Eva Air Premium Economy Review (2025): Is It Really Worth It?

Eva Air Premium Economy Review: Quick Guide

I flew the Eva Air Premium Economy LAX to Taipei route on the Boeing 777 (though the new 787 seats look amazing). Let’s break down the trip according to some of my favorite travel dimensions:

Lounge Access: 0/10

This one’s pretty simple — you don’t get lounge access with a premium economy ticket. This is why I’m always happy to get free lounge access with a few of my travel credit cards. Nothing makes a travel day better for me than breezing into a lounge.

For my departure from LAX, I went to the (amazing) Centurion lounge which I get access to through The Platinum Card® from American Express (though I’m sad to report they no longer have a spa at this location).

In Taipei, I used my Priority Pass to visit a lounge near my gate and sip on some wine while I Facetimed my mom before my flight. 

Boarding: 4/10

I have to be honest here – when I was doing research into Eva Air Premium Economy, some people complained about not getting early boarding and I thought it was ridiculous. You get two free checked bags in premium economy, and there’s plenty of dedicated onboard storage, so who cares when you board the plane if you’re not worried about overhead bin space? 

But I’ll admit, it irked me a little bit to be standing at the gate waiting for boarding group 4 when I had paid over $1,000 for my ticket.

That being said, this is not a real problem at all and boarding was smooth and efficient.

Eva Air Premium Economy Seating: 7/10

This is the most important part of this article. Eva Air Premium Economy is only worth it if you choose your seat strategically. 

The Eva Air Premium Economy seat map offers a 2-4-2 layout, which is pretty common for premium economy on international carriers.

Even though the seats are wider, I just don’t think it’s worth it if you’re in one of the 4 seats in the middle. It feels too close to the economy experience to be worth the extra cost.

I was in the two-seat section both ways and this made it feel way more spacious and breathable.

Here are the Premium Economy seat dimensions:

• Seat Pitch: 38 inches
  
• Seat Width: 19.5 inches
  
• Recline: 8 inches

The extra recline and pitch mean you can actually sleep, especially with the pillow and heavy-duty blanket they give you (seriously, this thing was luxurious). Not quite a comforter, but heavy, soft, and cozy enough that I forgot I was 35,000 feet in the air.

There’s also a little foot step to rest your feet on which was quite nice.

One small drawback: When the person in front of you reclines, you’ll feel it. During breakfast, I was asked to move my seat upright so the person behind me could use their tray. This didn’t bother me when I was sleeping though.

Eva Air Service & Amenity Kit: 9/10

The service on board the flight was top notch. The flight attendants were kind and attentive (which I find to typically be the case on Asian airlines, more so than American ones). 

Premium Economy on Eva Air comes with an amenity kit from Hunter which was a nice surprise. It includes:

• Slippers
• Hand lotion
• Chapstick
• Sleeping mask
• Earplugs 
• Toothbrush
• A knotted tie string I have no idea what to do with

This made it feel more luxurious and closer to the business-class experience. Every seat also had a bottle of water when you boarded, which I always appreciate on a flight.

The entertainment service was interesting. There wasn’t a huge selection of movies, though they did have new releases (including Babygirl, which seems like one of the most mortifying movies to watch on an airplane ever). They also had a funny way to view entertainment content by your mood, which I loved. Does anyone else just want to watch happy movies on planes?

Eva Air Premium Economy Drinks: 7/10

Our service in the air started with a drink cart (because drinks are free in Premium Economy) where you could order soft drinks, well drinks, and beer and wine. 

Unfortunately, all drinks were served in a little paper cup. Something about the paper cup just takes away from the experience. If they’d offered real dishware, this definitely would have bumped up the score for me. 

My gin and tonic after takeoff was perfectly fine, but the wine I had later was pretty terrible, so I wouldn’t say it was an amazing experience. That being said, the service was great and they were more than happy to refill my drinks (including my personal water bottle) whenever I asked. 

Eva Air Premium Economy Food: 10/10

Honestly guys, I love airplane food. It’s something about the experience of it all – the little tray, the presentation, I just love it. But even if you’re not a crazy person like me, you’ll like the meal offerings in Eva Air Premium Economy.

I always love to choose the local meal option (in this case Asian breakfast), so my meals were:

On the way out:

• Braised Beef Short Ribs and Potato Gnocchi (this was my favorite of all the meals)
• Egg Fried Rice with Prawns and Pineapple (very local Taiwanese)

On the return:

• Kanpai Classic Japanese A5 Wagyu BBQ Karubi with Steamed Rice
• Savory Porridge with Shrimps and Taros

💡Pro Tip! You can reserve your meal 48 hours before your flight (but it closes 24 hours before, so you need to catch that window)

How Much Does Eva Air Premium Economy Cost?

Let’s get into the money, because this is Inside the Upgrade, after all. Here’s what you can roughly expect a flight from LAX to TPE to cost:

• Economy: ~$900
  
• Premium Economy: ~$1,800
  
• Business Class: ~$5,400

That puts Premium Economy at roughly double the price of Economy, and about one-third the cost of Business Class. So is that extra $900–$1,000 worth it?

Here’s my honest take:

• If it’s a long flight and you can swing the extra $1,000: yes, it’s absolutely worth it.
  
• If you’re flying with a partner and can grab one of the two-seaters: even more yes.
  
• If you’re solo and stuck in the middle four of the 2-4-2 layout? Not worth it.

What premium economy does really well is reduce the misery of a long-haul flight. You eat better, sleep better, feel slightly more like a person and less like cargo. And you walk off the plane without needing a massage and a long shower (okay, maybe you still need those things).

Would I rather fly Business Class? Obviously. In fact, I did (and you can read my Hello Kitty Business Class review here). But if Business is out of budget (or you’re saving your points for something more exotic), Eva Premium Economy hits a really comfortable middle lane.

How to Book Eva Air Premium Economy Using Points

If you’re sitting on a stash of Amex, Capital One, Citi, or Bilt points, good news: you don’t have to pay cash to fly Premium Economy on Eva.

Eva Air isn’t part of a major airline alliance, but they are a partner of several transferable point programs, and you can indirectly book through a few clever options:

Option 1: Avianca LifeMiles (Star Alliance)

Eva is technically part of Star Alliance, and LifeMiles is one of the best ways to book their Premium Economy flights. The award chart isn’t always consistent, but you can usually find:

• LAX–TPE in Premium Economy for ~60,000–75,000 LifeMiles one-way

Search on LifeMiles.com (yes, it’s clunky, yes, it sometimes errors out—just refresh). When it works, this is a steal.

You can transfer points to LifeMiles from:

• Amex Membership Rewards
  
• Capital One
  
• Citi ThankYou Points
  
• Bilt Rewards

Transfers are usually instant, but I highly recommend finding availability before moving any points.

You can find the best offers for any of these cards here or I offer free (actually free) consultations here. 

Option 2: EVA’s Own Program (Infinity MileageLands)

If you want to book directly, you can also use EVA’s own frequent flyer program, Infinity MileageLands. It’s less commonly used, but you might find more availability or Premium Economy-specific awards there.

Downside? It’s not a transfer partner with Amex or Chase. It does partner with Capital One and Citi ThankYou Points, but transfer times can take a couple of days. Best for the patient traveler.

Option 3: ANA (Advanced)

If you’re feeling ambitious, ANA Mileage Club sometimes has excellent rates, but booking requires roundtrip flights and navigating their website is a trip in itself. Worth exploring if you’re booking for two people or want a stopover in Japan.

Eva Air Premium Economy FAQs

Eva Air Premium Economy Review: Is It Worth It?

So, is Eva Air Premium Economy worth it? If you’re the kind of traveler who wants more comfort than economy without going all-in on business class, this is one of the better ways to cross the Pacific. It offers a real step up in space, food, and service without blowing your budget or points stash.

That said, your seat selection makes or breaks the experience. If you’re in one of the two-seater sections? Absolutely worth it. If you end up in the middle of the 2-4-2 layout? I’d think twice, or maybe hold out for an upgrade offer.

Personally, I’d book it again, especially with points or if I was traveling with a partner. It made a 13-hour flight feel manageable, even enjoyable. And when you land feeling like a human instead of a squashed pretzel? That’s worth something.

If you’re thinking about booking, don’t forget to pre-select your seat, reserve your meals ahead of time, and check your lounge access cards—those little things add up to a much better experience. And if you’re sitting on flexible points, definitely explore LifeMiles and transfer partners to fly this cabin for a fraction of the cost.

Enjoy your flight and cheers to your next adventure 🥂✈️