Information on EVA Air Flights

Think of the world’s great airlines and EVA Air likely isn’t a name that leaps to mind. But that would be a mistake. Privately founded in 1989 out of Taoyuan International Airport close to Taipei in Taiwan, today it’s a member of the Star Alliance and operates internationally connecting Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

Just over 30 years ago EVA Air revolutionized air travel for the economy class flier. It invented an entirely new class now standardized among nearly all international airlines around the world: premium economy. For this and other reasons, it’s among my favorite airlines – and one of only ten to have a five-star SKYTRAX rating.

Fleet and network

EVA’s fleet runs to 84 airplanes of varying models. Short- and medium-haul are covered mostly by Airbus A321 and A330 models, with wide-body Boeing 777 and 787s flying long-haul routes. If you’re flying from North America to Asia, you’ll be on a 777 or 787.

Its network covers around 60 destinations across four continents, ten of which are in the US. While that’s extensive, it doesn’t compare to the truly giant airlines. As a member of the Star Alliance, however, its connecting network through the likes of United, Lufthansa and Air Canada is vast, offering transfers to every corner of the planet.

Although EVA runs the majority of its flights through Taiwan, it operates other major international hubs. None is bigger than Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is its primary connection point to destinations west including Europe and much of North America. It’s this route that I’ve flown many times, mostly in economy and once or twice – luckily – in business class.

Fare classes

One of the few big airlines to blend business and first, EVA offers just three classes – Economy, Premium Economy and Royal Laurel Class. Alongside these, each class comes with variable booking options. As is typical, these just roll add-ons into the basic fare including seat allocation, air miles and more baggage.

Although this can feel like too many options to properly process, I like the flexibility and variety it offers – and EVA’s fare descriptions are pretty clear. Even with an economy discount fare (the cheapest available), you get a 50 lbs (23 kg) piece of checked luggage included in the ticket. Besides its excellent service, one of the reasons I’ve regularly flown EVA is for its competitive pricing.

Economy class

Book an economy ticket and you can choose from Discount, Basic, Standard and Up fares. All include a 15 lbs (7 kg) carry-on alongside a standard personal item bag. Both Discount and Basic include one 50 lbs (23 kg) checked bag, although Basic increases that to two for long haul. You’ll need to pay to choose a seat with each. Standard includes two checked bags and seat selection. Up adds ‘preferred’ seats with a bit more legroom and free flight changes.

Both the Boeing 777 and 787 configurations are comfy in economy thanks to the wide-body design, usually in a 3-4-3 or (hopefully) a 3-3-3 layout. As with all good airlines, seats are ergonomic and well designed for long periods of inactivity, but still feel fairly cramped.

On the 777, pitch (legroom) is 33 inches, with a six-inch recline and 18.3-inch width. Room to wiggle then and aligned with other top-end airlines. On each seat you’ll find a vanity kit with slippers (nice touch for late night restroom runs), a cotton-covered cushion and a decent static-free blanket. All in, I can usually make myself pretty comfy in EVA economy – particularly if I have a window seat.

When not sleeping, you can access the media library via an 11.1-inch touchscreen. There are also power outlets and USB ports for charging your own devices, except the back row of each economy zone in the 777, which doesn’t have power outlets. A quirk of design I guess. Wi-Fi is available to all – it’s free for economy passengers on an Up fare, but everyone else needs to pay.

Things vary slightly on the Boeing 787, which is newer but not always better. It has a pitch of just 31-32 inches for example, which in layman’s terms means less legroom. Screens on the other hand are bigger at 12 inches. Give and take. Despite the 787 having the preferable 3-3-3 layout, I still prefer to fly on the 777 for its extra legroom, pure and simple.

Premium economy class

Even though it invented Economy Deluxe class in the 1990s, not all EVA flights offer premium economy. Modern 787 Dreamliners opt for just economy and Royal Laurel (business) class. That means premium economy availability is limited to 777s and as a result, wildly popular.

Premium economy comes in Basic, Standard and Up flavors. All include two checked bags and a carry-on. It’s worth noting that you don’t get seat allocation with a Basic premium economy booking, so if you’re not traveling solo or want to select a seat, go for Standard or Up. And that could well be worth it, as EVA’s premium economy offering has one major flaw – its 2-4-2 configuration.

Who wants to pay extra for the upgrade only to be stacked in the middle of the middle? Not me. Seats though are excellent – 19.3 inches wide with a 38-inch pitch and extra-wide armrests. Blankets are now quilts, cushions now pillows and amenity kits more indulgent. Screens are the same but noise-canceling headphones are now included. Though you should still bring and use your own.

In my experience, EVA’s premium economy is often far cheaper than equivalent flights with other mainstream international carriers, including its major rival, state-owned China Airlines. On the rare occasions it’s available when booking, I’m always very tempted to pay the extra for a Standard fare.

Royal Laurel class

If premium economy doesn’t do it for you, look to the regal class. The lavishly named Royal Laurel is EVA’s business with a touch of first class. It too comes in Basic, Standard and Up flavors, all with two 32 kg checked bags and seat allocation included. In fact, the only discernible difference in them beyond miles earned is the zero change fee for Up fares. Stick to Basic then – although that feels like a contradiction in terms.

While not comparable to many of the first class experiences available, Royal Laurel sits at the upper end of most business classes. Seats are lie-flat – technically an 82-inch pitch, which is long enough for me to stretch out at 6 ft 2 in. Adjustable to the nth degree, they’re very comfy and lumbar support particularly welcome.

Layout is thankfully 1-2-1 meaning no dreaded middle seat, and partitions create a fair amount of privacy for the adjoining central seats. If you’re traveling solo, always go for a window seat.

Amenities are excellent. The washbag is stuffed with branded goodies and the designer pajamas and slippers are great. Sadly, EVA discontinued its much loved Rimowa amenity kits in 2020 (now eagerly sought after online!) Each seat houses a 15.4-inch touchscreen with excellent quality headphones and all the charging points you could need.

Onboard – entertainment, food, service

While screens are decent across all classes, the range of entertainment doesn’t quite match the wealth of, say, Emirates. There are plenty of films and TV shows to match most tastes, but if you’re a bit of a cinephile like me, you may be scratching around for something new to keep you entertained. I always download a few things to one of my devices just in case.

The onboard food in my experience is above average, as is so often the way with Asian airlines. Things inevitably improve through the classes, from the standard tray of compartmentalized dishes in economy to a full-bore fine dining experience in business. EVA is also renowned for its partnership with Veuve Clicquot as the only airline to serve La Grande Dame champagne in business class. Whichever class, I particularly love the congee served at breakfast.

Service is one of EVA’s strong points. I’ve had nothing but great experiences with friendly, efficient and willing crew. I’ve found the level of English to be not as good as some airlines, but easily good enough to ask for an extra cushion and gin and tonic and get a smile in return. One other area worth highlighting – I think EVA has perhaps the nicest economy toilets of any airline. Scrupulously clean with nice soap and hand creams and, often, fresh flowers.

Mileage rewards program

EVA runs a rewards program slightly confusingly called Infinity MileageLands. You can earn and use these for the usual benefits like class upgrade, priority check in and access to airport lounges, although check the fare as upgrades aren’t allowed on all fares (and as I mentioned, are popular and so scarce).

Perhaps more interestingly, EVA’s Star Alliance membership means you can earn points on EVA to spend on other Alliance partners, often with better returns than using them on EVA flights themselves.