STARLUX Airlines and American Airlines have entered into an interline agreement, offering better connectivity between North America and Taiwan. The news comes ahead of the route launch between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
An interline agreement is a partnership between two or more airlines that allows passengers to book a single ticket for travel on multiple airlines, even if those airlines don’t have a formal codeshare agreement.
Increased Convenience And Transpacific Connectivity
The new interline partnership with 
American Airlines makes travel to Asia more convenient, offering single-ticket booking and through-checked luggage between American’s extensive North American network and STARLUX’s transpacific and Asian routes. It also benefits STARLUX passengers by providing easy connections across American’s vast US route network.
This arrangement benefits American Airlines by expanding its passengers’ access to Taipei and beyond without requiring the airline to operate its own flights across the Pacific. Passengers can connect to Taipei from numerous American cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Charlotte, Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth, Mexico City, and more. Commenting on the news, STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai, said:
“We are very honored to have the partnership with American Airlines — one of the United States top airlines. The partnership will greatly expand STARLUX’s reach into the US, with customers accessing American’s vast North American network. It will also increase travel choices for American Airlines customers looking to travel to Taipei.”
New Nonstop Link Between Taipei And Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) currently serves several international destinations in Canada, Europe, and South America, but has no nonstop flights to Asia. That will change when STARLUX launches nonstop service to Taipei’s Taoyuan Airport on January 15, 2026. According to the Taiwanese carrier, the new Taipei to Phoenix route will better connect the networks of STARLUX and American Airlines. As a major American Airlines hub in the southwestern US, PHX offers strong strategic value.
STARLUX Airlines has timed its Phoenix flights to allow connections to American Airlines flights heading to major US cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Charlotte, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, El Paso, among other destinations. Flight JX026 from Taipei is scheduled to land in Phoenix at 5:40 PM local time, giving travelers access to over 40 US destinations via American Airlines. The return flight, JX025, is scheduled to depart Phoenix for Taipei at 10:45 PM, allowing passengers from more than 60 US cities to connect through Phoenix onto STARLUX’s service.
The route will be operated by the carrier’s Airbus A350 fleet. At present, the Taiwanese airline has ten Airbus A350-900 widebody aircraft, with an average age of 1.5 years, according to ch-aviation data. Each A350-900 accommodates 306 passengers in a four-class configuration: four in first class, 26 in business class, 36 in premium economy, and 240 in economy. In addition to ten A350-900s, STARLUX boasts a fleet of 13 Airbus A321neos and five Airbus A330neos.
Increasing Its Presence In The US
The airline has been expanding its presence in the United States. In early June 2025, STARLUX Airlines launched a new service between Taipei, Taiwan, and Ontario, California.
The Taiwanese carrier is using its Airbus A350-900 fleet to operate the route four times a week, including on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, through October 25, 2025. With the launch of the Taipei to Ontario route, STARLUX now offers a total of four direct corridors to the US West Coast.
The current STARLUX Airlines direct nonstop destinations in the US include Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Notably, the Ontario to Taipei route will surpass the LAX to TPE route as the carrier’s longest US route, spanning 5,936 nautical miles (10,993 km).
