Emirates has been having a really tough time recently. Only a couple of weeks ago the airline’s CEO, Tim Clark warned that “Hyper-change is the only constant” in the aviation industry. The warning came at the same time that Emirates announced a raft of cost-saving measures.
But as major airlines around the world react to “the cocktail of overcapacity, price wars, low yields, rising oil prices and a strong US dollar,” by diminishing the passenger experience, Emirates is actually improving it.
The Dubai-based airline has never been one to follow the business trends of competitors and its latest improvements will certainly bring real benefits for travellers. Emirates has invested millions of Dollars in the last 12-months to improve the passenger experience with innovative touches.
And it’s not just First and Business Class passengers that get the premium experience, with improvements being added to the Economy cabin and even rumours of a Premium Economy cabin coming soon.
Here are just a few of the enhancements that Emirates has introduced in the last year:
A New Onboard Bar & Lounge
The famous Emirates onboard lounge is getting a luxe revamp and will appear on all new A380 aircraft. It’s due to be officially unveiled at the ITB Berlin trade show in March – and speculation is mounting that Emirates might have a surprise up its sleeve with the possibility of a new First Class suite also being revealed.
Having taken inspiration from the design of private yachts, passengers will be able to enjoy extra seating, improved lighting, a 55-inch television with surround sound and a colour palate of lighter champagne colours, accented by a glossy dark wood trim.
Soft Fleece Blankets Made from 100% Recycled Bottles
In January, Economy passengers got a new type of blanket to enjoy. It might not sound like much but the new blanket is a real improvement on the old version. And it’s not just comfort and warmth that have been improved with these new blankets.
Each blanket is made out of 28 recycled bottles. Emirates has estimated that by the end of 2019 the blankets will have reused 88 million plastic bottles. That’s the equivalent of 44 A380 aircraft!
The World’s First Self-Moisturising Inflight Pyjamas
First Class passengers are now enjoying the world’s first moisturising inflight pyjamas that use ‘Hydra Active Microcapsule Technology’. The pyjamas have billions of capsules that slowly release sea-kelp during the flight to keep skin moisturised and soft even in the dry environment of an aircraft cabin.
Emirates claim that the capsules can last for up to 10 washes so passengers can continue to enjoy the benefits even after their flight.
Even More Comforts for Premium Passengers
And that’s not all – Emirates has also brought in a raft of other soft product enhancements to its premium cabins. In First Class, the airline has emulated its UAE rival, Etihad with a super soft ‘faux sheep-skin blanket’.
Revamped Bvlgari amenity kits are also being introduced for First and Business Class passengers and skincare products from the award-winning Irish brand, VOYA are stocked in aircraft washrooms and airport lounges.
Christmas Treats and Children’s Toys
For the first time, Emirates included special festive meals in the lead up to Christmas 2016. The airline said that the move was part of its commitment to providing regional and seasonal meals.
Younger travellers also got to enjoy a specially designed meal and were even gifted an Emirates ‘Fly With Me‘ soft toy animal. For Christmas, Eve the reindeer was added to the lineup that also includes Eric the eagle, Silka the seal, Abbott the hedgehog and Shane the Koala.
A Revamped Cabin for New A380 aircraft
Emirates has been a massive supporter of the Airbus A380 super-jumbo and has encouraged the aircraft manufacturer to develop a ‘Neo’ version of the iconic jet. Although that project doesn’t look set to fly just yet the airline is still improving the cabin experience.
When Emirates took delivery of its 85th A380 in November the crew rest area was moved to allow an extra 25 seats to be added to the Economy cabin. In the premium cabins, overhead bins were removed from the sides to create a light and open space.
The airline now only has the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300 jets in its fleet. Both aircraft types are hugely popular with passengers and Emirates argue that passenger comfort is greatly improved by using these two wide-body aircraft.
An Even Better Inflight Entertainment System
Having won the World’s Best Inflight Entertainment award for 12-straight years it’s fair to say that Emirates is the champion when its comes to in-flight entertainment. With up to 2,500 channels of on-demand movies and television, live TV available on 107 aircraft and 85% of the fleet equipped with WiFi, Emirates has invested huge sums in its in-flight entertainment offering.
And it doesn’t look like they want to be outdone anytime soon. In a multi-million Dollar deal with in-flight entertainment specialists, Thales the airline will receive cutting edge systems when it takes delivery of new Boeing 777X aircraft in 2020.
