Gourmet Flyer I recently traveled from Taipei (TPE) to Hong Kong (HKG) on EVA Airlines in its economy cabin on two separate occasions – on an Airbus A330-300 and a Boeing B787-10. I usually do not write reviews on such short flights that spend just a little over an hour in the air. But in this instance, I feel like I must highlight the level of service that I received as well as the efficiency of the crew. One particular item that many Western passengers not used to Asian airlines will find shocking is that this one-hour flight included a meal service!
Table of Content
Airbus A330-300
The EVA version of the A333 is one of my favorite aircraft whenever I fly with my wife in economy as it features 2-4-2 configuration in the main cabin. Couples will enjoy the pair of seats on either of the window side that offers more private space and comfort. If you have a basic economy ticket and want to secure a pair of those nice window seats, you’ll need to pay a fee to select them in advance. Free seat selection is included with a standard economy fare.
The middle section is four across, except for the last five rows which are at the narrower part of the plane and are three across. With a width of 18.3 inches, these seats are about half an inch to one full inch wider than many other widebodies. Standard pitch is 31” which provides a reasonable amount of legroom. One comfort feature is an adjustable headrest which holds your head in place and reduces fatigue. However, note that as you recline, the bottom cushion slides forward, hence reducing the legroom in front of you.
The seatback in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen is very well built and comes complete with a remote control. I particularly like the mechanical buttons for power, brightness, and volume as they are easy to find and use.
Boeing B787-10
This version of the Boeing Dreamliner in EVA Airlines’ fleet has a 3-3-3 configuration in the economy cabin. For this configuration, my wife and I always select the middle section so that we have our own aisle seat while our seatmate also has their own aisle access. Again, advance seat selection comes with a fee for the basic economy ticket but is included in the standard fare.
Seats are 17.7” wide and the standard pitch is 31” which are pretty close to the norm compared with the airlines’ competitors in the main cabin. These seats do recline better than those in the A333 above as the bottom cushion do not slide forward. There is a cushion for head and neck support, but it does not appear to be adjustable.
The Dreamliner comes with a high-definition touchscreen seatback entertainment system that includes hundreds of Asian and Western movies, TV shows, and games. The sensitivity of the touchscreen works perfectly well, and it is easy to navigate through pages of menus and programs. The 9” TV appears to be at least an inch wider than that of the A333.
Meal and Beverage Service
Yes, EVA Air (and many Asian airlines) served a light lunch or dinner in economy class on this journey that spent about an hour and fifteen minutes in the air – that is, somewhat similar to a flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco. And they were so efficient that they served about 300 passengers in about 30 minutes, including picking up the finished dinner trays and trash.
One reason that they could provide such speedy service was that there was no choice of beverages. Apple juice was placed on the dinner tray by default. If you don’t like it, you can ask for water. Tea and coffee were served during the meal. And there were no other drink options.
There was just one entrée, and everybody got the same thing. If you need a special meal due to dietary or religious restrictions, you need to order it in advance here.
The dish shown above contains slices of pork sauteed in a mildly spicy cream sauce served over steamed rice and vegetables. Dessert is a packet of sweet crispy rice balls. Packets of Chinese cookies are also often offered as dessert.
My favorite was the shrimp and cold noodles served with a delicious, sweet soy sauce. The sauce came from a separate packet so that it wouldn’t make the noodles soggy when the food was stored. The shrimps tasted fresh and flavorful, and the noodles had a nice al-dente kind of chewiness. A sprinkle of edamame and diced red peppers further enhanced the presentation of the dish. Note that cold noodle is an Asian and Taiwanese delicacy and is a proper meal – not that they serve you “cold food” for dinner.
One observation worth mentioning is that I really appreciated their silverwares and coffee cup. Not only did they provide for a more enjoyable dining experience, but they were also good for the environment.
Conclusion
I was really impressed by the efficiency of the EVA flight attendants that they managed to complete a meal service in a 30 to 40-minute window – as they could not start until the aircraft has reached the appropriate altitude and they must finish and pick up all empty trays and trash before final descent. Even more amazing was how everyone performed this speedy task with smiles on their faces and exuded enthusiasm in their work. This was truly exemplary of traditional Asian hospitality. I thoroughly enjoyed my couple of flights from Taipei to Hong Kong with EVA Air, and even though I was in the economy cabin, I received first-class service all the way.
