Summary
- Emirates' Premium Economy offers luxury with wood panel finishing and large screens.
- It costs double the economy fare but provides extra legroom, superior dining, and comfortable cradle seats.
- Premium Economy is available on 13+ destinations with plans to retrofit even more aircraft with the premium seats.
Emirates is a luxury airline that takes its service and comfort seriously. In the recent Airline Ratings Excellence Awards, the airline won Best Premium Economy product in the world. One Simple Flying passenger review of Emirates' Premium Economy notes that "the cabin really looks and feels very special" and that they would fly Premium again.
While Premium Economy doesn't offer the luxury of Emirates' Business Class, it is a significant step up from Economy. For many, it is a great middle ground between the luxury of Business Class and the price point of Economy class.
Is it worth upgrading to the premium economy on Emirates?
Emirates' Premium Economy is more than a comfy chair. Passengers get a dedicated check-in area at Dubai International Airport (or use the self-service check-in kiosks).
Photo: Emirates
Premium Economy has wood panel finishing similar to Business Class, and the seats have 6-way adjustable headrests (and a larger pillow). The leather seats have a rather generous pitch of up to 40 inches and recline into a "comfortable cradle position."
They also come with footrests and a side co*cktail table. The Premium Economy screen is a large 13.3" screen (among the largest in its class).
Select benefits of Premium Economy:
- Superior seat
- Luxury decor
- Welcome drink
- More legroom
- Superior dining and drinks menu
- Dedicated check-in (in Dubai)
- Large screens
Passengers are also welcomed with a welcome drink in fine glassware and later get to select from a generous assortment of meals (complete with a selection of premium wines). Dining in Premium Economy feels more like a fine dining experience.
But the question of whether Emirates' Premium Economy is worth it is a subjective one. The price of a Premium Economy varies significantly depending on route, date, and other factors. But overall, Premium Economy seats typically cost around double that of economy.
Photo: Emirates
This means a long-haul flight fare can easily cost around $1,000 more than the base economy fare. It's up to the individual if the extra comfort, pampering, and premium wines are worth an extra $100 an hour. Passengers decide for themselves if that's more "premium" or still "economy."
Related
Emirates Reflect On 1 Year Of Airbus A380 Premium Economy Sales
By the end of 2023, you can fly to 13 destinations in premium economy, with Emirates.
What aircraft have the new Emirates Premium Economy seats?
Emirates first introduced its new Premium Economy to a handful of newly delivered A350s in 2021. Since then, it has been upgrading its existing fleet to Premium Economy. The extensive cabin retrofit program originally called for 120 aircraft (67 A380s and 53 B-777s) to be retrofitted. However, it seems that Emirates' Premium Economy class has been so popular that Emirates has chosen to expand the refurbishment significantly.
In May 2024, it was reported that it would be completely refurbishing another 71 aircraft (including 43 Airbus A380s and 28 Boeing 777s). This is part of a retrofit program costing $2 billion. Emirates is now refitting 110 A380s and 81 B777s, or a total of 191 aircraft.
Photo:Mario Trusch | Shutterstock
Aircraft with PE: | 22 Airbus A380s |
|---|---|
PE on A380s | 56 Premium Economy seats |
PE on B777 | 24 Premium Economy seats |
Aircraft to have PE: | 110 A380s & 81 B777s |
The A380s, already refurbished, include 56 premium economy seats, while the B777 will receive 24 premium economy seats. According to airlineratings.com, Emirates has retrofitted 22 A380s so far, while the first B777 will be retrofitted in July.
Premium Economy is located in the front of the main deck on A380s (in a 2-4-2 configuration), while it is in a dedicated cabin between Business and Economy on B777s.
Airlineratings.com is one of the world's leading airline rating organizations. It has awarded Emirates the Best Premium Economy award for 2024 (as well as the award for Best In-Flight Entertainment).
Related
Emirates Doubles A380 Premium Economy Services To Melbourne
Australians have fallen in love with the Emirates A380 premium economy cabin and the airline is adding more seats to Melbourne as demand surges.
Which Emirates routes have Premium Economy?
As more aircraft are refurbished, more routes will offer the new Premium Economy fares. As no Boeing 777 has been refurbished, no routes served by the 777s offer the service yet. If an Airbus A380 operates the route, then the answer is maybe.
Routes offering Emirates Premium Economy fares from Dubai | |
|---|---|
Auckland, New Zealand | Houston, Texas |
Christchurch, New Zealand | Los Angeles, CA |
Mumbai, India | Bengaluru, India |
Tokyo Narita, Japan | New York, JFK |
Sydney, Australia | Melbourne, Australia |
San Francisco | Singapore |
London Heathrow | São Paulo, Brazil |
Photo: Toshi K | Shutterstock
The above list was more or less current through the end of 2023. As Emirates has likely refurbished more Airbus A380s in the first half of 2024, more long-distance routes may have been added.
While other aircraft types are on order (including 65 Airbus A350s), Emirates currently only operates Airbus A380s and Boeing B777s. Emirates has around 116 A380s in service, meaning it is likely upgrading all of the jets apart from any that are about to retire. It also operates around 133 Boeing 777s, and is planning to upgrade over half of that fleet.
