My First Experience with Tigerair Taiwan: The Plane’s Kimchi Rice Vermicelli and Pork Chop Rice Outshine Pork Rice!
▲The livery of Tigerair Taiwan subtly incorporates the shape of Taiwan’s island. (Photo provided by Tigerair Taiwan)
Text and photos by Kiya
Taiwan’s first domestic low-cost airline, “Tigerair Taiwan,” finally took to the skies on September 26. Kiya was lucky enough to be on the very first flight to Singapore. The brand-new plane, freshly designed seats, and updated facilities had everyone brimming with anticipation even before takeoff.
Tigerair Taiwan prides itself on being full of local Taiwanese flavor, both inside and out. Even the Gate A5 chosen for its inaugural flight had a distinctly “Taiwanese” touch — the wall murals depicted various popular Taiwanese street snacks in a night market setting. Before boarding began, the inaugural ceremony featured a lion and dragon dance performance, with the rhythmic drumbeats creating a lively atmosphere.
As it was the inaugural flight, there were plenty of special activities. Next to the boarding gate, there were cutouts representing Taipei 101 (Taiwan), the Merlion (Singapore), and the flight’s celebrity endorsers, Hao Jiao Xiang Qi, where passengers could take free Polaroid photos. Passengers could also pose with the stylish flight attendants holding signs — a rare opportunity that had many lining up over and over again.
▲Passengers flocked to the photo ops with the flight attendants — a rare chance not to be missed.
Once on board, perhaps because it was a brand-new aircraft, even the cabin had a refreshingly clean scent. Tigerair Taiwan’s planes are A320 models, offering a total of 180 seats. The seating layout is similar to most low-cost carriers — three seats on either side of the aisle. The most spacious (and extra-cost) options are the first row and seats near the emergency exits.
%The seat cushions were soft, and the overall cabin environment felt very comfortable.
Kiya personally really liked the seat pitch and space on Tigerair Taiwan. Even sitting in the middle seat didn’t feel as cramped as on some other low-cost carriers — for someone around 165 cm tall, there was still about a fist’s width of legroom even when the passenger in front reclined their seat. However, for men over 170 cm, the standard seats felt a bit tight, with knees often bumping against the seatback in front.
▲%Kiya, who is around 158 cm tall, found there was plenty of legroom even after the seat in front was reclined (as shown in the top image), with about a fist’s worth of space left (bottom left). For men, though, the knee space was more limited, making the seat feel narrower (bottom right).
One thing to note when flying with Tigerair Taiwan is that outside food is not allowed onboard, as the airline offers a wide selection of meals and snacks for purchase. Although this isn’t clearly stated on the website, once all passengers have boarded, the cabin crew will announce the policy. Tigerair Taiwan spokesperson Li Mingyan explained that this rule is similar to restaurants prohibiting outside food, and for humanitarian reasons, hot water is provided free of charge on board.
For passengers who accidentally bring outside food, Li Mingyan stated that no fines will be issued initially, and cabin crew will mainly offer reminders. The crew also said they would ask passengers to finish their food promptly but still hope travelers will cooperate with the no-outside-food policy.
%Because the airline provides a wide range of meal and snack options, bringing outside food is therefore prohibited.% (Contextual repetition for clarity in translation.)
Perhaps due to it being the first flight and with only five crew members, some operational processes were still being fine-tuned, leading to minor confusion. There were instances of meals being served late or payment being forgotten, but nothing too disruptive. By the return flight, everything had improved and ran smoothly.
%The service attitude of the crew remained consistently warm and friendly throughout.% (Emphasizing consistency and friendliness.)
In-flight meals were a key focus for all passengers. According to the cabin crew, they first serve those who pre-ordered online, then open ordering to all passengers. For a 4.5-hour flight to Singapore, ordering typically begins about one hour after takeoff and stops roughly one hour before landing when the aircraft begins its descent.
This time, my friend and I chose the kimchi rice vermicelli and pork chop rice. We also saw other passengers order pork rib rice. Since combo meals only cost an extra NT$50 compared to à la carte items, we opted for the combo. Each combo comes with a fixed drink — unsweetened camellia green tea — so if you want another beverage, you need to purchase it separately. If you don’t like the combo drink, you can also order items individually — basic drinks like Coca-Cola and Sprite are NT$50 each, the same as the combo price.
After asking friends and other passengers who ordered meals, the flavorful kimchi rice vermicelli and generous portions of pork chop rice received high praise. The pork rice had an authentic sauce, but the portion was a bit small, and some passengers noted the bottom layer of rice was slightly hard. Overall, however, it was still well-received.
▲%The dish that received the most praise from me and my friend was the kimchi rice vermicelli, which my friend also loved. There were also those interested in trying the pork chop rice. The combo I chose included the kimchi rice vermicelli, pork chop rice, and braised egg — the latter being unexpectedly delicious.% (Descriptive emphasis on favorite items.)
However, whether purchasing meals or duty-free items on board, Tigerair Taiwan currently only accepts NTD, USD, CNY, SGD, and JPY. Except for NTD, no change is given for other foreign currencies, so if you don’t have enough NTD, the cabin crew recommends paying by card.
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