Eastar Jet Taipei 2026: Cheongju Airport & Taiwan SIM

Usually, I plan my international trips months in advance, booking everything well ahead of time. But this time, a fantastic last-minute deal popped up for an Eastar Jet flight from Cheongju Airport, which is super convenient for me!

​https://3ha.in/r/822456

I managed to book a round-trip flight from Cheongju Airport to Taipei, Taiwan, with Eastar Jet for just ~$151 per person!

(This incredible price included checked baggage for both departure and arrival!)

Taiwan is fantastic because there's no liquor tax, making alcohol incredibly affordable. So, if you plan to bring back some spirits, checked baggage is an absolute must!

Getting a round-trip ticket with checked baggage included for just ~$151 per person? That's truly a steal!

I loved that this international trip departed from Cheongju and the timing was perfect: I could finish work, head straight to the airport, and catch a late-night flight.

Eastar Jet Flight Schedule to Taiwan

Cheongju Airport → Taoyuan Airport (Taipei)

Friday 11:40 PM ~ Saturday 1:10 AM

Taoyuan Airport (Taipei) → Cheongju Airport

Monday 2:10 AM ~ 5:40 AM

Looking at the Cheongju to Taiwan flight details, the journey takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

This kind of late-night flight schedule, essentially giving you 2 full days and 4 nights, means you can enjoy a fantastic weekend trip without needing to take extra days off work! (Though, let's be honest, Monday morning might be a bit rough!)

I'd heard news that Cheongju Airport had expanded its international routes to various countries. Eastar Jet, in particular, recently launched new flights to Yanji and Phu Quoc, bringing the total to four destinations accessible from Cheongju Airport: Zhangjiajie, Taipei/Taoyuan, Yanji, and Phu Quoc!

The flight to Phu Quoc from Cheongju was really tempting, but I'd already traveled quite a bit in 2026, so I decided to pass for now.

Once my Taipei trip to Taiwan was confirmed and the travel date approached, I started looking into Taiwan SIM cards.

There are several websites selling Taiwan SIMs, but after checking a few, Dosirak USIM seemed to offer the best value.

Dosirak USIM: Taiwan SIM Taipei Kaohsiung Taroko Taichung SIM Card Unlimited Data: Dosirak eSIMnaver.me

Since I opted for airport pickup instead of delivery, there were no extra shipping fees!

I booked to pick up my Taiwan SIM card at Cheongju Airport and received a confirmation via KakaoTalk. The Wi-Fi Dosirak counter at Cheongju Airport only operates until 10:00 PM, so it's essential to arrive by then.

Cheongju Airport is quite relaxed and not overly large, so arriving 1 hour and 30 minutes before departure is usually plenty of time. However, considering I needed to pick up the Taiwan SIM and account for parking, I decided to aim for a 10:00 PM arrival.

Cheongju Airport has four parking lots, numbered 1 through 4. Lots 1 and 2 are closest to the airport terminal, while 3 and 4 are a bit further away.

When I arrived at Cheongju Airport on Friday night, there was a spot available in Parking Lot 1, so I parked right away!

I arrived at Cheongju Airport earlier than expected. Right after entering the gate, I picked up my Taiwan SIM card from the Wi-Fi Dosirak counter on the left.

If you're arriving at Cheongju Airport around 10:00 PM, be aware that almost all the shops will be closed. (Even the convenience store!)

With nothing much to do, I just waited around...

The night at Cheongju Airport was incredibly quiet – hardly any people, and surprisingly, no bugs either (haha)!

Before heading to the airport, I grabbed a burger combo to go. Even after eating it slowly, I still had plenty of time to spare.

If you're taking a late-night flight from Cheongju Airport, I highly recommend bringing some snacks! (And if you haven't had dinner, definitely grab something beforehand.)

After finishing my burger, I headed up to the 2nd floor for international departures, and check-in was already underway.

Since there was nothing else to do, I decided to go through security right away.

Eastar Jet's flight was the last early morning departure from Cheongju Airport.

Right after clearing security, I spotted the duty-free pickup counter.

Incheon Airport is so massive that just getting to the duty-free pickup can be a trek, but Cheongju Airport is much smaller, making duty-free collection incredibly easy.

Although duty-free shops like Shilla, Shinsegae, and Lotte are categorized into different sections, staff members move between them, distributing items in order.

After collecting my duty-free items, I packed everything into my carry-on, excluding liquids, and before I knew it, time just flew by!

This was my first time flying with Eastar Jet, and I was pleasantly surprised. The seat fabric had a slight sheen and felt quite plush, which made the journey comfortable overall.

While it wasn't impeccably clean, I was still quite satisfied.

Lately, I've experienced some turbulence on flights, but I barely felt any on this trip to Taiwan, which was a relief.

I was a bit worried about Eastar Jet's reputation for delays, but to my delight, the flight departed right on schedule!

Off we went on our early morning flight to Taiwan!