Star Alliance benefits show results: EVA Air to increase transpacific capacity by 22%

▲Alliance benefits take effect, EVA Air’s transpacific capacity to grow 22% in 2014. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

EVA Air announced that starting from June this year, it will gradually increase flights on its American routes, including Vancouver, Toronto, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. From July 3 this year, the number of North American routes will increase from the current 45 weekly flights to 55, representing a significant 22% rise in capacity. This makes EVA Air the airline with the densest flight schedule and the highest number of seats between Taiwan and the United States.

Since officially joining the Star Alliance in June 2013, the alliance benefits for EVA Air have gradually emerged. In the North American market, there has been a noticeable increase in both business travelers and transfer passengers via Taipei to Southeast Asia. Coupled with the successful launch of the Royal Laurel Class (Royal Laurel / Premium Laurel), which has been well received by the market with strong demand, EVA Air’s North American routes in 2013 showed no significant difference between peak and off-peak seasons, with average load factors consistently exceeding 80%. This year is expected to see further improvement.

In response to strong market demand, EVA Air’s three new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, scheduled for delivery starting in the second quarter of this year, will all be deployed on long-haul routes to the Americas to expand flight frequency and seat capacity. The flight increase plans for each destination will be implemented in two phases:

Phase One:Starting June 2, the Vancouver route will increase from 3 to 4 flights per week; starting June 4, the Toronto route will increase from 3 to 4 flights per week, the New York route from 5 to 7 flights per week, and the Los Angeles route from 17 to 20 flights per week.
Phase Two:Starting July 3, the San Francisco route will increase from 12 to 14 flights per week, and the Los Angeles route will further increase from 20 to 21 flights per week.

EVA Air stated that the American routes have always been one of its key markets. The six American destinations currently served — Vancouver, Toronto, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle — all demonstrate excellent operational performance. Not only is there strong demand from Chinese and Asian travelers, but American business travelers also show considerable acceptance. Market share has been steadily increasing, and with these additional flights, it is expected to attract even more business travelers. Booking for the newly added flights is now open, and travelers are welcome to make use of the expanded services.