Getting ready for my first-ever lie-flat flight.
We’re leaving tomorrow! I’m so excited!
We’ve been planning this trip for months. It’s the biggest trip we’ve ever taken as a family, and right now the anticipation and excitement – for all of us – kind of feels like a runner’s high. We’re cruising on endorphins. The feeling is carrying us through the extra-long days filled with running last-minute errands and tying up loose ends at work, a great surge of happiness and adventure.
It’s awesome, in the true meaning of the word.
Since none of us have ever flown in lie-flat business class before, we are especially looking forward to the first flight of our trip, which will be from San Francisco to Taipei on EVA Air in Royal Laurel Class.
After dinner tonight, we all gathered around my computer to see what EVA Air had in store for us. Here’s what we learned.
You can pre-select meals.
If you are flying in one of EVA Air’s premium classes, you have the option of pre-selecting the meals for your flight. You can do this as early as 21 days prior to departure, or as close-in as 24 hours.
For dinner, I chose the Lobster Thermidor. So did my 9-year-old son. 😉
For breakfast, I wasn’t thrilled with any of the choices, but really, it didn’t matter, because someone is going to serve me breakfast and coffee when I wake up! Woo hoo!
There are a lot of choices for In-Flight Entertainment.
Next, we spent some time browsing through the selection of movies. Since there is (hopefully) going to be a long stretch of time that Josh and I are asleep on the flight, we had to have a conversation with the kids about how some movies were off-limits, even if they showed up as options on the screen.
In other words, if they find themselves awake in the middle of the night, they are welcome to watch The Nut Job…
…but absolutely not Sabotage. (As a side note, I have no idea who would want to watch Sabotage anyway, but maybe that’s just me?)
Personally, I’m planning to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel. And I’m really looking forward to it, because I never make time to watch movies in my real life.
There is a seat video.
One of our favorite parts of the website was the seat video. I think we watched it five times.
We get lounge access.
Another perk of flying in a premium class on EVA Air is that we will have lounge access, which is going to make our late-night wait at the airport a lot more comfortable. Our flight doesn’t leave until 1:30 am, and loitering in the usual airport waiting area would not be a very fabulous start to our vacation.
There are so many great things about this flight that we are all pinching ourselves, we are so excited. Sure, I know it’s not Singapore Suites, but seeing as how just a couple of years ago a big vacation for us was to fly on Southwest to Washington DC, this is huge. I’m thrilled that we are able to have this experience for about the same price as our usual trip to Family Camp, and I can hardly wait for it to begin.
Have you made any amazing miles redemptions lately? Do you have any tips to add? As always, I would love to hear.
I so look forward to read about your experience on your EVA flight! I hope to take the EVA transpacific flight some day.
We also did a big redemption to Japan and Taiwan last Christmas with Skymiles for the four of us. Of course most of the flights are all on Sky Team partners. We got to experience business class on A380. Due to limited availability to fly the four of us from Tokyo to Taipei, I resorted to use my UA miles for a leg on EVA Hello Kitty flight from Tokyo to Taipei in Laurel class. I have to say, that flight was the highlight for my 9 year old girls. When you’re at the Taoyuan International Airport for your layover and if you have time, you should go check out the Hello Kitty gate area. I’m not sure if Bird is interested in the hello Kitty stuff, but it is kind of neat how far the the marketing strategy for EVA and Sanrio companies went with these themed flights.
Sandy – Just read this! (We are in Kyoto right now). How funny that we ended up on the same EVA Air Hello Kitty flight! Agree that it was GREAT. A highlight for my kids as well (and for me, too, actually).
I’m a closet fan of Hello Kitty..at age 42, I think I was more excited than my girls (both 9) for the EVA flight. I surprised my girls with this flight on Christmas Day. Even my husband thought it was neat. We Love Kyoto!!! I hope you are enjoying the slower paced areas of Kyoto…the tranquil temple grounds and less crowded shopping streets with “Cute” things. I just read your Tokyo post. We felt the same about Tokyo.
Sandy – I’m more than a closet fan. I’m out. 😉 Sounds like your family and mine have a lot in common. So far Kyoto is perfect.
Enjoy your flight! I will be taking the same EVA flight next feb with my middle daughter over the Chinese New Year holiday! Someday I will take that hello kitty flight or flights! 😉
My 3 girls have taken many trips domestically and to Mexiso over the years, but the biggest one was the first class flight to China on Cathay last Christmas! To this day, they still talk about it often! It wasn’t easy to get 5 of us in first class, and I switched 3 seats from biz in the 747 to first and moved up departure date just two days before! After boarding the plane, my 8.5 yr old said to me “good job mom!” LOL.
Sharon – Points and miles praise from an 8-year-old is a great feeling indeed. I agree – good job, mom! I’m sure your family will remember that flight forever. 🙂
First ever? For real? FCQ will be so proud!
Gene – 🙂
I have had the pleasure of 180 flat beds many times (most recently Monday night) and can assure that once you’ve flown this way, you’ll never want to fly coach again.
I didn’t notice the overhead storage bins – some airline configurations have small ones over the center row seats, but you shouldn’t have any problem finding room.
As it happens, I watched the Hotel Budapest movie on this most recent flight. It is a fun flick to view.
Chuck – You are correct. I will hoard and save points in order to fly this way for all future flights!
Congratulations, Kendra! Enjoy!
Your feedback afterwards should be interesting. Here is an idea for an article by you in the future, as this is a long-running debate where some people are spoiled enough that they eschew seats in the economy class cabin in the future whenever possible while others treat this as a treat: is it worth the amount of miles to be redeemed to experience the premium class cabin for a flight? If so, when; and if not, why?
Brian – Thank you! I think I will always view this as a special treat. I also think it’s DEFINITELY worth it.
And thanks for the post idea. 🙂
Yay!!!! Enjoy!!! It will be hard to go back. Haha.
Eugene – Yay!!! You’re right. I can NEVER go back.
Woohoo! Have fun!!! =) Hehe, I know I shouldn’t mention this, but there are TWO Disney theme parks in the outskirts of Paris! There is also a Downtown Disney there too. They just finished building the Ratatouille ride so it’s brand new. Just an idea in case you guys are looking for something else to do in Paris! =) Then, if you are really ambitious, you should combine a HK + Shanghai trip in 2015/16 and visit HK Disney and Shanghai Disney! Can’t wait to read your trip report!
Ang – You are dangerous 😉
Seriously, thanks for the tips. Love them. Keep them coming!
Also looking forward to your trip report. Hope you all get some sleep on the flight.
And will be interesting in how you address what Brian Cohen asked. My husband (as I’ve mentioned, he’s the reluctant-traveler) doesn’t sleep on planes, even in lie-flats. So, since we only fly for leisure and don’t have an unlimited supply of miles or the means to earn millions of them, to save some miles, I have taken to flying economy plus/comfort or whatever the particular airline calls it for daytime flights (just flew home from Amsterdam, and flying to Hawaii in Dec.) and lie-flats for the overnight red-eyes. My husband seems OK with this – and he still doesn’t sleep on the overnight flights!! Is there an injectable travel gene for this man? LOL
Have a great trip!
Marilyn B – I think you have a good strategy. Wow, the sleep thing is tough, isn’t it? We have two more long-haul flights in our future so I will definitely report back about whether or not my daughter (and the rest of us) were able to sleep.
Thanks for all your involvement! I love it.
Lobster thermidor in business class is pretty amazing. From what I’ve read about Eva Air, pre-ordering your meal is a very good call. I’m excited for you and look forward to reading the report!
Ariana – Thanks, lady! 😉
Business class flat is the best! Can actually be quite comfortable and take the horrid long flight part of the trip out of the equation. So glad you guys get to experience this YAY! I’m surprised they don’t have any veggie choices on the menu. Bummer! I would have chosen the breakfast crepes too YUM. Look forward to hearing how the flight went!!
Rebecca – Thank you! Agree about veggie options – weird. Crepes were not good at all but flight was AWESOME>
I just recently had my first lie flat experience too! I think we got ourselves a taste of the other side of the curtain and may want more 😉
Giddy for Points – 🙂