Yes, in this post, we will tell you how to fly to Taiwan FOR FREE. If you’re an avid traveler with a desire to explore the beautiful island of Taiwan, you will be pleased to know that airline miles and credit card points can be your ticket to an affordable and rewarding journey. Many airlines and credit card companies offer lucrative rewards programs that allow you to earn miles or points for your purchases, which can then be redeemed for flights to Taiwan. By strategically utilizing these rewards, you can significantly reduce the cost of your airfare or even fly for free. In this post, we will dive into the major Taiwanese airlines, the airline alliances they belong to, and exploring the different strategies to maximize your rewards and secure an unforgettable travel experience to Taiwan.
You most likely are familiar with the basic concepts of credit card rewards, travel perks and how to use them already. If so, feel free to skip to the later parts of the post. However, do not worry if you are a beginner. While credit card rewards is a whole rabbit hole that is worth a whole blog of its own (and there are a lot out there), we will briefly go over some basic concepts and give you a head start.
Credit Card Rewards
Credit card rewards can be incredibly powerful when it comes to travel. By strategically utilizing travel rewards credit cards, travelers can unlock a wide array of benefits and perks that can significantly enhance their travel experiences. These rewards often come in the form of points or miles, which can be accumulated through everyday spending and then redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and more. Each credit card has their own unique offers, therefore there is no right or wrong way of using or accumulating credit card rewards. With the right credit card along with spending strategy, cardholders can earn bonus points for specific travel-related expenses like airline tickets or hotel bookings, effectively earning free or heavily discounted travel in the process. Additionally, many travel credit cards offer valuable travel insurance coverage, airport lounge access, priority boarding, and other exclusive privileges that can elevate the travel journey. By leveraging credit card rewards wisely, travelers can save money, enjoy luxurious upgrades, and explore new destinations that may have otherwise been out of reach, making credit card rewards an indispensable tool for frequent and aspiring travelers alike. We highly recommend you do more research on your own about this topic, there are plenty of great resources out there.
Airline Alliances
Another important concept you need to know is airline alliances. Airline alliances are collaborative partnerships formed between multiple airlines with the aim of providing enhanced connectivity and benefits to travelers. These alliances, the three biggest ones including Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam, bring together a network of airlines from around the world, allowing them to seamlessly coordinate flights, schedules, and services. One of the primary advantages of airline alliances is the increased convenience and flexibility they offer to passengers. Travelers can book flights on partner airlines using a single ticket, enjoy smoother connections, and have access to a wider range of destinations. Moreover, frequent flyer programs within these alliances enable members to earn and redeem miles or points across multiple airlines, accumulating rewards faster and unlocking various travel perks. For example, travelers can achieve elite status more easily, granting them privileges like priority check-in, lounge access, and extra baggage allowance. Airline alliances also foster cooperation in areas such as code-sharing, shared airport facilities, and joint marketing initiatives, leading to improved operational efficiency and cost savings for the participating airlines. Overall, airline alliances enhance the travel experience by providing seamless connectivity, expanded benefits, and greater choice for passengers, making them a valuable asset in the global aviation industry.
You might wonder how airline alliances are related to credit card rewards? Well, if your credit card provides perks for airline A, and airline A happens to be in the same alliance as airline B, you most likely are able to use your rewards on airline B too! In fact, you might be able to use them on all airlines in which airline A belongs to.
Now that we know about the basics of credit cards and airline alliances, we want to share with you a couple airlines that frequently fly to Taiwan. If you are based in Asia, you will have a lot more options, including budget airlines to choose from. But if you are based in Europe or America, chances are you will be choosing between some of the airlines we listed out in this post. The following information will be especially helpful if you have a preference for which airline alliance to fly with to maximize your credit card rewards. We listed out the three major airline alliances, the major Taiwanese or Chinese airlines that has frequent flights to Taiwan, along with the American or European airlines that often collaborate with them to serve this route.
Star Alliance: EVA Air, United Airlines, Turkish Airlines
Star Alliance is the biggest airline alliance of all three. We want to highlight to you EVA Air, United Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
EVA Air, also known as Evergreen Airways, is probably the most popular airline among Taiwanese immigrants or travellers. They are a Taiwanese airline that has gained a reputation for its exceptional service and quality. EVA Air belongs to Star Alliance and frequently collaborates with alliances on direct flights from major cities to Taipei.
Destinations with direct flight:
- North America (often collaborate with United Airlines): Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver
- Europe (often collaborate with Turkish Airline): Amsterdam, London, Paris, Vienna, Milan, Munich
- Oceania: Brisbon
- Asia: a lot, see website for more information
If you are shopping for flights to Taiwan, for our North American friends you might want to check out United Airlines and for our European friends check out Turkish Airline. Air New Zealand also has direct flight from New Zealand to Taiwan! They are all in Star Alliance and often collaborate with EVA Air to transport people to or from Taiwan.
Sky Team: China Airlines, Delta Airlines, KLM
For SkyTeam, we believe focusing on China airlines, Delta airlines and KLM will be your best bet.
China Airlines, the national carrier of Taiwan, has established itself as a leading player in the aviation industry, connecting the world to the beauty and cultural richness of Taiwan. Founded in 1959, China Airlines has grown to become a global airline with a vast network of destinations across Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America. They also offer many direct flights from major cities in North America and Europe to Taiwan:
- North America (often collaborate with Delta Airlines): Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Ontario, Vancouver, Honolulu, Guam
- Europe (often collaborate with KLM): Amsterdam, Rome, Vienna, Frankfurt, London, Prague
- Asia: tons of options, see their website here.
With Delta Airlines miles, you can book a business class ticket operated by China Airlines with about 85K miles for one-way trip and 170K miles for round trip.
One World: Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, British Airway
For One World, we want to share with you Cathay pacific, American airlines and British Airway.
Cathay Pacific is a renowned international airline based in Hong Kong International Airport, which serves as a crucial gateway between Asia and the rest of the world. They are one of the founding members of the Oneworld alliance, a global partnership that allows travelers to enjoy a more extensive range of destinations and convenient connections. You can find many Cathay Pacific flights from many major cities to Taipei, but they most likely require a connection via Hong Kong.
If you are based in North America, you can check out if American Airlines collaborate with Cathay. Similarly, for people leaving from Europe, check out British Airway.
Others: United Arab Emirates
Not all airlines belong to the big three alliances, but that doesn’t make them inferior. The best example is United Arab Emirates Airline. Emirates Airline is one of the most popular and unique flight options especially for travelers in Europe and Asia, that’s why it has its own paragraph. Emirates are partners with almost all large credit card systems, including Amex, Chase, Citi, and Capital One, They are also partners with airlines including Alaska Airlines, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, JetBlue and more. This makes it another great option for travel reward redemptions.
Booking flights with Airline Credit Card Points
If you have already accumulated a lot of mileage within a particular Airlines, usually with a credit card they issued, you can use them to book flights to Taipei. A good example is Miles and More. Miles and more is the loyalty program for European carriers like Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines. Once you have enough mileage, you can use them to book flights that are within Star Alliance. Other common airline mileage plans include United Mileageplus, AirCanada Aeroplan etc.
Booking flights with Everyday Credit Card Points
If you points are accumulated via normal everyday spending credit cards, there are many ways to spend your points. One way is to transfer your points to an airline mileage plan, then use those mileage to purchase a ticket. You first have to decide which partner to transfer your points to and how to maximize the value you get. Do note that tranferring points from your credit card system to the airline system might take a couple days, so if your target ticket is in high demand, they might be gone before your points are ready. So plan ahead!
For those who are travelling from North America, you are in luck. This route yields many opportunities for great bargains and we will use Taipei to North America flights as our example. For people from other places, you may utilize similar strategies.
American Express Membership Rewards
If you want to use your American Express MR points, following are a couple airlines that AMEX has partnered with. You can transfer your MR points into various mileage plans and use the miles to purchase flights. AMEX MR points are especially useful when it comes to business class tickets.
1. ANA (All Nippon Airway)
The first and probably the best way is to use ANA, a Japanese airline, also a member of Star Alliance. Agreed among American Express card users, the best bargain is to transfer MR points into ANA then book EVA Air business class flights from North America to Taipei via the ANA portal/service. It will only cost you 95K miles for a full business class round trip! However, this is a very popular way of flying to Taiwan for free, so make sure you plan ahead and book as early as you can. ANA also does not allow one-way trips for tickets purchase with mileage.
- Business class ticket: 95K miles round trip. One-way N/A.
- Upgrade to business class: 34-36K miles one-way. 68~72K miles round trip.
2. Air Canada Aeroplan
You can also try to book EVA Airs tickets through AirCanada Aeroplan:
- Business class ticket: 75K miles one-way. 150K round trip.
- Upgrade to business class: 25K miles one-way. 50K miles round trip.
3. Avianca LifeMiles
Avianca is also a member of Star Alliance, booking though their. mileage plan can often yield great deals:
- Business class ticket: 75K miles one-way. 150K round trip. (They sometimes have discounts and you can get a one-way trip in 60K)
- Upgrade to business class: 30K miles one-way. 60K miles round trip.
4. Delta Airlines
You can also transfer your MR points to Delta Airlines, a member of SkyTeam, and try to get a ticket from China Airlines.
- Business class ticket: 85K miles one-way. 170K miles round-trip
- Upgrade to business class: N/A
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase also partnered with a couple different airlines. You can transfer your UR points to different mileage plans, then make use of them to get your free ticket or upgrade.
1. United Airlines
United Airlines as mentioned before is part of Star Alliance. You can book EVA Airs or United flights to Taipei:
- Business class ticket: 80K one-way, 160K round trip
- Upgrade to business class: >60K one-way. > 120K round trip
2. Cashback
An easier way to use your UR points is to book flights via Chase Travel Portal and spend them like cash or gift card. Depending on what credit cards you have, each point can be worth 1 cent, 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents. This is especially simple and works well when the ticket price is already on the lower end.
To wrap up…
This post is jam packed with amazing saving tips. To sum it up, by strategically capitalizing on credit card rewards and airline alliances, your journey to Taiwan can be an affordable and rewarding escapade. Through accumulating miles and points via credit card spending, you can unlock a realm of travel benefits, including discounted or complimentary flights and exclusive privileges. Understanding the dynamics of airline alliances, such as Star Alliance with EVA Air, United Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, allows you to maximize rewards and seamlessly traverse the globe. As you set your sights on Taiwan, consider leveraging partnerships like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards to convert points into unforgettable experiences, making your exploration of this captivating island more accessible and enriching.
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