Emirates Just Upped Its Game (in the middle of a pandemic) - Emirates Premium Economy

Emirates just announced a new Premium Economy class cabin. What does this mean for leisure travelers? While we do get to be excited, it will be a long time before any of us will actually get the chance to try it for ourselves.

If you frequently travel long-haul between Europe, Africa or Asia, chances are, you've flown with Emirates before -- one of the most luxurious airlines in the world. You've likely also seen impressively extravagant photos or videos of Emirates' first and business class seats.

But traveling in such style has probably always been way out of reach, reserved only for influencers in your Instagram feed or the wealthy people dressed in business casual that pass you in line for boarding.

This is about to change for many of us -- at least that's what Emirates promised in a long-awaited statement, announcing the launch of a premium economy class offering in time for the new year 2021.

What Emirates' Launch Video here.

Why Now?

Why now, and in the middle of a pandemic? With the airline industry hit hard and hundreds of airplanes grounded around the world, it makes more sense to cut down on offerings rather than diversifying one's service portfolio. But truth is, when Emirates conceptualised the new cabin, the airline industry had seen unprecedented and sustained growth. This was long before Covid-19 was a thing. Unfortunately for Emirates, the new offering couldn't have come at a worse time, with continued commitment reflecting a gamble that the industry will revitalise in a few years.

Why Premium Economy?

Over the past three decades, Emirates has consistently pushed boundaries in the industry, quickly becoming one of the largest and most premium airlines in the world. With government backing and some creative minds, Emirates innovated luxury travel to an extent to which executives would ditch private jets in favour of more comfortable commercial travel. With this, however, the disparity between the travel classes kept growing.

Business class now included lie-flat seats with built-in minibars, access to over-the-top airport lounges and an in-flight bar (yes, an actual staffed lounge area on an airplane!). In first class, in addition to a seat resembling a private cabin, you would even be treated to an in-flight shower.

Economy class, however, largely remained unchanged. You are probably familiar with the experience of being served food on a small tray, squeezed in between strangers in a row of nine other sweaty passengers. Don't get me wrong, Emirates economy class is still one of the best in the world -- for instance, offering unparalleled access to in-flight entertainment -- but it's the stark contrast in service level between business and economy that began to bother some travelers.

The absence of an intermediate travel class is also what singled Emirates out among most legacy carriers around the world. As carriers such as Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines or American Airlines have noticed, there were always going to be customers willing to pay a little extra for more legroom and comfort, but who would immediately shy away from the price tag of business class.

Compared to other airlines, however, Emirates is aiming to revolutionize the premium economy field as well.

Our First, Business and Economy experiences reset industry standards when they were introduced, and we are confident that our Premium Economy will also make its mark as a distinct premium offering. -Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates

The Product

Now, based on Emirates' video and photos, this does not necessarily seem to be a groundbreaking product. Let's look at some of the key features of the new cabin:

• Adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests
• Seat pitch (distance from seatback to seatback) of roughly 1 m (40 in); seat width of 50 cm (19.5 in); and 20 cm recline (8 in)
• Large 13.3” screen
• In-seat charging point
• Wide dining table and side cocktail table

Unfortunately falling short of expectations that were hyped up prior to the announcement, this cabin really just looks like that of most other carriers. But that doesn't, of course, change the fact that more travelers like us will get to enjoy a more comfortable way to travel in the future. Undoubtedly, the service and flight ancillaries will still be top-notch and on par with the Emirates brand.

You Won't Be Flying Emirates Premium Economy Anytime Soon

So far, the new cabin is only installed onboard one of Emirates' Superjumbo A380s. In addition to featuring on the next five A380s to be delivered to the airline by the end of 2022 (and the last ones ever to be built), some older ones will also be retrofitted with the new cabin in due course. After that, the cabin will reportedly be installed on all new deliveries of the Boeing 777X (earliest 2023).

Considering Emirates' fleet size of almost 250, this means that it will take a while until the new product will make a noticeable impact. To avoid inconsistency, tickets for premium economy will not actually be sold until likely later in the year. Instead, select passengers (for instance, those with a higher frequent flyer status) will receive complimentary upgrades. This will initially only apply to the Dubai to London Heathrow route.

Nevertheless, those of us wanting to spend more frequent flier miles or are willing to pay a bit more can get excited about the eventual prospect of flying more comfortably (and without aching knees) on one of our favourite airlines.

Information in this post:

• Emirates press releases (29.12.2020 & 03.01.2021)
• One Mile at a Time
• Simple Flying