Hello from Taipei! I’m on my wild review trip at the moment, and just flew EVA Air’s Boeing 777-300ER business class from Houston to Taipei. First of all, at 16hr20min in the air, this is one mighty long flight, my longest flight in a very long time.
I was excited to fly with EVA Air again, as it had been many years since I last flew with the airline. In the past I’ve ranked EVA Air as having one of the world’s best business class products, so I was looking forward to seeing how the product is holding up. Well, I’m happy to report that it’s every bit as good as I remember.
While EVA Air’s 777 business class seats are no longer cutting edge, the airline’s soft product couldn’t be much better, with incredible amenities, really tasty food and drinks, and flawless service. It’s just such a polished and well-rounded experience, in a way that you won’t find on many airlines.
While I’ll have a full trip report soon, in this post I wanted to share some initial thoughts on the EVA Air business class experience.
In this post:
EVA Air’s 777 business class seats are fine
Let me start with the lukewarm aspect of the flight. On Boeing 777s, EVA Air has reverse herringbone seats in business class. These are perfectly comfortable, but they’re not cutting edge, and they don’t have the bells and whistles of some of the newer seats out there.
There are no doors, no wireless charging, no bluetooth audio, no 4K entertainment screens, and I also can’t say that I particularly like the carrier’s color scheme. I’d say this is still a very competitive hard product, but it’s by no means a point of differentiation, unlike Starlux’s A350 business class seat. Many may prefer the carrier’s 787 hard product.
Speaking of entertainment, EVA Air’s selection isn’t huge, so bring your own entertainment if possible. Wi-Fi cost $40 for the entire flight, which is on the steep side. However, it worked consistently, had high speeds, and had no data caps, so that was a price I was happy to pay, given that I basically got a whole day of work done on the flight.
EVA Air’s service is flawless
It seems like since the pandemic, service quality has deteriorated on some airlines. That’s largely due to there being a lot of new hires at some airlines, so crews aren’t as experienced as they used to be. On my EVA Air flight, I found the service to be perfect.
Every single one of the ladies working in business class couldn’t have been more on top of things. They performed the meal services efficiently, they had great attention to detail, they constantly checked on passengers, they kept the lavatories spotless, and they were just generally friendly and lovely.
This can make such a big difference in terms of the perception you have of a flight, as attention to detail really matters. For example, every time I finished a bottle of water, I was proactively offered another one. If I had wrappers sitting at my seat, they’d remove them without asking. Within a minute of me waking up, a flight attendant was at my seat to ask if I wanted anything. They were that good.
I could go on and on, but I can’t rate this crew highly enough.
EVA Air’s amenities are the best in business class
EVA Air certainly isn’t stingy with the amenities that are offered to business class passengers. My flight had the new Jason Wu athleisure pajamas that the airline recently introduced. I was skeptical of these, because I figured they’d feel warm, but the material is so breathable, and they’re quite stylish too. These are definitely pajamas worth keeping, and the top looks like something you could wear when you’re out and about.
There were also a pair of slippers, part of the same collection.
In terms of amenity kits, they were from Giorgio Armani, and were quite nice.
When it comes to bedding, EVA Air has a very thick pillow and the most substantial duvet you’ll find on any airline, along with a mattress pad. Again, I was worried I’d be too warm, since Asian airlines tend to keep their cabins warm. However, if anything, I was cold on this flight, and I didn’t sweat once. Did I just get lucky, or is EVA Air keeping cabins cooler nowadays?
EVA Air’s food & drinks are very good
EVA Air is known for offering the most expensive champagne of any airline in business class. The airline currently serves Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle on its New York and Paris routes, while it serves 2007 Duval-Leroy Clos Des Bouveries on other long haul routes.
I found the food to be very good as well. The airline has both Western and Taiwanese options, but go figure, the Taiwanese options all had pork (which I don’t eat). I should have pre-ordered the meal, since that gives you access to an expanded menu, but I forgot to do so. Oops.
Despite the late night departure, service began with some canapés to accompany the first drink, which included shrimp with curry and tomato and mozzarella on toast.
The starter consisted of a restaurant-quality seared tuna and niçoise salad.
For the main course, I selected the sautéed seafood with oyster sauce, accompanied by egg fried rice. This dish tasted great.
Then for dessert, I had a fruit plate and a green tea and red bean mousse cake. Yum.
By the way, EVA Air’s matcha milk teas are delicious as well.
There was no shortage of snacks between meals, and then breakfast was served before landing. I was very happy with the food and drink quality, and will of course have more details in the full review.
Bottom line
While EVA Air’s Boeing 777 business class hard product is far from exciting at this point, the carrier sets itself apart with a great soft product. From designer pajamas, to cozy bedding, to delicious food and drinks, EVA Air offers a great experience. What impressed me most, though, was the excellent service, as the crew was so professional.
While there’s going to be some variability between flights, EVA Air remains among my favorite airlines in the world in business class.
What’s your take on EVA Air’s 777 business class?
I have been a loyal customer for many years. I have used the business class a few times. Can't fault it myself movies are a personal thing but all in all I would recommend. But it's not cheap. Adrian South Wales
I flew several times business class with EVA and always to my satisfaction. In januari I will join them again but looking at their wine list, did not make me happy. EVA always had very good wines, better than many other airliners but now it seems they decided to go for the cheaper 'super market' wines. That is a big disappointment to me. Hopefully their food remains the from the same quality.
Seems like a great experience. Looking forward to flying EVA again soon.
Welcome to Houston , my go to flight back to my hometown ! did you book via airline directly with mileage ? too bad its getting harder to redeem a biz class from star alliance.
Flew KIX-TPE-SFO last weekend. I received a GA kit in a brown hard case with leather texture. There is even a leather GA credit card case in it. Really nice!
Eva's service has always been top notch and food is excellent in Royal Laurel. There are so many choices available online before flight. I have only flown ANA business in the past 1 year, and though it's very good, it pales compare to Eva's,...
Flew KIX-TPE-SFO last weekend. I received a GA kit in a brown hard case with leather texture. There is even a leather GA credit card case in it. Really nice!
Eva's service has always been top notch and food is excellent in Royal Laurel. There are so many choices available online before flight. I have only flown ANA business in the past 1 year, and though it's very good, it pales compare to Eva's, both food and service. Eva offers much better Japanese meals compare the ANA, and does very well in Chinese and Western too. Eva's seat is also more comfortable, and temperature set to more comfortable level than ANA.
Flew LAX-KUL 2 weeks ago and flying SIN-LAX today. Excellent airline and service. Definitely best to pre-order meals! Booked 1 year in advance on Aeroplan. Flew the quick KUL-SIN on SQ A350 biz with 28K United miles…
Eva has always been my favorite way of flying to Asia in business. The food and service are always amazing, the pajamas and high quality amenities provide a sense of luxury.
While the hard product isn't the newest it still has one of the most comfortable business class beds, IMO. The foot well is pretty spacious and the bedding is fantastic so I always sleep well on EVA. Out of the three Taiwanese carriers, which are all very nice, EVA is still my favorite.
Armani amenity kit, but no Armani amenities.... Where is the Armani skin care products, fragrance, etc? It is easy to stitch the name on a cheap bag, but does require a bit more to call it an Armani kit.
I get it for Rimowa, there are no products in the company beyond the case, but for brands that have the line up it really need to match to impress. Like the good old Ferregamo kits on LAN Chile.....
So no point lusting over that stupid Starlux that'll go bankrupt anyway
Calm down.
Hyperbole is useless.
I recently flew and still wear my pajamas. :) Those things are comfy! And the food was excellent.
I second that...had the same experience on a recent EVA flight! Just came off China Airlines A350 flight from YVR to TPE and that's even better IMHO. Great hard product, in-flight entertainment selection was meh but everything else flawless!
EVA onboard is top notch.
However, had a lengthy stopover in Taipei and the EVA business class lounge was dismal. Worse than the lounges in Denpasar and Johannesburg that CX uses if you have experienced them. Such a poor product compared to the flight.
Hope your experience is better.
I know the FAs are petite, but am I right in deducing that that champagne is served en magnum?
Impressive if so.
Glad to hear that EVA Air is still top notch. Haven't flown them for about 6 or 7 years.
You have an insider connection for award seats? I've been looking for a year, from anywhere in US and impossible to find.
I booked way in advance but found award seating through aeroplan
I also found availability through Aeroplan and also booked a year in advance. My route is TPE-YYZ-ATL.
Same, I found availability through Avianca LAX-TPE-ICN round trip, about a year in advance. Great deal!
Perfect timing for this.. was looking to book a trip back from Hanoi to the US in J and they had the most competitive price!
I’m a big fan of EVA. Glad that United’s partnership with Virgin Australia now means I can fly them more often as they only fly to Brisbane and not Sydney (Strange?).
Shame you didn’t get the 787-10. Really nice seat combined with all the positive soft product aspects you mentioned.
I've also wondered why EVA only fly into Brisbane. Sydney and Melbourne are a combined market of more than 10M people with the money to spend on airfares, and both are served by EVA's arch rival. It's one of the mysteries of the airline universe!
There is a very large Taiwanese Community in Brisbane.
@ben: how did you end up booking? I vaguely recall you having issues with their loyalty program
@ Cy -- I booked directly through EVA's program, with 80K points moved over from Citi. The complexity with EVA's program is if you want to redeem for multiple people out of one account, but since I was traveling alone, that wasn't a problem. The online booking process was seamless.
How is EVA's availability inventory for IML members?
Would love to read a China Airlines review so we can stack up the 3 Taiwanese carriers! I've never flown EVA but recently flown China Airlines and Starlux on transpac routes, and CI was really excellent - actually I would have written a similar review to what you wrote about EVA. Really good food, service was amazing, and unremarkable seat lol. Starlux was quite the letdown in comparison, despite the flashy seat.
@ Clem -- I last flew China Airlines' A350 long haul business class right before the pandemic, and had a great flight:
https://onemileatatime.com/china-airlines-business-class-a350-review/
Might be time to check that out again as well, so that I can do an up-to-date comparison of the three Taiwanese global carriers. Happy you had a good experience.
Lucky,
How can you say WHAT A TREAT? Their hard product is unforgivable and ancient. I There is not enough soft product in the world that can make me fly that airline again until they upgrade their cabin
@ LeonR -- Sorry, a standard reverse herringbone seat is "unforgivable?" You must not have many airlines you can fly then...
My go-to beverage is the carrot juice.
Plus, the flight attendants help with putting/removing luggage into/from overhead bins without my asking. Outstanding service!
@ Amy -- I'll have to try the carrot juice next time!
I flew Eva airlines to Bangkok and return last year from Toronto. It was by far the best business class experience I have ever had I pre-ordered my meal so I actually had lobster on the way and it was delicious. The service was off the charts and I never Had to wait for a drink more than a couple of minutes. I found the flatbed very comfortable, and the crew made up my bed....
I flew Eva airlines to Bangkok and return last year from Toronto. It was by far the best business class experience I have ever had I pre-ordered my meal so I actually had lobster on the way and it was delicious. The service was off the charts and I never Had to wait for a drink more than a couple of minutes. I found the flatbed very comfortable, and the crew made up my bed.
Eva airlines is by far the most underrated Asian carrier, and I have recommended it now to a number of my friends who have traveled the past year including one who just flew on premium economy, one way and economy the other way and he also raved about the service and the space he had. So the quality of the service is not limited to their business class. Whenever I have an opportunity, I always look at Eva airlines first before booking in the other airline.
Just as well that you didn’t find award availability on Air India, eh? ;) The impeccable service of Northeast Asian carriers like ANA, JAL, EVA and Starlux — plus SQ — is just too good for the rest of the world, except of course the Gulf trio. I’m looking forward to EVA’s A350s in the coming years, which will cement their — and Taiwan’s — reputation as one of the world’s foremost leaders in aviation...
Just as well that you didn’t find award availability on Air India, eh? ;) The impeccable service of Northeast Asian carriers like ANA, JAL, EVA and Starlux — plus SQ — is just too good for the rest of the world, except of course the Gulf trio. I’m looking forward to EVA’s A350s in the coming years, which will cement their — and Taiwan’s — reputation as one of the world’s foremost leaders in aviation luxury.
How about the two Korean airlines, though? Most of the praise seems to be going to Taiwanese, Japanese and Hong Kong (namely CX) airlines — don’t see that much for KE and OZ nowadays; it seems they’re okay but that’s about it.
But I do hope you’ll find a way to fly Air India in the coming months, given the way it is reinventing itself — on the A350, if possible! Maybe throw in some Vistara while it lasts.
I would say that the ME3 can’t compete with the carriers you listed on service. They’re closer to European carriers than they are the top of the line Asian ones.
@ VT-CIE -- I was actually hoping to fly Air India, but couldn't find any award availability. It's near the top of my list of products to try, so I guess at this point I'll wait until the new A350 is in service (though the hard product will be familiar to me).
Their flight crews are the best in the business these days. I feel Singapore Airlines, while still efficient and pleasant, has gotten a bit cold and impersonal regarding service, so EVA has overtaken them.
I have flown EVA to TPE, BKK, and AMS, and had crews from Taiwan, Japan, Bangkok, and more and the were universally superb.
Their IFE is the only major letdown. I always download a lot of shows to my...
Their flight crews are the best in the business these days. I feel Singapore Airlines, while still efficient and pleasant, has gotten a bit cold and impersonal regarding service, so EVA has overtaken them.
I have flown EVA to TPE, BKK, and AMS, and had crews from Taiwan, Japan, Bangkok, and more and the were universally superb.
Their IFE is the only major letdown. I always download a lot of shows to my devices, but its nice to have the option to use the airlines entertainment. Their library is tiny.
I adore EVA and the caring flight attendants are a huge part of that. When it was noticed I wasn't eating a lot, various other treats were delivered. They work the job above and beyond.
Can you share how/when you booked?
@ Dominik -- I booked a couple of days before departure directly through EVA Air's program. It cost 80K points, which I transfered from Citi. I talked more about the program in this post:
https://onemileatatime.com/guides/redeem-miles-eva-air-business-class/
Matcha Tea! Are you trying to get ahead of all the inevitable comments "hur dur you can't sleep on planes cuz you drink coffee" "well he drinks coffee so he can stay awake and review the products!"
@ Super -- Hahahah. Well, those people will be proud, as I had caffeine-free tea before going to sleep. The matcha milk tea and cappuccinos were after I woke up and knew I wouldn't go back to sleep.
At least you can keep the pajamas. I just flew ANA J Haneda to JFK and I was surprised when they asked for the pajamas back at the end of the flight. The first time that I have seen that on a J flight (other airlines let you keep them).
@ Jared -- Yeah, I think it's literally just Japanese airlines that hand out cardigans and then ask for them back before landing? A bit odd...
Cardigans are something else, both ANA and JAL now provide pajamas separately on long hauls (which have to be returned )
Would they be shocked if you said "no" ?
Would they already be second-hand when you got them?
I must say I prefer laundered airline pjs, but only if it was me who wore them before.
I've always wondered if the PJs were yours to keep or not. Are they?
@ Scott -- Yep, they sure are!
I have a EVA flight coming up. I'm 5' 8", would a medium be a good choice?
Thanks for sharing I really enjoy when you report while flying, and if I may ask if you can bring me home a per of pjs?
I took EVA recently on tpac in the 777 business class and it's a solid product. But I did feel, like Ben, that the hard product was beginning to show its age. Not in wear and tear, but just that it's no longer cutting edge. It felt like the exact same experience as when I flew it 7-8 years ago. As such, I'm not sure I could concur any longer that EVA is the best...
I took EVA recently on tpac in the 777 business class and it's a solid product. But I did feel, like Ben, that the hard product was beginning to show its age. Not in wear and tear, but just that it's no longer cutting edge. It felt like the exact same experience as when I flew it 7-8 years ago. As such, I'm not sure I could concur any longer that EVA is the best business class across the Pacific, especially when you consider ANA's The Room business class. When you consider non in-flight things like their lounges (which haven't been updated at all and were mediocre even 7-8 years ago) and bad app, then there are plenty of other competitive options to consider across the Pacific too.
Wifi is free, not $40. The catch is that you have to register at least 30 minutes before the flight and not for award Royal Laurel seats.
The IFE selection is not huge but I didn't have enough time to watch everything that I wanted.
In my opinion, EVA Royal Laurel class is the best in the world but I have not been on Etihad's apartment or Singapore Airlines business class.
@ derek -- Wasn't aware about the free Wi-Fi, good to know. But I guess not relevant anyway, since it doesn't apply on awards.
The free WiFi is only for 50 mb.
Is it the picture or is that angle lie flat beds?
After flying SA with angle bedding from JFK-SIN and back, NEVER again.
Also, easily handle the hot/cold issue. Travel with a travel blanket and a USB powered mini box fan. No longer at the mercy of the aircraft.
By angle beds, I mean not straight ahead. You have to curve yourself a bit to rest, which means I don't rest.
@ Patti -- Nope, it's not like Singapore Airlines, where you have to turn to sleep. When you recline the seat, you have a straight bed (though it's at an angle to the fuselage).
Thank you.
The SA ones were a misery, especially on the world's longest flight.
Sadly SA off my long haul travel list now.
I’ve been flying EVA TPE>LAX and back for the last 8 years. I’ve flown in Business Class quite a few times after upgrading with miles. The crew is top-notch in every class but are exquisite in Business Class. I have two complaints though. They don’t serve hot towels anymore and the IFE has been lacking the last few years.
I still have to try them long haul. I’ve only flown between Tokyo and Taipei a few times. Great airline, I remember the food being good but weird.
Do they still have the night sky/star scene on the ceiling? I always thought that was such a neat touch and couldn't believe UA didn't bother to do something similar given their Polaris branding.
@ AdamH -- They sure do, and I love that as well!
Flew EVA from LAX to TPE in October and the service was also flawless, except for the shamefully overcooked wagyu briquette, and the 75° cabin temperature. At least it wasn't Asiana's 80° cabin, though. That was seriously unpleasant.
EVA's flight attendants are the best in the air.
The world outside the US isn't addicted to constant AC cooling everything down to pneumonia-inducing 15°C, deal with it
@ArnoldB you sure about that? Try any public indoor space in Bangkok, Singapore or HK. I bring along a sweater whenever I go out there.
It’s one thing to not cool a plane to freezer like temperatures, it’s quite another to heat them like a crematorium which is even more uncomfortable. Many Asian and Middle Eastern carriers are guilty of doing the exact opposite of the North American carriers.
You realize the temperature outside a plane is consistently well below freezing, right, Arnold? You have to crank the heat up to get it to those impossibly warm levels, so maybe the problem is those of you addicted to heating every space up unreasonably because you think temperatures have something to do with pneumonia.
A chilly 80F on Asiana? I once flew on a red eye from PNH - ICN on a red eye that must have been close to 100F yet there were still people wearing winter coats! Interestingly my transpacific segments on the A380 were always more comfortable. Not sure if that’s due to the A380 being harder to overheat or them being mindful of the large number of American passengers across the Pacific?
I’ve flown EVA...
A chilly 80F on Asiana? I once flew on a red eye from PNH - ICN on a red eye that must have been close to 100F yet there were still people wearing winter coats! Interestingly my transpacific segments on the A380 were always more comfortable. Not sure if that’s due to the A380 being harder to overheat or them being mindful of the large number of American passengers across the Pacific?
I’ve flown EVA four times and they were never as bad as Asiana in terms of temperature on any segment, even intra-Asia.
My first time on Asiana, and it was the A380 (ICN to LAX). I'm trying to be generous with my guess on the temperature, but I don't think anyone was sleeping in that cabin. Made the EVA flight feel downright comfortable by comparison.
I guess that the preference may have something to do also where we live. Previously in a cold country I was known for my 81F inside temperature requirement in the house, even when it -35 outside. When I moved to Florida I set temerature to 66 degtees. Friends could not believe it when they came to visit. What you don't have naturally obviously feels like luxury.
Petri: there's obviously regional preferences, but planes should default toward cooler cabins. If it's too cold, you can wear warmer clothes, use the blankets provided on the flight, or bring your own. There's nothing you can do about a cabin that's too hot.
If you ask for the temperature to be turned down they will usually oblige, in premium cabins.
Wouldn't fancy your luck in economy though!