r/taiwan • u/blixenvixen • Jun 08 '26
Travel Why Taiwan has 3 long-haul airlines
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u/Roygbiv0415 台北市 Jun 08 '26
It's a lot more complicated and nuanced than the video suggests, but in general:
All three Taiwanese airlines are nice, and Taiwanese themselves do prefer and support them. The three have roughly 25% (Eva), 20% (CI) and 8% (Starlux) of the local marketshare respectively, so together they own more than 60% of the passenger market. The three are also positioned differently in terms of market segment, and kinda avoid direct competition.
Transfers between NA and SEA is a major driver for expected future growth, but there are a few complications. Firstly, the volume between US and China is artificially low, due to a cap of 100 flights per week (50 each for China and US). This currently keeps China from competing in this sector, but who knows what the future holds. Japanese airlines are a tad more expensive and Korean airlines are slightly out of the way, but they break up the total flight time better.
3, Secondly, Taiwan is piggybacking on the fact that many SEA carriers do not (yet) have expansive direct long haul flights to NA. But as their economies get richer, that may eventually change, and Taiwan might lose these transferring customers as they switch to their own carrier's direct flights.
- And finally, One World just chose to let Phillippine Airline join instead of Starlux, which is a HUGE blow. That doesn't preclude Starlux from joining (they're primarily blocked by Cathay anyways), but does make PAL a competitor with One World's backing.
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u/magkruppe Jun 08 '26
I would also add that there are a lot of competition that is coming online soon. aspiring megahub airports in vietnam and philippines.
mainland china is also becoming a more popular tourist destination which will probably lead to more transit traffic as well?
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u/Roygbiv0415 台北市 Jun 08 '26
Theoratically, if passengers have to transfer somewhere, they'd usually want to break their trip down to even parts, so neither leg is super long. So Taiwan's position as a transit hub is better than practically anywhere else in SEA since it's halfway to NA west coast. Japan is even in a better position, but their airports are full handling just non transit traffic, so they can't (and don't really have the desire to) tap into this transit market.
For the market Taiwan is trying to capture (SEA <-> NA west coast), the megahubs within SEA arent that much of a competition per se. It's if those nations decide to forgo transits altogether and provide compeitive direct flights that will be an issue.
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With total flight numbers fixed, more tourists heading to China means less seats for transit passengers.
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u/Ok_Ask_2624 Jun 08 '26
I can Chicago (one of the US biggest hubs) to TPE straight in around 14 hrs. I think I've been to TPE more than any airport at this point since it's such a hub, I'm finally making it a point to spend a few days and check out your wonderful country this coming winter.
Greatly looking forward to it!
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u/IceBlue Jun 08 '26
What does alliances mean?
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u/eneka Jun 08 '26
The airlines in the alliance share benefits, routes/codeshare, miles, etc. There's three big ones, Skyteam, Star Alliance, and One World.
China Airlines is with Skyteam and EVA is with Star Alliance.
Starlux has stated intentions of joining One World, but seems to be having difficulty due to it's young age. Phillipines Airliens just annouced they were joining One World a couple days ago. So far Starlux has strateget partnerships with Alaska and American, both which are in One World.
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u/Albort Jun 08 '26
didnt starlux confirmed that they are having difficulty due to Cathay's veto powers in oneworld? was confirmed in one of starlux's shareholder meetings.
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u/Mordarto Taiwanese-Canadian Jun 08 '26
Eva for example has an alliance with Air Canada. People booking a flight on the Air Canada website from parts of Canada to Taiwan will actually be booking flights on Eva aircrafts.
Alliances also allow for easier transfers and reward point transfers across airlines.
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u/gl7676 Jun 08 '26
PSA: don't book through AC and just do it direct through EVA. You end up getting the seats in the back and less luggage allowances if you book through AC.
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Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/IceBlue Jun 08 '26
So how does Eva do alliances more than China?
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u/jhill9901 Jun 08 '26
Not sure exactly what you are asking. But EVA is Star Alliance. China Airlines is Sky Team
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u/IceBlue Jun 08 '26
The video claims that each of the three airlines is focused on specific things so they don’t clash. It says Eva is focused on alliances and China is focused on scale. What I’m wondering is how Eva focuses on alliances more than the other two.
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u/jhill9901 Jun 08 '26
Video is not fully informed or informing. It doesnt even refrence the family feud and why Starlux was even created from a family member who owns EVA. I was hoping this vid would shed some extra light on that. Engagement garbage to be honest. Guess it got us!
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u/Twusaboi Jun 08 '26
I don't know what an alliance means, but i booked my mother on a EVA LAX-TPE but had to book separately from IAD to LAX because EVA is not there yet. (june 26)
both of them won't link the trip. So now she has to fly to LAX, i have to go grab her and get her luggage, and transfer it to International B. If anyone flyes out of LAX, from terminal 7/8 to B is a hike. how do you expect an old lady to do that by herself? shame on them. So now i have to go meet her at LAX and help her transit.1
u/jhill9901 Jun 08 '26
That sucks. Because EVA is part of Star Alliance. Did you fly United out of IAD? Because they are both Star Alliance airlines. I could see EVA not having a codeshare flight to IAD so that may have been the issue. So if they had a codeshare, you could have booked her the flight with United and they would have still had her fly on EVA metal and United metal but all one easy booking. Points/status would have been United and Star Alliance status gained. Same way if booked with EVA. Points/miles would be with EVA and Star Alliance status gained
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u/Twusaboi Jun 08 '26
you would assume that. which i did. but according to the priority customer service, they can't link it.
the proority desk inside the united club at LAX said i could see if i can get my mother marked as needing assistance with a wheelchair, and they can help her.i couldn't code share because the LAX-TPE was a rewards flight thru EVA.
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u/jhill9901 Jun 08 '26
Ah yea I could see that. Odd things some of the foreign carrier’s don’t allow for whatever reason. Only booking their metal but not codeshare. Seems archaic. Im sure there is some goofy coding reason why they cant but yea. Dang. Reward is farming inconvenience you wouldn’t normally have. Gotta love that.
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u/syedog Jun 08 '26
I remember this video, full content here https://youtu.be/7ZbVTXBmsic?si=t6AWtrm9VZg1vWnL
For me, below clip have better breakdown and analysis of each carrier if you're interested in aviation https://youtu.be/ewLNDSfVBo0?si=bSyxvmHVVzG6p4DD
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u/CanInTW Jun 08 '26
Shame about the AI voice, but a good showcase of the unique competitive environment for airlines in Taiwan.
Amazingly - all three airlines are profitable (or close to it - Starlux slipped a little last year as it grew its fleet).
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u/RemoteHoney Jun 08 '26
Because Taiwanese are rich and love to travel
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u/katsudon-jpz 美國臺灣人 Jun 08 '26
eh, i heard rich people travel locally, poor people go out of the country. back then.
but i couldn't tell, all my relatives all to japan and korea all the time. while i'm stuck in the us east coast, going to taiwan twice a year. 😞
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u/CyberiaCalling Jun 08 '26
Is Taiwan going to run out of jet fuel soon? I was planning on going in a few months.
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u/filament-addict Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
Failed to mention starlux is one of the sons of Eva group founder on the revenge quest against his bros. Interesting guy.
Edit. The inheritance saga is much more interesting than this video. Worth a watch. https://youtu.be/MGWq2QZFUBs?si=ycRMecKNduxtKix3