EVA Air plans new business suites, eyes Boeing 777 cabin refresh — and 3 new US cities

06.09.2024 - 19:23 / thepointsguy.com

Taiwan-based airline EVA Air is planning to bring suite-style, business-class seats to dozens of its wide-body jets for the first time. At the same time, the carrier is also eyeing an expansion to three new U.S. cities.

EVA, headquartered in Taipei, is working with its suppliers on designing the all-new concept for its Royal Laurel class, executives told TPG last week — just before the airline debuted its latest Hello Kitty-themed aircraft at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD).

The new Royal Laurel suites — the flagship product on an airline long known for its premium service — will be a centerpiece on its new Airbus A350-1000 jets. The carrier ordered 18 of those jets (with options for six more) earlier this year.

EVA also plans to install the suites on 14 of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft as part of a total cabin retrofit for a subset of its wide-body jet fleet. (The airline operates a total of 33 of the aircraft but will only retrofit some of them.)

The suite is still in development, but passengers can expect to see another change on some EVA jets sooner: Premium economy will begin to debut on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner by the end of this year.

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It's too early for exact details on what EVA's new Royal Laurel suites might ultimately look like; the product is currently in the development stages, EVA executive vice president and head of its North American operations Andrew Su told TPG during an interview in Chicago.

A vision is taking shape, though, and it's starting with enhanced privacy and improved technology.

"Maybe we will, for the inflight entertainment, turn to 4K with the Bluetooth, and also the wireless charging," Su said, noting the aircraft will surely offer the latest-generation Wi-Fi service, too.

The company told TPG that passengers can also expect increased comfort and more personal space, along with adjustable privacy panels and "generous" built-in storage cabinets.

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However the final product ends up looking, the upgrade to true suites is likely to help EVA keep pace with its global competitors at a time when private, walled-off suites in business-class cabins are becoming increasingly popular among airlines. It's a trend that's unlikely to abate anytime soon, based on the sheer number of swanky designs I saw at an industry event this spring in Germany.

EVA's plans for a stepped-up cabin experience go well beyond its new A350-1000 jets, which the carrier is set to receive between 2026 and 2030.

EVA is also planning a complete interior overhaul for 14 of its Boeing 777 aircraft. Specifically, the airline is targeting its