EVA Air

We travelled from London to Bangkok return with young children in economy class. The legroom was good for economy. The plane was full. Staff were friendly and did a good job. The food was edible and we had pork with noodles going and chicken stir fried rice for main meals. There were snacks and non alcoholic drinks available whenever you wanted them although more hot drinks would have been nice. The inflight entertainment was excellent with a choice of games and recent blockbuster films. The children were very happy and kept occupied. Most importantly it was a direct flight EVA being one of a handful of airlines including Thai airways and BA who fly direct between the UK and Thailand saving a minimum of 2-3 hours on the journey time. Overall good value for money for the same price as some indirect flights. Have used them several times before and will use them again.

YYZ-TPE-YYZ TPE-SIN BNE-TPE. My wife and kids were in Economy and they were not very happy. Food was quite bad but fortunately we had brought enough snacks for the kids. For TPE-SIN and BNE-TPE leg room was very limited and seats were quite narrow.

EVA changed to A321 (single aisle) for a 5 hours long flight. (Usually used for HKG-TPE). The business class seat could not fully reclined and no leg rest. A far cry from the previous A330 used (laurel class). This is an international flight. Surabaya - Taipei - Surabaya. Midnight flight as well. Saving costs on aircraft but at the cost of the passenger's comfort. The flight attendants however were very attentive even after working 2 shifts: TPE-SUB-TPE. Excellent service but very bad flight comfort for a long 5hrs journey.

The business class seat on this 777-300ER flight from Taipei to San Francisco has a reverse herring bone layout which I've never flown in. Am not a fan of the traditional herringbone layout but a reverse formation is much better for you face into the window and do not see any other passengers since you're facing away from them. It nearly feels like you're sitting in a recliner chair facing a window with a moving view while drinking champagne. The downside is that it's difficult to get out of the seat if you're sleeping or reclining. Also if you really want to see what's happening outside you have to awkwardly bend towards the window to get closer to the view. The service is somewhat uncompetitive to the other Asian airlines. The branding is old and stale. The green colour of the livery looks too much like a shipping company - EVA Air is an affiliate of Evergreen Shipping Line - and the green of the uniforms looks overly utilitarian. I did enjoy the food menu except for the Wolfberry jelly and the IFE had a considerable amount of entertainment options. The crew also offered a pyjama on this 12 hour flight which is always a good idea. What impressed me though was the very unique Rimowa toiletry bag - shaped like a mini Rimowa suitcase.

The 777-300ER on this short 3 hour 30 minute regional route from Saigon to Taipei had a complete lie-flat bed which is impressive. I imagine this is the same configuration they also use for long-haul flights. The seat layout in Royal Laurel (biz) class is a reverse herringbone which is actually much better than a traditional herringbone configuration. At least you face into the window and not the aisle. The service was ok but sub-par for An Asian airline. I also feel that they have to do a big revamp of their branding for the greens that they use for their corporate colours is very drab! When it came to meal time they brought all the 3 main courses to display to you so that you could make a choice. It was like looking at a photo menu which I kind of liked. You didn't have to guess what you were ordering. All-in-all a very comfortable connecting flight.

I am reviewing the customer service more than the actual flight. Seems there's enough about that here already anyway but for the record the flight was ok. I needed to make changes to my ticket in Hanoi which is a dicey process as service in Vietnam is spotty at best but the local office had good service with English speakers answering the phone and taking care of my changes with no problems. When I got to the airport I had lost my credit card (must show purchasing card at check in) and had to buy a new ticket. They ran me to the business office upstairs and used the computer to buy a ticket for a month away at the same prices with the plan that they would move the ticket date at the check in counter. In my haste I misspelled my own name and this caused a real problem when transferring the ticket. The ladies at the counter worked on it and got me on the plane with minutes to spare. Stressful but my own fault. I was told that I could apply for a refund of my original ticket online which turned out not to be true because of the original reissue / changes I made. Turns out the refund would have to be worked out with the Hanoi office. When I mentioned that this would be hard as I was staying in San Francisco the woman at the San Francisco ticketing office said she could handle it if I faxed her some information which I did. That was yesterday and she just called back telling me the refund was being processed. So great help from the Hanoi office at check-in and in San Francisco!

CKG-SFO return. Excellent flight in Elite Class for the TPE-SFO section. The food on the TPE-CKG flight little too bland. Movie choice not extensive. But overall an excellent flight experience.

KUL-SFO return. It was a great experience! It's my first time with EVA Air and I think they did the job well for economy class - no problem whatsoever during the whole flight. Plane was slightly old and it was OK. If you stop by Taipei Airport and have some time walk around it because each boarding gate has a different theme and get your free massage chair token from the information counter to relax in the green zone. Overall I would recommend taking EVA Air - I suppose Premium and Business class will be even more enjoyable.

22/12/13 BKK-LHR. We had a last minute change of airline from Thai to EVA Air. Weren't we the lucky ones. We were in business class and I could not fault the service and the food was some of the best I have had in the air. I ordered steak and it was the most perfectly cooked steak medium rare. The cabin crew were very attentive and filled glass with out being asked. Good variety of wine. The seat was very comfortable although quite far apart if traveling as a couple (I was) marking conversation a little difficult but this is only a small niggle. I would fly with EVA again.

I am a regular passenger on EVA Air flying from LHR-BKK-LHR in their Business Class. The recent changes from almost flat to full recline with their seating is a definite improvement. I sleep a little on these but never did on the older style seats. The cabin crew are always polite professional and friendly. The lounges at both LHR and at BKK are comfortable and serve a good selection of food and beverages. The aircraft's are clean and well equipped with amenities.