I wasn’t sure what to expect the most recent time I boarded a United 777 at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. On one hand, the occasion was serendipitous: I was making the flight precisely 10 years to the day after the first time I left Taiwan, on the same flight number, no less.
On the other hand, certain thing about the experience immediately rubbed me the wrong way. The aircraft sported United’s old paint job (and a cracked, faded version of it no less); I entered it to find a flight attendant wearing a mask and gloves and handing out hand sanitizer wipes, even though it was mid-2025.
If you’re considering United Polaris to Taiwan, I’d recommend that you expect a similarly mixed experience. And I encourage you to read this review until the end: There were some surprisingly bright spots on my flight!
My Long History Flying to (Well, From) Taiwan on United
Although I’ve never actually flown United to Taiwan, United was the first airline I ever took leaving Taiwan. It was June 16, 2015; the flight was UA872 to San Francisco, which still runs to this day. Back then, in the early days of credit card churning, I was still loyal to United; in fact, I was a 1K, a status that saw me upgraded free of charge from economy to United’s business class at the time (which was downright terrible, but whatever).
As I mentioned earlier, I took this exactly flight exactly 10 years later. The business class seat (which I paid for outright this time) was newer; the food was slightly better; the attitude and sass were basically the same. Indeed, for better or for worse, United offers a consistent experience. I don’t expect your flight to be much different from the one I review below, whether you fly in 2025 or 2035.
5 Things to Know About United Polaris to Taiwan
There aren’t many flights
If you want to have a “proper” Polaris experience on United (i.e. lie-flat bed and multi-course meal), you only have two options as of 2025. These are flights UA871 and UA853 from San Francisco. This pales in comparison to EVA Air and China Airlines, but notably is more than double what Delta offers from Seattle.
(But there is decent award availability)
United is far from the best business class to Taiwan, but it’s reasonably easy to find award availability, whether you sit in business, premium economy or economy. You can often find seats not only using United’s own MileagePlus, but also via (more competitively priced) partner programs like Aviance Lifemiles and Air Canada Aeroplan.
Food and service are consistent
In spite of how dated United’s cabin looked when I pushed past the masked sanitizer distributor, I was impressed by the sexy, matte-black menu that was waiting for me at my seat. The lamb-stew entree I had was…fine; it was incrementally better than what I’d eaten a decade earlier, like the cabin and cabin crew.
(But not great)
The only “excellent” element of Polaris to Taiwan, to be sure, is the lightning-fast and fairly-priced WiFi. Unfortunately, the actually human service from the crew ranged from acceptable (when my flight attendant finally removed her mask and show her face) to threatening, when she practically hurled my ice cream sundae at me.
The seat will soon see an upgrade
The menu I mentioned earlier seems to be the first step in the “new” Polaris branding, which will see cabins and seats refreshed over the coming years. Another small touch that I hope portends good things? The salt and pepper shaker included a separate shaker for chili peppers, though I’m not sure if this was Taiwan-specific.
Alternative Ways Between the US and Taiwan
As I mentioned earlier in this post, I have a long history with United in Taiwan, but it’s neither my favorite airline nor the best one. When I can, I fly a Taiwanese airline, with EVA Air having the most options, both in terms of cities served and flight frequencies, as well as affordable award redemption options. China Airlines and Starlux are also both great, assuming you can get a good price.
This assumes, of course, that fly direct, as you would taking United Polaris from Taiwan. It could be that you fly via Japan or Korea, taking airlines such as ANA or Korean Air back to the US. You could even go the “other” way (i.e. via Europe or the Middle East), depending upon whether you’re booking wish cash or miles, and whether or not you’re in a hurry to get home.
Other FAQ About United Polaris to and from Tiawan
Where does United fly in Taiwan?
United has two daily flights from the US to Taiwan, specifically flights UA871 and UA853 from San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei (TPE). You can also technically fly United from Tokyo (NRT) to Kaohsiung (KHH), but I find this flight superfluous and unnecessary for a whole host of reasons, namely that it’s served using a decrepit 737.
What US cities fly direct to Taipei?
Taipei enjoys direct flights from several US cities, including Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH) and New York (JFK). Adding to this, in early 2026, Starlux will begin serving Phoenix (PHX) nonstop from Taipei.
Does United fly to Taipei?
United flies twice-daily from San Francisco to Taipei, via flights UA871 and UA853, which return as UA872 and UA852. Although you can also technically fly United to Kaohsiung (from Tokyo-Narita), I don’t considering this flight to be in the same league as the SFO services.
The Bottom Line
Flying United Polaris to Taiwan (or back from Taiwan, as I did) isn’t going to change your life. On the other hand, while you are unlikely to walk away from the flight as you would the literal five-star service you receive on EVA Air or Starlux, the experience is adequate and serviceable, and nothing if not consistent. If I were United, I’d probably encourage my flight attendants to be more graceful (and to chill with the hypochondria); I’d also give both the interior and exterior of the planes some TLC. Speaking of TLC, if you’re looking to optimize your next trip to Taiwan, you should consider hiring me to plan it!
