Initial Thoughts: Eva Air 787-10 Business Class (Royal Laurel)
Intro
I recently had the opportunity to fly Eva Air on a couple of intra-Asia flights and I wanted to share my first impressions. Of course, this is an initial thoughts post, so this look isn't comprehensive, but I was disappointed with Eva Airways on their two flights around Asia, especially since they were incredible when I flew London-Bangkok. Compared to Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Garuda, this flight was a huge letdown.
Let's get into the initial thoughts and expect a full review of both flights to come soon!
Bangkok Lounge
Eva Air actually impressed me with their lounge in Bangkok. The lounge is beautiful, with plenty of options for food and drink. It's almost as if it is a nightclub aesthetic in an airport, which is rare to find.
First Flight BKK-TPE
The Eva Air red-eye from Bangkok to Taipei might be one of the most brutal red-eyes I have ever taken. It's a 3-hour overnight flight that departed at 1:30 am, ugh.
The seat was nice for such a short flight. When I booked, there was no true window seat, which left me with an aisle/window seat. Overall, it's not bad at all in terms of hard product.
However, even if I was one of the first passengers onboard, I was asked for my pre-departure beverage last. It's not that I mind since I didn't actually have one; it was more the thought behind it. This was something that really annoyed me actually.
The amenities were impressive, with full printed menus, wine lists, headphones, and even slippers!
I managed to get some rest for the three hours before we were woken up for landing. Like all of my reports, I opted for a champoffee but found something interesting. The champagne was flat, with no bubbles at all! When I informed the crew, they just shrugged😅. I mean, for a 5-star carrier, I view this as unacceptable. This was the opposite of my previous experience with EVA, so I was sort of in shock.
Second Flight TPE-ICN
The second flight was a bit better with EVA, but still nowhere near the likes of the other airlines I have flown on. I hate sounding critical since I am grateful to be flying Business Class, but what is going on here?
This time, I made sure to be the first on the plane to take cabin photos. Somehow, in seat 7K, I was the very last person to be asked for a pre-departure beverage. I was so hopeful that the second flight would have better service, but nope.
The worst part is that when I asked very politely by the way, the crew became sarcastically rude to me.
I digress; the food was actually delicious, haha, so props here to Eva Air on this front. Combining that with a glass of red wine and champagne, I had a pleasant flight.
The Eva Air Business Class Lounge Taipei
Aside from the service, the other major letdown was the Business Class lounge in Taipei. While the lounge is pretty, the staff had to actively search for a seat for me in the morning it was that busy. I was talking to Plaza Premium, and they informed me that the EVA Air lounge can get so busy they have to send passengers to Plaza Premium. This is extremely dissapointing for a carrier that offers such a good Royal Laurel product on their 777-300s.
Final Thoughts
I am really excited to be sharing these individual reviews in the coming months. However, for now, EVA Air was nowhere near as good as I remember it to be. The service was below subpar, and the lounges were overcrowded. Since these two flights, EVA Air has left a bitter taste in my mouth.
On the flipside, the food was good, and the lounge in Bangkok was perfect. Stay tuned for the full review!
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