• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » Reviews » Flight Reviews » Review: Xiamen Airlines 737-800 Business Class
Flight ReviewsXiamen Airlines

Review: Xiamen Airlines 737-800 Business Class

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 9, 2025January 9, 2025 5 Comments

From Jakarta to Tapei, I flew on a Xiamen Airlines 737-800 in business class via Xiamen. Both flights were smooth with warm service onboard, though flying Xiamen felt like stepping back decades into the past in terms of the seat and onboard technology.

Xiamen Airlines 737-800 Business Class Review (CGK-XMN-TPE)

I was happy to fly economy class on this route…and tickets were only 178 USD…but the cheapest tickets do not earn any SAS EuroBonus miles and I needed to book into a fare class that earned miles as part of my Million Mile Challenge. I kept bumping up the fare class and every time it still booked into a fare class that showed no credit for SAS.

When I finally found an economy fare class that earned miles, it was only about 150 less than business class, so I decided booking business class was a no-brainer for a 5.5-hour overnight flight with a connection. That also took out any uncertainty over the greater prize: completing the SAS challenge.

Check-In

We checked in three hours before the flight at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Terminal 3. During check-in, we were presented lounge passes for the Plaza Premium Lounge, which is a far better choice than the SkyTeam Garuda Indonesia Executive Lounge.

a group of people in a line of screens

a sign in a terminal

people standing in a line at a check in counter

a close up of a document

Boarding

We were scheduled to board at 11:00 pm, but boarding ended up being delayed by 15 minutes due to a late-arriving aircraft from Xiamen. The crew was waiting in the gate area to board and we finally boarded at 11:15 pm.

a group of people standing at a counter

Xiamen 838
Jakarta (CGK) – Xiamen (XMN)
Wednesday, November 20
Depart: 11:30 PM
Arrive: 6:10 AM
Duration: 05hr, 40min
Distance: 2,246 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 1C (Business Class)

We were first onboard and the flight attendants immediately doted over Augustine. I knew it would be a great flight in terms of service.

a woman standing in an airplane with a child

Seat

Business class has eight seats: two rows in a 2-2 configuration. Recline is limited. Legroom in row one was limited…it was much more like a domestic first class seat (as a frame of reference for US readers) than any sort of international business class style seat.

a man standing in a row of blue chairs

a person standing in the back of a plane

a seat on an airplane

a seat on an airplane

a boy sitting in a chair

And it was hard and not very comfortable either….though of course I was happy to fly up front and the flight was full so it’s not like I could have stretched out over multiple seats in the back of the plane.

SeatGuru says these seats have 50 inches of pitch…no, they most certainly do not, even in row two. I’d say more like 38-40 inches, though I did not bring my tape measure.

Seat controls included adjustments for recline, cushion height, and footrest (which only raised a few degrees).

a seat with buttons on the side

There was also a plug for (defunct) audio channels… remember those from the 90s and early 00s?

a seat with buttons and switches on it

A pillow and blanket were offered.

a stack of pillows on a couch

Individual air vents were available.

Food + Drink

Pre-departure beverages wre offered: orange juice only. Followed by a hot (disposable) towelette.

two glasses of orange juice on coasters

a hand holding a white roll of paper

Meal orders were also taken before takeoff. No menus, no choice.

a woman sitting on a plane writing on a clipboard

We were, however, offered a choice for our midnight dinner: after takeoff of before landing. We both hoped to sleep for the latter part of the flight, so we opted to eat right away.

Oddly, I ordered club soda and was told that only one was boarded and my (loud) seatmate across the aisle had already ordered it…so I drank still water.

No choice was offered and the tray included noodles, soup, fruit, and a coconut cake.

a tray with food on it

a bowl of noodles and vegetables

a bowl of soup and noodles

a bowl of fruit and vegetables

a plate of food on a tray

Augustine loved it! His tray had an additional bowl with vegetables and an egg in it.

a child eating food on an airplane

After dinner, refills on drinks were offered along with a ramekin with dried mushrooms, pecans, cranberries, and peanuts.

a bowl of nuts and dried fruit next to a glass of water

IFE + Wi-Fi

No IFE or Wi-Fi was available beyond a retro moving flight map.

a video game on a screen

Lavatory

I used the lavatory prior to takeoff and it was clean…no word on how it looked before landing. It was strictly controlled, with economy class passengers turned away for the lavatories in the rear of the aircraft.

a sink and toilet in a bathroom

a toilet in a plane

a sink with a faucet

a group of bottles of liquid

a sign on a toilet

a sign on a wall

Amenities

Slippers and Voss water were provided at each seat in the seatback pocket. Eye shades were also provided.

a pair of slippers and a towel

a plastic bag on a seat

Service

I have nothing but praise for the flight attendants onboard: they were kind and attentive. Yes, their English skills were limited and no one spoke Indonesian, but their English was much better than my Chinese!

Transit in Xiamen

After a smooth arrival at sunrise, we stepped off the aircraft and followed the transit signs.

a city with many buildings and a body of water

airplanes on a runway

a plane parked at an airport

We cleared the transit check in Xiamen relatively easily: our passports were checked, pictures taken, and soon we were relaxing in the Xiamen Lounge.


> Read More: An Easy Connection In Xiamen


We boarded our flight to Taipei on time on an identical aircraft, hence the 2-in-1 review.

a screen with a number on it

Xiamen 887
Xiamen (XMN) – Taiepi (TPE)
Thursday, November 21
Depart: 8:20 AM
Arrive: 10:00 AM
Duration: 1hr, 40min
Distance: 199 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 2J (Business Class)

I wasn’t aware before boarding what a short flight this would be…only 199 miles…it was over almost before it started.

a woman standing in the aisle of an airplane

a row of seats on an airplane

a row of blue and white seats in an airplane

a man sleeping in a plane

a person's legs and feet on a seat

a seat with a seat and a seat post

a hand holding a white napkin
Pre-departure towel (with orange juice also served again)

Once again, the service was lovely onboard and I do love those blue uniforms. Breakfast orders were taken before takeoff.

a woman standing in a chair next to a man sitting in a chair

Is Xiamen the only airline that serves Voss water?

a hand holding a bottle of water

Slippers were offered again.

a white pillow in a pocket

As we pushed back and took off, we passed a Lufthansa 747-400…

a runway with airplanes on it

a large airplane on a runway

a city next to a body of water

a child sitting on a plane reading a book
Homework for Augustine

I outlined our Chinese breakfast in this post, but to recap, we were served a large breakfast immediately after takeoff with all sorts of tastes and textures:

a white cloth with a pocket in the back of a seat

a tray with food on it

a bowl of food on a tray

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of food on a tray

a bowl of food on a tray

a plate of fruit and vegetables

a tray of food on a plane

a child sitting in a chair with food on the table

a cup of coffee on a tray
Instant coffee…

No, the meal was not my cup of tea and this time Augustine did not really care for it either (after wolfing down the meal on the previous flight). But I do appreciate the service on such a short flight. Most flight attendants in the USA would not even get up on a flight that short.

And just like that, we had touched down in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).

CONCLUSION

I was glad to try Xiamen and was happy to fly business class on the overnight journey to Xiamen. That said, the 737-800 is not a comfortable premium product, legroom is tight, and I would not have paid the extra for business class if it was not necessary for the challenge I was doing.

That said, I would not hesitate to fly Xiamn on a 787-9 transpacific flight someday…I’d be very happy to give the carrier another try.

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Alaska Airlines Crew Fails To Help Passenger Deal With Obnoxious Seatmate
Next Article Los Angeles On Fire: A Personal Update

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • a inside of a plane with lights

    Review: Korean Air 747-8 First Class

    May 27, 2025
  • Delta Air Lines A321neo Economy Class Review

    Review: Delta Air Lines A321neo Economy Class

    May 14, 2025
  • United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class Review

    Review: United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class

    April 26, 2025

5 Comments

  1. GUWonder Reply
    January 9, 2025 at 6:15 pm

    My plastic Voss bottle from my forward cabin Xiamen flight — I got upgraded for free as did some other SAS million point promo runners — had mostly Chinese labeling on it even as it said Voss of Norway Asp or something like that on the bottle.

    My Xiamen flights credited automatically to my SAS account. Still waiting on two Air Europe flights to credit to my SAS account, and they were in eligible booking classes.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 9, 2025 at 6:20 pm

      Is UX your last carrier?

      • GUWonder Reply
        January 9, 2025 at 6:27 pm

        It was one of my first 6-8 SkyTeam airlines for the purpose of the promo. I flew it once mid-way in the promo and finally again at close to the end of the promo. My retro claim for the first Air Europa flight said it was claimed successfully but then it never posted. So I flew it again at the end. I flew 16 SkyTeam airlines, three are missing from my account still: UX, KQ, and VS. The UX credit situation seems more broken now with SAS than it was eight weeks ago.

      • GUWonder Reply
        January 9, 2025 at 6:29 pm

        In short, no. Still sitting at 13 airlines credited.

  2. JJ Reply
    January 10, 2025 at 2:34 am

    Was the soup congee? It looks different across the 2 flights usually
    Comes with sides

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • United JetBlue Strategy
    Analysis: United Hopes To Contain Delta, Suppress American With JetBlue Partnership May 29, 2025
  • JetBlue United Blue Sky
    Details: New JetBlue – United “Blue Sky” Partnership Includes JFK Slots, Reciprocal Loyatly Perks May 29, 2025
  • Eurowings Real Business Class
    Eurowings Plans “Real” A320neo Business Class Seat On Medium-Haul Flights May 29, 2025
  • Turkey Fine Passengers Unbuckle
    Impatient Flyers, Beware: Turkey Will Fine You For Standing Up Too Soon May 28, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) May 1, 2025
  • a hand holding a blue card
    Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer Ending Soon May 2, 2025
  • Aegean Airlines Feast
    A Feast Fit For A King On Aegean Airlines May 23, 2025
  • United American O’Hare gate dispute
    United Airlines To American Airlines: Fly More, Sue Less May 6, 2025

Archives

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.