Taiwan-based airline EVA Air is again with a “candy and joyful” custom — and one of many extra fascinating inflight experiences you may ever see.
The provider this week debuted its newest plane adorned in Hi there Kitty livery. The decked-out Boeing 777-300ER touched down Wednesday night time at Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD), and it is going to be making three weekly appearances on the hub going ahead.
This freshly painted 777 is EVA’s fourth Hi there Kitty-themed plane, and this one is nicknamed the “Besties Jet.” Like prior generations of the cartoon-centric airplane, this wide-body options a number of well-known Sanrio characters, from Hi there Kitty herself to My Melody and Kuromi.
In contrast to a few of the different eccentric liveries you may see on the exteriors of economic planes, the Hi there Kitty theme runs a lot deeper than a paint job. It exhibits up in virtually each side of the inflight service.
Hi there Kitty jet’s O’Hare arrival
Fittingly, the jet arrived to important fanfare in Chicago on Wednesday night time. It began with a water salute because the plane pulled as much as the gate, and there have been excited gasps from vacationers and followers as they obtained their first glimpse of the jet.
However that was solely the start of the occasion.
Inside O’Hare’s Terminal 5, shades of pink, brilliant lights, music and meals made the event unmistakable.
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This was not your common inaugural flight gateside occasion.
EVA Air, identified for its high-end inflight meal service, provided passengers a style of its culinary crew’s abilities with a mouthwatering array of hors d’oeuvres.
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EVA’s catering crew provided dishes like savory scallops with celeriac mousseline, purple cauliflower with romesco sauce, bresaola and asparagus with creme fraiche, and savory lobster with leek mousseline. To not point out, there was a delicious array of elaborate desserts.
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What to anticipate on EVA Air’s Hi there Kitty flight
Then there was the Hi there Kitty stuff … a lot of it.
The provider confirmed off the complimentary and duty-free gadgets obtainable on these themed flights, together with Hi there Kitty headrest covers and slippers for passengers in every cabin. (The black ones are for enterprise class.)
Customized-designed place settings are used for the meal service, and particular Hi there Kitty containers are even obtainable for the youngsters’s meals. Throughout gateside remarks, EVA President Clay Solar — who traveled to Chicago for the occasion — mentioned these are a selected favourite.
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“I believe through the years, passengers take pleasure in using on EVA’s Hi there Kitty jet very a lot. They’ve been captivated by the design and onboard facilities — particularly the charming youngsters’s meals,” Solar mentioned.
He let the viewers in on an “inner secret.”
“Among the adults, once they make a reserving, they are saying, ‘Oh, I need the kid’s meal,'” Solar mentioned. “They are saying, ‘Nicely, as a result of it is very, very cute.'”
3 weekly flights from Chicago
EVA’s first Besties Jet flight from Chicago took off from O’Hare at simply after midnight Thursday.
The 777 will fly the Chicago-to-Taipei route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at some stage in the airline’s summer season schedule. It can shift to Monday, Wednesday and Friday operations throughout the winter months.
The airline mentioned that on days when EVA flies a extra traditional-looking jet to Chicago, passengers from O’Hare will nonetheless get the total complement of onboard facilities.
Can you utilize factors to ebook the EVA Air Hi there Kitty airplane?
In case you’re hoping to ebook a seat on the EVA Air Hi there Kitty jet, utilizing factors is a good way to save cash.
To do that, one possibility is to switch versatile bank card rewards to the EVA Air Infinity MileageLands program. You’ll be able to switch Citi ThankYou Rewards factors to this system at a 1:1 ratio. You can even switch Capital One miles to EVA, however at a lowered 4:3 ratio.
Discover Star Alliance award area
There’s another choice should you’re not a Capital One or Citi ThankYou member: Discover award area on one in every of EVA’s companions within the world Star Alliance. It features a host of carriers, from United Airways and Air Canada in North America to different standard airline applications like Avianca LifeMiles and Singapore Airways KrisFlyer.
With only a fast search, I discovered economy-class redemptions on the EVA Hi there Kitty flight via Air Canada Aeroplan beginning as little as 50,000 factors, one-way.
I additionally discovered one-way financial system redemptions beginning at simply 47,000 miles via Avianca LifeMiles.
From American Categorical Membership Rewards to Chase Final Rewards and Bilt Rewards, there are tons of choices for tranferring bank card rewards to main Star Alliance carriers.
Plus, proper now, there are some profitable bank card welcome provides that might assist offer you a leg up together with your redemption, together with Chase’s Ink Enterprise Most well-liked® Credit score Card. Between now and Sept. 5, new cardholders can earn as much as 120,000 Chase Final Rewards factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Learn extra: Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card evaluation: An important all-around enterprise card
EVA Air’s Hi there Kitty flights
EVA Air’s 777 is specified by a three-cabin configuration that includes lie-flat business-class pods, premium financial system recliners and effectively over 200 seats in the principle cabin.
Current variations of the Hi there Kitty-themed plane embody the “Unhealthy Badtz-Maru Journey Enjoyable” plane flying on EVA’s route from Taipei to Clark within the Philippines. Its “Celebration Flight” and “Joyful Dream” plane alternate service on the Bali and Cebu, Philippines, routes.
Wish to double-check that you simply’re truly reserving a flight on the Hi there Kitty airplane? The airline provides extra particulars on that on this web page.
Wherever the Hi there Kitty plane flies, it attracts world curiosity from followers and vacationers, Andrew Su, govt vp of EVA Air and head of the provider’s North America operations, mentioned.
“It is vitally profitable to attract consideration from the general public,” Su informed TPG. “There’s lots of people, particularly mother and father with their youngsters, they attempt to discover the Kitty jet, touring particularly in summer season, within the winter, and are so excited to get on the plane.”
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