After flying from Newark to Brussels to Vienna, my next flight was to Bangkok on EVA Air’s 787-9, featuring their new business class product. EVA Air’s Vienna flight alternates between operating nonstop to Taipei, and operating via Bangkok.
This was all part of the same Aeroplan award ticket, costing a total of 77,500 miles one-way.
I had quite a long layover in Vienna, as I arrived around 1PM, while my connection was at 6:35PM. So I spent much of the day working in the Austrian Business Lounge, which I’ve reviewed before.
My flight to Bangkok was departing from gate D23, so I headed there around 5PM, plenty early for my flight. One thing I didn’t initially realize is that there are further security checkpoints at these individual gates (I’m not sure why, because I had already gone through security?), and in this case the line was really long.
Fortunately business class and elite passengers can cut the line, though it is a bit awkward. There’s a sign at the front indicating that premium passengers can just come up, but given the lack of a separate queue, it sure looks like you’re cutting.
Vienna Airport terminal
Once through security I had a seat in the sterile gate area until boarding started. Boarding was scheduled to start at 5:50PM, though ended up starting at 6:05PM.
I couldn’t wait to try EVA’s new 787-9 business class. I’ve always been a huge fan of their service, though up until now have only flown their 777-300ER, featuring reverse herringbone seats in business class.
EVA Air 62
Vienna (VIE) – Bangkok (BKK)
Wednesday, August 7
Depart: 6:35PM
Arrive: 10:00AM (+1 day)
Duration: 10hr25min
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Seat: 7K (Royal Laurel Business Class)
I boarded through the second set of doors, and was escorted left into the business class cabin. EVA Air’s business class soft product really feels more like first class than business class, and it’s one of my favorite in the world.
EVA Air has staggered seats on their 787-9s, very similar to what you’ll find on Qantas’ 787-9s (though the finishes make them look very different). The cabin is quite intimate with just 26 seats, spread across seven rows in a 1-2-1 configuration.
EVA Air 787-9 business class cabin
EVA Air business class cabin 787-9
I’m not sure what EVA Air’s motivation was for installing these staggered business class seats, rather than the reverse herringbone seats they have on their 777s. I’d say quality-wise the seats are roughly comparable.
This configuration isn’t more efficient, as they had just 26 seats between doors one and two, while you can get 30 reverse herringbone business class seats in that space.
So I’m not sure if the airline genuinely thinks this is a better hard product, if the seats are cheaper to install, or what. Regardless, it’s kind of surprising to see them install a new type of seat that isn’t necessarily better, since it creates product inconsistency.
All that being said, these are the best kind of staggered seats out there, and this type of product is growing on me.
In the center section the seats are always equally apart from one another (so it’s not like the “honeymoon” seats you’ll find in some staggered configurations).
EVA Air 787 business class seats
For the individual seats by the windows, they alternate between being closer to the aisle and being closer to the window.
I was in seat 7K, which was a “true” window seat. These seats are so great because you can easily look out of the window, and also because you have some distance from the aisle, so you get extra privacy.
EVA Air 787 business class seat
EVA Air 787 business class seat
These seats are an efficient use of space because the footwell for the seat is underneath the seat in front, which is why in one row the seat is closer to the aisle, and in the next row the seat is closer to the window.
EVA Air 787 business class seat
The reason that these my favorite kind of staggered seats out there is because of the features around the seat. For one, the seat has a privacy shield that can be extended, so that you really won’t see anyone else seated near you.
EVA Air business class seat panel
On the console next to the seat were the seat controls, headphone jacks, and 110v and USB outlets.
EVA Air business class seat controls
Next to that was the entertainment controller (though the personal television is also a touchscreen, so I never used this controller).
EVA Air business class entertainment controls
Then behind the seat and to the left was an enclosed storage compartment, along with a mirror.
EVA Air business class seat storage
Also to the side of the seat were some basic seat controls.
EVA Air business class seat controls
The tray table folded out from the aisle side of the seat, and was large.
EVA Air business class tray table
The footwell was a good size, and didn’t feel too restrictive.
EVA Air business class footwell 787
My one criticism of the seat is that there were no individual air nozzles, which seems to be all too common on Asian airlines.
Already waiting at my seat upon boarding was a pair of headphones. They were pretty good quality, though not to the level of Bose or Bang & Olufsen.
EVA Air business class headphones
Also waiting at my seat was a bottle of Fiji water. While I try to avoid bottled water in general, it’s inevitable on plane. If I’m going to be served bottled water then Fiji is my favorite.
EVA Air business class Fiji bottled water
EVA Air’s business class soft product is spectacular, and the nonstop service procession started from the moment I boarded. As soon as I settled in a flight attendant came by my seat to introduce herself by name, familiarize me with the seat, and inform us of our flight time.
She then offered me a pre-departure drink of choice. I asked for some champagne, which was served with a special Boeing 787 napkin, a chocolate, and a warm towel on a tray. Often it’s the little touches that make a difference, and that’s an area where EVA Air stands out, like the little chocolate, and the fact that the towel was served on a tray.
EVA Air business class pre-departure drink & chocolate
A few moments later the flight attendant brought me an amenity kit, which came in a special bag.
EVA Air business class amenity kit
The amenity kit was from Salvatore Ferragamo, and was awesome. However, I still prefer the Rimowa amenity kits they have on flights from Taipei (at least last I checked).
EVA Air business class amenity kit contents
Next I was offered pajamas and slippers, designed by Jason Wu.
EVA Air business class slippers & pajamas
Both felt high quality.
EVA Air business class pajamas
EVA Air business class slippers
I was then presented with the menu and wine list for the flight, with the flight attendant explaining that dinner would be served after takeoff, and that breakfast would be served before landing.
EVA Air business class menu & wine list
While the cabin was initially only about half full based on the seatmap, it ended up going out nearly full. So the crew was very busy providing this amazing service to all business class passengers.
About 10 minutes after boarding the purser, Nicole, came by my seat to introduce herself. Five minutes later a flight attendant came by my seat to take my meal order. She took both my dinner and breakfast order, asked what I wanted to drink, asked if I wanted to be woken up for breakfast, if I wanted still or sparkling water, etc.
The one funny thing is that I decided to order a vodka martini, since I saw it listed on the menu. Since EVA Air does so well with their soft product, I figured I would try it out, and I wondered just how much it could be customized. Maybe I was pushing my luck, but…
“Could I have a vodka martini, but could you make it dirty?”
*Confused look*
“Could I have olive juice in the martini??”
“Orange juice?”
“No, olive juice.”
*Confused look*
“Never mind, I will just take it as is.”
In fairness, I was probably pushing my luck there…
At 6:30PM the main cabin door closed, and at 6:35PM the captain announced that we’d push back within 10 minutes. He said that our flight time was 9hr40min, and that we’d be cruising at 35,000 to 39,000 feet.
At 6:35PM the safety video was screened. Their current safety video is a bit… extra?
At 6:45PM we started our taxi, and there some interesting traffic on the way out, like a Lauda A320, and an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet.
Lauda A320 Vienna Airport
Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet Vienna Airport
We had a very short taxi, and by 6:50PM were cleared for takeoff on runway 29.
Taxiing Vienna Airport
Taking off from Vienna
As we climbed out I browsed the entertainment selection. While the system was easy to use and responsive, the English selections were fairly limited. There were just under 50 movies, and then a fairly limited number of TV shows.
EVA Air entertainment selection
EVA Air entertainment selection
EVA Air entertainment selection
I do have to say that I thought some of the entertainment options had rather… unusual names? I’m guessing this might be a case of “lost in translation.”
EVA Air entertainment selection
EVA Air entertainment selection
While the entertainment selection isn’t amazing, EVA Air does have Wi-Fi on their 787-9s, which is pretty good.
EVA Air 787-9 Wi-Fi
Unfortunately, EVA Air charges based on data usage rather than time for Wi-Fi, but the pricing isn’t that bad:
- Buy 30MB for $4.95
- Buy 100MB for $14.95
- Buy 300MB for $29.95
EVA Air 787-9 Wi-Fi pricing
I decided to purchase the 300MB pass, which lasted me the entire flight.
EVA Air 787-9 Wi-Fi pricing
About 10 minutes after takeoff I decided to visit the lavatory, and on the way back snapped a picture of the cabin. Oddly EVA Air pilots never seem to turn off the seatbelt sign, but rather it’s just on by default. Then when it gets bumpy they just make an announcement telling you to take your seat.
EVA Air 787-9 cabin
Business class had three lavatories — two behind the cabin, and one in front near the cockpit. They were pretty standard for the 787, though did have a few amenities.
EVA Air 787 lavatory
EVA Air 787 lavatory amenities
Soon after takeoff, the dinner service began. The menu read as follows:
The drink list read as follows:
As far as I’m concerned, EVA Air has the best drink selection of any airline in business class. Veuve La Grande Dame 2006, Fiji, San Pellegrino, iced coffee, and cappuccino? Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.
About 30 minutes after takeoff tablecloths were distributed, and five minutes later drinks and canapés were served.
My martini, unfortunately, was not amazing. I’m not sure how exactly I was supposed to reach the olives at the bottom of the glass? The canapé consisted of ham and horseradish on rye bread, and gorgonzola and olive.
EVA Air business class dinner — amuse bouche
About 50 minutes after takeoff the full table setting was brought out, which I thought was beautiful, including the little tray with a bread basket, butter, and olive oil.
EVA Air business class dinner — table setting
At this point, I also switched to the fabulous 2006 La Grande Dame.
EVA Air business class Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2006
About five minutes later I was served the appetizer, consisting of crab meat and avocado salad timbale with chive oil. It was excellent.
EVA Air business class dinner — appetizer
10 minutes later I was served a caramelized pea soup, which I also enjoyed.
EVA Air business class dinner — soup
Next up was a salad which had a bit too much dressing for my liking, but was otherwise flavorful.
EVA Air business class dinner — salad
The main course was served about 75 minutes after takeoff. For this, I ordered the stir-fried prawn with cashew nuts, which was exceptional.
EVA Air business class dinner — main course
Lastly, I was offered a selection of cheese and fruit. I had a Mozart tartlet and a cheese plate.
EVA Air business class dinner — cheese plate & dessert
The entire meal service was done about two hours into the flight, and was really great. EVA Air is simply impeccable, from the service to the quantity of the food, to the quality of the food, to the drink selection. This is without a doubt one of my top three business class soft products out there.
At the conclusion of the meal, I was ready to get some rest, and the flight attendant provided me with turndown service, which consisted of placing a mattress pad on the seat.
EVA Air business class bed
EVA Air has excellent bedding, including a plush pillow and a very thick blanket. The blanket is comfortable, but the downside is that it’s also warm, and since EVA keeps their cabins warm, that can be slightly problematic.
EVA Air business class bedding
EVA Air 787-9 business class bed
By the time I was ready for bed we had about 7hr20min remaining to Bangkok, and were flying near Turkey.
Airshow enroute to Bangkok
I loved EVA Air’s mood lighting, including the “stars” they have on the ceiling.
EVA Air mood lighting
I got a solid three hours of sleep, and woke up with just over four hours remaining to Bangkok.
Airshow enroute to Bangkok
Upon waking up I ordered a cappuccino… mmmm. EVA Air makes some excellent cappuccinos.
EVA Air business class cappuccino
I then ordered an iced coffee. Other than Austrian, EVA Air is the only other airline I know of to have iced coffee, and I absolutely love that they do.
EVA Air business class iced coffee
I’d note that between meals service was definitely more reactive than proactive. However, that might be my design, in order to minimize disruptions in the cabin. When I pushed the call button, flight attendants appeared within seconds.
I spent some time on my laptop working, and before I knew it was just over two hours from landing in Bangkok, at which point the cabin lights were turned on for the pre-landing service.
Moving map enroute to Bangkok
First I was offered a warm towel, and then about 1hr45min before landing the starter was served.
The starter consisted of fresh fruit, muesli, and yogurt with granola, and I was also offered a selection from the breadbasket. Unlike the dinner service, food was served on a tray, rather than directly on the tray table.
EVA Air business class breakfast
I had a regular cup of coffee to go along with breakfast.
EVA Air business class coffee
For the main course, I ordered the poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, which I enjoyed.
EVA Air business class main course
As we approached Bangkok I decided to watch a show called “Vogue: My Sponsored Life,” which was interesting enough.
EVA Air entertainment selection
At 9AM Bangkok time the captain announced that we’d be descending in five minutes, and would land at 9:35AM. A few minutes later the purser passed through the cabin to thank each passenger for flying with EVA, and to offer them some candy.
I selected one piece of candy off her tray, though she said “take more, you have to try them all,” and then she grabbed a bunch and put them next to my seat. LOL.
EVA Air pre-landing candy
We had a smooth descent, and touched down at 9:45AM after some vectoring.
EVA Air map enroute to Bangkok
View approaching Bangkok
View approaching Bangkok
We had a 10 minute taxi to our arrival gate.
Thai Airways 777 Bangkok Airport
The immigration lines were insane (as is the case too often in Bangkok), though fortunately, I had access to the fast track lane, which saved me a bunch of time.
EVA Air 787 business class bottom line
EVA Air business class is spectacular, especially when it comes to the soft product. EVA has great service, incredible amenities, top-notch food and drinks, Wi-Fi, good bedding, and more. This is without a doubt one of my five all-time favorite business class products out there.
I was at first skeptical of EVA Air introducing staggered seats on their 787-9s rather than the reverse herringbone seats they have on their 777-300ERs, though these seats have definitely grown on me. While I wouldn’t say that I prefer the seats, I think I might feel equally favorable towards these staggered seats and reverse herringbone seats.
If you’ve flown EVA Air business class, what was your experience like?
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