The airside area of Taipei airport has an odd layout. There are plenty of top end shops, but not much else. Being dark outside, it‘s not as though there‘s much of a view to enjoy. So, I might as well go find the lounge.
EVA Air Lounge Taipei
There are three lounges available, and I have no idea what the difference between them is. I enter the lounge and a young lady scans my boarding pass. She directs me to the right and tells me that „we want you to go right, but if you think it‘s full, you may go left“. Ehm, okay?
The lounge is fairly small, but nice. Like everything else in the terminal, it‘s long and narrow. But it‘s nicely designed.
The buffet features an interesting collection of hot and cold Western and Asian dishes…
For example, there‘s a hotdog grill.
And a few baskets of dim sum.
I settle for three small tuna sandwiches, which are okay, except for the fact that it‘s quite unexpected that they’re sweet, not savoury.
Boarding
At 23h00 the flight shows up as boarding, so I leave the lounge and head for the gate. There is a separate airbridge attached to the aircraft for passengers in Business Class.
The Cabin & Seat
The Boeing B 777 has a different, older seat than the Boeing B 777. It‘s a classic herringbone layout. This is still one of my favourite airline seats that represents a good compromise between comfort and an optimal use of the available space.
The seat offers a good amount of storage space.
The only thing I have to criticise is that the choice of colours in the cabin seems rather bland, and the picture on the central bulkhead is just weird.
Amenities
As on my two previous flights with EVA Air, there is a small card with a poem and a stick of chocolate at my seat.
The amenity kit I am handed has the same content, but a different design to that on the Vienna to Bangkok leg.
Slippers and earphones are already at the seat.
The cabin crew pass through the cabin offering pajamas. This time, I’m handed an XL size, which is a better fit in length.
The Service & Crew
The crew then pass through the cabin again with hot towels, and start taking orders for the welcome drinks.
The Meal – First Service
The printed menu for this flight is rather confusing. But it makes no difference, because it’s approaching 23h30 and I’m too tired to eat.
When the cabin crew come to take my order, I tell them I’d rather sleep. Even so, they ask me what my preference would be and promise to keep a plate in case I get hungry during the night.
Mid-Flight Snack
I sleep a solid five hours. I don’t hear anything going on during the meal service. And guess what? Now I’m hungry. I ring for the crew and immediately one of the flight attendants appears. I tell her I‘d like a bowl of the noodles, which she serves a short while later.
And then the strange thing happens. I extend the seat into a bed again and go off to sleep again for a solid six hours. That never happens! I awaken just slighty over two hours out of Paris.
I quickly go change back into my clothes. When I return to my seat, they‘re just starting the second service – breakfast.
The Second Service – Breakfast
The service begins with yet another hot towel.
The tray is delivered with a plate of fruit, a müsli, and a fresh yoghurt.
The crew pass through the cabin with the breadbasket. I have a croissant and a slice of white bread.
For the main course, I have the omelette with grilled vegetables.
Arrival in Paris
We make our approach into Charles de Gaulle from the East and eventually land on the Nothern runway. EVA Air operates out of the funky Terminal 1 at CDG. This will be my first time using the new, extended satellite.
As we disembark, I take a moment to take a few photos of the beautiful B 777 that safely carried me back to Europe.
The satellite is connected to the main building via an underground passageway.
Passport control is on the fourth floor. Once I‘m through, I head up to the fifth floor to retrieve my suitcase.
From CDG 1, I catch the Roissyval train to CDG 2. It‘s a journey of about ten minutes.
Right next to the exit of the Roissyval is the TGV station for Charles De Gaulle airport.
Getting to Lille
From CDG 2 I catch a TGV train to Lille, which is 53 minutes away on the highspeed line.
Lille is a lovely city in the North of France, close to the Belgian border.
Conclusion
So, this was my third flight with EVA Air. I rather liked them. I thought their service was consistent and their crews were personable and friendly. The seats on both the B 777 and the B 787 were perfectly comfortable. Incidendally, the flight time from Taipei to Paris was 14 hours and 40 minutes. The only disadvantage I see, is with the airline‘s hub in Taipei, which isn‘t really much to look at and feels rather dated.
Well,i have to say i prefered the decor of the 787——possibly because it’s newer. I agree about that wierd bit of ‘art’ on the bulkhead. It reminds me of the TRULY AWFUL attempt at humour BA inflicted on Tristar first class passengers Late 70s early 80s——- a sort of ‘st trinians’ Mural on the forward bulkhead in First class——– oh how we laughed!.My june Swiss trip postponed due to Frightening Diagnosis which i have to deal with.
Sorry to hear that. Then at least you’ll have something to look forward to once you’re well again.
So what was it BA did with the TriStars?
Well Wiliam,it was just an unfunny black and white cartoon over the front Bulkhead in european first class on the L1011. The seating layout was eccentric too .On the left you had four rows of twin seats—– in the middle,Two rows of twin seats—— and on the right One row of twin seats,making 14 in total. in front a combination of galleys and toilets.
That sounds rather unusual. I would have loved to have flown the TriStar at least once. I know I fkew the Trident at least once, but I have no recollection of it, sadly.
PS The Diagnosis was a shocker——- a clue——– King charles has it.
Oh crap. Fingers crossed, Peter!
Thanks William——Its a cliche ,but you never think it’ll happen to you.
Hi Again William.As you have worked for airlines in the past maybe you can answer a question that has been bugging me for years—— i’ll try to keep it brief. In the final years of BA european first class,i took the 8am Ba Tristar flight to Paris. The rather snobby sixty something woman on the check in looked me up and down and said” first class?”[as if i’d made a mistake]. When we established that i hadnt made a mistake,she picked the phone up and asked for a specific seat number for me—– i think 3A—— and repeated ” yes, thats right Peter Boulton seat3A”——– fast forward an hour and we are over the channel and breakfast is being served——- Stewardess spills some juice on me, much appologising,i wave it off and eventually head into paris and buy a jacket at Saint Laurent[long story]. That evening i’m back at CDG and check in for my First class flight back on AF808—— an A300 with 24 first class seats,and what happens?——- mid flight a drink is spilled on me. Now i start to be suspicious ——-How could TWO drinks be casually spilt on me?——- why did the woman in london need to make a phone call? Do airlines have ways of dealing with suspicious passengers?——– How did this happen to me?!!!!!
No, I think you were just unlucky. Sometimes it happens. I onced travelled six weeks back to back for work and I literally lost my luggage on every flight, had one flight cancelled and was rebooked to one that went tech and then rebooked to one that ended up doing a missed approach.
EVA has a top game in the air…on ground though, their lounges are just ok.
Still, a very underrated gem of an airline. And yeah, their menus can sometimes be a but confusing, though it is good to see all of those options, and the catering is usually very good too.