Emirates Expands Its New Premium Economy Cabin to These U.S. Routes

15.08.2023 - 20:19 / afar.com

Emirates may be best known for its lavish first- and business-class cabins, but the Dubai-based carrier is now turning its focus onto an increasingly popular class of seats—premium economy. The cabin, slotted between economy and business class, fills a niche for passengers who don’t want to pay too much of a premium but still desire something that is a step above the no-frills economy experience. In August 2022, Emirates debuted premium economy onboard its double-decker Airbus A380, becoming the first of the major Middle Eastern carriers to offer this class of service.

Now, exactly one year after first launching, the airline has 20 Airbus A380s with premium economy—6 newly delivered aircraft and 14 that have been retrofitted in Emirates’ engineering facility. And as of May 1, the new class of service became available on Emirates flights from the United States when the airline introduced premium economy on flights between New York and Dubai. Since then, San Francisco flights also got the premium economy treatment, and as of July, Emirates routes from Houston and Los Angeles also now offer the premium economy upgrade.

“Premium economy is an important part of our long-standing commitment to our customers around the world, including the U.S. market,” Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, divisional vice president for the USA and Canada, told AFAR in a written statement. “As with everything we do, Emirates premium economy is exceptional in its class, with minute attention given to every aspect of the customer experience.”

U.S. passengers now have more opportunities to sit in snazzy, textured cream leather recliners on flights to Dubai and beyond. Currently, Emirates operates the Airbus A380 with premium economy on four routes to and from the United States:

Other global destinations that have the upgraded four-class Airbus A380—with first, business, premium economy, and economy—include London (LHR), Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Auckland (AKL), Christchurch (CHC), and Singapore (SIN). Emirates says that more than 160,000 customers have flown in premium economy to date.

Emirates premium economy passengers are served gourmet meals on china.

Courtesy of Emirates

While the first- and business-class cabins are both located on the upper deck of the Airbus A380, premium economy is at the very front of the lower berth. The relatively intimate 52-seat cabin features leather seating with upgraded appointments in a 2-4-2 configuration (compared to a 3-4-3 arrangement in economy).

Each seat includes a wood-grain fold-out table—similar to what customers may find in first or business—and a 13.3-inch, seatback-mounted LCD screen with both headphone jacks and Bluetooth connectivity. Comfort-wise, every position has a 19.5-inch-wide seat,