As the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, I would fly to the island nation to visit relatives every few years while growing up—and boy did I loathe those long plane rides. Whether it was enduring long layovers in stark terminals, losing my markers in a fussy seatback pocket, or being stuck in the last row that didn’t recline, there was always some sort of drama tied to those childhood flights to Taipei.
Then in the early 1990s, I started to hear relatives talk about a new carrier, whose nonstop flights on B747-400 jets sounded more like a dreamy playground than an airline. They spoke of cabin classes whimsically labeled “super” and recounted tales of smelling tasty noodles in their dreams and waking up to an attendant offering them as a late-night snack on a tray. Later on, they talked of the decked-out Sanrio aircraft that were Hello Kitty jets, where everything from headrests to meal cutlery featured the beloved character. And it all existed on little-known EVA Air, a Taiwanese airline founded in 1989—which is currently one of only 10 Skytrax 5-Star Airlines in the world.
When I finally had the chance to board myself, the most exciting aspect as a young traveler was that there was an entire new cabin between economy and business that was so affordable my family was willing to upgrade for the 14-hour flight. That cabin was the world’s first-ever premium economy class. Now a red-hot trend among international airlines and frequent fliers alike, the concept of a moderately priced premium airline seat was born in Taiwan more than 30 years ago.
The dawn of premium economy class
According to historic press releases from the airline, EVA Air made its trans-Pacific debut on December 12, 1992, with four cabins, a self-proclaimed world’s first at the time. With Super First, Super Deluxe, Economy Deluxe, and Economy, it became the first airline in the industry to introduce that premium economy cabin (Economy Deluxe), a cabin that’s taken some airlines nearly three decades to add to their offerings. (KLM just debuted premium economy last summer.)
By 1995, the cabin name was changed to Evergreen Deluxe, which was likely the era that I first experienced the service. What I especially remember were the comfortably deep seats with long leg rests that felt like a recliner, making it easy to curl up for a solid night’s sleep on the long-haul journey. At the time, the seatback video system had six channels, which seemed like a dream, compared to most airlines with just one film shown on a communal screen in coach. But looking back at a press release from the era, I see what the true appeal was to my family. “While this level of service is priced as business class on most other airlines, EVA’s Evergreen Deluxe will be comparable in cost to most coach fares,” the release from February 22, 1995, says.
13 Premium Economy Cabins That Are Worth the Splurge
These affordably priced seats come with business-class perks.
High quality mixed with affordable costs was always my favorite part about my trips to Taiwan, whether it came in the form of street eats, convenience store snacks, or stationery store goodies— but for it to exist on an airline just seemed too good to be true. Yet as I grew up and started booking my own flights to Taiwan, I was struck by how affordable they really were—most notably, roundtrip economy tickets I scored from New York City to Taipei for $770, booked just two days prior to departure in 2016.
EVA Air’s premium economy experience today: a perfected version of the cabin
To see how EVA Air Premium Economy stacks up now—three decades after it was first introduced—I again booked the class on a recent trip to Taipei from New York City.
The perks started before I even got to the airport, as EVA Air offers free shuttle service from five New Jersey and two Pennsylvania locations to JFK Airport, eliminating one of the biggest headaches of international travel—getting to the airport. Living in Hoboken, I simply took a $20 Uber ride to the Jersey City stop, saving me from what would have easily been a $130 ride all the way to JFK. (The free shuttle is also offered from Dallas to Houston airport.)
As part of the Star Alliance, my United Gold status granted me access to the lounge, as well as an upgrade from Zone 4 boarding to Zone 1. And the moment I stepped onto the cabin, I felt like I was in a luxury hotel, as flight attendants called me the very courteous equivalent of “Little Miss Chang” in Mandarin, and came over to help me settle into my seat and confirm the meal selections I had made online.
With seats 38-inches long and 19.5-inches wide in a 2-4-2 configuration, I scored the first row of the section, Row 20, which may not have had under-seat storage, but clearly had more legroom than the other rows. In fact, the 11-inch screen of the entertainment system against the wall was so far that I had to lean over to reach it.
Waiting for me at my seat were slippers, noise-canceling headphones, a water bottle, a medium-sized pillow, and one of the coziest blankets I’ve experienced in the air—with a quilted pattern on one side and faux fur on the other.
Soon, an attendant came over and said, “I prepared an overnight bag for you,” offering me a Kipling amenity kit, with the brand’s trademark monkey keychain, juxtaposed with a scene of Taiwan’s Yilan on the bag filled with Hudson Made New York products.
What I Learned Flying a Low-Cost Carrier to Paris With a Toddler
In premium seats, I actually got decent sleep—and so did my three-year-old.
All through the flight, I felt warm and pampered. Just when I was thirsty, I’d look up and there would be a tray of orange and apple juice and water in eco-conscious cups marked “recyclable, repulpable, and plastic-free.” Just as my stomach started to growl, there were baskets of snacks with mixed nuts, rice crackers, cheese crackers, and even whole apples, a delightfully refreshing treat 30,000 feet in the air.
While the roasted salmon with dill cream sauce I had for dinner was standard fare, I was impressed with the little touches, like the eco-friendly bamboo napkin, tooth flosser, and prepackaged antibacterial towels. Breakfast was more exciting, as I opted for the Chinese style option with scallop congee alongside egg and Chinese sausage. (The western option featured smoked turkey with cheddar cheese.) In between meals, there was a “leisure delight” course with a BBQ chicken brioche roll.
One of the biggest standouts was how clean the restroom was each of the three times I used it—even on the final trip just an hour before landing. (Admittedly I had been on a private jet recently, on a fight one-third as long, and the bathroom was filthy just one hour into the journey.)
With all these comforts—and a seat that reclined to what the brand calls 121.2 degrees, far enough back for my whole head to be behind the seat next to me—I found myself having drifted off for a good seven hours of the flight before I even knew it.
After 30 years in the business, EVA Air has no doubt perfected premium economy. Demand is so strong that it announced last month that starting in mid-2024, it would be updating all of its Boeing 787-9s to add the Premium Economy class, in addition to adding five more 787-9s aircraft to its fleet by 2027.
Upgrading for even more space
Premium economy wasn’t my only EVA Air memory. My dad had once used his points to upgrade me to the Super Deluxe class, when the planes featured Super classes on an upper floor of the double-decker aircraft. So on my return trip from the above journey, I wanted to experience the current business class called Royal Laurel, with 6.5-feet-long lie-flat seats, a shoe cabinet, a retractable armrest, and a cocktail table.
With an 82-inch pitch and 21.2 to 25.2 inch wide seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, the seats appear more dated at first glance than comparable seats on other airlines. But what makes the biggest difference is the experience. The Rimowa and Salvatore Ferragamo-branded amenity kit was complemented by a Jason Wu (he’s Taiwanese-Canadian) pajama set. I was struck by how many fellow passengers actually changed into the sleepwear, so I slipped on the top—and it was so comfy I ended up wearing it all the way home.
Perhaps the greatest service was that when I went to the restroom, the flight attendant offered to “make my bed” so that I returned to a quilt-like cover over my entire seat. By the time I lowered myself down 180 degrees, I felt like I was in the coziest bed of my life with the plaid duvet that was so snug and warm that I found myself asking where I could buy one.
Why Everyone Is Suddenly Flying Premium Economy
The upgraded cabin class is more popular than ever.
But the biggest surprise of all was then looking up and realizing that I was under a sky of twinkling stars, with the charming lights on the ceiling in the aisle, a touch that seemed a little too playful to be true, just like I remembered from my early EVA Air flights.
While I drifted off to sleep quickly, at one point, I awoke in the night, dreaming of those instant noodles, like yesteryear. It wasn’t my imagination. In between my multi-course spare rib dinner and congee breakfast, as an ode to its past, EVA Air still serves its instant noodle mid-flight snacks. But as proof of just how valued it is, it’s exclusively offered in its Royal Laurel business class.
As much as I craved the nostalgic snack that made me fall in love with the airline, I decided that times had changed and that I’d opt for their other midnight noodle option, their signature Impromptu Pork Lord Noodles that were similar to my favorite dry noodles in Taiwan. After all, I have changed, and it might be a time to make a new memory that I’ll look back as fondly on, decades from now.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
How a Little-Known Airline Transformed the Air Travel Industry 30 Years Ago
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