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China Airlines has just taken delivery of its 777-300ERs. The new plane looks beautiful with a top-of-the-line flat bed business class, a quality premium economy, and economy that offers the chance to combine three seats into one family “couch.”

Note that China Airlines is based in Taiwan and is a member of SkyTeam. Don’t confuse it with Air China, based in Beijing, and a member of Star Alliance.

The new 777-300ERs will be flying between the United States and Taipei starting in December 2014. The first route will be Los Angeles to Taiwan, followed by San Francisco and New York to Taiwan in 2015.

China Airlines flights are bookable with Delta SkyMiles, and convenient connections are available from Taipei throughout Asia.

• What does Business Class look like?
• What does Premium Economy look like?
• What does Economy look like?
• How can you book the family couches, billed as an affordable alternative to Business Class?
• Where can you search and book award space on China Airlines flights?

Business Class

The 40 Business Class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herribgbone.

Each of the 78″ beds has direct aisle access.

The Business Class cabin features a Sky Lounge with a Literary Tea-tasting Area, Fashionable Coffee Area, and a bar.

Delta charges 140,000 miles roundtrip in China Airlines Business Class to anywhere in Northeast or Southeast Asia.

Premium Economy

Sixty-two Premium Economy seats are arranged 2-4-2 with 39″ of leg room, similar to what you’d find in domestic First Class on an American airline.

Premium Economy is not bookable with SkyMiles. No legacy American airline allows the use of its miles to book Premium Economy on any of its partners.

Economy

The back of the plane has one interesting feature. The first 10 rows feature a set of three seats that can turn into a “Family Couch.”

China Airlines licensed the technology from Air New Zealand, which invented the Family Couch concept under the name SkyCouch.

I can’t find the exact dimensions of China Airlines’ Family Couch, but Air New Zealand’s SkyCouch measures 29″ by 61″, far too short for most people to lie down fully. Tellingly I haven’t seen a picture of two happy adults and a child on the couch, the maximum number of people that can share one.

• More info on China Airlines Family Couch and pricing
• More info, pictures, and video of Air New Zealand SkyCouch
• Review of Air New Zealand SkyCouch

Delta charges 70,000 miles roundtrip in economy to Northeast Asia and 80,000 miles roundtrip to Southeast Asia.

I believe that if you booked 1-3 seats on a China Airlines flight with SkyMiles, you could call China Airlines to pay the supplemental cash to upgrade to a SkyCouch, but I am not sure.

• A family of three with one child under the age of 12 can purchase the Family Couch product for US$200 in addition to airfare
• the cost is an additional US$500 for a group of two
• an additional US$1,000 for a solo traveler

I will investigate further.

Searching and Booking China Airlines Award Space

You can search China Airlines economy award space on airfrance.us or Expert Flyer. (Click the links for tutorials.) I don’t know anywhere online you can search Business Class award space.

Perhaps for that reason, Business Class award space tends to be excellent. For instance, on April 3, 2015, both China Airlines flights have 4 Business Class award seats from Los Angeles to Taipei. You can search your preferred date by calling Delta at 800-323-2323.

To book China Airlines, you also need to call Delta at 800-323-2323. In addition to the miles and taxes, you will pay $262 in fuel surcharges roundtrip between the United States and Taipei. Fuel surcharges are the same in economy and business class on the flights I checked.

Bottom Line

There are already a ton of great Business Class beds between the United States and Asia–Cathay Pacific, EVA, Korean, and Singapore to name a few–and China Airlines adds a new great product with fantastic award space to the mix.

Call Delta to search for award space and to book your Asian trip today.

Hat Tip The Points Guy and Yahoo!