Hi, dear flight-report members and readers!
In this FR I'd like to present a detailed review of an EVA Air B777-300ER on Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) to Seoul Incheon (ICN) flight, taken on 25 November 2023.
Intro
This flight was my return leg from Taiwan to South Korea (before taking KE flight ICN-CDG on B748 back to EU). I booked this flight, hoping to fly B787-10 for the first time, but due to high demand the aircraft type was upgauged to B77W with the largest seat count (of 3 possible layouts), and it was full to the brim in economy and premium economy! Only almost a year I later I catched the opportunity to fly a B78X, and it was on an Etihad flight from VIE to AUH on my way to Japan. But anyway, it was even more interesting to fly BR on one of its flagship aircrafts.
Taiwan's Full-Service Carriers: Overview
Taiwan is an amazing country and its aviation landscape is also quite outstanding: this small country sustains THREE independent full-service carriers: China Airlines (CI), EVA Air (BR) and STARLUX Airlines (JX). If we take other leading East Asian countries, Japan has two full-service carriers (JAL and ANA), and South Korea formally has two (Korean Air and Asiana) but merging into one (KE).
Let's have a look on their fleets and layouts.
China Airlines (flag carrier, Skyteam member)
1) Boeing 777-300ER: 10 units in 3-class layout (C40_W62_Y256, 3-4-3 Y).
2) Airbus A350-900: 14 units in 3-class layout (C32_W31_Y243) plus 1 unit (ex-SAS bird) in 3-class layout (C40_W32_Y228).
3) Airbus A330-300: 5 units in 2-class layout (C36_Y277) plus 8 units in 2-class layout (C30_Y277).
4) Airbus A321neo: 19 units in 2-class layout (C12_Y168 with full-flats in C).
5) Boeing 737-800: 2 units in 2-class layout (C8_Y150) plus 7 units in 2-class layout (C8_Y153).
EVA Air (Star Alliance member)
1) Boeing 777-300ER: 12 units in 3-class layout (C38_W64_Y221, 3-3-3 Y) plus 11 units in 3-class layout (C39_W56_Y238, 3-3-3 Y) plus 10 units in 3-class layout (C39_W56_Y258, 3-4-3 Y).
2) Boeing 787-10: 12 units in 2-class layout (C34_Y308).
3) Boeing 787-9: 5 units in 3-class layout (C26_W28_Y224) plus 3 units in 2-class layout (C26_Y278).
4) Airbus A330-300: 8 units in 2-class layout (C30_Y279 with lie-flats in C or C30_279 with recliners in C).
5) Airbus A321ceo: 17 units in 2-class layout (C8_Y176).
STARLUX Airlines
1) Airbus A350-900: 10 units in 4-class layout (F4_C26_W36_Y240). JX is the only airline in Taiwan with first class and one of the few airlines in the world with first class in A350.
2) Airbus A330-900: 5 units in 2-class layout (C28_Y269). JX is one of 3 full-service operators of A339 in East and South-East Asia (the 2 others are Malaysia Airlines and Garuda Indonesia).
3) Airbus A321neo: 13 units in 2-class layout (C8_Y180 with full-flats in C).
All the 3 airlines have A350-1000s on order. In the case of CI and BR A35Ks will partially replace B77Ws (sadly, most of the older BR 77W, featuring spacious 3-3-3 economy, will be gone). A333s in CI and BR fleets will be replaced by B78Xs and B789s. CI also have B777-9s on order, but don't you agree that B779 will enter commercial service no earlier that 2030s, so it's a matter of quite distant future?
Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE)
TPE is the main gateway of Taiwan, located to the west from Taipei near Taoyuan town. TPE has a MRT station, connecting it with the Taiwanese High-Speed Rail Line, covering the west coast from Taipei to Kaohsiung. Taoyuan town is connected with the airport by bus line, and, as I was staying in Taoyuan, I took the bus.
Currently TPE has 2 terminals - T1 and T2, with T3 being under constructions. EVA Air operates from T2. It's a bit dated building, but spacious and with great spotting possibilites. Especially worth noting 2 landside open-air view desks at the roof of T2, providing excellent views of the apron and runways. One can easily spend several hours there due to variety of airplanes and liveries in TPE.
The Aircraft
The aircraft of today is 2017-built B-16740 in 3-class C39_W56_Y258 layout (with 3-4-3 economy and the largest seat count in BR fleet) - the latest BR's B77W and the newest one I've ever flown. By the moment of my flight it had the standard livery, but in late 2024 got special livery "Hello Kitty - Lolly Jet". Hello Kitty is EVA's special theme, known worldwide. BR's aircrafts, featuring "Hello Kitty" themed liveries, also feature this theme in their interiors and amenity kits (on longhaul flights).
The Business Cabin
The business class cabin consists of 39 Zodiac Cirrus seats in 1-2-1 layout, distributed between two cabins: the larger front one (between 1L/R and 2L/R doors), having 23 seats and the smaller second one (after 2L/R doors), having 16 seats.
Here are the views of the second business cabin, the front one will be shown later. As you can see, Zodiac Cirrus seats are definitely not cutting-edge suites. EVA Air is not about the top luxury as all the Taiwanese aviation as well.
The Premium Economy Cabin
Between the second business cabin and 3L/R there is large premium economy cabin, consisting of 56 seats in 2-4-2 layout. Needless to say, when the aircraft type was swapped from B78X to B77W, these seats were formally available for choose during online check-in, but among window seats only one (24K with severely misaligned window) was available, so I decided to stay in Y.
The Economy Cabin
The economy class consists of 258 seats in 3-4-3 layout, distributed between 2 large cabins: the front one (between 3L/R and 4L/R doors) and the rear one (between 4L/R and 5L/R doors).
Views of the front economy cabin:
Couple of views of the rear economy cabin. The last 4 rows (70 to 73) have duo seats near windows due to fuselage tapering.
The Economy Seat
My seat is 63A in the front part of the rear economy cabin. The seat model is well-known Collins Pinnacle with comfy shape and good padding. The seat has adjustable headrest with leather upholstery, modern IFE with big screen with adjustable angle, tray table and seat pocket. Waiting on the seat were just earplugs. The seatpitch is quite good.
To my surprise, the seatwidth is just miserable 16.7", whereas B777 cabin allows 17.0" seatwidth in 3-4-3 layout. I don't get this move - wasting precious (especially in this laterally densified layout) seatwidth into aisles. Thankfully, it's just a 2-hours intra-East-Asian hop, but I hardly want to take a longhaul flight in this cabin. Honestly speaking, for longhaul BR flight I would choose only older B77Ws with spacious 3-3-3 economy (featuring also Collins Pinnacle seats, but with 18"+ seatwidth), because, for example, all the BR's Dreamliners have dreadful Recaro CL3710 seats in economy…
The overhead panel doesn't have airvents, which is quite standard for B777.
The Flight
We departed on time and after takeoff, excluding the Taiwanese coastline at the beginning, there was nothing to see outside due to clouds.
Some views of the rear economy cabin at cruise altitude:
The lavatory is modern, stocked with cosmetics and decorated with flowers, which is nice!
Soon the meal service begins. The meal is excellent for the flight of this length: beef with rice and vegs, salad and dessert. The cutlery is metallic. Needless to say that the crew were extremely friendly. I find KE and BR crews to be top-notch among all the 80+ airlines I've flown (but I still haven't flown JAL and ANA).
Time to stretch the legs again.
A view of the front economy cabin.
Some views of the premium economy cabin inflight.
Meanwhile outside sun is setting and almost full moon is already high.
Some views of the rear economy cabin before the start of descent.
Twilight high in the sky and night-lit Korean cities below as we're descending into ICN.
The Economy Cabin After The Flight
A couple of views of the rear economy cabin upon disembarkment.
Some views of the front economy cabin upon disembarkment.
The Premium Economy Cabin After The Flight
Some views of the premium economy cabin in details upon disembarkment.
The Business Cabin After The Flight
The second business cabin in details upon disembarkment.
The friendly crew allowed me to visit the front larger business cabin, which looks more or less the same.
And now it's time to say goodbye to B-16740 and to the friendly crew and go to arrival terminal, which is T1, serving most airlines in ICN, including Star Alliance members. Asiana Airlines, which I flew a year later on its A380 from NRT to ICN, is currently also housed here, but will soon transfer to the extended T2.
Thank you for your attention and see you in the next FRs!
