username

I just finished an EVA TPAC trip - one way in Royal Laurel (RL, Business) and one way in Economy (Y). I found that SeatGuru is not very detailed on the pluses and minuses of the seats. So, I figure I start a thread here, modelled after the United threads, for us to share our experiences.

Answers to Most Frequently Asked Questions

777 Fleet Facts/Plan - 23 777-300ERs Total - Exact Breakdown Unknown, RL is available on All 777s

Main Differences Between 77A and 77N

External - 77As have the dome for the antenna and no longer have the Chinese characters for EVA Air

+ for 77A (New)

+ for 77N

References/Existing Threads

Official Fleet Facts Page for BR 777-300ER

77A Delivery Announcement and Video (English): http://www.evaair.com/en-global/news...a-seattle.html

77A announcement and video: http://www.evaair.com/zh-tw/news-rel...-sky-wifi.html and
A Youtube video of the Elite and Y cabins:
New 77A Configuration: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...stion-77w.html

Economy: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...777-300-a.html

Elite and Economy Discussions: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...you-think.html

Elite Seat Photos


Elite Discussions: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...iew-777-a.html

77N Elite Trip Report: http://www.flywithdinh.com/blogs/nov...ir-elite-class

77N Kitty Jet Trip Report: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ss-2014-a.html

RL Discussions: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...rel-class.html

10 Abreast Seating Discussions: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...ast-777-a.html

Layout of Passenger Accommodations (LOPA)/Seating Charts

77A: 333 Seats - 39J/56EY/238Y - select flights on LAX, JFK and IAH (Kitty).


77M: 323 Seats - 38J/64EY/221Y


77N: 313 Seats - 38J/64EY/211Y


77B: 353 Seats - 38J/64EY/251 10 across seating in Y


New Livery

username

On the outbound, I had a seating mix-up. My pre-reserved seat was gone for some reason. I was too distracted to look at the seat number on boarding pass - since there was a picture of a cat on the boarding pass

When I got onboard, I realized my window seat became a middle seat in RL. So, I had a brief experience in the center. I found I could talk to my neighbor leaning forward a little. That seems to be the main question people ask.

They found a seat in the 2nd RL cabin - in row 8. I would recommend against that row. The problem is not so much the galley but the FA's opening and closing the closet right in front of the seat throughout the flight. The clicking sound and light that gets turned on when the closet opens is annoying.

On the return, I was able to get exit row in economy. Apparently, exit rows are only assigned at the airport to people who ask. In the economy cabin, there are 2 exit rows: 45 and 60.

The following applies to the 77N, it seems the space is reduced for the 77A for at least row 60. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23954588-post134.html for my 77A notes.

45 is the first row of Y. The upsides are:

1 - window seat has very little intrusion of the emergency exit slide
2 - more front of the cabin
3 - lavs near the row belong to the Elite cabin so there is a curtain
4 - there is no galley

the downsides are:

1 - no window
2 - people from the Elite cabin and FAs would open the curtain and it can be annoying if you are in the aisle seat
3 - there is a passage way between the two sides of the airplane. The light in the passage way STAYS ON the entire flight. Eyeshades are needed to sleep
4 - it gets really cold
5 - FAs use that passage way to park their meal and duty-free carts (used to serve the Elite cabin) - it actually interferes with the aisle seat

So, it seems to me, for row 45, the better deal would be the window seats.

Row 60 seems to be a better deal. The down side is it is further back.... The emergency exit chute sticks out a lot more but the row is set a lot more back from the door. So, unless one is really tall (like 6'6"), it should not interfere with the window passenger. There is a window.

Row 60 is by the galley and lav. However, the galley seems to be lights out completely during the overnight flight - the one in the back of the plane is used. There is a decent amount of space so I don't think the lav traffic would be too annoying.

yerffej201

Nice post! Sticky??

RandomNobody

1/3rd of the users of the Elite lav are the regular economy folks sneaking through the curtain. (in my non-scientific estimation)

Since there is no easy way to get from one lav to the other, the Elite folks also use that passageway to get to the other side's lav if their side is occupied, and for "I need to stretch and not sit" breaks, adding to the curtain disturbances.

username

The "closed" Elite cabin is very strange and causes a ton of problems - for the Elite passengers who want get to the other side (e.g. to use the lav), Y passengers in row 45 and FAs doing their jobs. It is obviously not feasible to modify the cabin again and they probably want to keep Elite small to keep the yield up.

I did not see that many Y passengers using the Elite lav - the only one seems to be the guy next to me. Many seem to be coming from the other side of Elite.

By the way, I thought, like the RL seat, the Y seat was pretty stiff. I have also flown Elite before and thought the seat was nice - sort of foam like. The Y seat's form was good though - it supported me pretty well. The recline was actually more than I expected. I think like the UA E+ - maybe partially because the seat slides forward?

Oh, I tried a non-exit Y seat and could not extend my legs - there is a box under the seat in front. Is that box under every seat or only certain aisle ones?

tya

I literally had the same concern about the entertainment box occupying legroom so I paid extra attention the last time I flew their 77W and located those annoying boxes. However it was a few years ago, and I just forget the details after I posted my comments onto seatguru (as I believed it would be a reliable permanent source that I can always go back and check). Unfortunately they seem to wash out all records after BR changed 77W configurations several times.

One thing for sure is that A and H will have those boxes, as they are aisle seats and BR assume pax do get extra space to stretch. I think it was D that has entertainment boxes located for the center rows, so that means G will be the best choice since you get the aisle and no box. But then again it's just my unreliable memory and needs to be verified.

I simply flew exit row seats recent years because legroom is really important for me. In terms of legroom I would even prefer Y exit rows to Elite class. Not even kidding.

Hence I have also seem many Y pax "undaciously" using elite toilets (not even secretly sneaking into). I feel it's just because the curtains are open while taxing and takeoff for security reason, so people do realize there are lavatories. Even after they closed the curtain after takeoff, I guess most pax don't even read "elite only" text on it and just assume it's the nearest for the to use. And BR PA don't seem to care much about it much, either, as long as elite pax don't complain...


btw, row 45 is better IMHO, too. BR crew preparing for meals could be rather "energetic," at least compared to super quite Japanese crew on NH I flew last time. lol

username

Not completely related but I did ask at TPE how much it costs to pay for an upgrade on TPE-LAX when booked in Y on an award ticket. Answer:

Y -> Elite = US$750
Elite -> RL = US$2,500

Double upgrades are allowed for US$3,250.

Another word, 27,500 UA Miles = US$3,250 I got way more Hello Kitty in Y than in RL.

Another interesting thing to note is that the showers in BR's Star lounge in TPE T2 do not have toilets in each shower room. The Infinity lounge (for Diamonds and business passengers, I think) does.

RandomNobody

I've never flown Y on EVA, only E+ and J. I've been one of the E+ folks who have used the passageway in front of row 45 to stretch, both in the larger and smaller Elite configurations. Elite used to extend into the current RL rows 8/9/10/11 area during the PL era.

Quite often, I've seen the "all lavs occupied" sign in Elite when all the Elite seats still have occupants in them. The RL/PL curtain is tightly controlled, though.

yauee

Strongly agree with you. as E+ this is really disturbing. Especcially when you are unluckily seated at 27C,D,G,H

username

I have 2 more questions:

1 - I was on the 777 Kitty Jet both ways. I didn't recall the mood lighting LAX-TPE in RL and forgot to ask. On the way back, I asked the FA and she said they have it only in RL (but I was in Y). Do they have it on all aircraft? Do they have to be manually turned on?

2 - It seems the Y AVOD is of a lesser kind than RL and Elite - no playlist feature? Are the contents the same? (Y has no power outlet, by the way.)

Thanks.

TGGDEL

Which door do they use for boarding usually? Does it vary? I'm flying JFK-TPE.

futtfy

flying from SFO to TPE in 9k and 5a (return from TPE) in Royal Laurel...
Are these good recommendable seats?

Thank you!

username

TPE is usually 1L and 2L. Not sure about JFK. I think 1L opens and clsoes first at TPE.

futtfy

I am sorry! I did not mean to be ignorant. I know the seats are awesome, no doubt. I was just curious if anyone would recommend a better area since people here are very good in choosing the specific seats that are good inside the cabin. I know the seats are good, but some do pick sprecific rows/#'s.

cchuang1980

This is a great thread as it seems BR is attracting people's notice recently. ^

Had been on one of these 77N on the mid-haul flights TPE-PEK and I was on 2A. 2A is a wonderful seat as no significant downsides I can think of. However, legroom wise, I do think the seat of 1A is a little bit of restrict by looking at it. Haven't really sit in 1A so I cannot confirm it. Is it truly the case?

Now my next long haul flight will be on 6A, the only concern is the washroom behind the seat can be bothersome.