Review: EVA Air Business Class (787-10)

Toward the tail end of our trip through Southeast Asia my brother and I needed to take a positioning flight to Taipei to catch our flight home to Vancouver on China Airlines’ Boeing 777 business class. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to check out EVA Air’s newest business class cabin, featured on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.  

EVA Air is widely recognized as one of Asia’s best airlines, and while its Boeing 777 business class is well known and highly regarded, I’d argue that the product is beginning to show its age and approaching the end of its lifecycle.

EVA Air’s Boeing 787 business class offers a more modern experience, with stylish seats, excellent food, and the consistently outstanding service we’ve come to expect from a Taiwanese carrier.

Booking EVA Air Business Class

One of the aspects I enjoy about flying with Asian carriers is that many of them operate widebody aircraft equipped with proper business class seats, even on flights as short as two hours. For me, this is such a treat and one of the key reasons I was eager to fly on the 787. EVA Air primarily uses its fleet of 787s for short- and medium-haul regional flights as well as a select few long-haul destinations, making it harder to book for those of us based in North America.

As of this writing, the only North American city to consistently receive EVA Air’s 787 service is Seattle. You’re far more likely to find these aircraft operating routes to and from cities in Japan, South Korea, mainland China, and various parts of Southeast Asia.

Related: Finding the Best Aircraft for a Redemption

I booked this flight as part of a broader trip through Southeast Asia, which included multiple segments. One of the most beneficial distance bands on the Air Canada Aeroplan award chart is the 2,001 – 5,000-mile distance band on the “Within Pacific Zone” award chart, allowing members to redeem just 45,000 Aeroplan points for one or more business class flights covering up to 5,000 miles.

If booked individually, this flight would cost 20,000 Aeroplan points, as it falls within the 0 – 1,000-mile distance band on the Aeroplan award chart. However, adding on additional segments up to 5,000 miles is one of the best ways to maximize your Aeroplan points while traveling throughout Asia. 

You can earn enough Aeroplan points for a redemption such as this by opening a single credit card, like  the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. The card offers a generous welcome bonus and benefits such as free checked bags, and a $100 NEXUS membership credit.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card

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TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card

The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card offers benefits that include a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights and a $100 NEXUS membership credit.

In 2025, we awarded this card as the Best Core Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card.

BONUS
40,000 Aeroplan

MINSPEND
$12,000

EST. VALUE
$840+

ANNUAL FEE
$139 (FYF)

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–

Cabin Arrangement

Each seat in EVA Air’s business class cabin on the Boeing 787 (which the airline brands a Royal Laurel Class) is arranged in a staggered 1–2–1 configuration with some seats being positioned closer to, or further away from the aisle.

The aircraft has 34 business class seats, all with direct aisle access.

Unlike many other airlines that use a staggered business class seating configuration, all middle seats in EVA Air’s 787 business class cabin are evenly spaced. While these seats may still be preferable for couples traveling together, the EVA Air 787s don’t offer the traditional “honeymoon” seats found on some other carriers.

The window seats alternate between being closer to the aisle and closer to the windows. For solo travelers, seats A and K in rows 2, 5, 7, and 9 are ideal, offering extra separation from the aisle and a bit more privacy.

The seats positioned away from the windows and closer to the aisle have the side console located between the seat and window which places the seat up against the aisle and quite exposed to the activity in the cabin. These seats would be the least desirable for solo travelers.

Seat

The EVA Air Boeing 787 cabin has an understated yet modern aesthetic, featuring a palette of blacks, dark brown, greys, and subtle hints of olive green.  

Complementing this design are refined metallic finishes and the Dreamliner’s advanced mood lighting system, coming together to create a visually striking and inviting ambience. 

I selected seat 5A, one of the window seats positioned further from the aisle.

Despite missing some of the more advanced features found in the latest-generation seats, like wireless charging and Bluetooth connectivity, this seat is still quite modern. It offers solid technology, including a large high-definition screen, ample charging ports, and a good range of seat adjustment options.

In the console beside the seat is a large flat surface and the connectivity and control panel for the seat’s features. This included the seat controls, a universal power and USB-A outlet, and the handheld entertainment controller.

At shoulder height on the side console, there’s a small storage compartment perfect for holding your headphones or other small items. The compartment’s door also features a built-in vanity mirror.

The seats situated closer to the windows also have a sliding privacy screen that provides added separation from neighboring passengers. As the seats in each row are not offset, without the screen extended, you can see directly into your neighbor’s seat, and vice versa. While it’s not as private as a fully enclosed suite, I was surprised by how effective the screen was at providing an added level of solitude.

The tray table slides out from the side console and can be moved forward and away from you once deployed. However, this design prevents you from leaving the seat without fully stowing the table.

Directly across from the seat is an 18” high-definition touchscreen display and a literature pocket for the safety card.

The footwell offers a comfortable and spacious area for your feet when the seat is in bed mode. Unlike many business class seats, it doesn’t taper inward, providing more generous space than usual for this type of seat.

Bed

Since this was a short flight, no pillow or bedding was provided. On longer routes, EVA Air offers a full turndown service, including a mattress pad, duvet, and pillow.  

Even without the bedding, I reclined the seat after the meal service and found it to be quite comfortable. That said, the ability to lower the armrest would have been a welcome feature, as the seat’s shell feels a bit narrow around the shoulder area.

Much like EVA Air’s Boeing 777 fleet, the newer 787s also feature a starlight ceiling effect, which nicely enhances the atmosphere and adds a premium feel to the cabin.

Amenity Kit

EVA Air doesn’t provide an amenity kit on regional flights. However, a pair of slippers and shoe bag were handed out by the crew as passengers were taking their seats. 

Considering the short flight time, it’s impressive that the airline provides a decent pair of slippers.

Dining

After I took my seat, one of the flight attendants offered a welcome beverage and delivered a warm towel.

The dining and beverage menus were already placed at our seats prior to boarding.

The dining menu was very brief, but did offer two choices for the main course.

The beverage menu was quite impressive, and included wine, spirits, soda, tea, coffee, and more.

About 15 minutes after takeoff, the meal service began. With a large business class cabin and a relatively short flight, the crew worked efficiently, serving the entire meal on a single tray. I opted for the fish entrée, which was served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The meal also included an appetizer of marinated shrimp and a bread pudding for dessert. A selection of bread was offered, and I went with the garlic bread — always a favorite of mine when flying.

My brother had the chicken entrée, and we both agreed that while neither dish was particularly impressive, it was still a perfectly satisfactory business class meal for a short regional flight.

Entertainment

Entertainment Console

EVA Air’s 787s offer excellent entertainment with a large, high-definition screen that responds quickly to touch with minimal lag.

Business class passengers receive a pair of over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones. 

I usually prefer to use my own headphones on most flights, but I didn’t feel like digging them out of my bag for such a short flight. I decided to use the provided headphones and was pleasantly surprised by their quality. They did a good job of blocking out much of the cabin noise.

EVA Air’s 787s feature a modern entertainment system with a wide range of options, including movies, TV shows, music, games, and eBooks.

The library of movies and TV shows isn’t the most extensive I’ve ever seen, but the airline had a decent number of HBO series available, which I always appreciate.

The in-flight interactive map was also user-friendly, thanks to the screen’s impressive touch response.

Wi-Fi

EVA Air provides Wi-Fi on its 787s and offers a 30-minute session for free to all passengers. 

Wi-Fi plans start at $4.95 USD for 30 MB and go up to $39.95 USD for unlimited data. I did make use of the 30-minute free Wi-Fi and found the speeds adequate for light browsing and checking emails, but not much beyond that.

Conclusion

Although you’ll primarily be limited to intra-Asia flights and just a couple routes to North America and Europe, flying on EVA Air’s 787 is a fantastic experience. The aircraft features a modern business class cabin with good food and outstanding service.

EVA Air’s cabin crew on our flight deserves a special mention, as they’re among the best in the industry. During boarding, a crew member noticed my brother and me taking photos and kindly offered to take some pictures of us. It’s a small gesture, but I’ve never experienced anything like that with any other airline.

Although securing an award seat on this aircraft for a long-haul route can be challenging, if you’re planning a trip to Asia, I’d highly recommend including a regional flight on an EVA Air 787 as part of your broader itinerary. It’s one of the best ways to maximize the value of your Aeroplan redemption.