Eva Air was the first airline to introduce Premium Economy more than 30 years ago. This was well ahead of any competitor. But being the first, doesn’t always mean you stay ahead. However, in Eva Air’s case, their Premium Economy product is continuing to get good reviews. So when I had to be in Taiwan recently for business, I was anxious to also try out their Premium Economy product myself. On my way back, I first flew from Taipei to Bangkok with Eva Air in Business Class. I’ll post a separate review of that trip. Next day, I had a 12 hour journey with Eva Air in Premium Economy from Bangkok to Amsterdam in Eva Air’s 777-300ER. Please read below my review of how Eva Air Premium Economy stacks up against other Premium Economy products.
Premium Economy Cabin
Before boarding the plane, I noticed something weird. My boarding pass stated ‘group 4’. That was surprising since with most other airlines, you get priority boarding with premium economy. That’s not the case with Eva Air. Even though you are not in the last group (group 5), group 4 boards after most economy class passengers have boarded sitting in the back of the plane. This is the most efficient way of boarding, and it’s surprising it isn’t a common practice.
The premium economy cabin in this specific 777-300 consisted out of 8 rows of premium economy in a 2-4-2 configuration. That was another first. I don’t think I ever saw more than 5 or 6 rows of premium economy. So Eva Air must do something right if they are able to consistently fill all these seats!
Even though this specific plane was almost 19 years old, and this isn’t the latest and greatest Premium Economy cabin of Eva Air, the cabin looks brand new. No visible wear and tear and the cabin looks luxurious and comfortable. And the good news is, the seats are actually really comfortable! Thanks to the extra thick padding, these seats feel like a different class compared to majority of other premium airline cabins. These are definitely the best Premium Economy seats I’ve ever sat in! Simply brilliant!
At the seat, there is already a bottle of water, headset, a thick comfortable blanket, slippers and an amenity kit. This amenity kit from the Hunter brand, can compete with some of the business class amenity kits I’ve received in the past! The bag itself doesn’t look too bad and inside there is a strap for the bag, and everything, and more, you would expect in premium economy. Including lip balm and lotion.
There is also a menu. Eva Air does allow you to book your meal in advance starting 21 days till 1 day before your flight. I didn’t take advantage of that, so after looking at the menu, I decided to pick the halibut as the main course and noodles as pre-arrival meal. There are only 2 main courses to pick from which isn’t excessive. But as long as the meals are good, I won’t complain!
Eva Air also has wireless internet in the 777-300. Browsing and messaging is free, but when you want to stream video, you’ll need to pay 40USD. And I did try it out; you definitely cannot stream video with the free internet!
Meals
After take-off, the crew comes by with drinks and a small snack. Shortly after that, it’s time for the main meal to arrive. And it’s not too bad. Even though the halibut itself is tasteless and soggy, the sauce saves the dish and the appetizer – crab salad – is excellent. Fresh fruit and ice cream as desert top it off. Certainly not the best meal I had in the plane, but for premium economy it isn’t bad and certainly well above average.
During the flight, the crew regularly comes by with drinks and snacks. It must be said, the service is excellent. It’s on par with Singapore Airlines, for me the standard in customer service. Just before landing, it’s time for the pre-arrival meal. Noodles! This wasn’t my favorite dish but it came again with some fresh fruit, some meat and cheese, a croissant (which wasn’t very good…) and yoghurt. This meal was very average, but still, a definite step up from a regular economy class pre-arrival meal.
I didn’t look at the entertainment screen selection during this flight. Screen is 11 inch which is a reasonable size. But there isn’t any live TV. And live TV – especially live sports – is a feature I’m starting to appreciate more and more.
Conclusion
I started this review with the question whether Eva Air has the best Premium Economy Class in the world, when comparing to other airlines.
Certainly the most important aspect of Premium Economy, the seat, will get the highest praise. I haven’t found a seat as comfortable in Premium Economy as this specific Eva Air seat. This seat was very comfortable with the extra thick padding. A decent seat recline, comfortable blanket, and slippers make for a very pleasant experience.
Premium Economy also has its own 2 restrooms, which is a big positive. Amenity kit is very impressive and exceeds what you’re getting with some airlines in business class! Service is excellent. The crew was very friendly and you immediately feel welcome!
Meals were OK. Not fantastic but when comparing with other premium economy products, the meals were well above average.
Points of improvement are the entertainment screen itself and the ability to view live sports, as well as free streaming internet. But these are details. Largely thanks to the seats, the fantastic service and better than average food, I believe that Eva Air has indeed the best Premium Economy product in the world! Until now, my favorite was KLM because I think they consistently deliver a solid Premium Economy Experience. But KLM can simply not compete with the seats of Eva Air; the latter are a class of its own!
Also please have a look at my Youtube video I made of this trip. And don’t forget to like the video or give some feedback in the comments!
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