Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has published a very good fare for business class flights to Taiwan, selling tickets to Taipei for as little as €1,535 (~HUF 603,260) with departure from Budapest. The fare requires a change of planes in Istanbul in either direction.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Turkish Airlines with your selected flight dates. You can also check what OTAs have to offer, as they sell these tickets up to €100 cheaper.
Flights from Budapest to Istanbul are Boeing 737 services. Turkish Airlines has a pretty decent European business class in these places with recliners in a 2-2 pattern. While the soft product is comparable to the Domestic First of US airlines, the food and beverage service is better.
Long-haul flights are operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft, featuring Turkish Airlines newest business class product. Lie-flat-seats in a 1-2-1 seating pattern await you.
You can choose between short layovers for maximum efficiency or add a stopover in Istanbul without increasing the ticket price. The airline actively offers free city tours.
Search & Book
Tickets are on sale until September 10, 2023 for departures between December 2023 and May 2024. You need to stay at least two days or one night from Saturday to Sunday in Taiwan to get the lowest fare. You may not stay longer than six months. Availability is best during the first three months of 2024.
Google Flights helps you find additional flight dates. You can buy tickets from online travel agencies for €100 less than on Turkish Airlines’ website, but it comes with some risks:
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Turkish Airlines issues tickets for all flights segments in booking class J. Star Alliance frequent flyers can earn the following mileage:
- 23,488 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 18,166 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- 17,616 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 16,800 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 15,268 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 14,682 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 12,918 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 11,744 Award Miles + 1,962 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 11,744 Miles on Asiana Club
- 11,744 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 11,744 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 11,744 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 11,744 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 11,744 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 11,744 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 11,744 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 11,744 Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 11,744 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
Destination
Hotel prices in Taipei usually start at roughly €50, depending on the hotel category. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for Taipei
Taipei is the largest city of Taiwan. About one third of all Taiwanese poeple live in Tapei’s municipality. The city stands out as unique conflux of Chinese and Japanese culture, architecture and cuisine. Being built into a mountainous region with huge rainforests, even the way from the airport downtown is hugely spectacular. The city is home to the Taipei 101, a skyscraper that used to be the tallest in the world at time of its opening in 2004. Another fascinating aspect is Taipei’s huge network of suburban malls.
Best Time to Visit
Being located in a humid subtropical climate, Tapei’s summers are hot, long lasting and very humid. Occasional heavy rainstorms or typhoons make this time an unpleasent one to visit the city. From November through March, average temperatures are around 20 dregrees and it rains less than during summer, making this an ideal time to visit the city.
From the Airport to the City
International flights arrive almost exclusively at Taipei Taoyuan Int’l airport. Getting to the city is as easy as it can be. A regular and an express metro line connect the airport to the city center. The 5€ ticket includes free Wi-Fi. Further, there are a number of shuttle buses to different parts of the city, operating even at night time. A taxi ride will be around 1000NT$, approx. €30.
→ All Dealz for Taipei
Information & Tips for Taiwan
Things are complicated when it comes to Taiwan’s political status. The island’s government claims to represent the independent “Republic Of China”, while mainland China views Taiwan as a “rebellious province”.
Regardless of those issues, the island of Formosa provides a heavily urbanized West Coast with Taipei as a masterful example of a modern metropolis. On the opposite, the East Coast is full of natural rain forests and smaller towns and villages. There is no place on earth where Chinese and Japanese culture form a harmonious mixture like in Taiwan, making it a unique place to visit.
Entry & Visa
Most EU-Citizens will receive a 90-day permit upon arrival at any Taiwanese airport. Only a passport valid more than six months after arrival is required.
Best Time to Travel
Taiwan is located in a subtropical climate zone, meaning high humidity all year round. While the southern part experiences a monsoon season from May through August, rainfalls are more evenly distributed through the year in the north. Best travel times are October through January, when rainfalls are low and temperatures are modest.
Currency
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar as currency. 1€ is worth approx. 35 TWD.
→ All Dealz for Taiwan