Emirates likely won't have first class on new Boeing 787s or Airbus A350s
Last month at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates announced it would be ordering 50 Airbus A350-900s. Those aircraft will start to enter the fleet in 2023 alongside 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
The question on many TPG readers' minds was: Would Emirates put its famed first class suite on those new aircraft?
Unfortunately for ultraluxury travel fans, the airline will likely not install first class on the 80 aircraft, Emirates CEO Tim Clark told Executive Traveler.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips!
Clark said that the aircraft would "probably not" have first class and would instead feature business, premium economy and economy seating. The CEO added that the 787s would "be used on a variety of medium to long-haul operations that don't . . . support a first class cabin."
However, Clark did reveal some good news. Business class cabins on the new aircraft will mirror what's currently on Emirates' Airbus A380, which features a fully flat bed in 1-2-1 configuration, meaning all seats have direct aisle access. On many Emirates aircraft, business class seats are laid out in 2-3-2 configuration and some even feature angle-flat seats.
"We're standardizing the fleet: the Boeing 777-9X, the A350, the 787 and A380 will all be the same type of (business class) suite," Clark told Executive Traveler.
Emirates still plans on installing first class on its incoming Boeing 777X aircraft, although full details have not been revealed for that part of Emirates' fleet. The airline has over 100 777Xs on order, so travelers should still have a good shot of booking the famed travel experience.
In 2017, Emirates revealed a brand-new, fully enclosed suite that improved upon its older, but still highly regarded, first class product.
If you want to learn more about booking Emirates first class with miles, you'll want to check out our Ultimate Guide to Emirates First Class and our story on how to find routes with the new first class suite. You can book Emirates awards through a number of programs — Emirates Skywards is a transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards and Capital One.
Emirates also plans on rolling out premium economy on the A380 by the end of next year. It will be the first time Emirates has put a premium economy product on its aircraft, however the seat design has yet to be revealed for that.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app