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EVA Air Hello Kitty Transpacific Royal Laurel Class 2014
I guess Hello Kitty can be a controversial subject on various travel forums, especially for travelers flying in Business or premium economy class. I decide just to write a short report on EVA Air’s soon-to-discontinued Hello Kitty transpacific flight from Taipei to Los Angeles, as B-16703 “Sanrio Family Hand in Hand” will begin to serve the nonstop flights between Taipei and Paris three times a week. For those in business class, I think the Hello Kitty element is rather subtle, especially compared to some of the earlier trip reports on Hello Kitty flights, and even compared towards regional Hello Kitty flights. However I also have to say that I am very impressed with EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class and its upgraded amenities and service. The service is yet to be as polished as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, but you can feel that the F/As are trying their best. The catering is impressive, especially some of the pre-booked meals and Taiwanese-inspired meals. Compared to Cathay Pacific’s business class catering, EVA Air is definitely better with fancier presentation and heartier meals, not to mention better quality. However, I find it surprising that a proper midflight snack, like noodles or sandwiches, is not offered on the Taipei to LA segment, despite being offered on the return LAX to TPE flight.
October 12, 2014; Sunday
BR 870 HKG-TPE lv1525 Arr1710 Boeing 777-300ER B-16703 “Sanrio Family Hand in Hand”
I arrived at the airport a bit earlier than usual, as I decided to use a car service. EVA Air uses Aisle E at Terminal One, and the counters were fairly quiet at this noon hour. The agent was efficient and polite, but no Hello Kitty boarding pass for the onward flight from Taipei to Los Angeles. Just printed on a regular boarding pass stock!
EVA Air shares Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and the lounge was fairly quiet. An attendant immediately offered me a menu, and asked for my beverage and food order!
The menu definitely had suffered some cutbacks!
I went with a diet coke, pasta, and a fruit salad! The lounge staffs were very efficient and friendly. However the food was a bit on the small side.
I never noticed these reclining lounge chairs before!
Once I logged into the free wifi, I found out that the Hello Kitty 777 was on its way to Hong Kong, and I got to fly this Hello Kitty all the way from HKG to LAX! Of course, Hello Kitty amenities were not offered on the Hong Kong to Taipei flight, as it was a last minute aircraft change. Nonetheless, I decided to head over to gate 28 early, so I could take some good shots of B-16703. Both TPE and LAX were not particularly photo-friendly, and I was glad to have this chance here in HKG. Due to the ongoing single runway operation in Taoyuan, delay was a major problem and today was no exception! Our scheduled departure time was moved to 3:40pm, but since this plane would continue to LAX, I was not overly concerned.
Gate 28
B-16703 arriving from Taipei
I guess Hello Kitty can be a controversial subject on various travel forums, especially for travelers flying in Business or premium economy class. I decide just to write a short report on EVA Air’s soon-to-discontinued Hello Kitty transpacific flight from Taipei to Los Angeles, as B-16703 “Sanrio Family Hand in Hand” will begin to serve the nonstop flights between Taipei and Paris three times a week. For those in business class, I think the Hello Kitty element is rather subtle, especially compared to some of the earlier trip reports on Hello Kitty flights, and even compared towards regional Hello Kitty flights. However I also have to say that I am very impressed with EVA Air’s Royal Laurel Class and its upgraded amenities and service. The service is yet to be as polished as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, but you can feel that the F/As are trying their best. The catering is impressive, especially some of the pre-booked meals and Taiwanese-inspired meals. Compared to Cathay Pacific’s business class catering, EVA Air is definitely better with fancier presentation and heartier meals, not to mention better quality. However, I find it surprising that a proper midflight snack, like noodles or sandwiches, is not offered on the Taipei to LA segment, despite being offered on the return LAX to TPE flight.
October 12, 2014; Sunday
BR 870 HKG-TPE lv1525 Arr1710 Boeing 777-300ER B-16703 “Sanrio Family Hand in Hand”
I arrived at the airport a bit earlier than usual, as I decided to use a car service. EVA Air uses Aisle E at Terminal One, and the counters were fairly quiet at this noon hour. The agent was efficient and polite, but no Hello Kitty boarding pass for the onward flight from Taipei to Los Angeles. Just printed on a regular boarding pass stock!
EVA Air shares Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and the lounge was fairly quiet. An attendant immediately offered me a menu, and asked for my beverage and food order!
The menu definitely had suffered some cutbacks!
I went with a diet coke, pasta, and a fruit salad! The lounge staffs were very efficient and friendly. However the food was a bit on the small side.
I never noticed these reclining lounge chairs before!
Once I logged into the free wifi, I found out that the Hello Kitty 777 was on its way to Hong Kong, and I got to fly this Hello Kitty all the way from HKG to LAX! Of course, Hello Kitty amenities were not offered on the Hong Kong to Taipei flight, as it was a last minute aircraft change. Nonetheless, I decided to head over to gate 28 early, so I could take some good shots of B-16703. Both TPE and LAX were not particularly photo-friendly, and I was glad to have this chance here in HKG. Due to the ongoing single runway operation in Taoyuan, delay was a major problem and today was no exception! Our scheduled departure time was moved to 3:40pm, but since this plane would continue to LAX, I was not overly concerned.
Gate 28
B-16703 arriving from Taipei
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