Review of EVA Air flight Taipei → Hong Kong in Economy

Conclusion

It was exciting to fly on BR's new 787-9 on this short hop and this came as a surprise since it wasn't expected. The interior of the plane had a roomy and comfy feel in Y and I think that the design of the seats is user friendly.

Service was very efficient and attentive. I'm sure the light load contributed to this and high number of staff did not hurt.

Catering was a bit light especially when you compare it to what the competition offers. I think something a bit more substantial than industrial snacks should be given. Having said that, the fact that something is given on a flight of this length is appreciated.

21 Comments

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  Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10442 Comments 2018-12-01 17:35:39

  Thanks for sharing !
  
  You tried all the BR new aircrafts !
  I'm eager to try the business class in this 787...
  
  Too bad the catering just suffered of cost cutting again. 2 years ago a hot meal was offered on the same route... 2018-12-01 17:35:39

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-01 20:52:15

  Thank you for your comments M. Numero_2. 2018-12-01 20:52:15

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  indianocean SILVER 7573 Comments 2018-12-01 18:21:17

  Thank you for this exclusive report, Adan.
  
  That's what I like about flying throughout Asia, to travel on long haul carriers.
  The cabin is comfortable espacially when the flight is empty
  
  "I have never seen an airline so focus on making sure that bins were completely closed and several FA's rechecked this."=> you notices that too. Even SQ boys and girls are not like that.
  
  The animals-shaped dumplings are so nice. How cruel from you to eat them like that (LOL)
  
  Roasted goose: YUUUUMMMMMYYY!!! 2018-12-01 18:21:17

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-01 21:05:42

  Hi Bernard.
  
  "That's what I like about flying throughout Asia, to travel on long haul carriers."
  - It used to be that you were guaranteed a widebody aircraft when you travel within Asian a few decades ago. That seems to be changing lately. My return HKG-TPE was on an A321 and MH has been deploying 737's on their HKG-KUL routes.
  
  "How cruel from you to eat them like that (LOL)"
  - I have yet to see a dumpling shaped like a bear. :P
  
  "Roasted goose: YUUUUMMMMMYYY!!!"
  - Don't get me salivating! There were far more food pics but I did not post them all. After all this is an aviation site, right? ;)
  
  Thanks for your support. 2018-12-01 21:05:42

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  marathon GOLD 10137 Comments 2018-12-02 11:46:11

  "My return HKG-TPE was on an A321"
  

  Widebodies (at least) and jumboes (often) were the norm on the TPE-HKG route when the only option for flying between Taipei and anywhere in Mainland China was via HKG (I have vivid memories of that loong detour when I was based in Beijing back in 2010). Now that there are direct flights to any Mainland obscure destination, the traffic on the TPE-HKG lifeline has decreased dramatically.

  2018-12-02 11:46:11

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  ANDRAFLY 27 Comments 2018-12-01 19:54:13

  looks like KLM's seat, exactly like that just different color 2018-12-01 19:54:13

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-01 21:07:28

  A lot of carriers install RECARO seats these days. It's the new standard. 2018-12-01 21:07:28

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  marathon GOLD 10137 Comments 2018-12-02 00:26:41

  You unfortunately missed the unique feature of TPE : the very creative diversity of the decorations of its boarding gates. It used to take me over an hour to check all of them. Granted, the windows are few, and the ones without heavily tinted glass even fewer.
  
  Nice cabin look. BR is departing from its corporate (dark) green, which IMO is a welcome change.
  
  Few passenger know that the ponds seen just after takeoff from TPE are the historic reminders of two and a half centuries of development of aquaculture in an originally infertile plain. Over 3,000 of them remain today, from a peak total close to 9,000 before industrialisation took off in the early 70s.
  
  Nice view of the brand new bridge-tunnel link between HK and Macau + Zhuhai !
  
  Thanks for sharing this report and its bonus - I share your appraisal of the Chi Lin Nunnery. 2018-12-02 00:26:41

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-02 06:34:00

  "You unfortunately missed the unique feature of TPE : the very creative diversity of the decorations of its boarding gates. "
  - Perhaps I will devote more time for exploration next time I'm there, although I remember passing by the famous "Hello Kitty" gate during my TPE-HKG connection.
  
  " BR is departing from its corporate (dark) green, which IMO is a welcome change."
  - It's not a flattering color to work with but as you know in Chinese culture it symbolizes prosperity and therefore it is ingrained in the corporate culture. The addition of different colors has improved the aesthetics, especially of the FA uniforms. The bright green from decades ago used to be just hideous.
  
  "Few passenger know that the ponds seen just after takeoff from TPE are the historic reminders of two and a half centuries of development of aquaculture in an originally infertile plain."
  - Your insight is always timely and valuable. Thanks for sharing that.
  
  "Nice view of the brand new bridge-tunnel link between HK and Macau + Zhuhai !"
  - I was not aware of it. Again thanks for pointing that out.
  
  "I share your appraisal of the Chi Lin Nunnery."
  - A must visit place in HK, especially for the first timer and so easy to access via the metro (Diamond Hill stop).
  
  Thank you for commenting François. 2018-12-02 06:34:00

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  marathon GOLD 10137 Comments 2018-12-02 11:54:30

  Green also has a damning problem for uniforms in the Chinese culture world : during the Ming dynasty, husbands of prostitutes were publicly shamed by being forced to wear a green hat. In modern Chinese, "wearing a green hat" means "being a cuckold". You will never see a green headgear in the countries of Chinese culture. 2018-12-02 11:54:30

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-03 08:52:47

  It's a good thing that BR uniforms do not feature a headgear and I have yet to see a male FA. ;) 2018-12-03 08:52:47

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  marathon GOLD 10137 Comments 2018-12-03 16:22:37

  "It's a good thing that BR uniforms do not feature a headgear"
  - Now you know why they don't ! 2018-12-03 16:22:37

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  Pilpintu TEAM 997 Comments 2018-12-03 16:30:17

  I can't believe it! A very common Chilean expression is "poner el gorro" (lit. to put somebody the hat on), which means "to cheat on your husband or wife". This expression is unknown in other Spanish-speaking countries, where they say "poner los cuernos" (to put the horns on). Hence the word "cornudo" (cuckold). Immigration in Chile was very scarce until some decades ago, let alone immigration from China. I have read that a couple thousand Chinese immigrants settled in the north of the country in the 1880s and early 1990s, though. I wonder if this expression originated with that little handful of immigrants. Funny thing, huh? Oh, btw, descendants of Chinese immigrants invented a sort of candy called "chumbeque", which is hugely popular in Iquique to this day! 2018-12-03 16:30:17

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-03 23:22:59

  Thanks for sharing that little known fact. Chile is a fascinating place and hopefully I will get a chance to visit in the future. 2018-12-03 23:22:59

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  Pilpintu TEAM 997 Comments 2018-12-02 03:03:00

  Wow! This report was full of OHs and AHs! That's one handsome cabin! Tidy and modern.
  Free newspapers in economy? I saw that in Argentina, but in my country we are still in the stone age, it seems.
  Wonderful bonuses. The images of the temple moved me to reflection, indeed. And the images of food moved me to the fridge!
  
  Thanks for sharing! 2018-12-02 03:03:00

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-02 11:08:51

  "That's one handsome cabin! Tidy and modern."
  - So true. The seat pattern design is very unique IMHO.
  
  "... in my country we are still in the stone age, it seems"
  - From your FR's it seems that Chile is far from that. ;)
  
  "The images of the temple moved me to reflection, indeed. And the images of food moved me to the fridge!"
  - That means that I'm a decent photographer after all. :P
  
  Gracias por tus comentarios Nelson. 2018-12-02 11:08:51

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  KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6744 Comments 2018-12-02 03:05:25

  Thanks for this next segment in the series Adan! I'm really surprised they did not put a PEY cabin in a brand new aircraft. I think in the US we think of 787s are purely longhaul aircraft, but it's true that in Asia, several carriers are using them on mostly regional routes. Still a PEY cabin should have been installed as some Asian regional routes can get pretty long.
  
  The cabin looks really chic and modern with huge IFE. Yes, from a US perspective, the meal service on a 1.5 hour flight seems great, but it's true that you almost expect more from Asian carriers.
  
  Always pleasant to have an empty flight. p.s. thanks for the #foodporn bonus. Yum
  
  Thanks for sharing! 2018-12-02 03:05:25

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-02 11:18:22

  "Still a PEY cabin should have been installed as some Asian regional routes can get pretty long. "
  - I believe that the longest intra-Asian route on BR's network is TPE-DPS or CGK and that is about 5 hrs. Now if they plan to use that plane to BNE then it is a stretch and a PEY cabin would make a difference.
  
  "...but it's true that you almost expect more from Asian carriers."
  - Especially from a 5-star one. ;)
  
  " p.s. thanks for the #foodporn bonus. Yum"
  - You bet. I hope it was satisfying. :P
  
  Thanks for commenting as always Kevin. 2018-12-02 11:18:22

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-03 12:57:01

  Who would have thought that one day there will be nonstop flights from TPE to the mainland? Speaking of changes, "ashleyyau" alerted me that fuel surcharges are coming back to HKG so fares are not going to be as cheap as they used to. 2018-12-03 12:57:01

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  ThomasDutch SILVER 642 Comments 2018-12-03 20:55:57

  While I find the colour of the seating terrible, EVA Air is always a guarantee for an excellent service. Nice review! 2018-12-03 20:55:57

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  jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments 2018-12-03 23:20:31

  "EVA Air is always a guarantee for an excellent service."
  - FAs might not be as engaging as the other competitors, but they are proactive and efficient. When I returned an empty bottle of water in the back galley the FA offered me a new one without asking and she already opened the cap. Now that is service!
  
  Thanks for commenting ThomasDutch. 2018-12-03 23:20:31