Premium economy has a bad rap. The neglected middle child, it’s often forgotten amid cattle class armrest battles and hedonistic new business class trends.
Many people write it off, saying they’d rather save up their points (or money) until they have enough to fly flat in business, rather than waste their accruements in ‘faux business’ or a ‘marginally more spacious economy.’
Emirates premium economy, however, recently made us reconsider our prejudices.
The airline took to Instagram earlier this month to announce: “We will be receiving three more A380 aircraft from Airbus this year, with our last A380 on order scheduled to join our fleet in November.”
“All three new A380s will be fitted out with our popular Premium Economy cabin along with our latest A380 cabin interiors.”
“These deliveries will bring our A380 fleet to 118 units in November, and we’re committed to being the largest operator of this spacious and modern aircraft for the next two decades.”
The announcement was accompanied by the following photo series, which show off the premium economy section.
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Emirates is set to receive its final A380 in November, bringing forward the original delivery timeline from June 2022.
All three new A380s will be fitted with Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin as well as its latest A380 cabin interiors and signature features including private suites and Shower Spas in First Class, the popular Onboard Lounge, fully flat seats in Business Class, and the industry’s largest seatback screens for customers in all cabins to enjoy the airline’s extensive selection of entertainment content on ice.
These deliveries will bring Emirates’ total fleet of A380s to 118 in November, including six aircraft equipped with Premium Economy seats in a 4-class configuration.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, said of the delivery: “We’ve come to an agreement with Airbus to bring forward the delivery of our remaining A380 orders and have secured financing for these units. These new aircraft will also add more highly sought-after Premium Economy seats into our inventory, as we prepare to fully launch this cabin product in the coming months.”
He added: “Emirates will continue to be the largest operator of this spacious and modern aircraft for the next two decades, and we’re committed to ensuring that the Emirates A380 experience remains a customer favourite with ongoing investments to enhance our product and services.”
As travel restrictions ease with the global roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, come October, Emirates will have reinstated its A380 operations on over a dozen popular routes between Dubai and: Amman, Cairo, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mauritius, Moscow, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Toronto, Vienna, Washington DC, and Zurich, the airline shared earlier in September.
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“Emirates’ 4-class A380s are currently operating on its London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle routes. The comfortable and luxurious cream leather-covered Emirates Premium Economy seats with generous leg room, are currently offered as spot upgrades for valued customers on a discretionary basis,” the airline announced.
As for whether you should be tempted into trying premium economy yourself, here are the typical benefits for your perusing pleasure.
Per Skyscanner, “There is quite a big difference between economy and premium economy, primarily in terms of space. Generally speaking, airlines give you roughly 12-18cm (5-7in) extra legroom space, 3-5cm (1-2in) extra seat-width space, and 5-7cm (2-3in) extra seat reclining space in premium economy seats.”
“If you like to stretch out your legs (or are just tall) and hate fighting for elbow space, you’ll find upgrading will afford you more comfort in-flight.”
Other benefits include better meals and snacks, as well as (depending on the airline) lounge access and free drinks.