EVA Air Royal Laurel Business Class is known as one of the best business class worldwide, especially because of the excellent in-flight service. While the seat is not really different from other business class seats, the amenity kits, champagne and food on board are from first class standards. EVA Air has a total of 34 Boeing 777-300ER aircrafts that all feature a business class in revers herringbone configuration while their Boeing 787 Dreamliners have Thompson Vantage XL seats in business class. I recently flew EVA Air Royal Laurel Class on a Boeing 777-300ER from Taipei to Los Angeles, one of the most popular routes of the airline. In this review, I share my experience of this flight including my thoughts of the Infinity and Star lounge at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport.
Flight: EVA Air 6
Route: Taipei (TPE) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Date: Saturday February 15, 2020
Depart: 11:20AM
Arrive: 6:30AM
Duration: 11h30min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Class of service: Royal Laurel Class
How I Booked EVA Air Royal Laurel Business Class
I booked EVA Air Royal Laurel Class using United MileagePlus miles. The flight was part of a one way business class award from Taipei, Taiwan to Chicago, Illinois and costed 80,000 miles and € 35,- in taxes and fees (about $ 37.38 USD). It was difficult to find award availability on EVA Air flights, especially when booking well in advance. I found most availability on the route to Los Angeles. EVA Air is flying to LA three times per day. Read more about how I booked these flights in my Trip Intro – Around The World On Frequent Flyer Miles.
I earned these miles through air travel as a United Premier member on Star Alliance flights and United, in both economy and United Polaris Business Class which I flew last year. Another way to book EVA Air flights is by redeeming Air Canada Mileage Aeroplan miles. A one way business class award from North America to Asia costs 75,000 miles and the taxes are low.
EVA Air Royal Laurel Class Business Class Check In
EVA Air check in counters (including the Hello Kitty check in kiosks) at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport are located in terminal 2. It wasn’t that busy so I didn’t have to line up. After I gave my passport, the agent started searching for my reservation. I answered some questions and received my two boarding passes as well as a map and explanation about how I can find my way to the lounge.
Before going airside, I decided to have a look at the observation desk to take some fresh air and to do some airplane spotting. About half an hour later, I went through security and passport control.
EVA Air Star And Infinity Lounge Taipei
EVA Air has a total of 4 lounges in Taipei. After security, turn left and go one floor up. While the Infinity lounge is for business class passengers, the Star lounge is for Star Alliance Gold members. However, business class passengers have access to both lounges. Then there is also The Club lounge which is for EVA Air Silver members and The Garden which is only for EVA Air Diamond members. Both the Infinity Lounge and Star Lounge share one entrance and front desk.
After showing my boarding pass, I turned right to first check out the infinity lounge. There is a long entry way with a seating area on the left side. The lounge gets more interesting when walking further. It felt more like being in a night club with all those flashing lights that change colors all the time. This area was a bit crowded when I entered at 8am. That’s why I took pictures later once most of the morning crowd was gone.
Just behind the entrance are the restrooms and showers located as well as a business center. The buffet is at the far end of the lounge on the right side. I found the selection of food and beverages to be average. There is also a freezer with Movenpick ice scream. Then there is also a small selection of alcoholic beverages in the corner.
Later I headed to the Star Lounge which is on the opposite side of the reception. The Star lounge is a lot more spacious and felt more like a real airport lounge, rather than night club. This lounge is known as EVA Air’s premium lounge since most Star Alliance Gold lounges are better than business class lounges. I personally like the blue light decoration across all the seating areas. While there is no view on the planes, the lounge offers a nice view over the departure hall.
The Star lounge features all different kinds of seats and further in the lounge were also dining tables as well as a T.V. area. The selection of food and beverages here was more extensive than in the infinity lounge. I even was advised to try some typical Taiwanese dishes, recommended by one of the waiters in the lounge! I always like this.
EVA Air Boarding
After checking out both lounges, I headed to gate C7 to board for my flight with EVA Air to Los Angeles. The gate area was quite crowded and boarding started a few minutes after I arrived.
I was able to make some pictures of the plane, although the window turned to be of a blue color. I also noticed that my plane still was in the old EVA Air livery. After some security questions and scanning my boarding pass, I was allowed to go onboard.
EVA Air Boeing 777 Business Class Cabin
I boarded the plane through door L1 where a flight attendant welcomed me on board. The EVA Air Boeing 777 business class consists of two cabins with seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. The forward cabin features a total of 27 seats, spread across 7 rows while the rear cabin has 16 seats, across 4 rows. Upon verifying my boarding pass, I was escorted to my seat. This is one of the small touches EVA Air is doing since I normally experience this only in first class. Then the flight attendant ask me if she could receive my jacket from me. As the cabin filled up very quickly, I wasn’t able to make that proper pictures.
EVA Air Boeing 777 Business Class Seat
Upon making my reservation, I already assigned my seat. Since I like to sit in the back of the cabin, I opted for seat 10K. While the colors of the seat look a bit boring in my opinion, the seat itself is really comfortable and offers a lot of storage. On my seat, I found a pillow and slippers. I like the armrests on both sides of the seat and it’s nice that you can lower or raise the armrest on your left side to maximize the comfort.
The seat offers plenty of legroom since the footwell is of a large size. As I mentioned above, the seat offers plenty of storage. There is a storage compartment right next to the seat as well as below the in flight entertainment screen on the right side. I found this to be very effective, especially when traveling with a lot of hand baggage. On the left side of the seat in front of you is also a hook in case you need to hang a jacket. The only thing I didn’t like about the seat is the lack of space in case you want to get out of the seat, especially when the seat is in the reclining position.
On my right side, I found the entertainment controler as well as a reading light and power outlets with USB plug. Below are the seat controls. The tray table is located on the right side of the seat. EVA Air has noice canceling headphones in business class that were of a decent quality.
A few moments later, I was offered a pre departure drink with the choice between champagne, water and orange juice. I selected a glass of champagne and this was served with a hot towel and chocolate. Also the menus were distributed. I still missed the amenity kit but a flight attendant informed me that these should be distributed just after take off.
Once all passengers were on board, one of the flight attendants came to my seat to take orders. They kneeled at each person’s seat and addressed every person by name. The whole process was discussed in a very detailed way which I loved. ‘Let me repeat your order mister de Boer’, that’s like how you get addressed in first class! I will explain more about the menu later during this review.
EVA Air Business Class Service After Take Off
We took off at 11:20am which was on time. As it was cloudy, views weren’t that great above Taipei. The seatbelt sign turned off about 25 minutes after take off and the pilot informed us that we would be landing in LA at around 615am. I directly put my seat in a more comfortable position. I liked the seat and felt like that this would be a very comfy flight. EVA Air does provide wifi in business class, although this isn’t free. There are different packages ranging from $ 12 USD for one hour to $ 30 for the whole flight.
Then the service after take off started. First the amenity kits were distributed. This is were EVA Air stands out in business class as they are using the fancy Rimowa kits that are more common in first class. The kit contained an eye mask, ear plugs, a tooth brush with tooth paste, body lotion, lip balm and a comb. I also got offered a pajamas.
EVA Air serves ‘first class champagnes’ in business class. On the route to Los Angeles, they serve Veuve Clicquot La Grande Damme 2008 which goes for about $ 150 per bottle. It is true that they also serve Krug on certain flights, but this just depends on the route. Anyway, both champagnes are excellent, aren’t they? Leave a comment!
For food, we started of with some canapés, which consisted of dates with cream cheese. Certainly not bad to start off with!
EVA Air Business Class In Flight Dining
Then a flight attendant made my table. The tablecloths have a very cool design in my opinion, really different from just a normal white cloth. The table was then set with a display with a breadbasket, olive oil, butter and pepper & salt. Later, another flight attendant brought the appitizer to me which consisted of salmon with ham and some vegetables. For drink, I ordered a second glass of champagne as well as a glass of still water.
The whole lunch service consisted of 5 courses which is far above normal in business class. Once the appetizer was cleared, I was served a salad.
The food tasted really good and it felt more like flying first class! After the salad, it was time for a soup which I really enjoyed. Between the courses, I was regularly asked for more bread or a refill of my champagne. However, later I decided to switch to one of their delicious red wines.
Then the main course. I opted for a good piece of meat, served with some vegetables. I also loved the way how the food was presented.
After I finished the main course, I could choose what to have for dessert. Since I already had some red wine, I decided to go try one of the cheese plates. I wanted to try some of the fruit plate too but was so full of all the delicious food that I kept this for during the breakfast.
Turndown Service
Compared to other reverse herringbone seats, I found these seats to be very private since you almost can’t see your neighbor. After the meal service, I decided to go to one of the lavatories to change clothes as I wanted to have a proper rest during the flight. EVA Air has a total of 3 lavatories in business class on their Boeing 777-300ER aircrafts. Two are located between the cabins and one is located in the front of the first cabin, on the left side. Once I came back to my seat, the lights in the cabin turned off and the ceiling above the corridors turned into a starry sky with some blue light.
On my seat, I found a bottle of Fiji water. I asked one of the flight attendants to make my bed as I was planning to sleep for about 5 hours before having breakfast. I would say that this seat is probably one of the best business class seats to sleep in as there is a lot of space, especially when lowering the armrest.
Then I decided to have a look at the flight map and noticed that I was somewhere above the Pacific Ocean, almost half way before landing in LA. The screen itself is of a decent size and offers a large selection of movies, series and music. As I wasn’t that tired, I watched T.V. for about half an hour.
EVA Air Business Class Breakfast
About 2 hours before landing, the lights in the cabin turned on again. In about 30 minutes, it was time to have breakfast so I went to the lavatory again to change clothes. Once I came back to my seat, a flight attendant made my table. I love something fresh after waking up so I opted for the fresh fruit plate. This was served with yoghurt, pepper & salt, butter and some toppings. Later another flight attendant came along with a selection of bread. For drink, I went for a cappuccino and an orange juice.
For the main course, I went for an omelet with bacon and potatoes. Later during the meal, I was asked for some other bread as well as a refill fo my cappuccino and orange juice.
Arrival In Los Angeles
Once I finished the breakfast, I put my seat in the upright position as I noticed we should be landing soon. The pilot started the decent into LAX at around 5:30am. I opened my window shades and could enjoy a wonderful sunrise since it was not cloudy. Later, flight attendants came through the cabin to thank passengers for flying with EVA Air.
We touched down at LAX at around 6am. I thanked the crew for the excellent service on board and left the aircraft. We actually landed at the Tom Bradly terminal which is the newest terminal at LAX. Since mornings are the busiest times of the day at immigration, I had to line up for about 1 hour!
EVA Air Boeing 777 Business Class Bottom Line
Let’s say that EVA Air has one of the best business class products out there, especially when it comes to the food and amenities on board. I loved spending my time in their lounges, although I missed the airplane views. EVA Air’s Royal Laurel business class seats are great, especially because of the space and the large storage compartments. However, the design disappointed me a bit and I also missed the complimentary wifi on board.
The food and amenities on board made this one of the best flights in business class I have flown so far. The Rimowa amenity kits and Veuve Clicquot Champagne made me feel like flying first class! Also EVA Air’s service on board is top notch as flight attendants always kneeled and addressed me by name. Therefore, I can’t recommend EVA Air enough! This is definitely one of the best ways to fly over the Pacific and a serious competitor of China Airlines.
What is your experience with EVA Air Royal Laurel Busines Class? Have you flown them already or are you planning to make a flight with them? Let me know your questions and thoughts in the comments below!
