It’s time to board my first EVA Business Class flight! Zone one, and I am excited to see what this new flight experience is about. As I walked to my seat, I noticed I had my very own overhead bin. Nice! Since we were provided toiletry bags, noise-canceling headphones, and pajamas, I only needed my phone charger from my backpack. I placed my suitcase, backpack, hoodie, and jacket in the bin and started to get acquainted with the seat’s features. The flight attendants circled the cabin with pre-departure beverages and pajamas. I felt it was only suitable to have sparkling wine before take-off.
It was about 3:30 a.m. I ate dinner before sleeping for a few hours on East Coast time. To intentionally stay awake that long was TOUGH. I was so tired when I sat in my seat that I just wanted to eat and sleep. I watched the Equalizer 3 and tried foods I had never thought of. Everything I had was delicious and nutritious! After dinner, I went to the bathroom and changed into my pajamas and slippers, which were handed out to business class passengers shortly after boarding. To lie completely flat on a flight was shocking to me! What have I been missing all of these years? Sitting up for 7+ hours? Not anymore! I’ve unlocked a new long-haul flight habit. I transferred 175,000 American Express points to Aeroplan and paid $77 in taxes and fees for my wonderful experience.
I slept for five hours and woke up just in time to enjoy “breakfast in bed.” I didn’t know what dishes I had coming, as I had told the flight attendant several hours before. I had a Chinese breakfast that tasted better than it looked! We landed a little after 5 a.m., but my next flight wasn’t until 9:40 a.m. The time difference put me at 13 hours ahead when we landed in Taipei, Taiwan.
I’m finally boarding my third plane to my final destination, Bangkok. I had champagne and a meal I chose before my flight. I took a two-hour nap before landing in Thailand at 12:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. EST). Check out my Bangkok Trip.
Seven days later, it’s time to fly back to the States. My flight was scheduled to leave at 2:15 a.m. Four hours later, I was back in Taipei. Had I not gotten sick during my trip, I would’ve explored the city, as my layover was seventeen hours long!! I don’t think I’ll pick a layover that long again, but I also did not expect to get sick and decide to stay in the airport and rest. I started my layover by sitting in the Oriental Club Lounge, which I could access because of my Priority Pass membership. The next few hours were spent walking around the airport and checking out the various themed gates. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport is one of the most excellent airports I’ve been to and is made to keep you entertained. Some parts of the airport were busier than others, but there were plenty of places to nap if needed.
The last 4 hours of my layover were spent in the EVA Air Lounge. As soon as I walked into the lounge, I asked for shower access. The time limit was twenty minutes, which was very short, in my opinion. Thirty minutes would’ve been more feasible and given me more time to dig in my suitcase for a change of clothes. OR next time, I know to pre-pack a change of clothes in a quickly accessible place to avoid aimless digging.
Finally, it’s time to board my thirteen-hour flight back to Seattle! A pre-departure beverage, a hot meal, and a pajama change later, I was off to sleep. I stayed in Seattle for one night and flew back to Atlanta the following morning. It took a week and a half to get back on a regular sleeping schedule.
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