In this article, we’ll take a look at the routes that feature the Emirates Premium Economy and the new First Class Suites.
Emirates Premium Economy Routes
In December 2020, Emirates unveiled its full Premium Economy offering becoming the only airline in the Middle East region to offer a Premium Economy cabin. The new cabin class was initially offered on popular A380 routes to London, Paris, Sydney, and Christchurch starting in August 2022.
On a four-class Emirates A380, the Premium Economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck with 56 seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration. As of April 2023, only 11 A380s feature the Premium Economy cabin and they regularly fly between Dubai and the following destinations:
- London Heathrow (flight numbers EK1 and EK2, EK3 and EK4, EK5 and EK6)
- Sydney (flight numbers EK414 and EK415)
- Sydney – Christchurch (flight numbers EK412 and EK413)
- Melbourne (flight numbers EK406 and EK407)
- Auckland (flight numbers EK448 and EK449)
The Airbus A380-800s equipped with the new Premium Economy cabin has the following registrations: A6-EUW, A6-EVC, A6-EVE, A6-EVG, A6-EVM, A6-EVN, A6-EVO, A6-EVP, A6-EVQ, A6-EVR, A6-EVS.
Once onboard, the cream-colored leather seats have a generous pitch of up to 40 inches, they are 19.5 inches wide, and recline 8 inches into a cradle position with room to stretch out. It also offers calf rests and footrests for additional comfort, in addition to in-seat charging points and a side cocktail table.
Emirates Premium Economy Retrofit Program
In November 2022, Emirates initiated its retrofit program to equip 67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s with Premium Economy cabins. Once the retrofit program is completed, a total of 126 Emirates aircraft will have Premium Economy cabins, along with the airline’s latest interiors across other cabins. Emirates views this retrofit program as a significant investment in ensuring that its customers have the best possible flying experience.
On the Emirates Boeing 777, 5 rows located just behind the Business Class will be removed to allow for the installation of 24 Premium Economy seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration.
Emirates New Boeing 777 First Class
In late 2017, Emirates launched a new First Class product on a small number of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft featuring six private suites laid out in a 1-1-1 layout, compared to the eight private suites in a 1-2-1 layout on its remaining 777 fleet.
Given the limited number of aircraft equipped with this new cabin, it is crucial to stay informed about which routes offer Emirates’ new First Class experience. These 777-300ERs regularly fly between Dubai and the following destinations:
- Brussels (flight numbers EK181 and EK182, EK183 and EK184)
- London STN (flight numbers EK65 and EK66)
- Zurich (flight numbers EK85 and EK86)
- Geneva (flight numbers EK83 and EK84, EK89 and EK90)
- Tokyo-Haneda (flight numbers EK312 and EK313)
- Nice (flight numbers EK77 and EK78)
- Riyadh (flight numbers EK819 and EK820)
- Frankfurt (flight numbers EK47 and EK48)
Note: There is always a chance of aircraft change on the above routes due to operational reasons.
The Boeing 777-300ERs equipped with the new First Class cabin have the following registrations: A6-EQH, A6-EQI, A6-EQJ, A6-EQK, A6-EQL, A6-EQM, A6-EQN, A6-EQO, A6-EQP.