but end 2022 only!
Emirates Airline has announced plans to install its new Premium Economy seat across a further 105 aircraft after President Sir Tim Clark admitted earlier this year that the airline had made a mistake by not embracing a product that has proved incredibly popular with travellers on other airlines for years.
The upgrade programme won’t, however, get started until the end of 2022 and isn’t planned to be completed until mid-2024 at the earliest. Even by that point, less than half of Emirates’ aircraft fleet will feature the ‘classy’ Premium Economy seat.
Located at the front of the A380’s main deck, the 56-seat Premium Economy cabin is laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration with two dedicated lavatories at the front of the cabin. The Recaro manufactured seats have been customised with cream-coloured anti-stain leather upholstery and wood panel touches similar to Emirates’ existing Business Class seats.
The seats measure 19.5 inches wide, and come with a 13.3-inch seatback screen, up to 40 inches of pitch, and a six-way adjustable headrest.
The airline will retrofit 52 more superjumbos and 53 Boeing 777 aircraft with the Premium Economy cabin.For years, EK dismissed Premium Economy fearing the seats would cannibalise demand for Business Class. Data from multiple other airlines show that the vast majority of Premium Economy flyers are leisure travellers looking to upgrade their Economy experience rather than business travellers hoping to save costs.
By the end of the year, the Premium Economy seat will be available on select Emirates flights from Dubai to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, New York JFK and Paris.
