For this Hokkaido trip we flew with STARLUX Airlines. When planning the itinerary, I wanted to make the journey a little more relaxing, so I specifically considered upgrading to business class. The main reason was that the flight is about 4 hours—a medium-haul route—so being able to fully relax after takeoff, enjoy a nice meal, and even lie down for a rest would make the overall experience much more comfortable. Another reason was the fare: on the Hokkaido route, business class is only about NT$10,000 more than economy, which felt like an acceptable upgrade for the quality of the trip. In the end I gritted my teeth and treated myself to business class.
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| A330-900neo Business Class |
Originally the plan was to fly business class on both the outbound and return legs, but we later realized our route was into Hakodate and out of Sapporo, and the "Taipei–Hakodate" leg used the smaller
AIRBUS A321neo. After checking the cabin configuration, I found that this aircraft's business class uses a 2-2 layout. Although the seats are spacious, they can't fully recline flat and there are no large entertainment screens or privacy partitions—overall it feels more like an enlarged economy seat. So after weighing the value for money, I decided to upgrade to business class only on the "Sapporo–Taipei" leg.
💎 New Chitose Airport Lounge
New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido is truly enormous, and it's well worth setting aside extra time to explore. The domestic terminal in particular is packed with all kinds of souvenir shops and restaurants, and it even used to have a "Doraemon Waku Waku Sky Park" that was beloved by visitors (now closed).
It's about a 10-minute walk from the international terminal, so I'd recommend allowing some extra time to stroll over to the domestic side. Not only is there plenty of great shopping and food, but you can also soak up all the Hokkaido character—a great place to savor the last of your trip before heading back to Taiwan.
On this return trip we flew business class, so at check-in we could go straight through the priority lane without queuing in the long lines—very convenient. The lounge at New Chitose Airport, "Royal Lounge," is shared by several airlines, so after completing check-in the ground staff hand you a "Premium Access" lounge pass. With this pass, you head to the lounge entrance above the boarding gates and go straight in.
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The "Royal Lounge" at New Chitose Airport is upstairs from the boarding gates
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| Royal Lounge entrance |
The "Royal Lounge" at New Chitose Airport is a very comfortable space—bright, spacious, and thoughtfully designed. It's divided into several different areas: a bar-style high-table area, a viewing seating area where you can watch the tarmac, and a sofa seating area with a fair degree of privacy. Whether you want to work, unwind, or dine, you'll find a suitable spot.
During my visit there weren't many people, so the atmosphere was very quiet with no crowding or noise. You can easily settle in, enjoy some small bites and a drink, and bring your trip to a leisurely, relaxed close.
As for food, the lounge offers plenty of local Hokkaido specialties, such as hot dishes like soup curry and ramen, along with various Japanese-style small bites like fried chicken and croquettes. There's also a good selection of drinks—from beer to a range of spirits, all free-flowing—which is quite a treat for anyone who enjoys a tipple.
However, in terms of taste, I personally didn't find it particularly impressive—most of it was fairly ordinary. If you're going to enjoy the business class in-flight meal on the way back, I'd suggest taking it easy here and saving some appetite to savor the meal on the plane instead.
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| Hokkaido soup curry self-service station |
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| Soup station |
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| Self-service beer taps and drink machines |
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A variety of alcohol—red wine, plum wine, sake, and spirits
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| Chashu tonkotsu ramen |
✈️ STARLUX Airlines Business Class
The A330-900neo we flew this time isn't STARLUX's newest aircraft, but the overall experience was still excellent. Business class has 28 seats in a staggered 1-2-1 layout, with every seat having direct aisle access. Although there are no privacy doors, the seats recline fully flat, the sense of space is comfortable, and the cabin is very quiet—carrying STARLUX's signature design sensibility and attention to detail.
There's a small side table next to the seat, which is handy for placing drinks or your phone, and it has a built-in wireless charging pad, so you can top up your battery without digging out a charging cable. Traditional USB ports and universal power outlets are also all provided, so you can charge your phone, laptop, or tablet at the same time.
Beneath the side table there's a hidden small storage compartment that neatly holds a pair of noise-canceling headphones and a bottle of Evian mineral water. The noise-canceling headphones are of good quality, effectively blocking out the engine sound and ambient noise—paired with the in-flight music or a movie, they make the whole journey quieter and more comfortable.
As soon as you sit down, the flight attendant brings a hot towel and a welcome juice, and confirms the meal you pre-selected online.
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| The dishes on this trip |
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| Food menu and drinks list |
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Four exclusive cocktails created in collaboration with A-Xiang, the mixologist behind Bar TCRC / Bar Home
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| Laurent-Perrier Champagne / two kinds of sake |
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| Various red and white wines |
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| There are also various spirits, beers, and cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic drinks |
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| Appetizer bites with Laurent-Perrier Champagne |
Laurent-Perrier is one of France's five great champagne houses, so its quality goes without saying. This champagne has a pale golden body with fine, delicate bubbles, an elegant and layered aroma, and fresh notes of citrus and white fruit. It's crisp on the palate with full fruit flavor, very well balanced overall, and has a nicely lingering finish. It pairs well with delicate fish dishes or light seafood—an ideal champagne to serve as an aperitif.
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| Laurent-Perrier Champagne |
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| Appetizer with sparkling sake |
The pumpkin soup for the appetizer was incredibly rich and surprisingly delicious. It came with two kinds of bread with different textures, both with wonderful aromas that you can enjoy with butter or olive oil.
For the appetizer I chose the "Hakutsuru Awayuki" sparkling sake—a Japanese sparkling sake said to be "as gorgeous as champagne." It has the gentle sweetness of rice with a refreshing acidity, a low alcohol content, and goes down smoothly, pairing very well with the meal.
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| Whole-wheat bread and walnut rolls |
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| Main course - slow-braised beef cheek, with the still-unfinished sparkling sake |
For the main course I chose the slow-braised beef cheek. The meat was very tender and the accompanying sauce was quite good, with a nicely balanced flavor. The beefiness was just a touch strong for my taste, but overall it was still a pretty good dish.
The dessert, fruit, and cheese plate all performed well, with generous portions. The whole plate had a sense of both abundance and refinement. The Hokkaido matcha ice cream in particular had a rich matcha aroma without being bitter, a smooth texture, and a lingering milky finish, bringing the dessert course to a perfect close. Paired with the fresh fruit and cheese on the side, the flavors were rich and layered, and not overly sweet.
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| Galaxy Biluochun - gin, Biluochun tea, soda water |
This time four cocktails were offered in-flight. The first two are also available in economy class, so I specifically picked the latter two to try. The first one I ordered was the "Galaxy Biluochun," made with gin, Biluochun tea, and soda water. I'd expected a Gin Fizz–style drink with a light, refreshing tea aroma.
But it didn't really work out. I'm not sure whether it was a proportion issue or something else went wrong, but the whole glass tasted almost entirely of alcohol with no discernible tea aroma at all. On top of that, cold-brewing tea with a tea bag simply couldn't draw out the tea flavor, so overall this one was a bit of a failure.
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| Orange Mist - brown-rice longan liqueur, juice |
For the second one I ordered the "Orange Mist." The ingredients looked simple—Taiwan-made brown-rice longan liqueur paired with what was probably an orange-type juice. Since the first drink had disappointed me a little, I didn't have high hopes, but this one turned out to be surprisingly good! It had a faint rice aroma with a hint of smokiness, combined with the sweet-and-sour juice, so the alcohol wasn't too strong—smooth to drink and full of character.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable experience. The business class cabin was spacious and comfortable, and the service was very attentive. Apart from one cocktail that wasn't to my taste, the food was all delicious and the drinks list was thoughtfully curated. Add to that the unlimited, fast, and stable Wi-Fi available in business class, and the whole journey was extremely comfortable.
Hokkaido Without Self-Driving — Itinerary Overview
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