My flight report China Airlines flight CI69 Taipei-Taoyan, Republic of China - London Gatwick, UK, 15th September 2018

Airline: China Airlines
Flight: CI69
Type: Airbus A350-900
Registration: B-18909
Flight of origin: Taipei-Taoyan, Republic of China
Terminal: 1
Destination: London Gatwick, UK
Terminal: South Terminal
Date: 15th September 2018
Flight time: 13 hours & 45 minutes
Type of Travel: Non-European flight traveled outside the EU

This is the final report for this amazing long haul flight back to the United Kingdom from Taipei, Republic of China and the longest flight on record in the history of Aircraft Aviation in Europe almost 14 hours! So lets begins on this long haul adventure home. After arrived in Terminal 1, my flight you see in Chinese to London Gatwick, UK the check-in is opened.

During check-in it was normally process so I re-checked my bags from Japan & funny enough, the agent offered me another print of my boarding pass even though I got one from Tokyo Narita "just an update pass" he said.

Going through morning rush hour through security was quick & immigration was quick as well.

As I've mentioned about my flight report from Tokyo Nartia, Japan back to Taipei I've checked both flights at the kiosk, the sad part though is that my final flight doesn't have the window seat so I ended up sitting at the back sitting in the middle next to the isle. I was looking forward for the project of another full flight video back to London but what you gonna do.

Of course you'll get your passport stamped when you leave Taiwan. You see one missing departure stamp because on flight to Japan, immigration officer stamped in to different page on my recent Flight Report for Taipei-Tokyo flight. So yeah all foreign passports will get stamped in Taiwan arrival & departure.

10 minute walk after clearing immigration I've arrived in gate A5 where it said London Gatwick in Chinese & English. It would be nice to have the airline logo on flight information instead of standard font. Their is also another London flight from Taipei if you use EVA Airways at Terminal 2 to London Heathrow sadly British Airways doesn't go to Taipei.

So hear is my ride on the new Airbus A350 again taking me to London Gatwick, UK.

At gate A5, the flight is now boarding for the back row passengers with most nationalities are Taiwan, British with Chinese background same for some Australians and other British people.  

Boarding took about half an hour with full house on the flight. During the passenger announcement I've through about this on my inbound too that the crew only said London instead of saying London Gatwick. Their are always other crews on various airlines might say London too instead of saying Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, London City and Southend even captain.

I won't mention too much about the cabin it's the same deal on my CI70 flight on the report. Being in the middle unfortunately it happened when I've checked in from Tokyo Narita nothing I can do to change it. At least I get some view sitting by the isle in the middle. The weather in Taipei wasn't good at all it was wet and stormy. After takeoff we've been through some strong turbulence with the aircraft dropped a bit from attitude it was pretty rough when you're in east & south east and west of southern Asia.  15 minutes after takeoff the turbulence was over but the ride wasn't over just yet. 

1 Hour & 20 minutes later, we had turbulence twice in the Japanese airspace around Miyazaki and Kobe. It was a bit bumpy only last about 10 minutes then it's back to normal. 

Before the turbulence started it was snack time. It shows mix snacks inside contains what it looks like peanuts more like roasted or fried. It was crunchy & a bit salty so it wasn't bad. And of course I had Pepsi Max however during turbulence I've drank near the middle encase it splits all over me. 

Next turbulence is from Sea of Japan near between Japan & Russia twice again. After going through Russian air traffic control of Vladivostok, another turbulence happened for 5 & the half minutes. You can see the flight path in all flights all airliners are not allowed near Pyongyang, North Korea airspace apart from Air China. So you see why and flights departing from Soul Incheon, South Korea inbound & outbound must fly around China East Sea, Yellow Sea and Chinese airspace around Shandong or Liaoning. Flights from Japan can fly in western South Korea side then fly to the Yellow Sea & land in Seoul Incheon. So that's a little lesson to all passengers. 

During the whole flight to London Gatwick, the flight path will be over the Russian airspace of Siberia in the Asian side, continue to Russian airspace of Eastern Europe where we continue later on.

Lunch time! everything is rice with chicken inside if you don't know I'm a huge fan of chicken to eat. The rice taste OK and chicken is a little bit dry but hey, at least it's very eatable. Then I had a roll, strawberry yogurt and apples. Yogurt tasted watery with no strawberry flavor. And apple is an apple. Ont op of the roll is another snack I can't remember what it's called it has those square looks quite crunchy it's good. For desert I had strawberry ice-cream YUM!

Three hours into the flight somewhere in Russian airspace once again, the cabin lights has changed to blue indicating it's sunset even though throughout the flight it's daylight. All window blinds must be closed till landing so passengers can sleep without having jet lag. During boarding the crew has given us a pouch once again with slippers, tooth brush & tooth paste. The slippers is tradition for Taiwan to wear indoors so I've put them on while my feet is relaxing without any shoes.

Before the lights wen't dark, I took a closer look of the galley while I was waiting to use the toilets. Because I'm use to small planes like Boeing 737 & Airbus A320 the galley's are small, this A350 galley is huge when seeing it for the first time. I could have seen the A330 back galley when I was on Thomas Cook A330 from USA flight to compare I didn't care much back then. Overall this is a really nice & large galley I've ever seen. As you can see from the crew are preparing for breakfast in stock when we get a little bit nearer.

Less than six hours into the flight we're nearing the European airspace but still in Siberia this time Geographic Russian Siberia. If I was in the window seat with the window blind open it will still be day light. I've manage to sleep only 5 hours before this then I've fallen asleep again.

 

Ten hours later I've woken up & we're back in the European airspace of Norway.

Around the same time, the cabin lights has changed to sunrise as it's morning on the flight but it's afternoon in the European time zone. Everyone was already awak before the lights changed when watching movies. The movies & touch screen entertainment is good & very responsive. I think when I travel on Boeing 787 Dreamliners one day, I will compare who wins the competition. 

Before flying through the North Sea, it's breakfast time. Unfortunately apart from the broccoli, I've missed understood what the crew asked me for breakfast, it's kinda looks like pasta & source if it is than yep it's good. other food like roll, tea, Pepsi Max and other dish ontop my try I've forgot the name is food. They had those horrible biscuit I had on Tokyo inbound I'm sorry I didn't like it. 

  

And finally 13 hours & 45 minutes later, I've finally arrived back to London Gatwick South Terminal. the taxiway took a while because we've landed runway 26L and it's the afternoon rush hour for arrival & departure flights.

Going through UK Immigration is normal for me through EU passport channel although when I arrived from Taipei, I've started to get some immigration questions by the officer because of UK's upcoming withdrawal from the EU same for Customs Officer during inspection after I collected my luggage (traveled outside the EU so it's normal) we'll be covering that when waiting on the Brexit blog.  

Hear is the final result of the flight map from Taipei, Republic of China back to London Gatwick, UK. It's night time when I arrived back to London it's mid afternoon. 

My overall rating from Aircraft Aviation in Europe:

• Cabin: 9.9/10
• Hygienic: 10/10
• Food: 9.6/10
• Cabin Crew: 10/10
• Service: 9.9/10 

Overall: 9.7/10

Once again, thank you China Airlines for you're amazing four flights on various aircraft types, best cabin crew, meal services and try to make us relaxed & feel more enjoyable. In the future I will travel with you again.