EVA Airways Direct London Heathrow to Bangkok in Premium Economy
EVA Airways were one of the very first airlines to introduce a Dedicated Premium Economy Cabin, which is a service between Economy and Business Class.
EVA Airways online check-in opens 48 hours before departure and airport check-in and bag drop opens 4 hours before departure.
EVA Airways has a dedicated check-in for it's Premium Econony passengers, so you don't need to join the much longer queue for the Economy passengers.
During boarding, the Premium Economy passengers will also be called after the Business Class passengers and before the Economy Passengers.
The Dedicated Premium Economy Cabin is fabulous, because, unlike Economy, where there is a 3-4-3 seat configuration, Premium Economy has a 2-4-2 seat configuration. This means that the seats are wider offering more comfort and elbow room.
This is in addition to the bigger Seat Pitch of 38 inches compared to 34 inches in Economy. The Seat Pitch is the distance between your seat and the seat in front of you.
As well as the bigger seat pitch and the wider seats, the Premium Economy seats also Recline more which makes it easier to sleep. The Head Rests are also adjustable, which means you can mould them around your head, to stop it rolling around when you are trying to sleep and negating the need for a neck pillow. There is also and Extendable Foot Rest which adds to the comfort. Another noticeable touch is the complimentary pillow together with a very warm, thick, quilted blanket, as opposed to the thinner materiel blankets you would normally receive.
Other benefits include a more extensive Amenity Kit in a zip-up bag and larger headphones which cover the ears better and are more of a snug fit.
The Tray Table is hidden in the Arm Rest and extends to a good size, compared to the smaller Economy table which drops down from back of the seat in front.
The menu is also more extensive including a choice of 3 Main Meals whereas in Economy, it is just 2 choices. The crew also offer cartons of ice cream following the meal and additional snack between meals. I also thought my glasses of wine were a generous size and offered frquently.
It should also be noted that there is a better crew to passenger ratio compared to Economy allowing for more frequent attention and there are dedicated toilets and curtains separating Premium Economy from Economy.
The outbound flight is an evening departure, leaving at approximately 21:30 and takes just over 11 hours, arriviing into Bangkok some time around 15:30. You can then stay in Bangkok, or connect with Bangkok Airways to lots of domestic destination. The EVA Airways plane then continues on to its hub in Taipei, Taiwan.
I think that the flight times are ideal, because it is a direct overnight flight, so if you can get to sleep, you can get a number of hours uninterrupted, whereas with an indirect flight you will be woken up normally half way through the journey.
The afternoon arrival into Bangkok is also good because, it means you can check-in to your hotel before going out in the evening. After a few drinks, you can then head to bed and hopefully get into a good sleep pattern and allow your body clock to recover, much better, than if you had a flight arriving in the morning in the heat of the day.
The flight in the opposite driection from Bangkok back to London Heathrow is a midday departure around 13:00 which I also like because it means you get back around 19:30, so once you have got home, you are probably ready for your bed and quickly back into your sleep routine.
It is also important to mention that EVA AIrways operate a 2 Piece Plan giving passengers, including Economy, 2 x 23kgs Checked Luggage which is very generous and very popular.
As a Thailand Expert, I do sell EVA Airways a lot and have done for 30 years, but it always good to be reminded just how good EVA Airways are.
They are a Skytrax 5 Star Airline and their Premium Economy srevice is exceptional and much better than some other airlines who claim to offer a similar experience.
