It’s no secret that EVA Air offers the best redemption rates for business class flight redemptions between Singapore and Japan. At less than half the required miles as compared to Singapore Airlines, it’s always been at the top of our checklist to fly on the Taiwanese airline.
In January, we’ve got the chance to finally fly on the airline on our way back from Tokyo. The flight from Tokyo to Singapore is broken up into 2 parts. The first leg from Tokyo Haneda to Taipei Songshan Airport is operated by EVA Air’s 787-10 aircraft. The second leg from Taoyuan International Airport to Singapore is operated by EVA Air’s B777-300 aircraft.
Lucky for us, all B787-10s carry EVA Air’s latest and greatest business class product. Therefore, we got a chance to experience all that the airline has got to offer.
This is our full review onboard EVA Air’s B787-10 Royal Laurel Class product. EVA Air brands its business class product as the Royal Laurel Class or the Premium Laurel Class depending on the aircraft/route.
Booking the Flight
We paid 25,000 EVA Air Infinity Mileageland Miles and 22,040 JPY (S$197.74) in taxes and fees for the flight from Tokyo Haneda to Singapore with a layover in Taipei. The flight was booked on February 2024 for flying in January 2025.
Unfortunately for North Asia flights to Singapore, EVA Air will require an overnight stay in Taipei. There’s also an airport transfer as our flight arrives in Taipei Songshan airport and leaves from Taoyuan International Airport the next day.
Airport Lounge Access
As we’re flying out from Tokyo, premium cabin passengers on EVA Air get access to the ANA Lounge at Haneda Airport. I’ve visited this lounge previously and absolutely loved it because of its variety of Japanese food.
However, on this trip, the lounge was packed and very crowded. The experience was completely different from my previous experience. I couldn’t say I completely enjoyed my time here this time round.
To find out more about the lounge in general, read our review of the ANA Lounge at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport here.
Seat Map
EVA Air B787-10’s Royal Laurel Class follows a standard 1-2-1 configuration. Noticeably, the first row has an absent middle seat.
There are a total of 38 seats in the Royal Laurel Class and 3 bathrooms to service the passengers. This is a relatively good passenger-lavatory ratio of 12:1.
For seat selection, we recommend choosing the back seats for improved privacy during boarding and disembarking. Royal Laurel Class passengers board from the front exits while economy class passengers board from the back exits.
If you’re flying south from Tokyo, you’ll want to pick the right window seats for a perfect view of Mount Fuji after takeoff.
Check-in
There is a dedicated check-in line for Royal Laurel class passengers at check-in. This came in very useful as the check-in line for economy class passengers was very long. Therefore, we managed to save a lot of time because of our ticket.
There’s also a priority line at Haneda International Airport for premium cabin passengers. It was projected to be 20 minutes for the standard line, whereas there was virtually no wait time at all for the priority line.
Seats
The B787-10 features EVA Air’s latest flagship business-class product. All seats come with direct aisle access and full lie-flat beds.
On first impressions, there’s plenty of space for the passenger within the seat. It’s enough to comfortably fit carry-on luggage in the leg area while sitting in the seat. There’s also plenty of privacy between passengers.
On this flight, M and I took the middle seats 2D and 2G. We chose it because we usually enjoy the honeymoon seats when we fly. However, there’s quite a bit of separation between the 2 passengers in the middle, even with the privacy screen receded. It was not easy to communicate during the flight (which can be a good thing if you’re a solo passenger).
On hindsight, we would have chosen a front-and-back window seat on the right of the plane.
Lie-flat beds
When it was time to sleep, we could easily adjust the seat into its lie-flat position using the electronic buttons. It was intuitive to control and we had no problems operating it ourselves.
There were no additional paddings on the bed and we lay directly on the seats itself. Not that we’re complaining, they are incredibly comfortable.
As someone who’s 1.75m, there are a few occasional business class lie-flat beds where I’ve had trouble straightening my legs when lying down. This is not a problem with the B787 Royal Laurel Class product. There’s plenty of room both horizontally and vertically for me.
Accessories
Every seat comes with a Thunder (never heard of it before) noise cancelling headset for use with the in-flight entertainment system. I’ve only wished it was Bose, but upon trying it, it’s quite comfortable and the sound quality is decent.
There’s also 1 universal charging port and a single USB-A port. I’ve only wished that it came with a USB-C port, but I suppose the seat refresh came before USB-C started becoming mainstream.
As this was a short flight, there’s no amenity kit provided for guests. However, you can request for a set of slippers and eye mask from the attendants. There’s also a very comfortable blanket provided for passengers.
In-flight Entertainment
The in-flight entertainment system is powered by an 18” HD touchscreen monitor. The screen’s picture quality is good, with no major distortions in colour (as is common in many flight monitors) and the reflection is not too bad in bright sunlight.
There is a remote control at the side of the seat if you prefer that over stretching your arms forward.
There are plenty of content available on the IFE, ranging from movies, TVs and music. For both movies and TV series, there’s a wide range of selection from Asian to Western favourites. During my flight, I watched “Escape” which was a relatively new movie (highly recommended).
Bathroom
As mentioned, there are 3 bathrooms reserved for Royal Laurel Class passengers. The bathroom interior is pretty standard. It’s not huge by any means, and there aren’t any additional decorations unlike other airlines.
Bathroom amenities is provided by Acqua Colonia, a line of fragrances by the brand 4711 from Cologne Germany. They are gentle on the skin and smells good when used.
Meal Service
The highlight of the entire flight has to be the meal service. Meals onboard the Tokyo to Taipei route are presented in meal sets, with 3 different choices for passengers — Japanese Cuisine, Western Cuisine and the Premium Laurel Special.
Upon scanning the menu, both M and I decided on Japanese Cuisine. It did not disappoint! Even though we were just in Japan for a couple of weeks, this was one of the better Japanese meals we’ve had. It felt like a mini Kaiseki onboard!
The Pork Belly was tender and flavourful, and the fried chicken was fried to the perfect taste.
We ended our meal with a Matcha Mousse with Red Bean that still has its taste lingering in my tastebuds. At the end of the meal, we were both very full and satisfied.
Final Thoughts
EVA Air Boeing 787-10 Royal Laurel Class
Summary
Our experience on EVA Air’s flagship business class has been nothing short of amazing. It excels in both the soft and the hard product.
The seat itself is modern and comfortable. It offers the luxury and privacy that business class passengers demand, even on such a short flight.
Meal service was incredible, with one of the best tasting food offerings I’ve had 30,000 ft in the air. We might be biased as Japanese cuisine is one of our favourite cuisines, but even so, it beats out many other Japanese restaurants we’ve had on land.
On top of that, the service by the cabin crew was immaculate.
The Royal Laurel Class definitely made us feel like royalties while paying a commoner rate for miles redemption. Even though it’s a major inconvenience due to its long layover, it’s completely worth it for the experience.
