A Philippines Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER
I’ve long said that New York is one of those cities that almost every long-haul airline in the world would like to serve. Maybe it’s because New York is home to the United Nations, or because nearly every nationality and ethnicity is represented along the eastern seaboard. Or maybe it is just the prestige of flying to the “greatest city in the world.” Whatever the reason, it benefits both AvGeeks and travelers with a wide variety of airlines flying to a huge number of destinations, both near and far.
Almost every major long-haul airline in Europe serves either John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). JFK also sees several South American airlines, a few of which have added long-haul aircraft specifically to serve New York. All of the major Middle Eastern carriers fly to JFK, in some cases several times a day. And while JFK has long had flights from a few airlines in East Asia, recent years have seen several new airlines begin service, while a few existing carriers have added additional flights.
On Monday, March 18th, Philippine Airlines (PAL) became the latest Asian airline to begin flying to New York. Or, should I say, resume flying to New York.
Eva Air Boeing 777-300ER in flight – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren | JDLMedia
Another week, another flight. This time my adventure started at Los Angeles International, with a ticket in hand on EVA Air to Taipei. The occasion? To give the carrier’s Royal Laurel (RL) business class a good, thorough testing.
With no line present at the Royal Laurel Desk, check-in was quick and simple. A staff member escorted me to the lounge, managing to whisk me right past the hulking mid-day security line. This does not appear to be a normal procedure for RL passengers, though the premium line looked to have a 15-minute back-up.
EVA utilizes the finely appointed Star Alliance lounge in LAX, thanks to being part of the alliance since mid-2013. Time was short on this visit, though long enough to snag a finger sandwich and a few deserts.
Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren | JDLMedia
Boarding began on time, and I quickly squirreled away my bags above my seat: 1A. A selection of juices and water was on tap for pre-departure drinks. I went with apple, my new favorite as of late.
One of two TAM Boeing 777-300ER models you could win — we kind of want to keep them for myself, but we are givers – Photo: David Parker Brown
We have these two awesome, 1:200 scale (aka, about a foot long) 777-300ER models from TAM Airlines that we don’t know what to do with. Why not give them away? That is exactly what AirlineReporter is doing and one of these fine models can be all yours! This is all you need to do:
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China Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
When China Airlines unveiled its new Boeing 777-300ER back in early October of this year, it was clear that this airplane was something special. Photos and videos of the new interioroutfitted with a snazzy new business cabin, homages to Taiwanese culture, and a small libraryquickly made the internet rounds, establishing this plane as the hot new item in the air.
Having seen it myself in Seattle, I knew it had to try it once it was released into the wild. Fast forward two months to last Monday (December 1), when I found myself, ticket in hand, ready to board China Airlines flight 5, service from Los Angeles LAX to Taipei. AirlineReporter/NYCAviation were invited by the airline to sample the carrier’s promising-looking new business class. The formal adventure began in the lounge at Los Angeles International Airport.
China Airlines (CAL), does not have one of its own at the airport, and thus utilizes Korean’s SkyTeam lounge instead. As far as lounges go, this one runs above average, largely thanks to its new-ness and an exterior deck overlooking the main hall. I helped myself to a few finger sandwiches and a beverage while checking email on the free WiFi. Boarding began on time at gate 134. Holding a ticket for the carrier’s premium business class, I boarded quickly via a dedicated jet-way connected to the L1 door.
Those with business tickets are split between two cabins, and today’s seat22Awas in the rear section nestled behind the L2 door. Both cabins are set up in a reverse herringbone style in a 1-2-1 configuration. As boarding continued, cabin crew offered a selection of non-alcoholic pre-flight drinks and hot towels. Bags and personal items slipped easily into overhead bins or into one of three built-in storage areas in the seat. The giant Boeing 777-300ER easily lifted off runway 25R and turned northwest to head up the California coast for the scheduled 14-hour flight to Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport.
China Eastern’s first Boeing 777-300ER seen next to the Future of Flight – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer Lindgren / NYCAviation.com
Covering a story for AirlineReporter can be a dangerous business. Originally we had our Lee Zerrilla heading to the reveal of China Eastern’s first Boeing 777-300ER, when BAM he got in a minor accident. Lee is okay, but sad he was not able to make it to the event.
Have no fear, our good friends at NYCAviation (and photographer Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren) were nice enough to share their photos and information about the aircraft (thanks guys!).
Although, the photos end up showing what, I think, is a pretty ugly livery, it is what is on the inside that counts with this bird.
This is not the first time we have seen China Eastern’s new livery on the 777. We saw it when it came out of the paint booth and I have to say that I wasn’t a fan. Heck, I might have even called it the worst livery ever. Maybe a tad bit harsh, but I am just not a fan of these bland designs.
Okay. The livery doesn’t look half bad in the sunset – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren | NYCAviation.com
Some wondered if this was a temporary livery, but no, this is China Eastern’s new official livery.
The new logo on the tail is not so bad. It is a swallow consisting of the letters C and E, which represents the airline’s name. Sure, that is fine and dandy, but why so boring for the rest of the aircraft?
The airline was more excited to show off the new interior of the aircraft, which is probably the part that most passengers will care most about.