The Full Guide to EVA Air Royal Laurel Class in 2026 (New Routes)

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I’ve been flying to Asia for years. EVA Air is the airline I keep recommending to friends who ask me how to get there in style without paying Singapore Airlines prices. Their business class, Royal Laurel Class, quietly competes with carriers twice as famous, and in some areas like food and service, I’d argue it beats them.

There’s also a lot that’s new heading into 2026. There’s free Wi-Fi for business class passengers, new routes to Dallas Fort Worth and Washington D.C., a collaboration with Maison Kitsuné for amenity kits and pajamas, and a huge fleet investment that will bring entirely new business class suites from 2027. This guide covers everything you need to know before you book, from which seat to pick to how EVA stacks up against the competition.

• Read also: My Favorite Spots to See in Taiwan

My #1 tip to find cheap EVA Air Business Class tickets

Want alerts on cheap EVA Air business class fares straight to your inbox? Sign up for Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), a membership-based service that finds huge discounts, mistake fares, and points and miles deals. I’ve personally saved over $4,000 on premium cabin flights through their alerts, and EVA Air deals come up regularly. Roundtrip business class to Asia under $1,500 does happen, you just need to be ready when it drops. All you have to do is enter your home airport and where you want to go, and they’ll send you mistake fares and other ridiculously cheap flight deals.

The free version covers economy deals, but if you’re after business and first class fares you’ll want the Elite plan. One discounted business class ticket pays for the whole membership several times over. I recommend signing up for the free trial to try it for yourself. And if you like it, use my code JON25 for 25% off your membership!

Overview of EVA Air

EVA Air is Taiwan’s second largest airline, based at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport and part of the Star Alliance. They fly to over 50 destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, with 10 nonstop routes from Taipei to cities like Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and (from June 2026) Washington D.C. If you’re heading to Taiwan, Southeast Asia, or Japan, there’s a good chance EVA can get you there.

Their business class is called Royal Laurel Class, and it’s the product that made me a fan. There’s lie flat seats in a 1-2-1 layout, some of the best food I’ve had on any airline, free Wi-Fi, pajamas, and a level of service that feels incredibly personal. It doesn’t get the same hype as Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific, but having compared them all, I think EVA belongs in that conversation.

• For more reading: 10 Best Airlines for Flights to Taiwan

What’s new with EVA Air business class in 2026?

EVA Air has had a busy couple of years. There’s new routes, free Wi-Fi, and some big changes to the onboard experience. If you’re considering flying Royal Laurel Class in 2026, here’s all you need to know.

New routes: Washington D.C. and Dallas Fort Worth

EVA Air launched nonstop daily service between Dallas Fort Worth and Taipei in October 2025. That makes them the only Asian carrier with two Texas routes (Houston being the other). The flight operates on a Boeing 787-9, which is their newest long haul aircraft.

The bigger news for 2026 is Washington Dulles, launching June 26 with four weekly flights, also on the 787-9. This will be the first ever nonstop between Taipei and D.C., and at nearly 16 hours, one of EVA’s longest flights. Dulles is a United Airlines hub too, so Star Alliance connections across the East Coast will be seamless. I think this route will be popular with travellers who’ve been stuck routing through the West Coast to get to Asia.

Once Washington launches, EVA will serve 10 North American cities with 98 weekly flights: Los Angeles (three daily), San Francisco (three daily), Seattle (up to ten weekly), Chicago (daily), Houston (daily), Dallas Fort Worth (daily), New York JFK (daily), Toronto (daily), Vancouver (daily), and Washington D.C. (four weekly from June). That makes them the largest Taiwanese carrier across the Pacific by a comfortable margin.

In Europe, EVA flies from Taipei to six cities: London Heathrow and Amsterdam (both via Bangkok), Paris CDG (daily nonstop), Vienna (three times weekly nonstop on the 787-9), Milan (daily nonstop), and Munich (four times weekly). They also fly to Brisbane and have extensive connections across Asia from their Taipei hub, including Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Free Wi-Fi for business class passengers

EVA Air introduced complimentary inflight Wi-Fi in mid 2025. Right now, through March 31, 2026, every passenger gets free unlimited web browsing regardless of cabin class on Wi-Fi equipped aircraft (the 777, 787, and A330 fleets). After March 31, the permanent policy kicks in. Business class passengers keep free unlimited browsing on every flight, no strings attached. Premium Economy and Economy passengers will need an Infinity MileageLands membership to keep the free access.

• My tip: Sign up for the loyalty programme before your flight and add the number to your booking, even if you have no status. It’s free and takes two minutes.

New amenity kits, pajamas, and what’s on the horizon

If you’ve seen older reviews mentioning Rimowa amenity kits, those are long gone. EVA now partners with Maison Kitsuné, a French Japanese lifestyle brand, for both amenity kits and pajamas in Royal Laurel Class. I think it’s a better fit for EVA’s personality than the previous collaborations.

Looking ahead, EVA has some exciting developments in the pipeline. They’ve committed $1.94 billion for four additional Boeing 787-9s and $152 million for cabin upgrades on their existing 777-300ER fleet, with refurbishment work starting later in 2026. On top of that, 24 Airbus A350-1000s are on order with deliveries from 2027 through 2033.

These will become EVA’s new flagship aircraft and will feature entirely new Royal Laurel business class suites. The same new product will be retrofitted onto 14 of their newer 777s too, so the experience should eventually be consistent across the long haul fleet. Details on the new suite are still under wraps, but if EVA delivers on what’s been hinted at, the next couple of years could see them jump from “great” to “best in the world” territory.

• Read next: My Guide to Flying China Airlines Business Class in 2026

Royal Laurel Class seats and cabin

Every long haul EVA Air business class seat is fully lie flat with direct aisle access in a 1-2-1 layout. That’s the baseline across the fleet, and it’s a good one. But the experience varies quite a bit depending on whether you end up on a 787 or a 777, so it’s worth understanding what you’re booking.

Boeing 787 (the newer cabin)

The 787-9 and 787-10 have EVA’s best business class product, designed in collaboration with BMW Designworks. Seats face forward in a staggered layout with sliding privacy partitions you can pull across to block the aisle. The bed is 76 inches fully flat, width is around 23 inches, and the entertainment screen is an 18 inch HD touchscreen. It feels modern, clean, and well thought out.

The aircraft itself makes a difference too. The 787’s composite fuselage means lower cabin pressure and higher humidity, which sounds like a minor detail but genuinely matters on a 14 hour flight. I always feel noticeably less wiped out arriving on a 787 compared to a 777.

The one weakness is storage. You get a side table, a small cubby, and a headphone compartment, but that’s about it. My advice is to stow your bag overhead and just pull out what you need before settling in.

Boeing 777-300ER (the workhorse)

The 777 handles most North American and European routes, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, London, and Paris. It uses the Zodiac Cirrus reverse herringbone seat, the same one you’ll find on Cathay Pacific and Air France. The bed is also 76 inches and the seat is spacious, but the cabin is showing its age. The screen is a smaller 15.4 inches, there’s no USB-C or Bluetooth, and there are no doors or privacy partitions.

That said, I’ve had fantastic flights on EVA’s 777s. The food and service are identical to the 787, and that soft product makes up for the older hardware. It’s still a very comfortable way to fly. And with cabin refurbishments starting in 2026, these aircraft will eventually get a completely new interior.

Best seat picks when flying EVA Air

On the 787: Solo travellers should aim for window seats in rows 2, 5, or 7 (EVA skips row 4). These are tucked closest to the wall and offer the most privacy. Even numbered rows place you closer to the aisle, which feels more exposed. Couples should take the centre pairs, though be aware there are no “honeymoon” seats. All centre seats are equally spaced, so you’ll need to lean in a bit to chat.

On the 777: There’s less variation between seats since every position has a similar distance from the aisle. Solo travellers should pick any window seat, ideally avoiding rows 1, 7, and 8 which are nearest the galleys and toilets. Row 11 in the rear cabin tends to be the quietest. Couples will want the centre pairs, which naturally angle inward toward each other.

Lounges and the ground experience

Business class on EVA gets you priority check in, priority boarding, and priority baggage tags. The check in process is quick and painless, and boarding is calm. EVA ropes off a dedicated area near the gate for business class passengers, so there’s no jostling with the crowd. You also get a generous baggage allowance: two checked bags up to 32kg each, plus two carry on pieces and a personal item.

The lounges

I’ll be honest with you: the lounges are EVA’s weak point. At Taipei Taoyuan, business class passengers get access to The Infinity lounge. It looks impressive with its starry ceiling lights and futuristic design. But it gets packed during peak departure banks, finding a seat can be a challenge, and the food is underwhelming for an airline that serves such incredible meals in the air. I’ve honestly had better experiences in Priority Pass lounges next door.

The Star lounge sits right beside The Infinity. It’s technically for Star Alliance Gold members, but I’ve found that staff often direct people between the two depending on crowding. Some travellers actually prefer it. Neither lounge serves champagne, which is a strange omission given what EVA pours at 35,000 feet.

At U.S. airports, you’ll use Star Alliance partner lounges. That usually means United Polaris lounges where they exist, which are generally good. At other airports it varies, so I’d advise checking what’s available at your specific departure city before you go.

The good news is that a new Terminal 3 is under construction at Taipei Taoyuan, and EVA is expected to move North American flights there in the coming years. Hopefully that brings a lounge that matches the standard they set onboard. For now, don’t judge EVA by what happens before the flight. Trust me, the magic starts once you step on the plane.

• Plan when you land: 12 Jaw-Dropping Places in Taipei to Visit This Year

Food and drinks on EVA Air business class

You’ll get a choice between Taiwanese and Western options for each meal service. My strong recommendation is to go Taiwanese whenever you can. This is where EVA’s catering really shines. Dishes like braised beef noodle soup, crispy roasted pork belly, and braised pork with rice taste like something from a good restaurant in Taipei. The Western options are perfectly decent, but Asian carriers almost always do their own regional cuisine best, and EVA is no exception.

On longer flights, there are two dining formats. The “Royal Laurel” service is a multicourse affair with hors d’oeuvres, a main, dessert, and fruit, all served on white tablecloths with proper cutlery. If you’d rather get to sleep quickly, there’s also a “Star Special” option where everything arrives at once. Both are good, but the Royal Laurel service is worth staying up for if you’re not exhausted.

You can pre order your meals on EVA’s website from 21 days to 24 hours before departure, and I’d recommend doing this. The pre order menu includes exclusive dishes created by guest chefs that aren’t available if you just pick from the onboard menu. Popular options can also sell out on full flights, so pre ordering guarantees you get your first choice.

Between meals, the galley is stocked with snacks. These include Din Tai Fung items, instant noodles, and Häagen-Dazs ice cream. On a 14 hour transpacific crossing, that matters more than you’d think.

The drinks

EVA Air is known for serving exceptional champagne in business class. The specific label rotates by route, but recent flights have featured Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame (around $150 a bottle retail) and Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle (over $200). Some routes get the premium pour, others get a more standard offering like Duval-Leroy, so it can be a bit of a lucky dip. Either way, the champagne programme is well above average for business class.

Beyond champagne, two things stand out. First is Kavalan, a Taiwanese single malt whiskey that has won numerous international awards and is one of the most distinctive things you’ll find on any airline drinks menu. If you’re a whiskey drinker, don’t skip it. Second is the tea selection, which includes TWG and EVA’s signature matcha milk tea. The matcha milk tea has a bit of a cult following among frequent flyers, and it’s worth trying at least once.

• Foodies, read this next: 18 Unique Restaurants in Taipei

Amenities, Wi-Fi, and the onboard experience

EVA doesn’t try to overwhelm you with flashy extras. What they do well is get the basics right and add a few touches that make you feel looked after. Here’s what to expect.

What you get at your seat

I covered the Maison Kitsuné amenity kits and pajamas in the what’s new section, so I won’t repeat it all here. The short version: the pajamas are excellent and you’ll want to take them home. You also get noise cancelling headphones, slippers, and a shoe bag.

Entertainment

This is EVA’s weak spot. The 18 inch screen on the 787 looks sharp, but the content library is thin compared to airlines like Emirates or Singapore Airlines. There’s a heavy lean toward Chinese language programming, and the Western selection is limited. On the 777, it’s worse with a smaller 15.4 inch screen and an interface that feels dated.

I recommend downloading a few things to your phone before you fly. I do this on every airline, but with EVA it’s not optional if you’re picky about what you watch. Between your own content, free Wi-Fi, and sleep, you’ll be fine. But don’t expect to browse hundreds of new releases on the seatback screen.

The service

This is the part that’s hard to capture in a guide, but it’s honestly what makes EVA one of my favorite airlines in the world. The crew learn your name at the start of the flight, lay down mattress toppers before you sleep, and top up your drink without being asked. It’s a distinctly Taiwanese style of hospitality and once you’ve experienced it, other airlines can feel a bit impersonal by comparison.

EVA has held a Skytrax 5 Star rating for 10 consecutive years. I usually take airline awards with a pinch of salt, but the consistency here is real. I’ve never had a bad service experience on EVA, across multiple routes and aircraft types. That counts for a lot.

Where does EVA Air fly business class?

Everything runs through EVA’s hub at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. Even if Taiwan isn’t your final destination, Taipei works brilliantly as a connecting point. The hub is efficient, there’s no additional security screening for transit passengers, and EVA builds its schedules so that morning arrivals from North America connect smoothly to onward flights across Asia.

North America

Destination	Frequency	Aircraft
Los Angeles	3x daily	777
San Francisco	3x daily	777 / 787 mix
Seattle	Up to 10x weekly	787
Chicago	Daily	777
Houston	Daily	777
Dallas Fort Worth	Daily	787-9
New York JFK	Daily	777
Toronto	Daily	777
Vancouver	Daily	777
Washington D.C.	4x weekly (from June 2026)	787-9

Europe

Destination	Frequency	Aircraft	Notes
Paris CDG	Daily	777	Nonstop
Milan	Daily	777	Nonstop
London Heathrow	Daily	777	Via Bangkok
Vienna	3x weekly	787-9	Nonstop
Munich	4x weekly	787	Nonstop
Amsterdam	3x weekly	777	Via Bangkok

Asia and Oceania

From Taipei, you can connect to Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Osaka, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and smaller Japanese cities like Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Okinawa. They also fly to Brisbane. If you’re heading to Southeast Asia or Japan, the routing through Taipei is often more convenient than you’d expect.

• Pro tip: Equipment swaps do happen. I always recommend checking the aircraft on your specific flight before booking. If flying the newer 787 cabin matters to you, target Seattle, Dallas Fort Worth, Vienna, or the new Washington D.C. route.

How does EVA Air compare to its rivals?

If you’re weighing up your options for flying business class to Asia, these are the four airlines that come up most often. I’ve flown or closely followed all of them, and the honest answer is none of them is a bad choice. But they’re good at different things.

	EVA Air	Starlux	Cathay Pacific	ANA
Hub	Taipei	Taipei	Hong Kong	Tokyo
Alliance	Star Alliance	None	Oneworld	Star Alliance
Aircraft	777 / 787	A350 / A330neo	777 / A350	777 / 787
Suite doors	No (coming 2027)	Yes	Yes (Aria Suite)	Yes (The Room, 777 only)
Screen	15.4″ (777) / 18″ (787)	24″ 4K	24″ 4K	24″ 4K (The Room)
USB-C	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth audio	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Free Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies
Pajamas	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Lounge quality	Average	Good	Excellent	Very good
Food	Excellent	Excellent	Very good	Excellent
N. America routes	10 cities	5 cities	6 cities	Multiple via Tokyo

Looking at that table, you’d think EVA comes last. There’s no doors, no USB-C, and smaller screens. On the hardware alone, Starlux and Cathay’s new Aria Suite are clearly ahead. ANA’s “The Room” on the 777 might be the best business class seat flying today.

But I keep coming back to EVA. The food is better than almost anything else in the sky, the champagne would embarrass airlines charging twice the fare, and the crew deliver a level of care that I just haven’t found elsewhere. Add in 10 North American cities, Star Alliance for booking with miles, and much better award availability than Starlux, and the case for EVA is strong.

If the newest seat matters most to you, fly Starlux or try to get on a Cathay Aria Suite flight. If Japan is the destination, ANA is hard to beat. But for Taiwan and Southeast Asia, EVA is my default recommendation. And once their A350 suites arrive in 2027, this whole conversation might look very different.

How to book EVA Air business class for less

There are two ways to get a good deal: cash fares and points. Both work, but the approach is different.

Cash deals

I’ve been using Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) for over five years. Their Elite plan ($199/year) specifically tracks business and first class fares, and EVA deals come up regularly. I’ve saved over $4,000 on premium cabin flights through their alerts. Roundtrip business class under $1,500 to Asia does happen, you just need to be ready when it pops up. You can try the free version first, and my code JON25 saves 25% on your membership!

Points and miles

EVA is a Star Alliance member, which means you can book through several frequent flyer programmes. Here’s what each one costs for a one way business class ticket between North America and Taiwan:

Programme	One way cost	Notes
ANA Mileage Club	~65,000 miles	New one way pricing from May 2026. Previously required roundtrip booking at 95,000 miles RT
Air Canada Aeroplan	75,000 points	Transfers instantly from Amex, Chase, Capital One, Bilt
Avianca LifeMiles	75,000-85,000 miles	Transfers from Amex, Capital One, Bilt
United MileagePlus	~88,000 miles	Transfers from Chase, Bilt
EVA Infinity MileageLands	Varies	Transfers from Capital One, Citi. Often has more availability than partners

Tips for finding award seats

Award availability on EVA has tightened over the past couple of years. You used to be able to find two or three business class seats on popular routes without much effort, but those days are mostly gone. Here’s what works now.

Search around 355 days out, which is when EVA first releases seats to partner programmes. If you miss that window, check again a few days to weeks before departure when unsold seats sometimes open up. Be flexible on dates, as even shifting by a day or two can make the difference between finding a seat and hitting a wall.

If partner programmes like Aeroplan and ANA come up empty, try EVA’s own Infinity MileageLands. They tend to release more business class seats to their own members than to partners. The booking process is clunky, but Capital One and Citi both transfer to Infinity MileageLands, so it’s accessible if you hold the right cards.

Is EVA Air business class worth it over economy or premium economy?

EVA doesn’t have a first class cabin, so Royal Laurel is the top of the range. The question most people are really asking is whether the jump up from a lower cabin is worth the money. Having experienced multiple cabins on EVA, here’s my honest review.

Economy

If you have to fly economy across the Pacific, EVA is one of the better airlines to do it on. You’ll get two free checked bags up to 23kg each, proper meals , free Wi-Fi if you sign up for the loyalty programme, and attentive crew. The seat pitch is generous on the 777. It’s still economy on a 14 hour flight though. You won’t sleep properly and you’ll feel it for a day or two after landing.

Premium Economy

EVA was the first airline in the world to introduce Premium Economy back in 1992, and they take it seriously. On the 777 you get 38 inches of pitch in a 2-4-2 layout, and on the new 787-9 it jumps to an industry leading 42 inches. You also get an amenity kit, better meals on real dishware, free alcohol, noise cancelling headphones, and a smaller cabin that feels noticeably calmer than the back of the plane.

My take: If you can snag one of the two seat sections along the windows, Premium Economy is a excellent experience and probably the best value way to fly EVA on a long haul. The middle four seats in the 2-4-2 are less appealing. The main thing you give up versus business class is the lie flat bed, and on an overnight red eye that’s a big deal. If you’re on a daytime flight or you’re the kind of person who sleeps anywhere, Premium Economy might be all you need. But for a red eye where you want to land feeling human, the flat bed in Royal Laurel is a different experience entirely and one I think is worth paying for if you can make it work through miles or a deal.