Definitive Guide: Booking Starlux Business Class on Points

It’s not often we see new airlines pop up, let alone become bookable via miles and points. Well in the summer of 2023, that was exactly what happened with Starlux Airlines. Needless to say, the miles and points community was enamored with this new airline addition and many individuals raced to get this aspirational business class product booked for their next vacation.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about Starlux business class and how you can book this stellar business class product on miles and points.

The Starlux Airlines Business Class Experience

Starlux Airlines is one of the newest international airlines on the market as they were founded in 2018. They are what I would consider one of the true luxury business class experiences on the market with their modern space-craft design elements and excellent service.

If you want to see the full Starlux business class experience, check out Jeff’s reviews of Starlux Business Class on the A350 and Starlux Business Class on the A321neo.

Seat Map

Starlux operates Airbus A350 aircraft for their trans-Pacific flights so if you are lucky enough to find award availability on one of these flights, all seats do have aisle access and are set up in a reverse herringbone layout.

On the other hand, if you find yourself flying a short-haul flight on Starlux Business class on the A321neo which is their narrowbody aircraft, all seats do not have direct aisle access but the design is on-brand and represents an excellent way to travel even for those shorter intra-Asia flights.

Seat

Starlux’s long-haul business class product is nothing short of amazing, with modern design elements including a sizable entertainment console, privacy door, and ample storage space.

If you are flying a shorter haul flight, even the A321neo seats are incredibly modern with all of the amenities you would need for your flight.

Food & Beverage

Starlux business class customers on long-haul flights can expect a robust meal service, complete with a number of alcoholic beverage choices, including specialty cocktails designed specifically for Starlux.

Snack service is also available on long-haul flights which can be ordered from at any time during the flight and includes options such as Vietnamese Pho.

Amenity Kit

If you are flying Starlux Airlines trans-Pacific, you will receive an amenity kit with all of the necessary travel essentials, in addition to pajamas and slippers.

Starlux Airlines Business Class Routes

Starlux currently offers two routes from North America that travel to Taipei (TPE) as they fly out of San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX). Later in 2024, Starlux is adding a new route from Seattle (SEA) to Taipei as well. These are the routes that you will need to be searching if you are keen on experiencing the long-haul Starlux business class experience.

On the other hand, once you make your way over to Taipei, there are a number of short-haul routes available including Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, and more. Consider tagging one of these segments onto your trans-Pacific flight booking if you want to experience the narrowbody Starlux business class experience as well!

Since Starlux Airlines is still quite new, I am hopeful that we will continue to see new routes added as they continue to position themselves as a strong option in the trans-Pacific flight market.

Booking Starlux Airlines Business Class on Points

Currently, the only real way to book Starlux business class on points is to book through the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. While flights can be redeemed via points on Starlux’s COSMILE loyalty program, this is not typically a feasible option for miles and points enthusiasts so I have not included it in the below section.

Booking Starlux Business Class with Alaska Airlines Miles

Before we get into the details, I want to make it clear that it is very difficult to find Starlux business class availability, especially if you are looking for more than one seat. Not only is this a highly desired redemption option in the miles and points community but they often release only one business class seat at 330 days. 

While booking Starlux on miles and points is possible, we highly recommend that you employ some of the best practices for making award bookings including being flexible with dates and even considering separating your party onto different flights if required.

That being said, searching for Starlux Business Class awards on the Alaska Airlines website is simple. Log into your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account and search for the date and route you are interested in booking. Ensure that you click the ‘Use Miles” checkbox before searching to look for award availability.

Once you are served the results for the day you selected, click “View by Calendar” to easily filter reward availability by a month at a time which is much more efficient than searching day by day. You can also filter by class of service, making it easy to find business class availability.

Starlux Airlines loads inventory 330 days in advance and typically one has one business class seat available at the saver price of 75,000 Alaska Miles at calendar open. However, close-in availability does see multiple seats available so if you are flexible with your departure date, you might just be able to secure two or more seats on one flight.

For example, looking only a few days out I was able to find two business class seats on the Taipei to San Francisco route at a cost of 75,000 Alaska Miles plus $46 USD in taxes and fees per person. This is the lowest mileage price you will find Starlux business class available for trans-Pacific flights, and experiencing this stellar business class product for such a small amount of miles is a crazy good deal.

On the other hand, looking closer to 330 days out, I was able to find availability on the Taipei to San Francisco route at a cost of 175,000 Alaska Miles plus $46 USD in taxes and fees per person. This is the non-saver redemption cost and it is a hefty mileage price to pay. However, if you are flush with Alaska Miles, the non-saver rate often has multiple seats available so it might be easier to find availability if you are willing to pay 100,000 Alaska Miles more per person.

While Starlux Airlines only services a number of routes across the Pacific Ocean, there are many short-haul flights available once you are in Taipei. These are what I would consider okay value, and would be more valuable if you tacked them onto the same itinerary as your trans-Pacific Starlux flight. 

For example, booking Taipei to Singapore costs 50,000 Alaska Miles plus $29 USD in taxes and fees per person for a 4 hour 30 minute flight. Personally, I would not go out of my way to make this redemption separately as the value isn’t there unless this was my one and only opportunity to fly Starlux.

Ultimately, if you are deadset on booking Starlux Airlines business class, ensure you are searching early, and frequently, and have the flexibility to fly whenever needed. This is one of the harder business class products to book at the moment, so don’t be surprised if you end up frustrated with the lack of availability. Keep at it and check daily (if not multiple times a day) to see if any availability pops up.

Best Ways to Earn Alaska Miles

For Canadians who are looking to earn Alaska Miles, there aren’t any great options at the moment for accruing these miles. While you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Alaska Miles at a rate of 3:1, this option is far from optimal as you can get more value out of your Marriott points elsewhere.

However, hopefully, soon the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard will be the best option for accruing Alaska Miles in Canada. Sometime in 2024, cardholders are supposed to be able to transfer MBNA Rewards points at a ratio of 1:1 to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, making this the best and only way to organically earn Alaska Miles in Canada.

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MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns MBNA Rewards points and gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 5x MBNA Rewards on restaurant, grocery, digital media purchases, and more.

Check out our MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
30,000 MBNA Rewards

MINSPEND
$2,000

NET VALUE
$180+

ANNUAL FEE
$120

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–

The MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns 5x MBNA Rewards points on many categories which means it will be a fast way to accrue Alaska Miles. The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard is another great option if you don’t meet the personal or household income requirements of the World Elite version as it still offers 2x MBNA Rewards points on many spending categories with no annual fee. Coincidentally, it is also one of the best credit cards with no annual fee in Canada.

On the US side, Bank of America offers a few Alaska Airlines co-branded credit cards, such as the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card. These cards are obtainable by Canadians who have entered the US credit card market and have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). However, applications must be done in-branch. If you are new to the idea of US credit cards, check out our guide on how to get US credit cards as a Canadian.

As an aside, Bilt Rewards are also transferable to Alaska Miles at a rate of 1:1, but this partnership is of limited use to Canadians who do not have an SSN.

Conclusion

Starlux Airlines business class feels like a bit of a unicorn in the miles and points space and for good reason. With it being a new and highly desirable redemption option, paired with the fact that the hard and soft products are excellent, it can be tough to find availability. 

If you are set on making a redemption on Starlux Airlines, ensure you are searching 330 days out or within 14 days of the flight to give yourself the best chances of finding an award seat available at the lower-priced saver level.

Frequently Asked Questions