This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
We flew from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport on Cathay Pacific flight CX565. After spending the previous night in Kyoto, we headed to Kansai Airport for our afternoon departure. Here’s our full review of the flight, the airport experience, and getting into Taipei — all from a traveling-with-kids perspective.
Cathay Pacific CX565: Flight Details
CX565 is a daily service from Kansai to Taipei Taoyuan (continuing on to Hong Kong). We deplaned in Taipei.
| Flight | CX565 |
| Route | Kansai International Airport (KIX) → Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) |
| Departure | 16:20 |
| Arrival | 18:15 (local time) |
| Duration | Approx. 2 hours 55 minutes |
| Aircraft | boeing777-300 |
| Seat layout | 2-3-2 (Economy) |
| Frequency | Daily |
At just under 3 hours, this is a very manageable flight with kids. The boeing777-300 is a wide-body aircraft with a 2-3-2 seat configuration in economy — only 7 seats across, so it doesn’t feel cramped. If you’re traveling as a family, grabbing the two window-side seats works perfectly.
Spending Time at Kansai Airport Before Departure
Shipping Kyoto Souvenirs Home
Since we’d spent the previous night in Kyoto, we arrived at the airport loaded with Kyoto souvenirs. Obviously we couldn’t haul them all to Taiwan, so we shipped everything home from the airport. There’s a parcel delivery counter at KIX — quick and painless!
Souvenir Shops at KIX
Kansai Airport also has souvenir shops with a decent selection of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kansai-region staples. Handy if you forgot to pick something up, though the selection isn’t as extensive as dedicated shops at tourist spots.
Lunch at the Food Court
I was hoping to find Botejyu (okonomiyaki) at the airport, but no luck — apparently it’s in the domestic terminal area only.
Instead, we had lunch at the food court. It’s mostly Japanese food — set meal restaurants, ramen shops, and the like. They do have kids’ menus, which is a plus! However, the ramen tasted a bit like “Japanese food served overseas” — not terrible, but not great either. If you’re particular about food quality, eat before coming to the airport.
Airside Area: What to Know
After clearing security, parts of the restricted area were under construction. Drugstores were limited, and we could barely find any shops selling bread, onigiri, or other snacks to bring on the plane. If you want to bring food on board (especially important with kids!), buy it before going through security. We only had snacks with us and wished we’d grabbed something more substantial.
MENSHO Ramen — A Must-Visit Airside
One thing we noticed in the restricted area: MENSHO, a ramen restaurant on the 2nd floor of the international departure area, was incredibly popular. It seemed like everyone was having one last bowl of ramen in Japan before boarding their flights! The restaurant features an open kitchen with all counter seating, so it has a lively, energetic atmosphere.
Since it’s all counter seats, very young children might struggle, but kids aged 5–6 and up should be able to sit comfortably. MENSHO is known for its premium ramen using A5 wagyu beef chashu and luxurious ingredients like white truffle and porcini mushrooms — it’s even been featured in the Michelin Guide San Francisco. If you have time before your flight, it’s worth checking out!
Card Lounge: NORTH LOUNGE
We spent some time in the card lounge before boarding. The credit card lounge available in KIX’s international restricted area is “NORTH LOUNGE,” which opened in April 2026 (the previous lounges “Kongo” and “Rokko” closed in March 2026).
NORTH LOUNGE is located on the 3rd floor, north side of Terminal 1. It’s relatively close to the Cathay Pacific boarding gates, making it a convenient stop for CX passengers.
| Lounge | NORTH LOUNGE |
| Location | Terminal 1, 3F, north side of international departure area |
| Hours | 7:00–23:00 |
| Seats | 105 |
| Access | Gold-tier credit cards (JCB, Diners, Amex, Rakuten, etc.) + same-day boarding pass |
Inside, there are vending machines with drinks and light snacks. We found a window seat with a view of the runway and enjoyed a relaxing break. Our daughter loved watching planes take off and land — a great way to pass the time before boarding.
In-Flight Meal on CX565
Since the KIX–Taipei route is only about 3 hours, the in-flight meal was on the lighter side: chicken as the main, soba noodles, and Häagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert. For a short-haul flight, this was perfectly adequate — and who doesn’t love getting Häagen-Dazs on a plane!
We didn’t order a child meal this time. Our daughter never eats the children’s meals anyway, so we thought we’d try giving her the adult meal instead. Result? She didn’t eat that either (of course!). If you’re traveling with picky eaters, definitely bring snacks and food you know they’ll actually eat.
Seats and In-Flight Entertainment
Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong-based airline known for quality service. The cabin crew were polite and attentive, making the flight comfortable even with a child in tow.
The boeing777-300 economy seats have personal screens with a solid entertainment selection. The movie library skews toward Chinese-language films, but there’s also a good selection of Disney and Pixar titles. I watched Zootopia 2 and it perfectly filled the flight time!
Our daughter, however, couldn’t find anything she wanted to watch on the in-flight system. She ended up watching Disney+ on her iPad (thank goodness for downloaded content!). If you’re flying with young kids, I’d strongly recommend downloading shows or movies to a tablet beforehand — Cathay’s entertainment library is more geared toward adults.
One note: the seats have USB charging sockets, but ours didn’t work — possibly a malfunction. It wasn’t a big deal on a short flight, but bring a portable charger just in case. Don’t count on the USB ports working!
Arriving at Taipei Taoyuan Airport
Immigration and Customs
Immigration and customs were smooth and quick — no long queues, no stress. We were through in no time.
Getting to Taipei City: Uber
We took an Uber from Taoyuan Airport to central Taipei. The fare was around 1,000 TWD (~$30 USD) and the ride took about 40–50 minutes. There’s also the MRT option, but with a child and suitcases, Uber is simply easier.
However, we arrived at night in the rain, and the Uber pickup area was quite congested. Even after matching with a driver, it took a while for them to reach us. If you have plans on your arrival day in Taipei, build in extra buffer time for the airport-to-city transfer — especially on rainy evenings.
Final Thoughts: CX565 KIX→TPE with Kids
Cathay Pacific’s CX565 from Kansai to Taipei is a comfortable, manageable flight for families. At under 3 hours, even restless kids can handle it without too much fuss.
Key tips for families: buy food before security (options are very limited airside), download content to tablets for the kids, bring a portable charger, and allow extra time for the Uber pickup at Taoyuan Airport — especially at night or in bad weather.
If you’re flying out of Kansai Airport to Taipei, we hope this review helps with your planning!
| Airline | Cathay Pacific |
| Flight | CX565 |
| Route | Kansai (KIX) → Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) |
| Departure | 16:20 |
| Arrival | 18:15 (local time) |
| Duration | ~2 hours 55 minutes |
| Aircraft | boeing777-300 (2-3-2 in Economy) |
| Card Lounge | NORTH LOUNGE (3F north side / 7:00–23:00) |
| eSIM | trifa (real-name registration required for Taiwan) |
| Airport → City | Uber (~1,000 TWD / 40–50 min) |
