This is my first trip report and this happened in '06 - we had relatives in the UK and since we've never been there, we decided to fly over and see what it's like, at the other side of the world.

As EVA stopped flying to Sydney earlier in March, we had to connect via Brisbane on a Qantas flight.

QF504
SYD-BNE
Boeing 767-300 - Economy

Surprised they had LCD screens on such an old aircraft. The 767 is probably the best for legroom in Economy on domestic flights.


Breakfast - Gotta love Weetbix. Apparently they now serve hot breakfast


Soon we got to Brisbane, though our flight to Taipei appears delayed



The ground staff were hurrying passengers onto the plane


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BNE-TPE
Airbus A330-200 - Economy

The A330 Economy cabin. Seat pitch 33"


Lunch was shortly served...



...and before landing a hot refreshment. Qantas catering does pretty well


Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport


As our flight left the next day, we stayed overnight at the Evergreen Transit Hotel, operated by Evergreen Group which also owns EVA Air. While it's no Sofitel or Shangri-La, it was decent for one night.

A coupon was given for food at the airport. You can pick any venue you want.


Restaurant at the C gates - not bad for Chinese


UNI Air MD-90


EVA Air Boeing 747-400


The modern looking Terminal 2




Taiwanese Floral exhibit - the National Museum of History exhibit/shop is next to it if I remember correctly


The next day, we got up for our flight to Bangkok/London. For some reason, FIDS at Taipei cannot show London for our flight


Our aircraft, one of EVA's new Boeing 777-300ERs


Again, same problem




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TPE-BKK-LHR
Boeing 777-300ER - Elite Class (Premium Economy)

Priority boarding was given to Elite passengers. The new Elite Class only has 63 seats, which makes it quite comfortable experience. Seats have 38" pitch.


Noise cancelling headphones, pillows and blankets were given


Our meal - Curried vegetables with noodles


The Elite cabin


Our flight landed at Bangkok to pick up more passengers, where most of the passenger comes from. A lot of the passengers from Taipei got off at Bangkok.

Seemingly endless terminal


380m to immigration!?


Old Bangkok Airport


One more shot of the plane - to be honest, I'm not a fan of this special livery


Our lunch - catering was by THAI and it was pretty good
Marinated Beef in Red Wine and Vinegar Sauce. Elite have their own menu, seperate from Economy.


During the flight, I caught one of the flight attendants serving noodles to one of the passengers so decided to get myself one. These used to be available on EVA long haul Economy but due to high fuel costs was cut. May not be available in Elite as well now...


Meal before landing - Conchiglia Pasta with Chicken Basil Cream Sauce


Heathrow T3 in the evening


We stayed at Cambridge for about a few before flying off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh, though distinctly colder than Cambridge, was a very nice place. Afterwards, we went back to Cambridge and subsequently London, before our time in the UK ended.

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LHR-BKK-TPE
Boeing 777-300ER - Elite

Rather nice looking boarding pass


Once onboard, we were given a small, simple amenity kit


I skipped the meal and opted to sleep instead. The seat, fully reclined with the legrest, was adequate for the flight, and though many complain it's not as good as the old Evergreen Deluxe, I think it's still way better than Economy.

Midflight snack


The TV screen - 8.4" with AVOD


Transit at BKK - thought I'd go and take a few pics

Austrian Airlines - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra livery


Qatar Airways - 2006 Asia Games livery


The flight back to Taipei was pretty ordinary. The THAI catering was a real shocker and did not deserve a photo.

Baggage Hall


Arrival Hall - wonder if those palm trees are real...


We stayed at Taipei for a few days, before once again heading back to Australia

Terminal 2



We upgraded to Business because our flight was full in Economy - the check in agent gave us our boarding pass and lounge invitation


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TPE-BNE
Airbus A330-200 - Premium Laurel (Business)

The cabin was nice and spacious, with only 24 seats


Evergreen Orchestra, for the 6th time this trip (they always play before take off/during boarding). The flight attendant came around to offer drinks, and later the purser came and took orders for dinner and breakfast.


As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the flight attendants set up our dining tables.

Terrine entree with a selection of breads


Main course - Chinese honey ham in steamed Chinese bread and stir fried shrimps wrapped in lettuce (San Choy Bow) - very delicious


Dessert - A selection of cheeses and fresh fruit, and a spinach mousse - bizzare but tasty



Soon I reclined my seat. The PL seats were pitched at 61", and were wide and spacious. Though they were only angled lie-flat, at a semi reclined position, they were good for a decent sleep (arguably one of the best sleep I've ever had on a plane).

We were given thick duvets and large pillows, along with Senheisser noise cancelling headphones


A Sisley amenity kit was also given


It didn't feel like long, but soon I could smell breakfast coming from the galley.
To start off - A selection of fresh fruits and a cup of coffee


I ordered the Chinese breakfast - Rice congee with sweet potatoes, accompanied by hot and cold side dishes


One more shot of the PL cabin.


Before long, our flight landed at Brisbane. Immigration was very smooth and our baggage came out very quickly thanks to the priority tags. However, I was a bit disappointed with Business on EVA, as the service was not as personalized as I would have liked it to be. Soon we connected on our flight to Sydney, marking an end to our UK trip.

Hope you enjoyed reading.