Feels more like first class: A review of EVA Airways business class on the 777-300ER from Taipei to London
Quick take: EVA Airways' impressive business-class experience offers numerous first-class touches, and it is a great way to redeem credit card points to get to and from Asia.
Pros:
- You'll enjoy first-class touches like quality Champagne and elaborate, artfully presented gourmet meals.
- You still get pajamas in business class.
- There's attentive service with outstanding attention to detail.
Cons:
- The carrier's flagship lounge in Taipei, Taiwan, can get cramped at peak times.
- The seats could offer more privacy.
- The Wi-Fi is expensive and slow.
Taiwan has an impressively robust aviation market, especially considering the island is roughly the size of Maryland.
China Airlines, EVA Airways and newcomer Starlux Airlines are all competing for travelers flying to and through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
While TPG's Clint Henderson was wowed by the Starlux A350 business class experience in 2024, EVA Airways operates more long-haul flights to North America, and you can also find it on routes to Europe. That's why I booked a business-class award to experience the airline's flagship Boeing 777 to see how the experience was for myself.
How much does business class on EVA Airways cost to book?
EVA Airways operates a daily Boeing 777-300ER service from TPE to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR). At the time of publication, flight BR 67 departs TPE around 8 a.m.; it then makes a short technical stop at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok for around 90 minutes, where all passengers are required to deplane the aircraft. From there, the flight continues on to LHR, arriving around 7:20 p.m. — 18 1/2 hours after leaving TPE.
Here is the range of cash and award rates over the next 12 months for round-trip travel on this route:
| Class | Economy | Premium economy | Royal Laurel business class |
|---|---|---|---|
Airfare | $1,110 to $2,010 | $2,380 to $2,980 | $5,590 to $7,690 |
100,000 plus $267 | N/A | 160,000 plus $441 | |
120,000 plus $230.30 | N/A | 280,000 plus $393.40 |
Both cash fares and mileage redemptions in business class include free seat selection, two checked bags of up to 70 pounds each, two full-size cabin bags and one personal item (like a handbag or laptop bag).
We booked this flight with Aeroplan points, a terrific program for earning and redeeming points on dozens of airlines both inside and outside the Star Alliance. Aeroplan is a 1:1 transfer partner of:
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- American Express® Gold Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Plus, upon approval, you'll receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use during your first year.
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Checking in and boarding business class on EVA Air
EVA Air business-class passengers can expect the following priority services at the airport:
| Lounge available | The Infinity Lounge |
|---|---|
TSA PreCheck access (out of the U.S.) | Yes |
Boarding group | Group 1 |
The carrier operates from Terminal 2 at TPE, as do China Airlines and Starlux. This is the newer and more modern of the two active terminals.
With numerous EVA Airways check-in counters available, I followed the signs to counter 14 for Royal Laurel passengers, the name of the airline's long-haul business-class product.
An efficient and smiling check-in agent quickly helped me at the priority counter by checking my bag, issuing me a boarding pass within 60 seconds and directing me to the airside lounge.
I was a little surprised not to see a fast-track security lane in Terminal 2, but security was quick and painless, even though the terminal was bustling.
Plenty of shiny, high-end boutiques were waiting after security.
I followed the signs upstairs to the airport lounge area. While China Airlines operates a single lounge in the terminal, EVA Airways has four options.
EVA Airways business-class passengers can access the Infinity lounge.
The lounge is a long, thin space with views over the check-in area.
While there was plenty of seating, it became crowded with staff scrambling to find any spare seats for arriving passengers.
The small buffet area of hot and cold food had mostly Asian options, but the presentation didn't make them look particularly appetizing for breakfast.
A decent selection of self-serve beverages — including local and international beer, spirits, sodas and a coffee machine — was available.
The self-serve Haagen-Dazs ice cream freezer was a fun feature, but otherwise, the Infinity lounge was not worth arriving particularly early for.
A brand-new Terminal 3 is currently under construction nearby. EVA Airways is expected to move North American flights to the new terminal sometime in 2026. Hopefully, this new terminal will allow the airline to open a much larger lounge for a more premium ground experience.
An hour before departure, I headed to the gate area. There were ample seats available, which made for a peaceful and pleasant boarding experience.
Boarding was slightly delayed due to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft, but it began 25 minutes before departure. Agents invited business-class passengers to board first through the priority lane.
During the brief stop in Bangkok, all passengers had to clear transit security, and business-class passengers were invited to access the EVA Airways lounge close to the nearby F gates.
While there was only time for a quick stop between flights, this lounge represented an improved experience over its Taipei counterpart, with plenty of space, seating and a calmer environment.
How comfortable was business class on EVA Airways' 777?
EVA Airways operates three different Boeing 777-300ER configurations, each with slightly different seat counts. Here are the details of the business-class cabin on my flight to London:
| Number of seats | 39 |
|---|---|
Cabin layout | 1-2-1 |
Fully flat bed | 76 inches |
Seat width | 20 inches |
Screen size | 15.4 inches |
The business-class seats were spread across two cabins: a larger six-row cabin at the front of the aircraft and a slightly smaller four-row cabin behind that.
The cabin on my 8-year-old aircraft felt fresh, clean and sophisticated.
The somewhat drab beige and cream color scheme was offset nicely with pops of the airline's signature green.
The seats lack privacy without sliding doors, and I could see the backs of other passengers' heads. Otherwise, they got the basics right.
I chose a window seat in row 5, which proved to be very comfortable for the long journey to London via Bangkok.
| Best seats for solo travelers | A or K seats in rows 2 to 5, 9 and 10 |
|---|---|
Best seats for couples | D and G seats in rows 2 to 5, 9 and 10 |
Seats to avoid | Rows 1, 6, 7 and 8 are close to galleys and/or bathrooms |
I was pleased with the amount of storage available at my seat, with two open lockers below the window next to my feet.
Another open locker next to the window was handy for storing a water bottle, and it was here I found the hand-held inflight entertainment remote control, a universal charging plug, two USB-A ports and the headphone jack.
Below this were the controls to recline the seat and move its various sections.
A large bifold tray table swung out from the shelf under the window and was large and sturdy enough for my 15-inch MacBook.
There were three bathrooms of varying sizes for the 39 business-class passengers: two at the front of the cabin and one between the two cabins.
They were spacious, and the staff kept them clean throughout the flight. I appreciated the Ideology toiletries, especially the botanical facial mist, which stopped my skin from drying out throughout the long day.
Each seat reclined fully flat, and I napped very comfortably for a few hours during the flight.
Amenities in EVA Airways' 777 business class
It felt like my birthday with the amount of goodies awaiting me on my seat when I boarded.
To start, there were a thick comforter and a pillow, and the crew proactively offered a separate mattress topper after takeoff.
There were also slippers and comfortable Thunder-branded, over-ear headphones, though they did not have noise-canceling capabilities.
The amenity kit in a smart Giorgio Armani pouch included a thickly padded Armani eyemask, a coin purse and Jurlique hand cream, face mist and lip balm. A comb, a dental kit and earplugs completed this above-average offering.
I was impressed that the airline provided sleepwear by Taiwanese-Canadian fashion designer Jason Wu. This perk has largely disappeared from many airlines' business-class cabins, especially for flights entirely during daylight hours, so this was a rare treat.
The inflight entertainment screen flipped out from the seatback in front, and I could control it either by touchscreen or the hand-held remote.
Thirty-four new release movies were available on my flight, including "The Room Next Door," "Wicked" and "Captain America: Brave New World."
Wi-Fi was also available, with 30 minutes of complimentary service for all passengers. Paid packages started at $4.95 for 30MB of data and went up to $39.95 for the "Ultimate Plan" of unlimited media streaming.
Hoping to complete a full day of work, I selected the Ultimate Plan. However, I consistently registered sluggish speeds of just 2 Mbps for downloads and 1.1 Mbps for uploads, which wasn't really worth the price paid and made for an inefficient workday.
How was the food in EVA Airways' 777 business class?
During boarding, flight attendants gave extensive food and wine menus, hot towels and a choice between sparkling wine, orange juice or water to guests.
They served Perelada cava on the ground, perhaps a tactic to avoid paying tax on higher-priced Champagne until in the air, which is a strategy some other airlines follow.
Once we were airborne, however, my jaw dropped when they brought out a bottle of the "good stuff" along with a ramekin of nuts and dried fruit.
On flights to Europe, EVA Airways serves Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne in business class. Not only does this retail for around $260 per bottle, but it is what British Airways has offered in first class for as long as I can remember.
This was by far the priciest Champagne I had seen offered in business class.
On flights to the U.S., EVA Airways currently serves 2013 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Champagne Millesime, which retails for around $200 per bottle and is another outstanding choice for business class.
On both legs, two white wines (a 2022 French Chablis and a 2018 German riesling) and two red wines (a 2019 French margaux and a 2016 Spanish rioja) were available, as well as spirits, including Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch whisky, Hennessy X.O. cognac and Bombay Sapphire gin.
On the three-hour hop to Bangkok, passengers received a multicourse lunch. Given the 8 a.m. departure time, I was surprised it wasn't breakfast instead.
To start the meal, a marinated shrimp, squid and bamboo salad with a lime vinaigrette was served on a tray. This was a light, fresh and healthy way to begin the meal.
A choice of three entrees came next:
- Deep-fried pork in sweet and sour sauce with steamed rice and bok choy
- Pan-fried duck breast with red wine sauce and mashed potato
- Roasted salmon with mushroom ravioli in creamy truffle sauce and polenta cake
Feeling mashed potato or truffle sauce would be too heavy for the early hour, I selected the pork, which was fine but not memorable.
This was followed by a delicious passion-fruit meringue tart and cut fresh fruit that I enjoyed with a cup of green tea from the extensive tea menu.
On the second, much longer leg to London, the food was elevated significantly.
Thirty minutes after takeoff, an elaborate six-course lunch commenced. It started with an amuse bouche of duck foie gras with caramelized onion and seared prawn with pomelo salad.
Next, the appetizer of smoked duck with orange dressing and scallop, complete with edible flowers and twirled cucumber slices, was a work of art and something I would expect to see served at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The third course was a piping-hot and tasty cauliflower cream soup with creme fraiche.
A garden salad with a choice of balsamic or Caesar dressing followed.
The entree was a choice between three options:
- Thai green curry chicken with rice
- Braised beef short ribs with fried rice
- Seared Chilean sea bass with Hollandaise sauce and puy lentils
The beef proved to be a delicious choice and had a nice balance with the rice and vegetables.
While I was not remotely hungry by this stage, a well-provisioned dessert cart was wheeled to my seat with various sweet, fruit and cheese options with all the trimmings, as well as ice cream.
I loved the old-school theater of a dessert cart and the ability to see the options before choosing.
For my sixth course, I chose fresh fruit, peach and watermelon ice cream, and mint tea to help me digest this mammoth meal.
I haven't seen food of this volume or quality in business class since my ITA Airways flight to Delhi. Indeed, it seems like more airlines are simply serving the entire meal on a single tray these days rather than coursing it out, so this particular service felt even more elevated than usual.
Midway through the flight, and many hours later, I chose the chicken ramen from the snack menu. Expecting perhaps an instant paper cup version, I was impressed with the beautiful intricacy of what the crew presented to me.
The soup spoon and the rest for the chopsticks showed the attention to detail and level of care that EVA Airways puts into its business-class service experience. It tasted fantastic, too.
The prearrival meal came two hours before landing. Passengers had the choice between:
- A Chinese-style meal with braised Chilean sea bass with black bean sauce, egg fried rice, grilled vegetables and braised beef shank
- A Western-style meal with seared prawn, quinoa and raspberry salad, plus yogurt, muesli, blue cheese quiche or seafood pasta, and assorted bread and butter
I chose the Chinese option with carrot and fruit juice and herbal tea. This all came on one tray but was still a beautifully presented and tasty meal.
The service on my EVA Airways flight to London felt more like first class than business class in a number of ways.
Flight attendants addressed me by name on numerous occasions. They poured drinks at my seat and presented the bottle to me before pouring. They served most courses restaurant-style from the galley, rather than from a cart, and the crew continually checked on me throughout the flight, always memorizing what I had ordered next.
Midway through the flight, rather than waiting for passengers to order anything off the snack menu, the crew passed through the cabin with a menu. They showed anyone who was awake the options and asked if they could prepare anything for them, as it would be several hours before the prearrival meal.
I also appreciated that when I returned from the bathroom midflight, a crew member immediately asked if she could prepare a drink for me before I even returned to my seat.
Would you recommend EVA Air 777 business class?
Overall, I was impressed by EVA Air's business-class service from Taipei to London. It was easily one of the best experiences I've had on an Asian airline.
The word that kept running through my mind on the nearly 19-hour marathon journey was "premium." From the exceptional Champagne to the sleepwear on a daytime flight to the beautifully plated meals, so many elements felt more like first class than the average business-class experience these days.
With a new terminal in Taipei and new aircraft on the way, EVA Air has the opportunity to fix minor issues like the lackluster hub lounge and slow onboard Wi-Fi. That aside, though, business-class awards remain a fantastic use of Aeroplan points for getting to Asia and beyond.
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