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China Airlines (CI) Guide

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A practical guide to China Airlines: the network from TPE, the Airbus A321neo and the rest of the fleet, luggage rules, check-in and cheaper fares. Ask a question
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In short

China Airlines is the flag carrier of Taiwan, headquartered at CAL Park near Taoyuan International Airport. It flies to 100+ cities in Taiwan, Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania, and Taipei transfers suit trips between Asia and North America. China Airlines belongs to SkyTeam and runs Dynasty Flyer. Cabins are Business, Premium Economy and Economy.

China Airlines is the state-owned flag carrier of Taiwan, founded in 1959 and headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport. One of Taiwan’s three major airlines, it flies to over 100 cities in Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania and is a SkyTeam member.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with China Airlines. Routes, schedules, fleet and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

China Airlines is the flag carrier and largest airline of Taiwan, headquartered at CAL Park in Taoyuan City with its hub at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which serves Taipei. It suits travellers flying to and from Taiwan and those connecting in Taoyuan between North America, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia. Despite the name, it is a Taiwanese airline with no link to mainland China's Air China. It was founded on 7 September 1959 and flew its first service on 16 December 1959.

Network from Taoyuan

China Airlines runs more than 1,400 flights a week, 91 of them pure cargo flights, to 102 destinations in Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan and Taipei Songshan, the city-centre airport, are focus cities.

Japan is the most important market, with more than 180 weekly flights to 14 Japanese airports. That density makes Taoyuan a practical connecting point between Japan and Southeast Asia, as well as between North America and Southeast Asia. Book connections on one ticket so your bags are checked through.

Six decades of history

Trans-Pacific flights to San Francisco began in 1970. The airline took its first Boeing 747-400 in 1990 and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1993. Its first flight to mainland China was a charter in 2003, and regular scheduled flights across the Taiwan Strait started in 2009. In 2011 it became the first Taiwanese airline to join an alliance when it entered SkyTeam on 28 September.

In 2020 Taiwan's legislature called for a new name to avoid confusion with Air China, but the plan has been on hold since 2022.

The China Airlines group

Mandarin Airlines flies domestic and lower-demand regional routes. Tigerair Taiwan is the group's low-cost airline and is wholly owned by China Airlines. China Airlines Cargo runs the freighters and sells hold space on passenger flights; in 2017 the airline ranked tenth in the world for freight revenue tonne-kilometres.

Checking baggage by route and cabin

Check the baggage allowance for your fare on china-airlines.com, since it varies by route and cabin.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
China Airlines official website

See the source
  1. China Airlines official website
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Good to know

  • Founded1959
  • Other gatewaysKHH / TSA

Everything you should know

Airline codes

CI · CAL

IATA · ICAO · callsign “DYNASTY”

China Airlines’ IATA code is CI, its ICAO code is CAL, and the radio callsign is DYNASTY. Type CI and your flight number into a status search to follow a China Airlines flight.

Key facts

Main hub

Taipei (TPE)

Taoyuan International

Also flies abroad fromKaohsiung (KHH) · Taipei Songshan (TSA)

Network

100+ cities

Taiwan · Asia · North America · Europe · Oceania

China Airlines runs over 1,400 weekly flights from Taipei Taoyuan. Japan is its biggest market, with flights to 14 Japanese cities, and it also flies to China, Southeast Asia, North America, Europe and Australia.

Destinations

Cabin classes

Business

and Premium Economy, Economy

Long-haul A350s and 777s offer Business, Premium Economy and Economy; meals are complimentary for all passengers. Long-haul aircraft have Business, Premium Economy and Economy. First class ended in 2016, and those seats are now sold as Business. On regional routes the cabin depends on the aircraft, so check the seat map before you book.

Compare cabins

Good to know

China Airlines runs free bus services in some US cities, such as from New Jersey to JFK. Its loyalty programme is Dynasty Flyer, and its official website is china-airlines.com.

Frequent flyer

Dynasty Flyer

Member of SkyTeam

China Airlines belongs to SkyTeam, so miles from CI flights can usually go into a partner scheme in the alliance as well as Dynasty Flyer.

How it works

Start a new search

bookingMentor lists CI fares beside the other carriers on the same route, which shows quickly whether China Airlines is the cheaper way to reach Sydney.

Have a good trip, whether you start in Taipei or somewhere else on the China Airlines network.

Select dates

At a glance

China Airlines (IATA: CI, ICAO: CAL) is the flag carrier of Taiwan, based at Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei. Founded in 1959 and a SkyTeam member, it flies Airbus A321neo, A330, A350 and Boeing 737 and 777 aircraft to over 100 cities in Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania.

Key facts about China Airlines
HeadquartersCAL Park, Dayuan District, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Fleet typesAirbus A321neo, A330-300, A350-900, Boeing 737-800 and 777-300ER
Frequent flyerDynasty Flyer
Official websitechina-airlines.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
These are the cities on China Airlines’ published route map. Timetables change through the year, so check the China Airlines schedule before you plan around a route. Search flights

Japan & Korea

Taipei (TPE) departures10 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

The fleet totals about 85 aircraft. Passenger types are the Airbus A321neo for regional routes, the Airbus A330-300 and A350-900 for medium and long-haul flights, the Boeing 737-800 and the Boeing 777-300ER. Large orders will reshape the long-haul fleet: 15 Airbus A350-1000s, 15 Boeing 777-9s, 18 Boeing 787-9s and six 787-10s. The cargo fleet of Boeing 747-400Fs and 777Fs is due to add eight 777-8 freighters.

  • Airbus A321neo Narrow-body · 22 in service Most regional routes in Asia
  • Boeing 737-800 Narrow-body · 5 in service Older narrow-bodies on regional routes
  • Airbus A330-300 Wide-body · 12 in service Wide-body capacity on busy regional routes
  • Airbus A350-900 Wide-body · 18 in service Long-haul flights to Europe, North America and Oceania
  • Boeing 777-300ER Wide-body · 10 in service Long-haul routes that need the most seats
  • Boeing 747-400F Freighter China Airlines Cargo
  • Boeing 777F Freighter China Airlines Cargo

Cabin classes

Three cabins are on sale at China Airlines: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. Not every China Airlines route has all of them.

Business All wide-bodies

Business class

Business class across the fleet, with lie-flat seats on long-haul aircraft.

Lie-flat on long-haulLounge access

Premium Economy Long-haul

More space

Offered on long-haul aircraft.

Wider seatMore legroom

Economy All flights

Standard seat

Economy with complimentary meals, from Taiwanese dishes to international options.

Free meals for all passengers

Dynasty Flyer

China Airlines’ loyalty programme. Join Dynasty Flyer online before you fly so the trip counts.

Dynasty Flyer members earn miles on China Airlines and SkyTeam flights and redeem them for award tickets and upgrades.

As a SkyTeam member China Airlines connects with partners such as Delta, Air France, KLM and Korean Air, and SkyTeam status works on its flights. The loyalty programme is Dynasty Flyer, with Gold, Emerald and Paragon elite tiers.

Baggage allowance

On China Airlines, the bag allowance follows your fare type, cabin and route, and the exact figure is printed on your CI e-ticket.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Set by your fare
Extra bags
Add online before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Expect the allowance on China Airlines to change with distance and cabin: higher cabins include more than basic economy on the same flight. Look up your route on the baggage page of china-airlines.com.

Pro tip: weigh your bags at home before leaving for the airport; extra weight on China Airlines usually costs more at the counter than when you add it online.
Travel day

Online Check-in

Getting through check-in for China Airlines is simpler in this order. Start online and finish at bag drop.

  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Where your flight allows it, check in on china-airlines.com with your surname and booking reference or e-ticket number.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    International China Airlines passengers need a passport and whatever visa, residence permit or entry documents the destination requires. Domestic CI passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Get to the airport with time for China Airlines check-in, bag drop and security. The airline sets a deadline for each airport, shown in your booking, and late arrivals can lose their seat.

    Check your deadline
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    At the airport, take your bags to the China Airlines bag-drop point. Collect a printed CI boarding pass there if you have not saved one to your phone.

    China Airlines counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official China Airlines website.
Check in with China Airlines
Save money

Cheap tickets

A few booking habits that tend to cut the cost of flying China Airlines.

  1. 01

    Be flexible with your China Airlines dates

    Compare a full week of China Airlines departures; midweek days are often priced below Fridays and Sundays.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak holiday dates

    Fares rise around Lunar New Year, the summer holidays and Japanese peak seasons such as cherry blossom time. Book early for those dates.

    School holidays · festivals
  3. 03

    Price the bundle, not the base fare

    A China Airlines fare that includes a checked bag, seat choice or cheaper changes can cost less overall than adding those extras later.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Plan popular routes ahead

    Popular China Airlines flights fill the cheaper fares first, so give yourself several weeks of lead time on busy routes.

    Popular routes
  5. 05

    Join Dynasty Flyer

    Join Dynasty Flyer before your first China Airlines flight so the trip earns points from day one.

    Before you fly

  6. Ready to compare fares?

    Search China Airlines alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search China Airlines flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying China Airlines.
We checked these China Airlines answers with the airline’s own pages and public airline records on 10 October 2026.

Getting there

China Airlines has been a full member of SkyTeam since 2011. This lets members earn and use miles with SkyTeam partners such as Delta, Air France, KLM and Korean Air, and get lounge access based on status.