Passengers will be able to book Emirates' premium economy seats from June 1, on flights starting from August 1. Photo: Emirates
Passengers will be able to book Emirates' premium economy seats from June 1, on flights starting from August 1. Photo: Emirates
Passengers will be able to book Emirates' premium economy seats from June 1, on flights starting from August 1. Photo: Emirates
Passengers will be able to book Emirates' premium economy seats from June 1, on flights starting from August 1. Photo: Emirates

Emirates airline to launch premium economy bookings from June


Selina Denman
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  • Arabic

Emirates passengers will be able to book seats in the airline’s new premium economy cabin from June 1, on flights starting from August 1.

The new cabin class offers luxurious seats and increased leg room, and will be available on popular A380 routes to London, Paris and Sydney from August 1, and to Christchurch from December.

While the category is currently available on only six A380 aircrafts, the airline is in the process of retrofitting a further 67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s.

On a four-class Emirates A380, the premium economy cabin is at the front of the main deck, with 56 seats laid out in 2-4-2 configuration. On the Emirates Boeing 777, up to 24 premium economy seats will be installed in a dedicated cabin section between business and economy.

The premium economy experience starts on the ground, with a dedicated check-in counter at Dubai International Airport. Photo: Emirates
The premium economy experience starts on the ground, with a dedicated check-in counter at Dubai International Airport. Photo: Emirates

“As with everything we do, Emirates Premium Economy will be exceptional in its class, with minute attention given to every aspect of the customer experience," says Tim Clark, president of Emirates airline. “Customers trading up from economy will be getting excellent value.

“Since we first introduced our premium economy seats in January 2021, the positive response and demand have been tremendous. We currently have six A380s equipped with this cabin class, which limits our initial deployment, but our intention is to offer this experience to many more markets across our network.

“This November, we will begin our retrofit programme to install premium economy on 67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s. At the end of the programme, Emirates will have 126 aircraft fitted out with premium economy cabins, as well as our latest interiors across other cabins. It is a major investment to ensure our customers continue to have the best experience in the sky.”

The cream-coloured leather seats have a six-way adjustable headrest for enhanced comfort and offer a pitch of 40 inches. Photo: Emirates
The cream-coloured leather seats have a six-way adjustable headrest for enhanced comfort and offer a pitch of 40 inches. Photo: Emirates

The premium economy experience begins on the ground, with a dedicated check-in area at Dubai International airport.

On board, cabins are decorated with a wood panelling that echoes Emirates’s business class cabins.

The cream-coloured leather seats have six-way adjustable headrest for greater comfort and offer a pitch of 101cm (40 inches). They are 50cm (19.5in) wide and recline by 20cm (8in). Calf and foot rests are complemented by easily accessible, in-seat charging points and a side table.

Each seat has its own 34cm (13.3in) screen, one of the largest in its class, offering up to 5,000 channels of music, movies, TV, news and other content. Blankets are crafted from recycled plastic bottles, while complimentary amenity kits come in reusable, sustainable bags.

Dining options in premium economy are also inspired by Emirates’s business class offering. Passengers are welcomed on board with drinks served in glassware, while a selection of meals are served on chinaware, with steel cutlery and a linen napkins.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)

Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Insomniac%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%20Sony%20Interactive%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPlayStation%205%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

If you go…

Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.

Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days. 

TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)

What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out  ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

Power: 169bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Price: Dh54,500

On sale: now

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km

On sale: now

Price: Dh149,000

 

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Stats at a glance:

Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)

Number in service: 6

Complement 191 (space for up to 285)

Top speed: over 32 knots

Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles

Length 152.4 m

Displacement: 8,700 tonnes

Beam:   21.2 m

Draught: 7.4 m

While you're here

UAE gold medallists:

Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Sting & Shaggy

44/876

(Interscope)

Updated: May 09, 2022, 2:56 PM`