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China Airlines is a Taiwan-based member of SkyTeam, whose flights are bookable with Delta miles.

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China Airlines recently started flying a world-class flat bed Business Class product between the United States and Asia on its brand new 777-300ERs.

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Now all China Airlines award space is searchable and bookable on delta.com. Award space is excellent from the United States to Taiwan and beyond to the rest of Asia.

Routes

China Airlines flies from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu to Taipei. The three mainland routes are the most important because they feature the 777-300ER with its top-of-the-line Business Class product.

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from gcmap.com

From Taiwan, China Airlines, China Eastern, and China Southern–all SkyTeam members–connect you to the rest of Asia.

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Wherever you end up in Asia should cost 70,000 miles one way in Business Class (but don’t tell Delta I told you that. They 1984-ed their award chart last month.)

Product

Only China Airlines’ 777-300ERs feature fully flat Business Class with aisle access from every seat. Its A340s and 747s feature an old, non-flat Business Class. Delta.com lists the plane flying the route. Choose wisely.

By the end of 2015, all the routes from North America (excluding Hawaii) should be operated by the 777-300ER.

Here’s a full post with many pictures of the 777-300ER experience on China Airlines.

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Other Info on China Airlines Awards: Blackouts and Fuel Surcharges

China Airlines has blackout dates when it releases no award space to its partners. For 2015 and early 2016, those are:

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China Airlines flights have fuel surcharges. Delta SkyMiles awards usually collect fuel surcharges when the underlying cash ticket would have them. In this case, fuel surcharges are about $120 per direction–annoying but pretty low as fuel surcharges go. The cost of a one way award from the United States to Taiwan in Business Class on China Airlines with SkyMiles is 70,000 miles + $143.

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Award Space

I searched a few of the routes for one and two passengers in Business Class. There’s very good award space for one passenger outside of the blackout dates. For two passengers, there’s only space on about half as many days.

For instance, here is San Francisco to Taipei for two passengers in Business Class in September and October. There’s award space on 14/35 days.

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Here’s Los Angeles to Taipei on similar dates for one passenger. There’s award space 29/35 days.Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 11.55.21 AM Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 11.55.26 AM

Bottom Line

China Airlines award space is now searchable and bookable on delta.com.

Award space is excellent in China Airlines new, top-of-the-line Business Class on its 777-300ERs for one passenger and pretty good for two passengers outside of published blackout dates.

Delta does collect fuel surcharges of $120 per direction in China Airlines Business Class between the United States and Taiwan.

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