EVA Air 787-9 Seat Selection Guide (2026)

The same seat number is two different seats

EVA flies the 787-9 in two cabins, and they share a quirk that catches people out: the row numbers overlap, but they do not mean the same thing. On the 304-seat aircraft, row 20 is the economy bulkhead and row 45 is an ordinary mid-cabin window. On the 278-seat aircraft, row 20 is the premium economy bulkhead and row 45 is the economy bulkhead. Advice written for one is actively wrong on the other.

The front of the aircraft gives you no clue at all. Both configurations carry exactly 26 Royal Laurel seats in rows 1 to 8, drawn in the same positions down to the pixel. If you are turning left, the lottery does not affect you. If you are turning right, it decides whether the aircraft has a premium economy cabin and whether economy has 54 more seats in it.

One thing the lottery does not change is economy legroom. Both cabins are drawn at the same row spacing throughout, so the 278-seat aircraft is not a roomier economy — it is the same economy seat with a premium cabin fitted ahead of it and fewer rows behind.

Royal Laurel business — identical on both, and not all seats are equal

The business cabin is a staggered 1-2-1: 26 lie-flat seats over rows 1 to 8, with no row 4. Every seat has direct aisle access and nobody to climb over, which is the headline. The thing the booking map will not tell you is that the window seats alternate between two very different positions.

• Rows 2, 5 and 7 — A and K hug the wall, with the console between you and the aisle. These are the private ones, and the best seats in the cabin.
• Rows 1, 3, 6 and 8 — A and K sit nearer the aisle with the console on the window side. Easier to get out of, more exposed, and further from the glass.
• D and G in every row are the centre pair — still solo seats with their own aisle, and the sensible choice for two people travelling together.

Two seats to skip: 8A and 8K back onto the lavatories at the rear of the cabin. 1A and 1K are the bassinet positions, so families with infants have priority and you may be asked to move.

Premium economy — 278-seat aircraft only

Twenty-eight seats in a 2-3-2 layout over rows 20 to 23. It is a shallow cabin and both of its end rows carry a penalty, which leaves a very short list of good seats.

• Rows 21 and 22 are the ones to take. They are the only two rows in the cabin without a structural problem.
• Row 20 is the bulkhead: extra legroom, but no underseat storage, the tray comes out of the armrest, and 20A, 20E and 20K are bassinet positions.
• Row 23 backs onto the economy bulkhead and has limited recline, plus infant noise from the bassinets in front of it.

Economy, row by row

304-seat aircraft — rows 20 to 55

Row 20 is the bulkhead and the best free legroom on the aircraft. All nine seats get extra room; 20D, 20E and 20G get about 29in to the bulkhead wall, which is the most of any economy seat here. The costs are the usual ones: no underseat storage and the tray in the armrest. 20B, 20E and 20J are bassinet positions.

Rows 35 and 36 are the rows to avoid. Both back onto the mid-cabin lavatories and row 36 does not recline — a row 36 seat is a last-row seat two thirds of the way down the aircraft. Row 40 is three centre seats on their own with the lavatories directly ahead. Row 41 is the bulkhead behind them, with extra legroom on the six outboard seats.

Row 55 is the last row: five seats, none of which recline, with the rear lavatories behind. Row 54 backs onto them too. Note there is no row 44 and no rows 37, 38 or 39.

278-seat aircraft — rows 45 to 74

Row 45 is the economy bulkhead, and the equivalent of row 20 on the other jet: extra legroom on all nine, no underseat storage, tray in the armrest. Rows 54 and 55 back onto the mid-cabin lavatories with row 55 losing its recline, and row 60 is three centre seats alone with the lavatories ahead. Row 61 is the bulkhead behind that, with extra legroom on the outboard six.

Row 74 is the last row: five seats, no recline. 74J has an empty seat beside it, which is the one genuine consolation prize back there.

Windows that are not where you expect

Both cabins have window seats where the window sits behind your shoulder. On the 304-seat aircraft: 26A/K, 33A/K, 48A/K, 51A/K and 54A/K. On the 278-seat aircraft: 45A/K, 48A/K, 52A/K, 55A/K, 67A/K, 70A/K and 73A/K. Note that 45A and 45K are on that list — the economy bulkhead window seats on the three-class jet have a compromised view.

Quick picks by traveller

How to tell which 787-9 you are booked on

• Last row number. 55 means 304 seats; 74 means 278.
• Rows 20 to 23. Seven seats across in a 2-3-2 block means premium economy, so it is the 278-seat jet. Nine seats across means economy, so it is the 304-seat one.
• Cabin count on the fare page. If premium economy is sold at all on the flight, it is the 278-seat aircraft.
• What will not help: the business cabin. It is the same 26 seats in the same places on both.

Comparable guides

• EVA Air 787-10 seat guide
• EVA Air 777-300ER seat guide
• EVA Air A321 seat guide
• Thai Airways 787-9 seat guide
• Etihad 787-9 seat guide

Frequently asked questions

Does every EVA 787-9 have premium economy?

No. Only the 278-seat configuration carries it — 28 seats in a 2-3-2 layout over rows 20 to 23. The 304-seat configuration has no premium economy at all, and puts 54 extra economy seats in that space instead. Nine aircraft are recorded in the 278-seat layout; no count is published for the 304-seat one, so we are not quoting a fleet total or odds.

Is business class different between the two?

No, and that is the unusual part. Both carry 26 Royal Laurel seats in rows 1 to 8, staggered 1-2-1, drawn in identical positions. If you are booked in business, the configuration makes no difference to your seat.

Which are the best Royal Laurel seats?

2A, 2K, 5A, 5K, 7A and 7K. In those rows the seat hugs the wall with the console between you and the aisle, which is both more private and closer to the window. In rows 1, 3, 6 and 8 the A and K seats sit nearer the aisle instead. Avoid 8A and 8K, which have the lavatories behind.

Is economy roomier on the 278-seat aircraft?

No. Both cabins are drawn at the same row spacing, so the seat itself is the same. The 278-seat aircraft simply has fewer economy rows because premium economy occupies the space ahead of them.

Which seats have no recline?

The last row either way — row 55 on the 304-seat aircraft, row 74 on the 278-seat one. On top of that, row 36 (304 seats) and row 55 (278 seats) sit against the mid-cabin lavatories and lose their recline in the middle of the aircraft, which is the one most people do not see coming.

Is there a row 4?

No. EVA skips row 4 in business and row 44 in economy, and the 304-seat aircraft has no rows 37, 38 or 39 either — that is where the mid-cabin lavatories sit.