TAIPEI, TAIWAN (29 Sept., 2007) -- To maintain consistent service quality among all its aircraft, EVA is making a sizeable investment to refresh and upgrade the three youngest Boeing 747-400s in its fleet.  After their makeovers, the B747-400s have the same three exceptionally comfortable cabins and all the comforts and amenities as the airline’s new Boeing777-300ERs.   EVA is retiring its last Super First Class cabin on 1 Dec., 2007.

EVA began introducing the new cabins when it took delivery of its first Airbus 330-200s in 2003 and fully rolled them out on advanced B777-300ERs in 2005.  The B777-300ERs replace EVA’s original B747-400s and will be the backbone of the carrier’s long-haul fleet.  The refurbished B747-400s are being configured to seat 372 passengers with 36 in Premium Laurel Class, 56 in Elite and 280 in Economy.

Demonstrating its commitment to upgrading both soft and hardware on its aircraft, EVA imported Taiwan’s first wallpaper-pasting machine from the United Kingdom.  The airline is using the machine to renew cabins and ensure that passengers on retrofitted B747-400s have the same new-cabin experience that they would on a B777.   EVA is the first carrier in Taiwan to acquire the technology needed to renovate entire aircraft cabins, including seats and entertainment systems.

Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT) retrofitted the first of these B747-400s in June 2007 and EVA deployed it on US routes.  Work on the second aircraft will be finished in mid October, and the third will be refurbished in December.   The aircraft will be deployed on EVA’s Taipei – London and Taipei – Vancouver routes, respectively.

Every passenger onboard the updated B747-400s will be seated in the latest ergonomically designed seats and have state-of-the-art entertainment at his/her fingertips in an Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) system offering movies, features, music and video games, plus a digital air-to-ground Short Message Service (SMS) in English and Chinese for sending messages to mobile phones or e-mail addresses on the ground.  Passengers will dine on piping hot meals from steam ovens, and find touch-free infrared faucets, an extra-wide 60-inch lavatory and more new features available for their inflight convenience.

Passengers in Premium Laurel Class enjoy the same EVA service quality that they would in first class, including hard-shell, lie-flat seats and roomy cabins.  The cabins resemble first class on other carriers but at business class prices. Seats in this cabin are configured in a 2-2-2 arrangement, have a generous 61-inch pitch, 22-inch width, adjustable headrests, electronically adjustable lumbar supports and seating controls, fully extendible foot and leg rests, convenient footlights, personal LED reading lights, pull-down luggage racks and 110V/60Hz power outlets.  An espresso maker and wine chiller complete the top-cabin environment.
 
The widely acclaimed Evergreen Deluxe, upgraded and re-named Elite on the B777-300ERs, has seats and features similar to those of other carriers’ business class.  On the renewed B747s, Elite Class is configured with seats in a 2-4-2 arrangement with a 38-in. pitch, an extra roomy 19.5-in. width, fully adjustable headrests, and leg- and foot-rests.  The all-new Economy seats are in a 3-4-3 configuration with a 33-in. pitch and 18.3-in. width, all equipped with the most advanced 8.4-in. LCD touch screens in the world that, combined with EVA’s AVOD system, are bound to make the journey a pleasure.

EVA focuses on quality service that is courteous, pleasant and outstanding in every way.  Travelers can learn more about EVA, book and buy tickets, and reserve seats with a few clicks on the airline’s web site at http://www.evaair.com.