My 3.5-hour flight from Bangkok to Taipei on an EVA Airways 777 in “Royal Laurel” business class was a smooth and restful ride with excellent service and a delicious dinner.
EVA 777 Business Class Review (BKK-TPE)
For 87,500 Air Canada Aeroplan miles and 34.4o CAD in taxes, I booked Bangkok (BKK) – Taipei (TPE) – Chicago (ORD) in business class on EVA Air, with an overnight in TPE.
I spent some time in the Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge then flew to Taipei on EVA. While I was hoping to get a 787-10 on this route, I booked the 777-300ER that was available using Aeroplan miles and very much enjoyed the flight.
Boarding began at 4:50 pm, just 25 minutes prior to takeoff, but was swift and efficient. We pushed back just a few minutes behind schedule.
EVA Air 68
Bangkok (BKK) – Taipei (TPE)
Saturday, January 31
Depart: 5:15 PM
Arrive: 9:50 PM
Duration: 03hr, 35min
Aircraft: Boeing 777
Distance: 1,049 miles
Seat: 11K (“Royal Laurel” Business Class)
A trio of flight attendants greeted me at the door, with one escorting me to my seat via the galley and down the starboard aisle.
Seat
EVA Air’s 777 business class cabin includes 39 reverse-herringbone seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration (divided into a front and rear cabin). These are Zodiac Cirrus seats, the same general seat platform found on many carriers around the world, and while no longer cutting-edge, I still consider this one of the most comfortable and practical business class seats in the sky.
The beauty of reverse-herringbone seats is that every passenger has direct aisle access and a good amount of privacy. Window seats angle toward the windows, while the center seats angle slightly toward one another. If traveling with someone, the center D/G seats are conducive to conversation, though there is also an adjustable divider if you prefer more privacy.
Seat pitch is 43 inches and the seat is 20 inches wide. The seat converts into a fully lie-flat bed, and while it may not longer be cutting edge, it is very comfortable for lounging and sleeping. The aisle-side armrest can also be raised or lowered, which makes the seat feel a bit wider when in bed mode.
Storage is decent. There are small shelves and compartments at both low and high levels for personal items like a phone, glasses, passport, headphones, or a water bottle.
The footwell is always the limiting factor on reverse-herringbone seats, but I found the space sufficient. Side sleepers may feel a little constrained, but I slept well and had no trouble getting comfortable. Bedding also helps, and EVA provided a large pillow and duvet even on this regional flight, though the duvet was too small for me. Although the flight was only about three hours long, I took a nap after dinner and managed to sleep for an hour.
The mood lighting (with “stars”) is a nice touch and not a distraction, nor is the constant light on the artwork hanging on the bulkhead wall.
Sadly, there are no personal air vents, though it did not get hot on this particular flight.
These seats do not have doors, wireless charging, or the other bells and whistles now appearing on newer business class products, but I did not really miss them. A good reverse-herringbone seat remains a very strong business class product, and EVA has kept its cabin clean and functional (even if the color scheme does scream 20 years past shelf life!).
Food + Drink
During boarding, a choice of pre-departure beverages was offered: I chose still water, which was served with a cold towel.
Dinner was served after takeoff, a three-course meal. I had pre-reserved the sea bass (I’ll publish a separate post on pre-ordering meals on EVA). Menus were placed at each seat, including a separate wine menu.
The menu was also available on the IFE screen:
Dinner began with warm bread (pretzel roll and garlic bread) and a salmon roulade appetizer stuffed with creamy dill. I noticed the requisite Negroni ingredients on the menu and although the flight attendant had never heard of one, he wrote down the ingredients.
The sea bass main course, served with potato, cooked vegetables, and lobster bisque sauce, was delicious as well.
Noticing how fast I ate, the flight attendant asked me if I was still hungry and wanted to try the chicken (grilled chicken breast stuffed with Parmesan and served with red wine mustard sauce and polenta) and I immediately accepted. The chicken was even better than the fish!
I concluded the meal with a fresh fruit, fruit jelly with lychee, longan, and orange, and a cup of green tea.
As we neared TPE, I asked for a glass of sparkling water, which was served with a packet of mixed nuts and a hot towel:
Prior to landing, a basket with candies were offered. I was going to pass, but decided to take a handful (I was encouraged to take as much as I wanted) for my kids…who ended up loving them.
Wi-Fi + IFE
EVA offers free and unlimited Wi-Fi to all passengers in all classes on aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi (there is always an expiration date on this, currently June 30, 2026, but it has been extended three time already). It’s not high-speed, but I was able to easily connect and monitor email and messages during the flight:
The IFE (15.4 inch HD screen) includes movies, TV shows, music, games, a duty free catalog, and a moving flight map.
Noise-cancelling headphones from “Thunder” (EVA branding) were offered and worked well.
The best IFE is always looking out the window, at least while it was light, and I caught two whales as we taxied for departure at BKK:
It was also a beautiful evening:
Finally, I think EVA has a great safety video, which is soothing but also comprehensive yet free from gimmicks.
Amenties
There were no amenity kits offered on this short flight, but slippers were placed at each seat.
Lavatories
Business class has three lavatories: one in the rear of the front business class cabin, one in the front of the front cabin, and one outside the flight deck door. As you can see in the picture below, the rear lavatory was very spacious (room for a wheelchair and attendant). Amenities included four Ideology (Australian company) products:
- facial mist
- hand wash
- aroma mist
- body lotion
Service
Notice I said “he” when talking about my Negroni above, which was not even possible last time I flew EVA. It was only in 2019 that EVA began employing male flight attendants after a particularly nasty incident onboard involving a perverted passenger. Daniel, my flight attendants, was so excellent…just like all EVA flight attendants.
The crew was excellent on this flight: attentive, efficient, and kind, though Daniel really was outstanding. I appreciated so much that he proactively asked if I was still hungry and wanted a second meal…a lovely alternative to just throwing food away and in so doing, leaving a lasting positive impression.
CONCLUSION
We landed on schedule in Taipei and I was soon past immigration and on my way to my hotel. It’s really something to consider how old this seat is on EVA, yet how well it has held up. EVA offers a remarkably consistent product and while the cabins do look a little outdated, I’ll take that anyway over many business class seats. This flight made me even more excited for my longhaul to Chicago the following evening on the same aircraft.
Was the Negroni any good?
Gah, couldn’t you have been adventurous at least with the second meal and gone with the Asian beef option? Lol
Heck no I’m not going to eat sweet and sour sauce! 😉
The Negroni was just fine.