EVA Air, short for Evergreen Airlines, is one of two large airlines in Taiwan, but it is still relatively small compared to similar international carriers.
That being said, despite a fleet size of less than 90 aircraft, EVA Air runs a respectable number of long-haul routes to Europe, North America, and Oceania.
EVA offers a few premium class options depending on which type of aircraft you’re on. The premium options are Royal Laurel Class, Premium Laurel Class, and business class.
Premium Laurel class and business class can only be found on short- or medium-haul flights, and these are a step down from EVA’s best business class product, Royal Laurel Class.
In this guide, we’ll explore EVA’s Royal Laurel Class. We’ll cover the entire experience from the airport lounges before you board to the full in-flight experience.
Lastly, we’ll look at the different Royal Laurel Class cabins and routes, as well as the best way to redeem points to fly on EVA Air’s most premium product.
The EVA Air Business Class Class Experience
EVA Air has two versions of its business class, which it markets as “Royal Laurel Class”.
Currently, the updated version is found exclusively on the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner, while the older version is found on EVA Air’s Boeing 777-300ER.
Even on the older version, EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class has become a favourite for many due to the airline’s soft product.
The attention to detail and the service provided sets EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class apart from most other business class products.
Every time you fly in EVA’s Royal Laurel Class, you’ll enjoy a lie-flat bed, exquisite cuisine topped off with Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and access to your choice of business class lounges, depending on where you’re flying from.
Ground Experience
Before boarding your EVA Air Royal Laurel Class flight, you’ll be able to enjoy the usual business-class perks.
Royal Laurel passengers will have access to exclusive check-in counters to help expedite the pre-departure process, as well as priority boarding.
When you arrive at your destination, your checked bag will be one of the first to be unloaded, and it will be waiting for you at baggage claim.
Additionally, in Taipei, you’ll have access to The Infinity Lounge by EVA Air.
EVA Air has four lounges in Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei; however, Royal Laurel passengers only have access to the Infinity lounge.
This means that the lounge can get fairly busy at times. That being said, the Infinity lounge can still be a great place to relax before your flight.
The Infinity Lounge by EVA Air has themed shower rooms available for you to freshen up before your next flight. You’ll also be able to enjoy delicious Chinese and Western food at the lounge’s buffet.
What’s more, there’s a full-service bar and a business centre if you’re looking to get some work done.
If you have a longer layover and want to explore the rest of the airport, you can take advantage of the available lockers to store your belongings.
Seat
Once on board EVA Air, you’ll find two very different Royal Laurel Class seats depending on what aircraft you have booked.
EVA Air’s Boeing 777-300ERs have an older business class product with reverse herringbone seats.
The airline’s newer Boeing 787s have an updated, modern business class with completely forward-facing seats.
You’ll find the most amount of privacy with some of the Royal Laurel seats on the Boeing 787s because the rows alternate, with seats closer to or further away from the aisle.
Comparatively, on the Boeing 777-300ER, all seats are fairly close to the aisle.
What’s more, all Boeing 787 Royal Laurel seats have a sliding partition that can be closed for extra privacy.
The partition doesn’t close all the way, so there will still be space between you and the aisle; however, the partition does a fairly good job of blocking off a lot of space, leaving you to the comfort of your own seat.
The Boeing 777-300ERs are equipped with fixed panels to help block the aisles, but they really don’t go out too far.
Royal Laurel seats on all of EVA’s aircraft have the ability to transform into a fully flat bed. What’s more, EVA Air is one of few airlines that provide pajamas to business class passengers.
That’s right, you’ll receive a two-piece sleepwear set to help you enjoy a comfortable rest.
You’ll also be given noise-cancelling headphones, alongside a Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit.
Royal Laurel seats on EVA Air’s Boeing 787s have an updated 18” entertainment unit, compared with the older 16” screen found on the airlines Boeing 777-300ERs.
Food and Drink
Before your trip, you can pre-select your Royal Laurel meals on EVA Air’s website.
You can also choose from a wide range of special meals that include vegetarian meals, religious meals, or other special-diet meals.
Once on board, you’ll have the option of many types of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including EVA Air’s signature matcha milk tea drink. Champagne is, of course, also being offered.
For the main course, you’ll have a choice of delicious meals that often include lobster and steak. Snacks include instant noodles, Din Tai Fung dumplings, and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
EVA Air Business Class Cabins
As previously mentioned, EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class flies on the Boeing 777-300ER and the Boeing 787.
The Boeing 777-300ER is EVA’s most common aircraft, while the Boeing 787 has the updated and newer cabin.
Boeing 777-300ER
There are two versions of the Royal Laurel Class on the Boeing 787-300ER. One version has 38 Royal Laurel seats and the other has 39, both spread across 11 rows.
Other than the total number of seats, there really isn’t much difference between the two versions.
EVA Air’s premium cabin on all Boeing 787-300ERs is configured in a 1-2-1 reserve herringbone layout.
On both versions, there’s a galley separating rows seven and eight, with rows 1–7 and rows 8–11 being in their own separated cabins.
If you’re flying solo, any window seat will provide the most amount of privacy. However, you may want to avoid seats in rows 1, 7, or 8, as these seats will all be closest to the toilets and galleys and may have more aisle traffic.
For seats with the least amount of traffic, consider row 11, as it’s further back in the cabin, with no galley or toilets close by.
If you’re traveling with a companion, two middle seats next to each other offer a fair amount of space, and you’ll be able to enjoy the trip together.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The updated Royal Laurel Class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner also comes in two versions.
On the Boeing 787-9, there’s 26 Royal Laurel seats, in a 1-2-1 layout across eight rows.
On the Boeing 787-10, there’s 34 Royal Laurel seats, also in a 1-2-1 layout, but over ten rows.
One major difference between Royal Laurel Class on the Boeing 787 compared to the same cabin on the Boeing 777-300ER is that all the seats are completely forward-facing on the former.
What’s more, the rows are arranged in an alternating pattern, making some closer to the aisles, or closer to the windows, or closer to the middle of the aircraft.
The window seats in rows 2, 5, 7, and 9 are all closest to the window and would be the best seats to choose if you’re travelling by yourself and hoping for increased privacy.
If you’re travelling with a companion, the middle seats have a partition that can slide open so you’re able to enjoy the trip together. All the middle seats are the same, except that they alternate between the left or right seat being closer to the aisle or closer to the centre.
The first and last rows will be closest to the galleys and toilets, so you may experience more traffic in those seats.
EVA Business Class Routes
EVA Air flies Royal Laurel class on all of its long-haul routes. If you want to fly on the newer Boeing 787 product, you’ll need to know which routes use that aircraft.
Notably, on EVA Air’s North American routes, the Boeing 787 is only flown to and from Seattle. Also, keep in mind that equipment swaps do happen, so you may want to check and see that you’re still flying the aircraft you originally booked.
In addition to long-haul flights, EVA Air also operates flights with its Royal Laurel Class on a number of short-haul and medium-haul flights within Asia.
How to Redeem Points for EVA Air Business Class
EVA Air is a member of Star Alliance, meaning there’s quite a few options for redeeming points for EVA Air business class.
Aeroplan
Air Canada’s Aeroplan is one of the most popular Star Alliance loyalty programs because of how easy it is to earn Aeroplan points in Canada and the US.
The program has a published distanced-based flight reward chart for partner airlines, so to figure out how many Aeroplan points it will cost you to fly, you’ll need to determine the distance between your origin and destination airports.
For example, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Chicago are all between 5,001–7,500 miles from Taiwan.
Based on this distance, a Royal Laurel seat will cost 75,000 Aeroplan points one-way.
Comparatively, Houston, New York, and Toronto are all between 7,501–11,000 miles from Taiwan, making a one-way Royal Laurel ticket 87,500 Aeroplan points for those routes.
All long-haul Royal Laurel flights between Taiwan and Europe are between 5,001–7,500 miles in distance and cost 75,000 Aeroplan points for a one-way ticket.
ANA Mileage Club
ANA Mileage Club has the cheapest redemption options for booking EVA Air business class flights.
However, ANA requires that you book round-trip tickets, and will not allow one-way bookings on award redemptions.
That being said, if you have ANA Miles, and you plan to fly round-trip, you won’t be able to find a cheaper long-haul Royal Laurel redemption elsewhere.
In fact, from North America to Taiwan, a round-trip Royal Laurel business class flight only costs 95,000 ANA miles, based on a partner award chart.
What’s more, you can add on an additional flight to another Asian airport, including airports in mainland China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, or South Korea, for no additional ANA Miles.
Lastly, a round-trip Royal Laurel flight between Europe and Taiwan costs slightly fewer miles, coming in at 93,000 ANA Miles.
Other Options
Even though Aeroplan and ANA Mileage Club are perhaps the best programs to book EVA Air Royal Laurel class, there are also other options available.
Avianca LifeMiles is another popular Star Alliance program, which costs 75,000 miles for a one-way Royal Laurel flight between North America and Taiwan.
Additionally, United MileagePlus costs around 88,000 United Miles for a one-way Royal Laurel flight between North America and Taiwan.
EVA Air Business Class Award Availability
Your best chance of securing an EVA Air Royal Laurel seat is to be flexible with your dates and to book as far out as possible.
EVA Air releases award availability 360 days before departure. If you’re using Air Canada Aeroplan points to book a flight, you’ll be able to book 355 days before departure.
There’s a fair amount of availability from most of North America and from European destinations if you’re able to book that far in advance.
Tips & Tricks for EVA Air Business Class
Adding a Stopover
When booking flights with Aeroplan points, you’re allowed to add a stopover for only 5,000 additional points.
Taipei, EVA Air’s hub, is well connected to many other major destinations, making it a great location from which to take advantage of Air Canada’s generous stopover rule.
Switching Lounges
If you’re flying out of Taipei, the Infinity lounge can get quite busy. If you find this to be the case when you visit, you may consider venturing over to other Star Alliance lounges, such as Singapore Airlines’s SilverKris Lounge.
If you’re a Star Alliance Gold member, you’ll also have access to EVA Air’s Star Lounge.
Choosing the Right Aircraft
As we’ve already discussed, the only North American route with the newer Boeing 787 Royal Laurel product flies to and from Seattle.
If you’re set on experiencing EVA Air’s updated forward-facing cabin, then you’ll want to make sure you fly that route.
Conclusion
EVA Air has gained a reputation of having one of the best business class services. Its most premium business class product is called Royal Laurel Class, and it’s one of the best ways to fly to Asia.
EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has updated seats, entertainment units, and an overall more modern feel.
That being said, you’ll still experience the same service EVA Air has become known for on the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Booking EVA Air Royal Laurel Class can easily be done with Aeroplan points or with other Star Alliance loyalty programs.
Make sure you’re making the most out of your EVA Air trip by adding a stopover or selecting the right airport lounge.