EVA Air's newest Hello Kitty plane launches service from Chicago
Taiwan-based airline EVA Air is back with a "sweet and joyful" tradition — and one of the more interesting inflight experiences you'll ever see.
The carrier this week debuted its latest aircraft adorned in Hello Kitty livery. The decked-out Boeing 777-300ER touched down Wednesday night at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and it will be making three weekly appearances at the hub going forward.
This freshly painted 777 is EVA's fourth Hello Kitty-themed aircraft, and this one is nicknamed the "Besties Jet." Like prior generations of the cartoon-centric plane, this wide-body features several famous Sanrio characters, from Hello Kitty herself to My Melody and Kuromi.
Unlike some of the other eccentric liveries you'll see on the exteriors of commercial planes, the Hello Kitty theme runs much deeper than a paint job. It shows up in almost every aspect of the inflight service.
Hello Kitty jet's O'Hare arrival
Fittingly, the jet arrived to significant fanfare in Chicago on Wednesday night. It started with a water salute as the aircraft pulled up to the gate, and there were excited gasps from travelers and fans as they got their first glimpse of the jet.
But that was only the beginning of the party.
Inside O'Hare's Terminal 5, shades of pink, bright lights, music and food made the occasion unmistakable.
This was not your average inaugural flight gateside party.
EVA Air, known for its high-end inflight meal service, offered passengers a taste of its culinary team's skills with a mouthwatering array of hors d'oeuvres.
EVA's catering team offered dishes like savory scallops with celeriac mousseline, purple cauliflower with romesco sauce, bresaola and asparagus with creme fraiche, and savory lobster with leek mousseline. Not to mention, there was a scrumptious array of elaborate desserts.
What to expect on EVA Air's Hello Kitty flight
Then there was the Hello Kitty stuff ... lots of it.
The carrier showed off the complimentary and duty-free items available on these themed flights, including Hello Kitty headrest covers and slippers for passengers in each cabin. (The black ones are for business class.)
Custom-designed place settings are used for the meal service, and special Hello Kitty boxes are even available for the children's meals. During gateside remarks, EVA President Clay Sun — who traveled to Chicago for the event — said those are a particular favorite.
"I think over the years, passengers enjoy riding on EVA's Hello Kitty jet very much. They have been captivated by the design and onboard amenities — especially the charming children's meals," Sun said.
He let the audience in on an "internal secret."
"Some of the adults, when they make a booking, they say, 'Oh, I want the child's meal,'" Sun said. "They say, 'Well, because it's very, very cute.'"
3 weekly flights from Chicago
EVA's first Besties Jet flight from Chicago took off from O'Hare at just after midnight Thursday.
The 777 will fly the Chicago-to-Taipei route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for the duration of the airline's summer schedule. It will shift to Monday, Wednesday and Friday operations during the winter months.
EVA Air Hello Kitty flight schedule
Here's the full schedule for the EVA Air Hello Kitty Besties Jet flights to and from Chicago:
| Route | Flight Number | Days operated |
|---|---|---|
ORD-TPE | BR55 | Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Shifts to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting Nov. 3, for the winter months |
TPE-ORD | BR66 | Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays |
The airline said that on days when EVA flies a more traditional-looking jet to Chicago, passengers from O'Hare will still get the full complement of onboard amenities.
Want to double-check that you're actually booking a flight on the Hello Kitty plane? The airline offers more details on that on this page.
Can you use points to book the EVA Air Hello Kitty plane?
If you're hoping to book a seat on the EVA Air Hello Kitty jet, using points is a great way to save money.
To do this, one option is to transfer flexible credit card rewards to the EVA Air Infinity MileageLands program. You can transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points to the program at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Capital One miles to EVA, but at a reduced 4:3 ratio.
Find Star Alliance award space
There's another option if you're not a Capital One or Citi ThankYou member: Find award space on one of EVA's partners in the global Star Alliance. It includes a host of carriers, from United Airlines and Air Canada in North America to other popular airline programs like Avianca LifeMiles and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
With just a quick search, I found economy-class redemptions on the EVA Hello Kitty flight through Air Canada Aeroplan starting as low as 50,000 points, one-way.
I also found one-way economy redemptions starting at just 47,000 miles through Avianca LifeMiles.
From American Express Membership Rewards to Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards, there are tons of options for tranferring credit card rewards to major Star Alliance carriers.
Plus, right now, there are some lucrative credit card welcome offers that could help give you a leg up with your redemption, including Chase's Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees). New cardholders can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Read more: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review: A great all-around business card
EVA Air's Hello Kitty flights
EVA Air's 777 is laid out in a three-cabin configuration featuring lie-flat business-class pods, premium economy recliners and well over 200 seats in the main cabin.
Existing variations of the Hello Kitty-themed aircraft include the "Bad Badtz-Maru Travel Fun" aircraft flying on EVA's route from Taipei to Clark in the Philippines. Its "Celebration Flight" and "Joyful Dream" aircraft alternate service on the Bali and Cebu, Philippines, routes.
Wherever the Hello Kitty aircraft flies, it draws global interest from fans and travelers, Andrew Su, executive vice president of EVA Air and head of the carrier's North America operations, said.
"It is very successful to draw attention from the public," Su told TPG. "There's a lot of people, especially parents with their children, they try to find the Kitty jet, traveling especially in summer, in the winter, and are so excited to get on the aircraft."
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.