Food and beverage service in the first class suite of an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Fine cuisine is prepared by gourmet chefs.
Airlines + Aviation
The first two of Emirates Airline’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with newly designed First Class cabins will be deployed on flights from its hub at Dubai International Airport to Brussels, Belgium, and Geneva, Switzerland, on 1 December.
If you thought seats in Cattle Class were getting more and more cramped, check out what’s happening in the front of the plane at Emirates Airline.
The Dubai-based air carrier is installing enhanced first class lounges in its Boeing 777-300s, and they are on display at the Dubai Airshow, which runs from 12 to 16 November.
Distinctive ghaf tree motif enhances the First Class cabin.
The airliners have six private First Class suites laid out in a 1-1-1 layout, compared to the eight private suites in a 1-2-1 layout on Emirates’ existing Boeing 777 fleet.
The suites are completely enclosed, with walls going all the way to the ceiling, offering unprecedented privacy in the interior of a commercial airliner.
Floor-to-ceiling siding doors.
Measuring up to 40 square feet, the new first class suites are 7 feet long. They have floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that are 6 feet and 9 inches high – only the likes of Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming might have to duck to enter!
Suites also have a personal mini-bar stocked with beverages and snacks. Does that include champagne by any chance?
Passengers can also video-call cabin crew to request drinks and canapes, which can to served through a special service window to ensure privacy.
All suites have windows, including middle suites, which have virtual windows that live stream views by way of external cameras. Binoculars are even provided!
Fully flat bed.
Highly flexible, the suites can be turned into a bedroom. a dining room, a living room, or an office.
The new Emirates 777 First Class cabin interior has a new colour palette of soft greys, cream, and champagne. Many of the design features were inspired by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Fully adjustable seats.
The soft leather seats are 78 inches long and 30 inches wide. They can be fully reclined from an upright position into a “zero gravity” position.
Pre-set positions include upright, dining, lounge, bed lounge, and bed. Dozens of other positions are possible.
All suites have a 32-inch HD television, a personal wardrobe with private storage, adjustable lighting, and temperature settings.
Emirates’ new first class suites were inspired by the design philosophy of the Mercedes-Benz S- Class, featuring several of the luxury automobile’s design details such as soft leather seating, high-tech control panels, and mood lighting.
Private Suite Concept
Emirates pioneered the private suite concept on commercial flights in 2003, establishing a new standard for First Class travel. Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines quickly followed suit with first class suites of their own.
“Emirates pioneered the First Class private suite concept back in 2003, and today it’s the industry benchmark when it comes to first class travel,” says Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.
“Over the years, we have continually improved on our private suites, adding thoughtful refinements and features. We are very excited about our new fully-enclosed suite which is a real game-changer in terms of privacy, comfort, and thoughtful luxury.”
Mercedes-Benz S-Class car at Dubai International Airport.
Emirates and Mercedes-Benz have extended their partnership to provide a fleet of the S-Class cars as part of its complimentary chauffeur-drive service.
Emirates First Class passengers arriving or departing in the UAE enjoy a seamless journey from aircraft to home, and vice versa, in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class car.
A Look at the Competition
Emirates isn’t the only airline offering first class suites. Here’s a quick look at how the first class suites at two competing airlines stack up …
Singapore Airlines
Improved first-class suites on Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380.
Emirates’ announcement comes less than two weeks after Singapore Airlines released images of the improved first class suites that have been installed in the airline’s newest delivery of five Airbus A380s.
The new A380s will initially be deployed on the Singapore – Sydney, Australia, route on 18 December 2017.
The airline has not yet announced which route the jetliners will be deployed on next, but rumour has it that the Singapore-London, England, route is a strong contender.
The airline already has 14 Airbus A380s in its fleet. It will start retrofitting existing aircraft in late 2018 and expects to have retrofitted all of them by 2020.
Etihad Airways
The Residence is a three-room suite aboard Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380s.
Middle Eastern rival Etihad Airways introduced The Residence in late 2014. With a living room, a separate double bedroom, and an en-suite shower room, it remains the only three-room first-class suite in the sky.
In-flight service is provided by a dedicated Savoy Academy-trained butler, who remains on call throughout the duration of the flight.
Emirates Airline Business Class
Emirates’ new business class cabin.
The newly designed Boeing 777-330ER business class cabin has 42 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. They have 23 inch HD LCD screens with touchscreen controls for the seat and entertainment system.
Seats in the business class cabin have a pitch of 72 inches and can be reclined into a fully flat position.
Seats are covered in leather. There are touch screen controls for the seat and in-flight entertainment system, personal lighting options, privacy panels between seats, a shoe stowage area, footrest, and a personal mini-bar.
Emirates Airline Economy Class
Emirates’ new economy Class cabin.
The economy class cabin is finished in soft grey with peacock blue accents. There are up to 306 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.
Seats have 12.3 inch HD LCD screens. They have a 33 inch pitch and recline up to 6 inches. They are 17.05 inches wide.
The seats are covered in fabric and have full leather headrests with flexible side panels
Emirates Airline 101
Emirates Airline is based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The carrier maintain a hub at Dubai International Airport, where travelers can make connections to the four corners of the world.
First and Business class passengers have complimentary access to a luxurious lounge during transit.
The airline flies 140 cities in 81 countries on six continents. Included are 21 travel destinations in Africa, 16 travel destinations in the Americas, 51 travel destinations in the Asia-Pacific, 39 travel destinations in Europe, and 14 travel destinations in the Middle East.
The airline is a partner of Fly Dubai, a regional carrier.
The airline has a fleet of 219 aircraft including Airbus A380s, Boeing 777s, and one A319 as executive jets. The airline also has more Boeing 777X and 787 aircraft on order.