Background
EVA Air has installed three different configurations on its B777-300ER aeroplanes. Both Royal Laurel Class and the premium economy seat products were introduced across these aircraft between 2014 and 2016, and the B777-300ER with the newest seats is most commonly used on the London route.
Check-in
I arrived early at London Heathrow Terminal 2. Check-in took only a few minutes at the A1 priority desk, getting through security took ten minutes via the fast-track lane, and I was quickly in departure area A.
The lounge
EVA Air Royal Laurel Class passengers can use any of three lounges: Singapore Airlines, Air Canada or Lufthansa. I chose the latter as I was warned the others might be busy (though of course they are much closer to the departure gate which was over in Terminal 2B). The Lufthansa lounge in T2A is spacious and light, with lots of white walls, light-wood veneer and plentiful lighting. There are different types of seating, from lounge chairs configured in groups of four to small tables for eating, bar stools against high tables and easy chairs.
In a side area 14 workstation booths plus three desktops are provided, and there is a free printing service. There are seven chaises longues in the left-hand corner of the lounge where you can recline and rest in reduced lighting. However, there are no shower facilities.
The free wifi was surprisingly fast, and there were plenty of electrical sockets. The food stations were somewhat underwhelming but adequate: there were only two hot dishes plus rice, a soup tureen with three bread options, plus sandwiches, cheese, cold cuts and crackers. There was a choice of two juices, tea and coffee machines, and the self-service alcohol section offered three beer types and a dozen or so harder liquors.
Boarding
At 2030 I made the 14-minute walk to Gate B33 to board the aircraft, scheduled for a 2135 take-off. Unfortunately the aircraft had landed late from its previous leg, so we didn’t board until the scheduled take-off time. Face masks were mandatory to board. I was greeted by name once I had found my seat, and offered juice, wine or Champagne. We pulled back from the gate at 2213, and took off at 2234, just under an hour behind schedule.
The seat
There are 38 Royal Laurel Class business seats (A/D/G/K) in a reverse herringbone configuration, split into two sections separated by a galley and toilets. I was in seat 11A, at the back of the second section before the dividing wall to the premium economy seats, and angled towards the windows. The cabin and seats have been designed in inoffensive beige and muted browns; my first impression of the seat was that it was a squeeze to get in and out of the aisle, but the legroom was excellent and the footwell deep.
A cushioned armrest on one side is complemented by a pop-up armrest on the aisle side, and there are three storage bins offering plenty of space for your gear. A broad shelf allowed me to spread my stuff out easily; the table slid out from under this and unfolded to a good size first for my laptop, then later for the meal.
The sockets and IFE control are at shoulder height, which is very convenient; there are two USB ports, a three-pin socket, a port for the inflight headphones (Thunder branded, and very comfortable), plus a useful adjustable reading light. The seat control panel is at your elbow – it looks quite complicated but is intuitive and offers a wide range of control over your seating position. The TV monitor pops out at the press of a button from the seat back in front of you; the range of IFE available was perfectly fine, if not as extensive as on some larger carriers. Overall this is a very well thought-out seat – comfortable and ergonomically impressive.
Best seat
All seats have a high degree of privacy given the reverse herringbone layout, but I was particularly happy with mine as it was the farthest away from the galley and toilets, though these seemed admirably quiet throughout the flight.
The flight
Once everyone was on board, and before take-off, a flight attendant came to take my order for the two meals during the flight. There was no printed food or drinks menu; instead they were displayed on the TV screen. The three main courses included seared fillet of beef with foie gras butter and tomato polenta; pan-roasted guinea fowl with game jus and pickled shiitake and chestnut mushrooms; and king tiger prawn and cashew nut braised in hot bean sauce. The drinks menu included two Veuve Cliquot Champagnes, a delicious St Emilion red as well as a Spanish rioja, and there were two exclusive EVA Air cocktails.
The crew meticulously cleared everyone’s storage bins for take-off, putting all items in separate cloth bags in the overhead compartments above each passenger. After take-off I was given an attractive Salvatore Ferragamo amenity bag which contained some pleasant creams, a neat hairbrush with mini mirror, eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, etc. I was also offered a pair of pyjamas by Jason Wu, which proved extremely comfortable later.
The main meal was served soon afterwards. The starter was a chicken, porcini and beef bacon terrine; I chose the guinea fowl main, which was fine though I had food envy for my neighbour’s king tiger prawn dish, which looked better. Dessert was simply cheese, crackers and a small plate of fruit.
After my meal I prepared my bed – an easy process – and went to the washroom to change into my pyjamas. The washroom was spacious enough to make changing easy. The seat came with a thin mattress and chequer-patterned duvet, as well as a thick pillow – some airline pillows are too flimsy, but not this one! It was easy to get comfortable and there was plenty of shoulder room with the aisle armrest pushed down. I managed to get a good 5.5 hours’ sleep, and woke relatively refreshed.
I was gently woken by a flight attendant two hours before landing. Queuing for the washroom to change back into my clothes took some time, then I was served my omelette breakfast (from a choice including frittata and Chinese-style noodles), which came with mashed potato, spinach and grilled tomato, and was accompanied by fruit and yoghurt. I requested filter coffee, which had excellent flavour. I watched a short film while eating – the touchscreen TV worked smoothly and responsively – though when I checked the interactive route map it showed as unavailable. That was a shame, as I was interested to see which countries we’d flown over.
Arrival
Although my e-ticket showed an arrival time of 1505 Bangkok time, with a flight duration of 11 hours 30 minutes, the onboard system showed 10 hours 59 minutes, and sure enough we touched down at 1535, only 30 minutes behind schedule. (The Ukraine situation of course has resulted in altered flight routes for Europe/Far East and I was told that flight times often change unexpectedly.)
Within ten minutes of stopping at the gate I was off the aeroplane. I was transiting to another flight and my luggage was checked through to my final destination so I made my way to the transfer desk, where everyone was being asked to wear a mask again. Then I was quickly through to departures.
Verdict
This is a really solid seat product, very well designed, and offering an excellent bed/bedding combination that allowed for very comfortable sleeping. Cabin service was attentive and friendly, and the food and drink options were good if not outstanding. EVA Air has put together a very attractive flight package for business class-style travel between London Heathrow and Bangkok.
FACT BOX
- Flight time 11 hours 30 minutes
- Configuration 1-2-1
- Seat width 26 inches
- Seat recline/bed length 180 degrees/198cm (78in)
- Price Internet rates for a one-way Royal Laurel Class London Heathrow-Bangkok flight in December started from £3,440
- Contact evaair.com
