I’m really likeing this EVA itinerary. NWA leaves at noon and arrives at midight so it’s hard to sleep and you arrive when everything is dark and closed. EVA leaves at 1 AM and arrives at 11 AM so it’s easy to sleep and when you arrive everything is open and active.

I arrive at LAX TBIT (Tom Bradly International Terminal). What an embarassment. Compared to Singapore or Hong Kong, TBIT seems like Manila or some other third world shithole airport. The chaos inside was unreal. The security line was 45 minutes long. Since I was in biz class, check in was a breeze and all my traveling has taught me how to travel with everything in a carryon size so I skipped the bagage check cluster. Ther overall shabbyness of the terminal is quite striking and there is constrution adding to the chaos. They just opened the new lounges in TBIT. Claims they spent $5,000,000. Could of fooled me. For a “Brand New” facility, it seemed pretty shopworn and pedestrian.

When we finally board, we are on EVA’s new 777-300ER’s. EVA Premium Laural Class is a full step above NWA World Business Class. The seat is wider and more comfortable. You get a down comforter too. The seats recline to those tilted “full flat” beds. The seat is wide enough to lay on your side. The service is professional and attentive (the chinese-ness kind of puts me off kilter). The FA, not quite hotties but two steps up from the NWA old hags. The food is pedestrian but the presentation is excellent. Airplane food will always be airplane food. The AVOD (Video On Demand) is good but the selection sucked. All in all a pretty pimp mid-range ride.

In Asia long haul biz class that I've flown, In order of perceived coolness, I like

1 Singapore
2 EVA (the new Premium Laural planes)
3 Cathay Pacific (way better lounge though)
4 JAL
5 Northwest

We connect in Teipei. The airport is serviceable and the lounge is good but unremarkable. One thing that always gets me is Asians and Duty Free Shops. Oh well, to each their own.

I arrive in Manila and get through Immigration and Customs, hit the ATM for 10,000 Pisos and then face the dilemma, Airport or Meter Taxi. I take the escalator up to the arrivals level and get me a meter taxi on my second try. 120 Pisos to the Hotel. I revel in my inner cheapskate.

The Renaissance is a pretty nice place. They take that Marriott Platnium thing pretty serious at check in. They escort me to the private checkin desk upstairs, upgrade me to a “Club Level” room ($250 a night according to the web site). Killer 23rd floor view, nice room and a whole PINT of Hagen Daz. Not bad for free. The check in folks fall over themselves trying to “take care of me”. They are kinda cute too.

Thanks for reading this far. Now for what you’re really interested in.

Smitopher,

the Int'l terminal was built in the early 70's and was never all that nice, even when new. Certainly not by todays airport standards, so one can imagine how much necessary upgrade work is needed/required to even come close to what todays traveler is accustomed to. BTY, EVA is an excellent airline as you already are aware.....

Changing the subject a tad, has Continental upgraded their business class? I took a Continental flight to Brazil two or three years ago and while the business class seats were wider than United's (e.g.), the seat pitch and recline were lame in combination making it all but impossible for the person sitting at the window seat to get out without disturbing a sleeping person in the aisle seat (unless you were lucky enough to get a seat in the middle aisle, which were not easy, and still suffered from lame recline).

So, any upgrades in the cabin since then?

Laguy,

no change in past 3 yrs; by seat pitch those first class seats nearly lay flat! This can make it difficult to get past someone next to you as their foot rest will be extended like a lounger (which it effectively becomes when fully reclined)The seat itself is very comfortable..
Also, with all that room YOU can sit there with YOUR life vest inflated, and surgelically implanted flotation devices and ditch proof clothing in extremely comfortable surroundings!
And you know you are being flown by the best pilots!

Laguy, There is a simple solution to this problem should you find yourself on the window seat. Simply do not allow the person sitting on the aisle to recline. There is a new device now on the market shaped like a little crowbar and made out of kevlar and plastic which you can use to disable their seat. The kit comes with a nice little card which you can leave on their seat explaining the situation--should they arrive late and you are asleep in the seat next to them.

Actually, I'm ahead of you GCL. I already made plans to kidnap you, force you to pay for a business class seat and to sit right next to me. Knowing how not reclining in airplane seats has become such an integral part of what you stand for as a human being, I don't think I will even have to buy the crowbar thing as I am sure as a courtesy you will sit erect in your non-reclined seat for the duration of the flight.

(Message edited by LAguy on November 04, 2007)

Harumph... And I thought this was MY thread

The only CO BizFirst seats I've sat in are transcon 757. NOT very impressive. I have not sat in the long haul 767 or 777. AND they need to stop calling them "lay flat". They ain't flat, they're tilted. According to SeatGuru.com, CO 777 BizFirst seats are 22 in wide, same as the EVA Premium Laural seats. Dats purdy comfy.

Mr CFK, My UPS Pilot brother in law says you glorified bus drivers are pansies compared to the real HE man freighter pilots.

So Mr. CFK, how can I get your company to stop devaluing my FF miles? I'm not a CO* but I am mr bigshoot platinum (N)OnePass member. Airlines need to stop selling FF miles and return the programs to actual loyalty reward programs.

Smitopher,
first of all, I apologize if we "hijacked " your thread!
As you may or may not know GCL has some strange fetish regarding reclining seats. Several wks ago he started a major discussion on the subject. Note to GCL; cease and desist! You are no longer allowed to fly alone per an obscure FAR(Fed Avia Reg)you must be accompied by Laguy along with his water fetish!
The 757 seats are nowhere near those of the 767 &777 as you stated. Comfortable enough but not comparable.
Your brother-in-law is just jealous because he has to get his own coffee! I have 10 flight attendants-lol (and his uniform is UGLY) I flew night freight in my early years, those guys have it rough, I could never adjust, although flying 10hrs non-stop all night to many destinations is the same I suppose...but I have 1st class meals, coffee brought up to me, etc... I always said the ONLY way to fly is SCHEDULED PASSENGER SERVICE. Not freight, not getting shot at!(military)not charter or corporate, etc...
All these companies and their BS regarding FF miles is insane, a real screw job in some cases.
I agree with you entirely about the reward programs. (I have not brought a ticket in 30yrs, so it is a rather foreign situation for me, but one I understand wholly) I sometimes find myself asking "did the Wright Brothers really have this in mind?"
CFK

GCL knows full well that reclining is a God given right, which, notwithstanding his whining, he is powerless to prevent except by his frequently used rude and antisocial behavior.

CFK, I think a better question is this, "Is this what Edward Knabusch and his cousin, Edwin Shoemaker had in mind?" Who are they you ask? They are ONLY the inventors of the reclining chair. In 1929, Shoemaker and Knabusch patented their first reclining chair design.

The Wright Brothers (or was it Santos Dumont?) probably had some ideas about the potential commercial and military use of their invention. I doubt whatesoever that Knabush and Shoemaker dreamed their attempt to provide comfort to the many would cause such torment to the masses.

I know it is fun for you guys to make light of my complaint on this reclining chair thing but I for one have had enough. I plan to send a strongly worded letter to all the airlines, and to Laz-y-boy.

"The Wright Brothers (or was it Santos Dumont?)"

Good one, GCL!

Bwana... I am just trying to keep up with all you experts on here. Hell, I dont know anything.

deleted duplicate post... ooops.

(Message edited by gcl on November 04, 2007)

EVA flys the 777 and Thai Air flys the A340. I flew Premium Economy on both airlines, and I liked the seats better on EVA.

RG.

>>Laguy along with his water fetish!<<

Well, given that CFK raises the subject, I guess I should add that I also was thinking that in the event of a water landing (whoops, I meant "crash") I could use GCL as a flotation device!

(Message edited by LAguy on November 05, 2007)

Smitopher, I am very sorry that LAGuy, CFK, Roadglide and of course SFHombre with his off topic comments have hijacked your very interesting thread. If we could all just agree not to recline I think we could move on to more relevant points.

LAguy, how on earth do you know if I am a floater or not?

GCL,

just a hunch, but we all know turds float and I bet he thinks of you as , oh never mind........
Tell you what, I am personally going to find a photo of Knabusch and Shoemaker, frame it off and send it to you!
CFK