China Airlines joins SkyTeam, considers axing first class
By David Flynn, September 29 2011
IN BRIEF: Taipei-based China Airlines today became the 15th member of the SkyTeam alliance, following recent recruit China Eastern in expanding SkyTeam's footprint in the Asia-Pacific region (alongside China Eastern, China Southern, Delta, Korean Air and Vietnam Airlines).
Travellers on China Airlines, which currently flies from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland into Taiwan, will now be able to trade their Dynasty Flyer points into those of fellow SkyTeam airlines, and vice versa.
Aerolineas Argentinas and Garuda Indonesia, both of which also operate in Australia, are slated to join SkyTeam next year.
Other changes are afoot at China Airlines. According to a report in Asia-Pacific Business Traveller, the airline will adopt fully-flat beds in business class within the next two years – a welcome upgrade from the current 160 degree angled lie-flats. At the same time, first class may be ditched as the airline focuses more on corporate travellers.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
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