At the Airport

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

EVA Air uses Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1. As our flight was checked through by the Singapore Airlines ground staff at Changi Airport, we did not have to clear immigration at Kuala Lumpur Airport and headed straight to the lounge after arrival.

Plaza Premium First Lounge

EVA Air does not have its lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Passengers flying on EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class are given access to the Plaza Premium First Lounge, a higher-tiered lounge than the Plaza Premium Lounge next door. The lounge is located within the main building of the airport terminal, on level 2 near Gate G after immigration. As the lounge shares the same main entrance as the Plaza Premium Lounge, we followed the escalator that points to Plaza Premium Lounge. The Plaza Premium First Lounge’s entrance is the right entrance at the top of the escalator. There are two parts to the lounge: the forward part, which occupies the space behind its entrance, and the main part, behind a wooden door. The forward part adopts an open concept with direct views of the apron and the terminal building. The wooden decor, grey leather armchairs and sofas were meant to create a comfortable and cosy space for passengers to relax. However, due to this open concept, the noise from the entrance of the lounge and the terminal might be challenging for passengers to relax.

The main part of the lounge, accessed through a wooden door, is a more enclosed space. This is where the Plaza Premium First Lounge’s main activities and facilities are located. This part of the lounge employs the same natural wood decor as the forward part of the lounge. On top of the armchairs, the main part of the lounge is separated into two sections: the dining section and the lounging section. The dining section occupies the front of the main lounge. Furnished with tables and chairs for two pax, it was not ideal for larger group passengers. However, due to the low passenger traffic, we had no issues finding two empty tables beside each other. A sign in the lounge suggests it is reserved to serve passengers flying on EVA Air this morning. Plaza Premium First Lounge uses a hybrid of buffet and table service for food offerings. There is a small buffet area behind the dining area where we found some local food and pastries, as well as a fridge stocked with salad and fruits. A selection of table service food, made to order, can be ordered by scanning the QR code. Included in the online order menu are some speciality coffees. We could also order these speciality coffees from the bar counter next to the door, serving additional charged alcoholic beverages and cocktails. The food and drinks served at the Plaza Premium First Lounge were delicious and high-quality. My friends and I like the Curry Noodles from the QR code menu.

The lounging area occupies the space to the back of the lounge, furnished with single-seater armchairs. This part of the lounge felt quieter and more relaxed, partly owing to its location (where most passengers would make do with spending time in the lounge’s dining area) and partly due to the low traffic in the lounge. The warm lighting from the table lamp between the seats added to the relaxing vibe here. I found charging outlets on the small side table between the seats. The shower facilities in the lounge are also located in this part of the lounge. Passengers wanting to use these shower facilities can reserve a slot via the QR code at the entrance to the shower rooms. Plaza Premium First Lounge also provides a complementary 10-minute neck massage to elevate the tiredness from travel. The service at the lounge was top-notch. Despite arriving some 5 hours before our flight, we were warmly welcomed at the lounge. All the staff at Plaza Premium First Lounge displayed warm Malaysian hospitality, from the staff at the entrance to the diligent staff cleaning the shower rooms. The staff at the front desk even helped us settle our boarding passes and had them waiting for us at the boarding gate.

Taipei Taoyuan International Airport

EVA Air Infinity Lounge

EVA Air Infinity Lounge is the airline’s signature lounge that caters to passengers flying in Business Class on EVA Air or Star Alliance Airlines. EVA Air Infinity Lounge shares the same entrance, one floor above the transit area in Taipei Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2. EVA Air Star Lounge is one of the two lounges catering to Star Alliance Gold members. EVA Air Infinity Lounge is located to the right of the reception area. EVA Air Infinity Lounge uses a lighter colour scheme, giving us the impression of walking into a sci-fi movie set. The seating arrangement in the lounge mainly consists of single-seater highback armchairs on the right side of the walkway in the lounge. There are some bar-type seatings facing the terminal building lined up along the window area, also located to the right of the walkway in the lounge. Only a handful of dining table-type seating, catering for two pax, are at the back of EVA Air Infinity lounge. At the back of the lounge, next to the buffet area, a tree-like fixture with seats underneath provides an interesting but awkward seating, as these seats face outwards, not giving passengers any privacy. EVA Air’s identity is seen in the green colour scheme used on the carpet and the walls.

There is a small Business Centre in EVA Air Infinity Lounge furnished with several computers and a printer, sitting on the right, next to the entrance to the lounge. Further into the lounge, after the business centre, are the toilet and shower facilities in the lounge. EVA Air has a total of four shower rooms in EVA Air Infinity Lounge. As with our outbound flight from TPE to VIE, we had to queue to access a shower room. We exchanged our boarding pass for a pager and waited around 1 hour to get our turn to use the shower room. I thought these shower rooms were functional more than luxurious. The spacious shower room has a toilet, sink, and shower facilities. EVA Air’s shower rooms are well stocked with amenities required for a good shower, such as dental kits, slippers and towels. L’Occitane shower amenities are provided in these shower rooms.

Food in the EVA Air Infinity Lounge is served buffet style and is tucked away in the furthest corner of the lounge, after the toilets and shower rooms. EVA Air’s The Infinity Lounge has a good selection of warm and cold food. Most items on the menu are Taiwanese cuisine and dim sum, with a small selection of Western options. I had an egg, carrot cake, and fried vermicelli. The vermicelli was tasty, but the egg was overcooked for my liking. Unfortunately, we did not find the famed boba tea in the lounge.

The Aircraft

At the time of our booking, EVA Air was poised to deploy its A330-300 aircraft on this route. A few months before our flight, we received a notification informing us of the change of our seats due to an equipment change. We flew on an EVA Air B777-300ER aircraft between Kuala Lumpur and Taipei.

The Cabin

Walking into the Royal Laurel Class cabin (the airline’s name for their Business Class) onboard EVA Air’s 777-300ER, we can immediately see its identity through its signature green on each of the 38 Royal Laurel Class seats. These 38 Royal Laurel Class seats onboard EVA Air B777-300ER, arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, are segregated into the slightly larger forward cabin housing 22 seats and the more intimate aft cabin with 16 seats. The Royal Laurel cabin looked a little dated with the colour choice of olive green in its in-seat cabinet and armrest and the cream colour interior seat. The two-tone brown used in its seat cushion, headrest, and light brown carpeting gave the cabin a cosy vibe. The white colour bulkhead and the light grey carpeting, coupled with the warm lighting used during boarding, gave the Royal Laurel Class cabin a clean and comfortable feel.

There are three lavatories, two up front and one between the two Business Class sections, serving the 38 Royal Laurel Class passengers. The lavatory in the middle of the Business Class section is slightly larger than the ones up front. The lavatories feel premium due to the wooden flooring, and the bright light makes these lavatories look clean. The bright lighting and the mirrors installed in the lavatories made it feel even bigger than it was. Other than the hand soap, EVA Air Royal Laurel Class lavatories are stocked with the premium German branded No. 4711 Acqua Colonia Eau de Cologne, facial mist and hand lotion.

The Seat

Seats onboard EVA Air B777-300ER Royal Laurel Class use the reverse herringbone layout, each with a seat pitch of 60″ and a width of 26″. Each of these seats comes fitted with three standard modes: upright, lounge, and bed modes, which can be easily converted using the buttons in the seat control. Despite being the stiffest sitting position, the thick cushioning in EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class seat made sitting in the upright mode (mainly used during take-offs and landings) feel comfortable. These seats are capable of a 180° recline, turning it into a full flatbed. When fully reclined, the seat merges with the ottoman, where even tall passengers can fully stretch their legs. However, I find the cubby hole a tad narrow, which makes sleeping on the side a little challenging. Despite not being fitted with a sliding door that is gaining popularity in Business Class products in other airlines, the highback and the angled away from the aisle design in the reverse herringbone seats gave its passengers some privacy. Of the three modes, I like the lounge mode the most. Other than the preset position, the seat back and calf rest can be adjusted to a variety of angles that allow passengers to suit their preferences. The seat controls are located on the armrest next to the window, with easy access to the three main modes and buttons to personalise the angle of the back and calf rest.

There are several storage options in the cabinets at the seat for passengers. However, due to its open design, nothing can be stowed in these cabinets during taxi, take-offs and landings, which I felt was a little inconvenient that I had to hold on to my stuff during the initial and final periods of the flight. Right next to the window is the main storage cabinet. Despite its curved triangular design and the two immovable bars, I was still able to put my iPad Pro 11″ in this cabinet, but I am not sure if anything bigger can be stowed in this cabinet. There is another two-tiered open cabinet, with the top cabinet shorter than the lower cabinet, designed into the seat’s inner console near the ottoman. Despite being larger than the cabinet next to the window, these cabinets were also incapable of storing anything thicker or larger due to their shallow design and the distance from the seat. There was no option for us to stow our carry-ons under the ottoman as it had a solid stool; we had to use the overhead bin to store our carry-ons. The seat pocket is found near the floor at the exit of the seat. Despite being full of inflight literature, there are spaces to stow smaller, slimmer items.

Most of the seat features are located on the inside of the seat, next to the window. The seat table on EVA Air B777-300ER Royal Laurel Class is stored in the console next to the window. The table can be effortlessly deployed by pulling it out using a tab designed into it. The seat table is folded in half when taken from storage but turns into a sizeable table when fully deployed. Despite its bi-fold design, the table feels solid. The only downside about the table is its lack of a swivel function due to the seat design. This meant we had to put away the table whenever we wanted to get in and out of the seat. The space above the seat table storage provided additional space to stow our stuff during cruising, other than using it as a cocktail table. We took the two variants of EVA Air B777-300ER to and from Taipei. On our KUL-TPE section, the refurnished aircraft is fitted with two USB-A charging outlets and an international plug outlet. In comparison, our TPE-KUL aircraft had one USB-A charging outlet, an old-school aux jack, and an iPod port. Apart from the overhead reading light, the Royal Laurel Class seat has a smaller reading light located on top of the charging outlets. Due to its placement, the reading light is inaccessible when the seat is in bed mode.

Inflight Entertainment

EVA Air equips each Royal Laurel Class with a large 18″ HD personal TV, which pops out from the seat shell with a push of a button. Due to the design of the aircraft, the TV screen can only be deployed briefly for safety video before take-off and after the aircraft is at cruising altitude. Inflight entertainment selection can be made via the touchscreen function on the TV or the IFE controller stowed next to the seat. The IFE controller is stowed next to the charging port and reading light in the same location as the cabinet shelf. Again, the two variants of the B777-300ER are fitted with two different IFE controls. The newer designed IFE controller features a large touchscreen on the refurbished aircraft that resembles a PSP. Entertainment options can be selected using the touchscreen function on the IFE controller or the physical buttons. I like that we can choose to replicate the screen on the PTV or select a different display on the screen of the IFE controller. The IFE controller on the older B777-300ER does not come with touchscreen functions, and all operations for the TV screen are done on the physical buttons. There is even a QWERTY keyboard at the back of the IFE controller. The call attendant and overhead reading lights can be activated using both types of IFE controllers or via the touchscreen option on the TV screen. EVA Air supplies each Royal Laurel Class passenger with noise-cancelling headphones, effectively blocking the ambient sound.

Star Gallery is EVA Air’s inflight entertainment, which has an extensive and very well catalogued collection that kept me entertained throughout the flight. The Star Gallery catalogues the various entertainment options into five main menus: Movies, Music, TV, Kids’ World and Games. In terms of the movies, Star Gallery is loaded with the latest Hollywood movies and Taiwanese movies. Star Gallery also has a library of limited TV series, mainly Taiwanese variety shows. EVA Air B777-300ER is equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, and we were given complimentary 30-minute internet services for passengers during the flight.

Meal

KUL-TPE

In addition to the three main courses stated in the menu card, Royal Laurel Class passengers also had the online exclusive option available 48 hours before their flight. I did not order from the online exclusive menu and opted for the Teochew-style Braised Duck from the onboard menu. Our lunch service started with tuna and scallop appetisers, which tasted refreshing. My main course of braised duck was tender, and the portion was nice. The Caramel cheesecake was delicious and a great finish to a great meal.

TPE-KUL

Meals from Taipei to Kuala Lumpur were also served course by course. The duck breast appetiser was good but not memorable. Despite having additional online-exclusive choices, I was more tempted by the Sweet Sour fish. The sauce was nice, and the fish was fresh. For desserts, we were served fruits and mochi. The mochi tasted surprisingly good.

Service

KUL-TPE

Service onboard EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class reflects the Taiwanese people’s warmth and hospitality. The inflight manager and cabin crew welcomed us at the door during boarding. The cabin crew came across as attentive and introduced themselves to the passengers as we boarded the plane. We were escorted to our seats by the friendly cabin crew. The cabin crew was seen constantly patrolling the cabin throughout the flight to ensure empty plates were cleared and no trash was left behind. As we were settling into our seats, Amanda, responsible for our row, introduced herself to all the passengers. She asked how we wanted to be addressed and addressed her passengers by their family name. Amanda came across as cheerful and welcoming, and I saw her patrolling the cabin. She was always ready to jump in and assist her passengers. For this leg of the flight, we found a pair of comfortable EVA Air slippers in the seat, on top of the usual pillow and blanket during boarding.

TPE-KUL

The service onboard this leg of the flight is generally good, but it felt a little scripted. The cabin crew were by no means rude, but the service felt a little robotic. The cabin crew did the usual, asking for our surnames and addressing us by our surnames every time we interacted. They patrolled the cabin and were attentive to the progress of each passenger in their meal. They would clear the plates and promptly serve up the next dish. Other than that, I did not feel the service was memorably outstanding. After meal service, the cabin crew was not observed patrolling the cabin (other than pre-arrival). Unlike our outbound flight, we were not supplied with slippers but only a pillow and blanket.

Afterthought

The seat in Royal Laurel Class onboard the B777-300ER felt narrow due to the reverse herringbone design. Getting in and out of the seat in various seat positions other than the upright mode was difficult, especially when the seat table was deployed. The IFE is also not usable during take-off/landing due to the seat’s design. The seat in bed mode felt private due to the high back and the inward seating position. The storage space in the seats is sufficient; however, it can only be used when the aircraft is at cruising altitude. The service was good on the outbound flight, where the cabin crew was very cheerful and attentive. However, the service during the inbound flight was good but not memorable and felt scripted.