headsouth

Has anyone personal experience of which seats are best to book for LHR BKK flight on a Boeing 777 300 flight BR68 with Eva Air?? Thanks

obscure2k

Welcome to Flyertalk, headsouth. There is a Forum which is more appropriate for questions specific to EVA air. That is the Other Asian... Airline Programs. See Airline Programs, scroll down near the bottom and you will see the referenced Forum.
I am moving this thread to the "other Asian" for discussion.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

jimbo99

Hi headsouth, nice to hear from another EVA flyer!

First off, although right now they're flying 777-300 on this route, at the start of July this will switch to 747 for the peak season.

Some of the best seats are kept held back for frequent flyers (FFs) - ie holders of EVA's Diamond, Gold and maybe Silver card. If you have one of these, you should phone an EVA office and mention it when you book the seat. If you book online, they will be blocked off - even though the system "knows" you.

Sometimes seats are blocked off from the online system when really they are available to allcomers. So if you're struggling its worth phoning them.

You can find seat maps on EVA's site.

For 777, these are the best seats, in my opinion:

60A, 60K (exit window)
45A, 45K (exit window)
60C, 60H (exit aisle)
45C, 45H (exit aisle)

I prefer 60 to 45, but there's not much to choose. NB, the emergency chute doesn't interfere with leg room on the 777. You have great leg room on these seats! BUT, they are only pre-bookable if you are gold/diamond, and even that can be a struggle. Because of this, they may be available at check-in... so do ask. When I've been in them, the person I've been next to always got it at check-in. They weren't FFs.

Else, I would go for an aisle as near to the back as possible. 69-71 C/H are good choices - as the configuration is 2-3-2 here, instead of 3-3-3. If the flight is not full, you're in a good position to move quickly - the back seems to be last to fill up. Or you could go for a D/G and hope that the middle seat (E) is empty. Again, you can ask at check-in, they are quite helpful at LHR.

For 747
This is an unusual configuration - apart from being in rows 45 to 70 at the back, the upper deck (80-89) is also economy - but with a generous 36" pitch! Again these only seem bookable for FFs.

The best seats in my opinion (and in this order):
85K (exit window) - and that's where I'll be on Thursday!
85C/H (exit aisle)
85A (exit window) - but a slight obstruction from the door

Then you have the exit aisles downstairs - 45/55 C/H. I think the downstairs exits windows are obstructed by the chute.. avoid.

Then I'd go for any aisle upstairs.... maybe window too if you like. You get a locker by the windows left over from when this was C/F.

Then I'd go for a centre aisle as near to the back downstairs as possible (ie 70D/G, 69D/G) etc, hoping you wont get someone next to you, and perhaps a whole row free.

As I say, many of these seats will be blocked off unless you're a FF and phone them. BUT, its well worth asking at check-in, especially if you arrive early. If you're not a member of EVA's club and think you might make this journey more than a couple of times then its well worth joining. Although not as generous as before, unless you are on heavily discounted tickets, you don't need many trips to get a Silver card which would get you into the lounge at BKK and a few other perks.

Gus is the guru on economy seats on this route.. hopefully he will chip in with his opinions.

headsouth

thank you sooo much jimbo for your excellent and comprehensive reply to my question!!You obviously travel a lot.
This will be our first trip to Thailand - in fact to the Far east and your info is much appreciated.
I'd looked at the guru and seat expert sites but they say be warned of those near the toilets for the potential smells and the fact people gather there to stretch their legs. Do you think this is a problem? Sounds as though you're one of the knowledgeable who gets the best seat going so don't know if yo'uve used all the seats you mention?
Seat expert said to be aware of 70 ac hk - can't remember why but you say there'e ok?
Thanks again for your time and trouble in replying

Gus

As always jimbo has covered things very comprehensively

I am a biggish chap and I find that the exit row seats are about 1" narrower than the ordinary seats. The legroom on the 777 is not too bad, but I always seem to sit behind the first person to fully recline their seat

Have a good flight.

headsouth

Hi Gus thanks for your reply too. Know what you mean about being the unlucky one behind the first person to recline!!!

jimbo99

Until recently, I was usually flying in Elite so don't have as much Y experience as Gus. I've now done 2 returns in Economy on LHR in the past couple of months and a few on regional flights. But in any case even in Elite I've made it my policy to walk round the plane. I have been on the 777s and 747s dozens of times and often looked closely at the Economy seating as Elite availability has become more of a problem. I fly through to Taipei and BKK-TPE is not so heavily loaded. I've used the chance to try different seats.

On the 777 row 45, the nearby toilet is for Elite and separated by a curtain. I don't think smells will be a problem and people in Economy shouldn't be queuing for it. (Although the policy isn't really enforced.) But if you're in C/H you are quite near to the flick of the curtain which could be annoying. In row 60, you are well separated from the toilet. In fact I forgot to mention, in row 60 you are by the galley where they leave some snacks out. Very handy!

On the 747, row 45 is right by the toilet, so smells could be a problem I suppose. 55 isn't near a toilet. Frankly the FAs seem to keep the toilets quite clean so I wouldn't worry. For me, extra leg room beats almost everything if you are in economy. I've yet to experience a smelly toilet on EVA, though usually the PL and Elite ones a more spacious and cleaner internally.

People do sometimes dwell in those exit areas - but there are better options at the back and that's where people sometimes gather for a chat. LHR-BKK is a nighttime flight - people usually sleep for most of it.

I can't see what the problem with 777 row 70 might be.

Mabuk dan gila

It's worth noting that on the 777 60A or 60K has a window. It's offset back just a little but you can still look out if you like. 45A or K has no window. I vote 60A or 60K on the 777 as the best economy seat in the world. I even still like it better than 85K on the 747 although that one was nice too.

I calculated it up one time and figured I have literally spent several months worth of my life with my butt sitting in EVA economy seats. jimbo99's assessment is spot on. As for seatguru.com, I don't believe they have ever seen the inside of an EVA plane.

jimbo99

Just realised, I have a photo of 85HJK if anyone wants to PM me. Think I prefer 85K to downstairs for a mixture of reasons. I like the locker beside the seat (though you only have part of it), plus its quieter. I think "better" pax end up upstairs too. But perhaps the real reason is I miss the old Super Business/First class and being upstairs reminds me of that. OK I never flew in F much. But I did fly in Super Business a number of times. Not as much leg room or modernity as Premium Laurel. But inflight service was better in those days (free gifts, godiva with your coffee, your name remembered etc) and it was certainly more exclusive (just 8 or 16 in C) than PL. Perhaps that's why the lounges are filling up (see other thread) .... many more C flyers on EVA than there used to be.

Mabuk dan gila

I finished a TPAC in 85K in a 747 last trip. The bin beside it was actually the downside for me since I usually sleep against the side of the plane but there I woke up contorted into a most awkward position. Still, it's upstairs on a 747. Even though I have now been up there my fair share of times I still always get a kick out of being upstairs on a 747 since it still was my childhood dream since I was a little kid back in the 70's to someday get to ride up there.^

Actually last trip was interesting since going over I flew LAX-TPE upstairs in 85K, and coming back was in Super Business 10K on a Combi CGK-TPE which is EXACTLY the same spot as 85K on the 747-400's. I can assure you that 85K is not the same as 10K though

I have to agree with jimbo99 about the difference in service between PL and Super Business too. In CGK as I boarded when they saw my Super Business boarding pass at the door I was personally escorted upstairs to my seat by the FA, always addressed by name, ect. Really a first rate experience. From TPE-LAX in PL on a 777 the service was not nearly so personal.

I have no idea what the 744 was doing in LAX for the trip over. LAX has pretty much been exclusively 777's for a while now but they had the 747 there for at least a few days a month or so ago.

RobertdeHoop

I would like to ask one additional thing. According to seatguru.com row 69 - 70 and 71 (not middle seats) have limited space or recline. can you tell me if this is the case here? and if this differs a lot from the other seats?

Thanx ... Robert

Mabuk dan gila

I will say that I have not personally ridden in those particular seats but I have walked past them plenty of times on the way to the lav. I've seen nothing to indicate they wouldn't have full recline and they actually look like they may have a little extra room. If I were looking to grab a row with only 2 seats I would think those are way superior to row 57 where you have to contend with the lav lines. Lav lines in the back tend to form in the galley unlike 57 although I would still probably avoid row 71 for that reason.

If you have to fly economy though if at all possible though you want the exit rows. 45 or 60 are about the best economy seats in the world. I can usually be found in 60 A or K

RobertdeHoop

Thanks for the quick response.

I hope you can also confirm that the pitch size of these seats is as big as the normal seats?

Robert

Mabuk dan gila

Since I have not actually sat in them I can not give you a definitive answer on that except to say that walking by them they do not appear to be constrained by anything. You can just throw out Seat Gurus assessments though. They have obviously never been on the plane and are just making assumptions in their assessment of EVA's 777-300's economy seating. For example they state 45A,K and 60A,K are partially blocked by the emergency slides and you must angle your legs to stretch out. This is false. Those seats are not obstructed by the emergency slides. They state 57A,K and 69-71A,K have extra room on window side. This is false. The "missing seats" are on the aisle side and the seats are lined up normally against the side of the plane. I wouldn't trust Seat Guru to much on this one.

jimbo99

Hello RobertdeHoop and welcome to the group. Unless you can get exit seats, I think those seats are worth going for. Like Mabuk dan gila I can't give the cast iron promise that the recline and pitch is exactly the same. But I have spent a lot of time wandering around the cabin and took a look at those seats as a potential backup if I'm in economy and can't get exits.

I'm almost certain that the recline/pitch is the same. You also have the following advantages:

1. Quieter - less engine noise. Also further away from the baby row
2. Fewer people choose the back rows. If the flight is not full, you're best placed to grab a centre row of 3 to yourself.
3. You are near the toilets, but in 69, 70 not so near that you're disturbed by smells. In fact I wouldn't worry even in 71 - EVA (or maybe its the jolly decent EVA pax?) seem to keep the toilets pretty clean.
4. Easy access to the galley area where the FAs often leave snacks out.
5. If you're in the aisles (69/71 C/H), you can lean over a bit without getting your shoulder/elbows knocked since the aisle is much wider here and you are in the "shadow" of 68C/H.

Have a good flight and don't forget to feedback your experience!