Review: Eva Air Business Class Boeing 787-10 [SEA - TPE]
FROM:
Seattle [SEA]
TO:
Taipei [TPE]
CABIN:
“Royal Laurel” Business
SEATMAP:
Airbus A350-900
DATE:
January 2026
Eva Air Royal Laurel Business class on their 787-10 from Seattle to Taipei offers a fantastic overall experience. While catering out of Seattle, and SeaTac groundside amenities could use some work, the service and hard products are standout. EVA Air is always a pleasure to fly and an airline I continue to preference when crossing the pacific.
Overall Rating:
Taiwan houses 3 fantastic airlines, 2 of which I have flown a number of times before, EVA and Starlux. I have flown the reverse of this flight, Taipei to Seattle, the first time a couple of years ago and was thoroughly impressed with the entire package – from ground side to in flight. So I was curious how the Westbound flight out of Seattle would stack up.
In This Post:
How I Booked EVA Air Business Class
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Pre Flight
–EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Lounge
–EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Boarding
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class In Flight
–EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Cabin
–EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Seat
–EVA Airlines 787 Business Class In Flight Entertainment
–EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Lavatories
-EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Meals
-EVA Airlines 787 Business Class In Flight Service
Bottom Line
Photo Gallery
How I Booked EVA Airlines Business Class
I was headed to Palau this January and needed a connecting flight into Taipei, as it is a convenient jump off for Koror/Palau. I enjoy routing through Taipei as it is quite convenient to other southeast asian countries, and offers 3 first class airlines as easy transfer partners.
This Seattle to Taipei flight on EVA Air cost me 75,000 points and around 80 Canadian dollars through Aeroplan. Cash fares for this flight are around 5,000 – netting me a tasty 6 cents per point redemption value.
I found this particular availability using Seats.aero.
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Lounge
Sadly, flying out of my home airport of SeaTac, lounge options are always limited and a bit mediocre. Delta and Alaska operate two nice lounges, however they are Oneworld.
Most departing international flights I am on use the Club at SEA at the S gates, in the South Satellite. This is also a Priority Pass lounge.
That is where we will be headed today.
Club at SEA - S Gates | SeaTac International Airport
The Club at SEA has a lounge in the A gates in the main terminal, and the one that the international passengers use in the South Satellite up an escalator near gate S9.
Not as busy as expected, considering 4 Taipei bound flights this evening departing within 1 hour of each other. But still crowded. Nothing out of the norm for this lounge though.
Lots of window adjacent seating which I like. But all quite full at this hour.
During the day, the windows offer nice views of Mt. Rainier and some tarmac.
Pretty sparse food selections – two hot ‘soup’ dishes, two trays of fried rice. Snacks in the center, and a staffed bar with complimentary drinks behind.
Admittedly, the thai chicken and rice soup was good. Just a shame there are not more options.
All in all just an ‘ok’ lounge. Nowhere to spend more than an hour, but worth stopping in for a quick bite or an espresso (provided the machine is working) depending on the time.
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Boarding
Boarding was announced at the lounge around 10:40 – about 10 minutes before scheduled boarding. Boarding at gate S11 began on time at 1050. A single bridge to the middle of the plane, hanging a left into the “Royal Laurel” business class cabin.
Flight attendants are quickly around to welcome with a drink order. Offered water, sparking water, or juice. As well as a cold towel. Champaigne seems to be post takeoff only.
Pyjamas are brought shortly after – not enough airlines do this and it is one of the reasons I enjoy EVA. I found these ones particulary comfortable – and better than the ones they provided last time.
Orders for dinner, drinks, and pre-landing/breakfast as well. I was told breakfast would be served 2 hours before landing.
Boarding finished about 1120, with pushback was on time at 1130.
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Cabin
I think EVA Air has done a wonderful job with the cabins in their 787s. Clean and modern.
Center overhead bins, so everyone gets their own. And the bins are contoured in a way to not make the cabin feel cramped – which is often the case I find on the 777s.
I particularly like the sleek look of their forward logo – a bit brushed metallic with the warm bias lighting.
I also love the lighting options on these 787s. If you look hard enough, you can see the stars.
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Seat
I am a big fan of the seat design that EVA has gone with for their 787s. Wide, spacious, and attractive.
I find the best hard products are those that have been one-off designed (or I have only seen on one airline anyways) rather than some of the cookie cutter hard products that can be found (looking at you turkish, and regional singapore).
I am in seat 5K today – EVA air (and a number of other asian carriers) omit row 4. So window seats are 2/5/7/9 etc. while aisle are 1/3/6/8 etc.
At the seat is the pillow, comforter, and food/drink menus. Slippers are also tucked between the comforter and pillow.
The seat is wide and spacious, with a massive side console space. The wood trim accents are a nice touch, as well as the subtle lighting underneath.
The footwell is also cavernous, with space deep and wide to stretch out. Made additionally wide by the opening towards the window.
No real underseat storage is the only drawback here – so be mindful of anything below as it might be crushed by the moving seat.
Two separate sets of seat controls, with a lower set with fewer options presumably designed for easy reach while in bed mode.
With the upper set offering a good range of seat adjustment features, including lumbar and massage.
Headphone jack, power, and usb are also nearby, along with the handheld IFE remote. Joyfully well out of the way of being accidentally bumped.
The cubby is a bit shallow, and houses the headphones, water, with the amenity kit tucked below.
Headphones are plush and comfortable, though I do not plan to try them
Amenity kit is a hard shell in a bag, by Maison Kitsune – same as the PJs.
The window seat feels quite private, and there is also an opaque sliding panel for additional privacy.
After dinner, FAs offer a mattress cover for the seat. It offers minimal additional padding, but nevertheless the seat/bed is comfortable for sleeping. The comforter and pillow were standout – both high quality. The pillow especially – real down?
Big fan of the evening lights – the stars especially are a lovely touch and one of the many reasons I enjoy flying 787s.
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class In Flight Entertainment
Good sized screen close enough to easily touch/navigate, but not too close to obstruct.
Decent selection of movies, a bit less so on shows. 139 total films, 90 Hollywood. Not too much in the ‘new’ space but enough to keep you entertained for the few waking hours on this overnight flight.
Free WiFi is available on this flight as well, seemingly to all passengers which is a nice gesture – but not sure how this affects speeds.
Not fast but not too slow – enough for emails and a bit of messaging.
Evening lighting is nice, with the dim bias around the screen.
EVA Airlines 777 Business Class Lavatories
Lavatories were kept clean throughout the flight. Stocked with face mist and lotions.
Only lacking are the additional amenities like toothbrush/toothpaste in the lavatories. I know these are in the kit, however some airlines like Singapore offer additional in the lavatories and that is a nice convenient touch.
Middle galley lavatory is larger, as it is the handicap accessible one.
Still no amenities, and these are also missing the fold down platform to stand on for changing which some airlines have that is a lovely touch.
Lotion, spray fragrance, and the essential facial mist
EVA Airlines 787 Business Class Meals
Menus are at the seat on boarding, and during boarding FAs are around to collect orders. Ive gone with the Steak for dinner, and the Taiwanese congee for breakfast.
They are also offering a 300ish dollar bottle of Champaigne.
First Meal / Dinner
Tables are set just after midnight local time – about 30 minutes after takeoff.
Nuts (not warm sadly) are brought, along with empty glasses for the pours, which follow shortly.
A bread tray is then brought, seems meal will be around 1230 which is nice and quick I think.
The lobster salad appetizer was ok, lobster was find and with the oranges a nice combination. But just felt it was missing a sauce or something.
Main meal was brought shortly after. Steak was also just ‘ok’ unfortunately. Sauce was a bit teriyaki adjacent – a little sweet for me. And the meat itself was overcooked – medium well and a bit tough. The potatoes and veg were good though.
Typically I’ll do western menu out of the west, and the local offerings out of the airline home airport. Perhaps next time I’ll try the other offering. Not sure who they are using for catering out of SeaTac, but a little disappointing if I’m honest.
Dessert followed along with a tea and chocolate. The ‘green tea tiramisu’ was actually delicious.
Post dinner, lights were dimmed and hot towels passed around.
Mid Flight Meal
I woke up around 6a seattle time and ordered a coffee and the ‘Teppanyaki Noodles with Pork and Black Pepper sauce. Flavor was good but the pork was presented a bit odd – was more akin to fried dust? Rather than more solid bits of pork.
Also served on a plate with chopsticks – not the easiest way to eat what I assume should be a bowl of noodles.
Another ‘ok’ dish.
Second Meal / Breakfast
Breakfast service began on schedule – about 2 hours before landing.
Started with a hot towel, and a glass brought for my breakfast Champagne. Which was sadly a little flat. Seems I got the end of a bottle used during the flight. Im sure they’d be quick to replace if I asked, but I was not too bothered.
Meal itself was ok. Nothing notable – would go with another option next time. I have had much better in-flight congee, so I’d say this one was another miss by the catering.
Fruit plate for dessert and coffee brought out. Followed by a hot towel.
EVA Airlines Business Class In Flight Service
No question the crew was the highlight here. They were exemplary; polite, incredibly attentive, and quick.
There was very little wait time between courses, FAs were all but apperating seatside at the press of a call button. And they were always quick on the cleanup of any trash/empties.
After my dinner as they could see I was getting up to go change, they quickly proactively offered a mattress/bed makeup.
I felt the crew was proactive, rather than reactive, which for me is one of the top standout characteristic of a great in-flight crew.
Even candies before landing which is always a nice touch.
Bottom Line
There are probably two what I’d consider ‘more major’ gripes with this flight. Firstly, and less correctably, the lounge partnership. I’m not sure how these things work in the backend, but I’d love to see them partner with an Alaska or Delta to use one of their flagship lounges at SeaTac – would make for a considerably better ground experience.
Secondly the catering was a bit of a letdown. I have had other Asia bound flights with excellent catering out of SeaTac (Singapore and JAL for two). I remember my flight eastbound being good on the food front – so it would be nice to see some improvement here. I felt it wasn’t exactly bad, just ‘mediocre’ and I would expect better from this airline.
Aside from these, the hard product is excellent. A fantastic looking, comfortable and modern seat on one of my favorite airplanes.
And most importnatly, for me anyways, the crew was spectacular. One of the best ones I’ve had the pleasure to experience. A big shoutout to them. Hard work, late at night, and all done expertly.
Ultimately I wouldn’t hesitate to book this again just for the seat, and exemplary in flight service, even if the food doesn’t improve.