Review of EVA Air flight from Osaka to Taipei in Economy

EVA Air BR131 Osaka [Kansai] to Taipei [Taoyuan]

Flight details:
Airline: EVA Air
Flight: BR131 KIX - TPE
Reg: B-17808
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Seat: 21K
Depart Osaka [Kansai] Terminal 1 Gate 15: 12.55PM [Actual time: 01.15PM]
Arrive Taipei [Taoyuan] Terminal 2 Gate C7: 03.05PM [Actual time: 04.10PM]
Total time: 3hr 10min

Video: EVA Air BR131 Osaka to Taipei

Introduction

This trip report is from Dec 2023. This report covers the journey from Osaka - Kansai to Taipei - Taoyuan.

I had flown to New Chitose, Sapporo, read trip report: AirDo ADO023 Tokyo [Haneda] to Sapporo [New Chitose]

In Sapporo, I collected the JR pass. I then travelled from Sapporo to Nagasaki using the Japan Railway.

After staying few days in Osaka, it was time to fly to a new country.

Booking

I booked this flight in Nov 2023.

Selected the seats at time of booking.

Paid in Japanese Yen, got charged foreign exchange fees.

Pre-Departure- Online check-in

I checked online for this flight.

Received emailed boarding pass

Express Train to Airport

I checked out of hotel and then walked to the East Ticket gate to catch the Express train to Osaka Kansai airport.

Got the ticket for the train. Green car has reserved tickets and seat number is allocated at time reservation.

Signs and direction for Airport train

Haruka Train departs from Platform 3

As I had JR Green pass

Haruka "Hello Kitty" livery arrives at JR Shin-Osaka station

Video: Airport Express Haruka

Boarded the train and reached seat.

Hello Kitty design headrest

Cabin has Hello kitty theme inside and in toilet.

Reached Osaka Kansai in 50mins.

Train prepared for return journey to JR Kyoto station

After disembarking took the escalator to upper floor to exit the station. As I was using JR pass, had to insert both ticket and pass to exit the barrier.

Osaka Kansai - Terminal 1

Exited the train station and looked for Terminal 1 direction.  Terminal 2 requires passengers to take a free shuttle bus. Terminal 1 is used by most International airlines.

Looked at the Terminal 1 departure display for check-in rows.

Following the direction

Check-in row was in the North section

Terminal 1 Entry

Escalator to departure floor. As I had bag, used the elevator.

4F for check-in

Flight schedule

I was early and had to wait for check-in to open.

Eva Air check-in row B

Check-in opens at 10.25am

Check-in

I joined the long queue to check bag.

Eva flights from Osaka Kansai.

Full flight to Taipei

When it was my turn, I showed the passport, bag weighed and was issued boarding pass.

Eva Air boarding pass

Security and Immigration

After check-in, I went for security check. Passengers have to scan the boarding pass to enter the security area.Checking is quick even though the queue was long.

Immigration was quick and was soon in Duty free area.

Duty free shopping

After clearing immigration, all passengers have to pass through the duty free shops. Shopping area was crowded.

I had nothing to buy and watched others spend.

Departure area

Exited the shops and into the departure area.

Lounge directions and gate information

With plenty of time, explored the departure area.

Food court

Waiting area

Flight information

Lower floors for bus boarding gates.

Gate 15 for Eva Air, not many passengers near the gate.

✈ Spotting

Planespotted while exploring the terminal.

Tway🇰🇷 Boeing 737-800

Video: Osaka Kansai Airport ✈ Spotting

Watched Korean Air 🇰🇷 Boeing 737-900 pushback and Eva Air 🇹🇼 Airbus A321 taxi to runway.

Asiana 🇰🇷 Airbus A330

Korean Air 🇰🇷 arrives after landing on runway 06L-24R

Tianjin Airlines 🇨🇳 Airbus A320

Returning to gate, noticed flight as rescheduled to 13.15 hours. Aircraft had not yet arrived.

Air China 🇨🇳 Airbus A320

Aircraft arrived late.

Aircraft information

Eva Air B-17808 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner operating BR131 to Taipei - Taoyuan International airport.

Aircraft history

Eva Air Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner information from Eva Air website

Aircraft seating

Boarding

Ground crew in action after aircraft arrived. Within few minutes boarding started.

Boarding started at 13.05hours by group.

I joined the queue when group 4 was called.

Boarding pass scanned, passport checked and then allowed to proceed towards aircraft.

Onboard

Crew waiting at the door to greet passengers and direct them to seat.

I was seated on the starboard side. View of cabin after entry.

Window Seat 21K, I placed bag in the overhead bin and settled in seat.

Welcome message in the personal screen

Eva Air aircraft

Window view - parked next to Malaysia Airlines 🇲🇾 Airbus A330-300

Boarding continued as the flight was full.

Seat view

Plenty of legroom for me.

Crew distributed the earphones after cabin door was shut.

Pushback and taxi

Crew informed ground crew to exit the aircraft, followed by captain's announcement. Captain apologised for the delay and provided flight information. Crew informed about the safety demonstration. Pushback started as the safety demonstration played on personal screen.

Ground crew waving the aircraft.

Cathay Pacific 🇭🇰 Airbus 350

Aircraft taxied towards the runway with Air China 🇨🇳 Airbus 330 departing

Air Macua 🇲🇴 Airbus 320 departing ahead of Eva Air

Runway 24L in use for departure and 24R for arrivals.

Rolling on as Jetstar Japan 🇯🇵 and Greater Bay Airlines [GBA] 🇭🇰 taxis to the runway.

StarLux 🇹🇼 Airbus 330 pushback in view

Rotate

View of Osaka Kansai airport after departure

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, One of the world's longest suspension bridges in view below

Seat View

Electronics in flight mode message

Seat belt message

Aircraft has wifi onboard, which I did not check.

Flight information

Time information with map

Distance and altitude

Temperature and weather information

Fukoka city in view

Flight delayed by an hour

World time and distance

It was a sunny day. Being a day flight, crew had left the window open for passengers to set according to their preference. I set my window to dark mode as seen below.

Crew distributed the Taiwan Arrival card, which I filled.

Seat Pocket Content

Safety card

Eva Air Boeing 787-10 safety card

Duty free shopping available online

Airsickness bag

Ear phones

on reverse

Global time and Imperial system of measurements - Miles, Fahrenheit and Feet.

Cabin service

Cabin service began 40min after departure.

I chose the chicken with rice, other option was beef.

I was asked what I will have for drink, I chose beer and got Kirin beer 🇯🇵.

Flight information while having meal

Distance to destination

Dessert - AiYu Jelly (愛玉) famous in 🇹🇼.

Flying past Kagoshima

Over Kagoshima

Took rest after the meal

Slept for sometime and when I woke, saw 45mins to land.

Flying over East China Sea

Descend

Captain announced descend would commence half hour before landing, informed crew to prepare for arrival.

My battery was low, kept phone for charging after takeoff.

Pilot view on descend

Flying over Taipei suburbs

Landing in Taipei Taoyuan International Airport

Aircraft landed on runway 05L

Cabin crew announced arrival in Taiwan,  a long taxi followed to gate in Terminal 2.

Arriving at Terminal 2 gate C7

Message on screen

Flight information

Window view

Airport top view

Disembarkation

Economy class seat view . Disembarkation was orderly.

Business class seat view during disembarkation

View of  aircraft after disembarking. Flight was 1 hour late. and arrived at gate around 16.05hours.

Quarantine and Immigration

Entering the terminal, received a quarantine card.

Video: Taipei - Taoyuan International Airport Arrival to Exit Information

Direction for arriving and transit passengers, followed by quarantine check. Passengers have to take red or green path depending on declaration.

After the quarantine, direction for immigration. As I had visa on arrival, I joined the Foreign passport queue. It took 15mins to clear immigration, no questions were asked. Passport was stamped with 30 day visa.

After clearing immigration, check the baggage claim belt.

Baggage would arrive on belt 5.As seen on the clock time was 16.43 when I was waiting for the bag. I got my bag after 10 mins of wait.

Arrival Area

Collected bag and passed through the green channel. Arrival area was busy.

I checked the price for sim and decided to get it in the city as the queue was long.  A mistake as it was more difficult process as staff are not familiar how to process tourist. Better to get it at the airport even though it maybe a little expensive.

Airport Express to Taipei Main Station

I followed the signs for train which requires taking escalator to lower floor.

Bought the Train token

Tapped the token and entered the station concourse

Terminal 2 Train station

Waited few minutes for train to arrive

Train information

Platform view

Video: Airport Express: Taipei Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station

Boarded the train, journey time was 35mins

Window view, it was dark outside.

Disembarked at Taipei Main station

Train preparing for return journey to Taoyuan Airport

Dropped the token in the slot and exited the paid area.

Outside Taipei Main Station.

This is were I regretted not taking the sim at airport. I had downloaded a offline map, but it wasn't working properly. Wasn't able to figure street orientation due to tiredness. Wasted some time and tried asking but unable to converse due to language issue.

I figured out the direction and then walked towards the hotel, which was 10mins away.

End of Trip Report

Hope you enjoyed this trip report. Thanks for reading.
:)