cabin, came to introduce herself to me. She also handed out a food menu and wine list. Short-haul international flights operated by U.S. carriers don’t get 1 menu, let alone 2.

The menus were also full of cute, tongue-in-cheek quotes and proverbs related to food and drink.

A little later, at 5:35 p.m., while boarding was still happening, Hang returned to take my order for food and drink. Another crew member also handed out hot towels before takeoff.

On all the short-haul business-class flights I’ve taken, this is the first time I’ve been given slippers as an amenity. Considering that many airlines don’t offer them in premium cabins on long-haul flights, China Airlines went above and beyond expectations.

Interestingly, we weren’t offered amenity kits. For such a short flight, I think I’d rather have slippers over an amenity kit if I could choose.

Pokémon mania has taken over Asia at the moment, thanks to its 30th anniversary this year. China Airlines got in on the fun with Pokémon-themed pillows and sickness bags.

Along with the pillow, a soft, premium-feeling, non-Pokémon-branded blanket was also waiting for me at my seat.

The distinctive China Airlines pink-and-purple cabin lighting added another premium touch.

I Didn’t Hate the 2-2 Layout

Before this China Airlines flight, I’d flown 8 other carriers’ narrow-body business class with lie-flat seats. Only the most recent, Copa Airlines, had the same 2-2 configuration as China Airlines.

Despite expectations of awkwardness and discomfort, some passenger-centric design and engineering actually made this seat a joy to fly on. Yes, I still had to climb over my seatmate’s legs to get out of my seat, but everything else about it was excellent.

I judge passenger comfort in this type of seat by how easy it is to get in and out with the tray table out. China Airlines excelled. Not only was the table huge, but it didn’t wobble at all, and I could swivel it and get out of my seat even when fully laid out with the meal service.

As for privacy, unless I actively turned to look at my seatmate in the face, I could only see her hands. The sliding screen, complete with a little mirror, meant I couldn’t see my seatmate at all.

Further back from the sliding privacy screen were USB and regular universal charging ports. There was also wireless charging on the ledge beneath the headphones.

When laid flat, there was space for me to stand on either side of the seat. While the footwell was narrow, it didn’t pose too much of a problem.

The seat reclined easily at the push of a button. The control panel, which was well-placed, is also where I found the mood lighting and “do not disturb” buttons.

Great Tech

Ignoring some of the gimmicks, like wireless charging (who wants to charge but not be able to use their phone?), tech is a hugely important part of modern-day flying.

China Airlines excelled here, too. The 15.6-inch 4K screens were super tactile and crystal clear.

With the tray table out, it wasn’t easy to reach the screen. That’s when the small handheld remote came into play to navigate the IFE system and scroll through the 150-ish films I counted.

The headphones were noise-canceling and delivered excellent sound quality.

The Wi-Fi connection dropped out a couple of times. Connecting wasn’t as foolproof as usual, so thankfully, there were instructions (which I had to follow).

Wi-Fi was free for business class passengers.

Bluetooth connectivity for personal headphones was also available, but I couldn’t make it work (it rarely does for me, no matter the airline).

Elevated Dining

The food and drink menus for this 2.5-hour flight were of better quality and featured more detail than some airlines hand out on long-haul flights on wide-body aircraft. It set a precedent for the quality of food and drink.

Purser Ho laid out a silky gold tablecloth about 20 minutes after take-off, then returned a minute or so later with the first drinks and snacks. I tried the limited-availability oolong blackcurrant cocktail with a glass of Charles Ellner Carte Blanche Brut in case I didn’t like it.

This was swiftly followed by my choice of roasted chicken in Worcestershire sauce with turmeric rice. It was served on the same tray as a grilled lemongrass prawn and seaweed salad, some sliced fruit (which I thought was dessert), and a bread roll.

Minutes later, even more bread was offered. This time, it included warm, extra buttery garlic bread.

The meal was flavorful, well-cooked, and pretty well-balanced. I was impressed to say the least. I was then offered Häagen-Dazs ice cream to finish off proceedings.

Friendly, Efficient Crew

When boarding, I was asked to remove my water bottle from my backpack when stowing it in the overhead bin. I found it weird and unnecessary at the time, but after taking a Starlux flight (also a Taiwanese airline) and being asked the same thing, it seems to be an increasingly common policy.

Hang and the rest of Ho’s crew delivered excellent service. For such a short flight, they managed to include all the elements of long-haul business class. I was constantly asked whether I’d like my drink topped up, and service was always from a silver tray, delivered with a smile.

Arrival at Taipei

After a bit of a kerfuffle at immigration because my prearrival registration hadn’t worked, I was at the baggage hall approximately 20 minutes after getting off the plane.

Feeling pretty fantastic after a very enjoyable flight, I followed the signs to catch my transfer to the Hyatt Regency for my layover.

Final Thoughts

China Airlines set the bar high when it comes to lie-flat seats on narrow-body jets. I was certainly skeptical about the 2-2 configuration as I’m not a fan of having to climb over my seatmate. However, the privacy screen and clever tray table transcended some of the limitations of the 2-2 configuration.

The proactive, efficient service and exquisite dining on this short 2.5-hour flight gave this experience the edge over some of the long-haul business class experiences I’ve had in the last couple of years.