New Emirates business class on the 777: my full first-time review
The new life of Emirates' Boeing 777s has just begun; it will take more than 2 years before retrofitting [...]
Emirates
GVA
United Arab Emirates
The new life of Emirates' Boeing 777s has just begun, It will take more than 2 years before retrofitting is completed, not all "triple 7s" will be renovated interiors, but this I think is more a matter of some machines being taken out of service and replaced first by the A350s and then by the new 777/9s, if and when they arrive.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- 777/300
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- GVA - DXB
- Price:
- 87,000 Skywards + 400
- Book
I briefly recounted the my first impressions of this flight and now it is time to recount the experience in full and in detail.
Reservation
I bought this ticket on the same day on which EK had announced the start of its fleet rejuvenation program. The first route would be Geneva, and the first day would be August 11.
I have transferred points from my Reward membership accounts and in less than 30 minutes I had detached the ticket for this flight. Final cost 87,000 Skywards points and about €400 fee. (Sorry in the video I said 87,500 miles).
A very expensive ticket for a flight of just under 6 hours, an even more expensive ticket because it was taken as a one-way, but I had no other choice also because cash mni was being asked for over 3000 euros.
At the airport
I arrived late in the morning from Nice on an easyJet flight, went for a ride on the lake, but the heat convinced me to return to the airport at lightning speed.
Very convenient rail connection that for 3 Swiss francs and in less than 10 minutes connects the central station to the airport.
Here I headed to the Emirates check-in counters where there was an oceanic crowd, but it was not for my flight, but for the afternoon flight, No problem getting my boarding pass almost 8 hours in advance of departure.
After passing through the checkpoints, I wandered around the Schengen terminal area for a little while and then headed to the C-door area the one for non-EU flights.
This area is definitely better, more beautiful and modern than the rest of the terminal.
EK does not have its own lounge at this airport, a pity since it is probably the company with the most lounges owned in the world. Here it uses Marhaba, which is like playing at home since it is a Dubai-owned brand, as Dnata which does the catering.
The lounge is nice and is definitely better than the nearby Aspire. Both are Priority Pass and both have partnerships with different companies.
At the gate
I headed for the gate fairly early, but here it is the photo sickness in me that takes over.
Emirates uses two gates, one for economy passengers and the other for premium passengers. While usually the latter have access directly from the lounge, here they get around the inconvenience by dividing the boarding queues. In any case, not flying on GVA with the A380, there are no oceanic crowds ready to board.
I must say that the procedures were a tad chaotic. Few respected the serpentine of the business, throwing themselves into the straight of the first. Then there were those who demanded to jump the queue and those who complained that priority was not given to families with children. Let's say that Arabs in the ranks are like us Italians: they don't make them.
On board
The best thing about boarding was being able to use port 1, the one that allows you to pass inside the First Class cabin and on this plane it's worth double why is the Gamechanger Not the one that is on the rest of the fleet.
Business class is divided into two cabins. The first, the tiny one, has only 10 seats.
The second, on the other hand, has 28 seats, all with 1-2-1 setups, A momentous shift from the old 2-3-2. A major leap forward for Emirates, which finally , once the retrofitting is completed, it will offer all business class passengers direct aisle access.
The chosen chair is theevolution of the one currently installed on A380s, those who expected a different product will have to rest their souls and fly in the case with other carriers.
The colors are classic Emirates colors. Light leather armchairs and then the unmistakable touches of faux wood: the porthole frames, the seat frame, and the coffee table. Years pass and people change, but at EK, faux burl never goes out of style.
The seating arrangement is checkerboard., and all passengers travel straight and facing the direction of travel. This situation the advantage of giving maximum legroom, but the huge disadvantage that the outward seated passenger will be exposed on the aisle in all directions.
If you choose to fly to central places, although it is often not a choice but an obligation there is a partition dividing you from your neighbor, which can obviously be eliminated if you are traveling as a couple. However, the separation is not total, and this is definitely the biggest flaw of this configuration. As you see it privacy is not comparable to the "suites" that are around today on so many companies. Of course it is still better than EK's old cabin, but it is also better than many others such as those on Lufthansa's A380s or British Airways.
The first time for everyone (or almost everyone)
Given that this booth had been flying for only 4 days probably no one on board had flown with this new configuration before. Neither did the crew. Chatting with a couple of them, they explained to me that they had arrived the day before on the afternoon flight, a flight that is always operated with the 777, but still the old ones. To my question the Purser replied, "It's my first time too!"
Emirates' new business class seat
We come to the reason I parted with a nest egg of Membership Rewards points that I later turned into Skywards points: the new business class.
.
The jump is momentous. Before it was 2-3-2, with ⅓ of the passengers having no direct access to the aisle and 4 out of 7 passengers being bypassed by their neighbor.
Today it is 1-2-1, that is, as in modern business class, as on board the A380 and as it should be in 2024 on a carrier like EK.
I was assigned seat 6K, the first one in the main cabin. I have to say luckily, because initially I had thought of putting myself in the small front cabin, but that would not have been a smart choice.
If you choose the seat closest to the window you will have more privacy, a better view to admire the scenery outside the porthole, you will be further away from the corridor, and in general the trip will be more comfortable.
Space is plenty, the still immaculate chair is beautiful in this cream color. To those who say to me "Matteo sorry but you criticize ITA for the light interior and here you say it's beautiful?" I reply by saying that the floor is dark, the seat is leather and not fabric. The areas of strongest contact are of a shade where dirt emerges less and then remember that labor costs in Dubai are not comparable to those in Italy, so I have no doubt that legions of janitors manage to clean everything (almost) after every landing.
What I have found functional is the hand control that handles the basic needs of every traveler. There is no manual to study, no need to go crazy navigating through touch screens. There's a button for everything (or almost everything), in a position where it won't clash with your elbow.
The lighting is fair and manageable and then if you want to find the perfect position there is the timeless tablet that also allows you to use the memory function like on modern cars, too bad it can't be synchronized with the SKywards profile, so next time you arrive and in two clicks you are in your favorite position.
I find the minibar unnecessary; I would have much preferred an enclosed cabinet in the same position. Perfect for hiding wallet, passport and various devices that I otherwise have to leave on the coffee table.
The only place where there is a tiny bit of storage is the cockpit above the minibar. Very little and not at all "safe"
I also do not understand the possible use of the small hiding place under the armrest, it is not deep enough for anything, perhaps the only thing might be the jewelry and the watch. A kind of shelter inaccessible to everyone given its location.
The finishes are classic Emirates, they are sort of a family trademark. I'm talking about the patterns on the upholstery, the faux wood, the jars with fresh flowers, and the starry sky in the cabin.
I remember that The seats in the first row are the ones where infant cribs can be placed, and so if the creature is restless it is not the best place to be (even if you have super-powerful headphones), but in my case it was an angel all flight.
When you want to turn the chair into a bed you can ask for the small topper, it is nothing much, but at least it insulates from the seat and that is what is needed.
In bed mode, leg and foot space is not sacrificed; you can move around without bumping all the time.
The comforter is warm, but the pillow could be better. It is also too bad that it is put without a cover on the seat and not bagged.
The bathroom is renovated in colors and finishes, but it still remains an elegant bathroom, and again there are the stylistics found throughout the EK fleet.
Completing the seat are air vents, several light points, and a large, solid coffee table, but one that prevents it from standing up when set.
IFE (or rather ICE)
If already Emirates' entertainment system is above average and you add a 23" 4k monitor to it then it becomes even more unsurpassed.
The tablet allows you to watch a second channel, while on the main screen you do other things. There is live TV, an endless catalog of content, in any language and any genre. The headset is the classic Emirates headset, let's say it defends itself quite well.
All very nice, but the most important thing is that in the hand control on the seat there are also volume controls, screen off, and to change channels, so you don't have to use the tablet. I, of course, appreciated the cameras that allow you to watch what happens outside the plane.
If connectivity is free on board for all loyalty program members, for business passengers the main package is also included, which allows them to navigate the entire flight.
It was also an opportunity to see live the new Emirates security video and I have to say that they really spared the imagination on this one.
Service
As always, I remember, I don't give notice that I will be on board, pay my fare and ask for no special treatment, this is because I always try to pass as a normal customer. This time, however, I got caught. The cabin manager came up to me and said, "I've seen what you do, it's very nice." Unfortunately, it's enough to write Matteo Rainisio google to get discovered.
In this respect, it was an A-plus trip. They gave me the puppets, invited me to see all the news on board (the bar, the PE), and at the end of the flight they even gave me a postcard signed by many crew memebers.
First drink moments after sitting down (Veuque Cliqot) and then everything else: menu, wine list, wipe and even the ritual polaroid. An heirloom to add to this flight's collection.
The Bvlgari amenity kit is a treat at Emirates, It is the best (by far) in first class and is also on the top step of the podium in business class. In addition to this there is a second handbag with eye mask and slippers.
The attention throughout the (short) flight was total. I couldn't think of anything in time that an assistant popped up to grant the wish.
Food & Beverage
If about the wine cellar on board I had no objection, EK sacked the maison that produces the "widow" and "the dompe" as well as the wineries of a great many producers. Below average gastronomic offerings.
No amuse bouche, dishes without a soul and tray service. I don't like it when a tray is served in business because it reduces the space on the coffee table Also leading to accident risk. You put the glass in the wrong spot and wash yourself.
Three choices of appetizers, the classic Arabic Mezze, a mushroom soup or scallops. I opted for this choice and it was a cold appetizer.
For the main course, nothing special, a simple and unsophisticated offering. When I think that lately I have also found those who offer you sorbet to wash down your palate, the eating did not seem to live up to the name.
I skipped the cheese tasting and since I was undecided I had both pies brought to me. One mango and the other chocolate.
Two even aesthetically similar products and two fairly flat flavors if it were not for the mango compote.
If I wanted to, I could have gotten food at the "so-called" shipboard bar as well, but I had no appetite. This is one of the new features highlighted by EK in the new booths, but I really see it as a stretch. If you use the word "bar" on Emirates you immediately think of the A380. This is not even a social space, because you are in the middle of the business cabin over the head of a passenger who may not want to hear you chatting with a friend while he just wants to sleep.
In conclusion
A giant leap forward for Emirates, but that does not make these 777s competitors to the QSuite or some of the cabins that travel today on the routes for which the average Italian chooses EK flights.
Cathay Pacific is about to launch AriaSuites, Air France and KLM have door suites, the same goes for British Airways' Club World Suite. Oman and Gulf Air's business classes are also viable competitors to these cabins, and here it all comes down to service and price.
Now I look forward to seeing what will be installed aboard the A350s. Emirates again has not yet revealed anything, it could be that there is nothing to declare or that an unexpected surprise will come, we will see.
Pro
- The service
- IFE
Against
- Little storage
- Little privacy
- High taxes on premium ticket