EVA Air debuts latest Hiya Kitty airplane on Chicago route

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 service this week debuted its newest plane adorned in Hiya Kitty livery. The decked-out Boeing 777-300ER touched down Wednesday evening 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 Hiya 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 Hiya Kitty herself to My Melody and Kuromi.

In contrast to among the different eccentric liveries you may see on the exteriors of economic planes, the Hiya Kitty theme runs a lot deeper than a paint job. It reveals up in nearly each facet of the inflight service.

Hiya Kitty jet’s O’Hare arrival

Fittingly, the jet arrived to vital fanfare in Chicago on Wednesday evening. 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 bought their first glimpse of the jet.

However that was solely the start of the celebration.

Inside O’Hare’s Terminal 5, shades of pink, vibrant lights, music and meals made the event unmistakable.

This was not your common inaugural flight gateside celebration.

EVA Air, identified for its high-end inflight meal service, supplied passengers a style of its culinary group’s expertise with a mouthwatering array of hors d’oeuvres.

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EVA’s catering group supplied 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.

What to anticipate on EVA Air’s Hiya Kitty flight

Then there was the Hiya Kitty stuff … numerous it.

The service confirmed off the complimentary and duty-free gadgets obtainable on these themed flights, together with Hiya 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 Hiya Kitty packing 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 specific favourite.

“I believe over time, passengers take pleasure in using on EVA’s Hiya 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 would like the kid’s meal,'” Solar mentioned. “They are saying, ‘Properly, as a result of it’s extremely, 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 during the airline’s summer season schedule. It can shift to Monday, Wednesday and Friday operations in the course of 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 complete complement of onboard facilities.

Can you utilize factors to e book the EVA Air Hiya Kitty airplane?

In case you’re hoping to e book a seat on the EVA Air Hiya Kitty jet, utilizing factors is an effective way to economize.

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. It’s also possible to switch Capital One miles to EVA, however at a lowered 4:3 ratio.

Discover Star Alliance award house

There’s an alternative choice in the event you’re not a Capital One or Citi ThankYou member: Discover award house on one among 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 packages like Avianca LifeMiles and Singapore Airways KrisFlyer.

With only a fast search, I discovered economy-class redemptions on the EVA Hiya 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 Specific 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 would assist provide you with 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 overview: An excellent all-around enterprise card

EVA Air’s Hiya 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 properly over 200 seats in the primary cabin.

Present variations of the Hiya 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 Hiya Kitty airplane? The airline provides extra particulars on that on this web page.

Wherever the Hiya Kitty plane flies, it attracts world curiosity from followers and vacationers, Andrew Su, government vice chairman of EVA Air and head of the service’s North America operations, mentioned.

“It is vitally profitable to attract consideration from the general public,” Su instructed TPG. “There’s lots of people, particularly dad and mom 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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