Emirates, what are the best and worst seats aboard the A380
Say Emirates and you immediately think A380. In fact, the Dubai-based airline is the world's largest user of this model [...]
Emirates
Say Emirates and you immediately think A380. In fact, the Dubai-based airline is the world's largest user of this aircraft model, the only one that has found the key to economic viability with the Airbus "double-decker" and the one che is spending billions of dollars to renovate its interior and make it relevant for the next 10 years as well.
Emirates and the A380
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With 120 aircraft in total, Emirates has more than 50% of the A380s in fleet operation right now. For the past few months, the latest A380s produced by Airbus, the first to have the 4-cabin configuration: first class, business, premium economy and economy, have been flying regularly. At the moment, however the chances of being on board one of the more modern ones are quite reduced and from Italy is not expected, except in impromptu cases.
Emirates flies A380 to Rome and Milan in Italy, while other destinations such as Bologna and Venice are served with the Boeing 777/300. The A380 that is used for connections to Dubai and from Milan also to New York is normally set up with 14 first-class suites on the upper floor, Those with access to the shower And 76 business class seats.
The lower floor houses between 426 and 429 traditional economy passengers. However, with nearly 500 seats on board, choosing the best place to sit can be a bit of a challenge. That's why we've compiled a ranking of the best (and worst) seats on board EK's A380s.
A similar article we did for ITA Airways' A350.
Economy
Depending on Emirates' A380, there may be between 329 and 557 passengers in economy class. In the former case we are talking about one of the new A380s equipped with premium economy, while in the latter we are talking about one of the rare A380s outfitted only with a business and economy cabin.
The economy cabin is arranged in a 3-4-3 configuration, with all seats on the lower deck of the A380. Unless you are flying with family or friends, I would avoid the middle seat like the plague. Places B, E, F and J should be chosen only under torture. That premise having been made, the rest becomes easier.
The best seats are definitely those near the bulkheads that divide the cabin spaces. These usually house emergency exits or galleys and offer much more legroom than a standard seat. Rows 43,45, 52, 67 and 80 are all safe bets. The malus is the proximity to kitchens and to bathrooms, which is annoying on night flights because of the bustle of people.
Perhaps the best seats in the A380 Economy are in rows 68 and 81 (A and K). Without a third seat in the front row, passengers have unlimited legroom without having to sacrifice storage space. This also makes 67 and 80 (B and C) a good choice, especially if you are traveling as a couple and prefer to avoid sitting next to a stranger. The malus in this case is also the seat structure that does not allow you to lie down if the seat next to you is vacant.
Business class
Unlike the On the 777s, where objectively Emirates made one of the worst cabins in the world, A380s are configured with a 1-2-1 layout. This means that each passenger has direct aisle access.
Business class occupies the top floor of the made-in-Europe giant. Depending on the version, they can accommodate from 58 to 76 passengers, 9 times out of 10 people will fly the multi-passenger version.
The best seat is no ifs and buts the one next to the window, but since the seats are alternating not all the outside seats are really window side. That's why you have to choose seat A or seat K, precisely because as you can see in the picture above seats B and J are shifted toward the aisle, this means less privacy, less space and less silence.
If you are very tall my advice is in addition to the A and K chairs, to opt for the E and F middle chairs, compared to B and J they give a few more inches for legs in bed mode.
The only places to avoid are those in rows 25 and 26. Since the bar and shipboard toilets are located here: noise can be a problem for many.
If traveling as a couple, I would recommend honeymoons. They don't become a bed as in Qatar's QSuite or Singapore's new business, but they are definitely ideal for couple travel or travel with children. So E and F seats are the ones to take. On the other hand, if the window seats are sold out and you are traveling alone I would opt for rows D and G, which give more privacy.
First class
With only 14 seats, it is hard to say which seats are best in the first class of the A380- Of course, it is definitely lower than Singapore's suite, and the reason is easy to understand: where EK puts 14 seats, SQ puts only 6. Arranged in a 1-2-1 pattern, the middle seat is obviously windowless, which can be a disadvantage if you like to watch the show outside and natural light.
And now there is premium economy
As mentioned now the new A380s and even those renewed month after month are equipped with premium economy. The 56 seats are located at the front of the ground floor, the configuration is 2-4-2. Again the first row, i.e. 33, is the one to choose.
