So, you want to go to Bali or Thailand, but you don't want to pay $2,000 roundtrip to sit in economy to do so. I think we have a solution for you.
We've always touted one simple trick to beat high flight prices to Europe: Pick the cheapest destination in Europe and fly there, even if it's not your final destination. Because once you're in Europe, flights, trains, and ground transportation are super cheap. And while ground transportation on the massive continent of Asia is not the same, flights in and around Asia are cheap relative to what you'll pay all the way from the U.S.
If you're going to deploy this same “aim for the cheapest city” strategy for Asia, there's a runaway winner right now: You're going to want to fly to Taipei, Taiwan.
The reasons are simple: There's so much competition to Taipei (TPE) and so little demand that fares are cheap – especially if you've got Delta SkyMiles. And once you're in Taipei, it's central location makes it a quick, easy nonstop flight to almost anywhere you'd want to go in north or south Asia.
And maybe we're not giving Taiwan enough credit as a travel destination, either. The likes of Singapore and Vietnam may get more attention, but spending one or two nights in Taipei on your way to or from your final destination is worth considering too.
So if you want to save on your next trip to Asia, you should start by searching for flights to Taipei (TPE). Here's why.
Why Taipei?
Reasons number one through 1,000 for routing your next Asia trip through Taipei are the airfares to get there. And we'll get to those, I promise.
But there are two other main reasons why Taipei (TPE) makes the most sense as your transit point for an Asia trip: Its location and its possibilities as a stopover city.
Let's start with location, because if you're going all the way to Asia, you want to see Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bali, Thailand and so many more places. Well…you're in luck.
I ran two Google Flights Explore searches for one-way flights from Taipei (TPE) to Asia – one pointing north, and the other south. To the north, you can connect on (with a carry-on bag included, mind you) to places like Okinawa, Japan for $79, Tokyo for $99, and Seoul for just $84 one-way.
The longest of those flights clocks in at just three hours, too. For Asia, that's just a quick hop from TPE to get your trip started.
Looking to Southeast Asia, it's more of the same.
Manila for $61, Singapore for $90, Ho Chi Minh City for $77, or Phuket for $151 – these are awesome one-way fares, especially when you look at the lowest-possible fares you can get if you buy an itinerary all the way from the U.S. Even from West Coast hubs like L.A. and San Francisco that offer the cheapest flights to any of these destinations, you're looking at much, much higher fares.
At the time of writing, the very lowest roundtrip fares to Southeast Asia from the U.S. right around $800 – and that's during the shoulder or off-seasons in Southeast Asia. If you want to fly from anywhere else in the U.S., that number is much closer to $1,200 or $1,500 roundtrip at best.
That's where Delta comes in.
Delta and Taipei
Last December, Delta turned heads by announcing a new nonstop route from Seattle (SEA) to Taipei (TPE) – becoming the first U.S. airline to add Taiwan to its map. Almost immediately, and nearly constantly ever since, Delta has been offering insanely cheap discounts on these flights when you book with SkyMiles.
How cheap?
You're reading that right. Just 34,000 Delta SkyMiles roundtrip and $39 in taxes and fees…I've paid more to fly to Denver or New York City that these fares all the way across the Pacific. And Seattle isn't alone here, either, because these Taipei (TPE) SkyMiles flash sales touch nearly every Delta airport in its network.
When we searched for roundtrip fares, here's the (enormous) list we came up with where you could book this deal.
Our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert subscribers were sent these fares just minutes after we found them. And we keep finding them again and again.
From some cities, those flights got even cheaper – we're talking as low as 12,000 SkyMiles one-way to fly from San Francisco (SFO) all the way to Taipei (TPE). So if you've already got a one-way flight booked and are looking for a way home from Asia (or vice versa), booking one of these fares in or out of Taipei would be a great way to complete your itinerary.
By operating one of its new A330-900neo airplanes on this route, Delta is also ensuring travelers can book their way into the famously comfy Delta One Suites if they're looking to ride in style, too. While Delta One Suites can usually be found for 300,000 SkyMiles or more when flying to Asia, Delta has carved out a major exception for Taipei (TPE).
This Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert had a similar list of departure airports to the economy deal above. As in, almost every city in the country for just 120,000 SkyMiles each way – a savings of about 50% from most of these cities. From Seattle (SEA), that number drops to about 100,000 SkyMiles each way. And if you have a Delta SkyMiles American Express card, you save 15% on all Delta SkyMiles bookings, which is why you can book it as low as 83,000 SkyMiles each way in some cases.
These fares are especially notable because they're bookable one-way. Delta typically punishes one-way bookings on international tickets – you'll find almost equivalent fares whether you're flying one-way or roundtrip, even with SkyMiles. But not this time! In an effort to fill these planes, Delta is allowing one-way bookings for half the price of a roundtrip. Don't ask questions: Just take advantage of these awesome fares while you still can!
Don't have enough SkyMiles for Delta One, but want something better than economy? Delta Premium Select might be more your speed. And wouldn't you know it: Delta put those seats on sale, too.
These fares – which usually are more likely to be at least $2,000 and often even in the $3,000s – are some of the cheapest premium economy flights you'll find.
In all three cabins of these Delta A330s, there are insane savings to be had. Delta is seemingly breaking all of its rules when it comes to pricing these ultra-long-haul routes, and it's changed everything for travel to Asia as a result.
Why is Taipei so Cheap Right Now?
New routes typically offer some of the best savings in air travel. We've been on that trend for years. A ton of new, empty seats to sell means is a recipe for cheaper fares and more award availability – seats you can book with points and miles.
That's definitely what's going on here with Seattle (SEA) to Taipei (TPE) on Delta. But something else is happening here, too. The competition to take travelers between Taipei (TPE) and the U.S. is fierce and there's just way too much capacity.
Let's look at just Seattle (SEA) as an example. Right now, there are four (!) different airlines operating the SEA-TPE route: China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, EVA Air, and Starlux Airlines. EVA has run the route consistently for more than 20 years now, but the other three airlines only introduced service last year. That's led to an explosion of capacity on this route.
According to data from Cirium Diio, there's more than three times as much capacity flying between SEA and TPE in the first quarter of 2025 than there was in the first quarter of 2023.
That's a staggering jump and is the best explanation for why Delta is keeping rates so low. It's because they have to in order to survive on this suddenly busy route.
The Taipei Stopover
I'll raise my hand and admit that I've never given Taiwan much thought as a place I'd like to travel, but I know there are plenty of travelers who swear by the mountainous and tropical island's offerings for travelers. And the more I dig into Taiwan and Taipei specifically as a destination, the more I think it might be.
But Taipei is, at the very least, a perfect candidate for a one-to-three night stopover. After a 13-plus hour flight from Seattle (SEA) or elsewhere in the U.S., you might not be ready to make a connection onward to elsewhere in Asia anyway, which is why a night or two in Taipei to adjust might be just what you need.
To get to know Taipei and its surroundings in Taiwan, I found this guide called Taiwan Starts Here really helpful. Besides the trappings of a major world city like Taipei, it's easy to get into some natural beauty in places like Keelung, Yangmingshan National Park, or Quanhua Temple – all just a day trip from the city.
Taiwan Starts Here also has a handy three-day Taipei stopover guide if you don't want to move around too much, either.
On your way to Asia or back, don't overlook Taipei as a travel destination all on its own – even if it's just for a night or two to break up the long journey.
Bottom Line
There's a new cheapest and comfiest way to fly to Bali, Singapore, Vietnam, or anywhere else in Asia: It's through Taipei (TPE).
Thanks to a major increase in competition between Seattle and Taipei over the last two years, fares – especially when booked with Delta SkyMiles – are as cheap as we've ever seen them.
Plus, with Taipei being so centrally located in Asia, the city is just a quick flight away from the rest of the continent, making it a perfect stopover candidate for your trip this year or next.