Fair enough. Like I said, didn’t know that.
Yeah, prior to COVID I was always bragging about being from the country with the second busiest airport in the world. I hear that Emirati, Dutch, Hongkongese, Korean, French, Singaporean, German, and Thai people never shut up about their massive airports either.
You don’t need to brag when you’re FAMOUS!
Dude, very, very few people in the world know what or where Taiwan is. But the night markets are FAMOUS!
I’m not strictly talking about the airport.
And I have heard Singaporeans brag about their airport. Have you seen Crazy Rich Asians?
It’s just a fact. Taiwanese people aren’t very chauvinistic at all, unlike people from certain other countries.
Bullshit. They live in a little bubble. The geographical knowledge is that of a first-grader. If you don’t look han, you are either a slave or weiguoren.
I don’t think Westerners are in any position to point finger on Taiwanese people’s geographical knowledge.
What else are you if you are not a foreigner? What’s so offensive about the word foreigner?
I’ve been a tax-paying resident of the country for 20 years. Having 5 year-olds and tai ke point at me and call me “foreigner” rankles a little.
But you are a foreigner. If I am in another country for 20 years I would still be a foreigner, unless I get citizenship.
In terms of your passport, sure. I think the point was that if I saw you (East Asian looking, presumably) walking down the street in the UK for example, I wouldn’t automatically assume you’re a foreigner or assign that label to you in my mind, because it’s entirely possible you’re both British and East Asian looking (or Indian looking, or black, or Middle Eastern looking, or whatever). It’s different in countries like Taiwan that are so homogeneous.
I had to look up the definition of “chauvinism” to check, but the following doesn’t seem like something Taiwanese people are immune to (e.g., the current discussion in the other thread about foreigners being excluded from tax rebates, stimulus vouchers, etc.):
excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own cause or group, in particular male prejudice against women
Sure, but the UK is a very diverse country. Taiwan isn’t.
I never said Taiwan was immune to xenophobic policies, my point is you don’t see many Taiwanese people bragging about Taiwan being particularly good/better at stuff, unlike people from some other countries. Actually most locals talk it down instead of up.
Maybe but I’ve heard many many Taiwanese bitch about other countries they’ve visited. It’s not convenient. It’s expensive. Sales tax. Yadayada
It’s not bragging but it’s something.
Or among the First Peoples of this land.
And yes I know you know that. 
Guy
Did you know that the US has broken esalators, disgusting sidewalks covered in sh&t, high prices, and some nice people?
One out of four. I suppose it could be worse! But honestly it’s not as a good here as Taiwan.
Now can I get my honorary Taiwan citizenship?
Guy
To go back to topic, TPE does a lot of things right. There are some very little details which would make it among the very best.
Like terminal 2 arrival hall is shite imo. If u arrive and need to wait for someone to pick u up or wait to pick someone up, there is basically no decent refreshment option (christ, put a 7 or famima…), Just a sketchy shop sellling also some drinks/food and a kinda eatery. Quite sad.
Then put some more food option landside before security checks in both terminals.
Besides that, and as u see very marginal things, the airport does its job: 1 it takes you from checkin to boarding in less than 20 mins for who can use egates, 30-40 if need to go through manned immigration, 2 it takes you from the plane to the baggage claim also in less than 20 mins. Toilets are clean, wifi works, there are enough shops.
Lounges can be nice/functional (like the plaza premium in terminal 1 with the showers), or disappointing (eva lounges in t2… Jeez, so depressing for food and drinks, showers are nice at least, and I’m talking about the business class one. Not even sure the garden, the one for diamond eva frequent flyers only, is that much better). Airlines in tw need to step up the game a bit there.
So, all in all, TPE is a very good airport which gives a good experience to all passengers (arriving, departing and transiting).
Most airports have some sort of fee/s attached to them. You usually don’t notice because they are built into the ticket price and after a new fee is introduced everybody forgets about it.
Taipei airport is fine. It’s not a terrible airport but definitely not a great one. It’s functional with good connections. It’s pretty boring and unremarkable overall.
I mostly travel to Melbourne, Aus which has more amenities but no train and terrible public transport options, especially to the suburbs. For me they are on par, Melbourne is more lively, Taoyuan more convenient but they even out overall as unremarkable
Yeah when I visited there on my last trip I figured they might take the opportunity during the pandemic with record low passenger numbers and apparently record profits for the parent company (Evergreen) to update the space. Nope, same old worn furniture, small bathrooms, and 90s neon lighting scheme (right side). I’m sure they’ll do it just as things are getting back to normal and passenger numbers start peaking, because Taiwan.
It was depressing. I was leaving in dec to go back to Italy for the holidays, so taking the brand new direct flight to Milan.
Not the best impression given to first time passengers on the airline. Then you get on the airplane and the situation reverses. The 787s of Eva are real jewels.
I do hope they improve there, both EVA and China Airlines, since their products aboard are already very solid, if not excellent (eva air biz class on the 787, it is a first class seat with first class amenities and biz class food)
I wonder how many Star Alliance folks (cough United cough) use this lounge? Some credit card schemes in the US make it foolishly easy to get status. Perhaps EVA just shrugs and offers this dismal substandard experience in return.
Or: perhaps EVA just thinks of their Taiwan-based customers as a captive market. That’s one reason I’m keeping my eyes on Starluxe as an alternative—hopefully forcing EVA to up its game, which honestly to me has never been that impressive (aside from the no crashing part, which is much appreciated).
Guy
There are several eva lounges at TPE. One is only for silver card from eva, one for gold card star alliance members, one only for business and first class flyers (the one I went) and one only for diamond eva members. So a few people can access them. Then also if you hold amex eva air cards or cathay united eva air cards, and you fly eva, you can access them by paying a fee without status or class priviliges.
I think tw airlines still don’t see themselves as transiting airlines (like it used to be cathay pacific for instance) or really premium airlines, they are sort of a mix. So a good lounge is something too “premium” or transit focus for them. At the end, rich tw folks arrive at the airport at the very last driven by their driver, kust go to the priority desks, check in and go straight to the front of the plane. Done.
Normal folks fly economy and sporadically biz (maybe like me with a lucky miles upgrade), and for them it is enough what they offer. No incentive to improve
Yes I agree they are in a strange middle ground: not budget or LCC, and not impressive like the old Cathay or Singapore . . . just relatively expensive and unimpressive, at least compared to the best of their peers in the region.
Guy