TPE->MNL is such a relatively short flight that there won't be that much of a big loss or inconvenience if you don't get the upgrade. In my opinion, it's not worth fishing for that upgrade if I wind up needing to only pay for Economy on that segment. Oh, and TPE->MNL is Premium Laurel, not Royal Laurel.
With meal service, and the potential "circle Manila Bay and/or Clark Airfield waiting to land" you may get only 30 minutes or so of reclined seat time. No time for a decent nap.
The only real advantage of front cabin on that segment is a marginally better (and selectable in advance) meal, and being near the front of the queue for immigration.
The MNL->TPE segment in RL adds the advantage of not needing to pay the $11 USD fee for lounge access. But usually, I like the PAGS lounge better than the contracted EVA lounge, even though the PAGS lounge doesn't have windows.
Last edited by RandomNobody; Sep 17, 2017 at 12:22 am