Yesterday, Emirates revealed their new configurations aboard the Boeing 777-300 jets. The First Class suites are really stunning to see. From there, it seems like Emirates just changed up a few things for business class, so not so radical (at least they are lie-flat and not angled seats!). But, they also showed the new Emirates economy class. Is there much there to be excited about?
The New Emirates Economy Class – More Than Meets the Eye?
In case you missed it, I recently reviewed Emirates economy class on their current 777-300 aircraft and found it to be a fantastic example of how economy class should be. Service was excellent, food was on-par with some business class services, and the entertainment availability was top-notch.
When it comes to economy class, there is not a whole lot that airlines can do. They need to keep it as something that is available at a mass market price and that means not putting to many frills in the cabin or reducing the amount of rows that are there. I mean, while I would love a roomier experience in economy, I am also realistic that even a couple of inches per seat means fewer rows in the aircraft.
Modern, More Ergonomic Designs
While touring the Airbus factory last year, they were giving examples of how they are pushing the envelope in their designs for economy from things like better lighting to make the travel easier on the body to seats that are designed according to the work of sleep scientists and tons of tests for comfort. I am sure Boeing is doing the same thing so the seats we will be flying in economy on these newer places should be more comfortable than what we are flying in now.
What Changed with the New Emirates Economy Class?
Courtesy of Emirates
So, what did Emirates change about their new economy class? At first glance, it appears that they didn’t do much. In fact, they really didn’t have much to say about the new Emirates economy class seats. Here is what they said in their press release:
“The Economy Class cabin now features a colour palette of soft greys and blues. The ergonomically designed seats come with full leather headrests that have flexible side panels and can also be adjusted vertically for optimum support.”
Yep. That’s it! New colors and head rests – for the seats.
They also upgraded their entertainment units to 13.3″ HD LCD screens (the screens were my biggest negative of the current 777 Emirates economy class) as well as adding USB C for data transfer (for media to the screen) and phone charging. Those things, in reality, are definitely nice upgrades.
Here is the list of what is in new Emirates economy class cabin (italics mine):
- Up to 306 specially designed contoured seats in a 3-4-3 configuration with 2-4-2 configuration in the last row – Same old configuration (one extra note – it appears they have reduced the number of economy seats by at least 4)
- Seats pitched up to 33” apart and reclines by 6” – Extra inch of pitch – already class-leading
- Seat cushions 17.05” wide – Same thing as now
- A 13.3” HD LCD screen
- Leather and fabric combination seat covers
- USB A for smart phone charging
- USB C for data transfer to the screen and for smart phone charging
- PC power outlet for charging personal devices
The best parts about the new Emirates economy class cabin would likely be the upgraded screen, extra charging ports/connection ports, and the extra inch of pitch. The recline on the current seats is really nice so good to see that here.
We do have a new Emirates economy class coming on the 777 but the changes over the “old” cabin may be more than what we can see from photos. I am looking forward to trying the seat out to see how it feels on the long-haul. Of course, I want to try the First Class suites as well but that will come later… 🙂
