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Emirates Bringing Premium Economy to More U.S. Destinations

Refurbished Boeing 777 aircraft will allow the airline to expand their premium economy offering in the U.S.

An Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft are currently undergoing a significant refurbishment process in Dubai as part of a massive cabin interior overhaul project. This overhaul will bring the aircraft up to Emirates brand design standards with new color motifs and seats.

It also brings an updated business class product to the aircraft and the addition of a premium economy cabin.

After the refurbishment, Emirates will have a fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft in a four-class configuration: six or eight first-class seats, 38 or 40 business-class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, 24 premium economy seats, and 256 economy-class seats.

As these refurbished aircraft return to service, many will be put on flights to the United States from Dubai, expanding the successful Emirates premium economy cabin to more destinations in the country. The airline already offers premium economy to United States destinations serviced by Airbus A380 aircraft such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston.

The first Boeing 777 aircraft will make its United States debut in Chicago and the aircraft type will rapidly be placed onto other routes to the United States:

  • Chicago – Emirates will introduce its retrofitted Boeing 777 three times weekly on EK 235 and EK 236 starting from November 1, 2024 and will increase to daily from November 22, 2024.
  • Boston – From December 10, 2024, Emirates’ newly-retrofitted Boeing 777 will serve the route three times weekly as EK 237 and EK 238, increasing to daily from December 18, 2024.
  • Dallas Fort Worth – Emirates’ enhanced Boeing 777 aircraft will be deployed three times weekly on EK 221 and EK 222 from January 9, 2025, with daily flights starting from January 15, 2025.
  • Seattle – The newly-configured aircraft featuring four cabin classes, including Premium Economy, will be rolled out on EK 229 and EK 230 from January 24, 2025.
  • Newark/Athens – From February 10, 2025, Emirates’ retrofitted Boeing 777 with refreshed interiors and new cabins will operate daily on EK 209 and EK 210
  • Miami/Bogotá – Emirates’ latest 777 experience will be introduced on EK 213 and EK 214, the service to and from Dubai and linking Miami with the Colombian capital, on four weekly flights from 19 February 2025, expanding to daily from 1 March 2025.

By February of next year, Emirates will be offering premium economy to and from 10 of its 12 gateways in the United States.

Also notable is that the Boeing 777 business class experience will significantly improve with the introduction of new seats that feature all aisle access. The new business class seats, while not an entirely new product, are similar to what is found on the carrier’s A380 fleet.

These seats will bring consistency to the business class product Emirates offers in the United States. By February of next year, passengers can expect relative consistency in terms of cabin seating layouts across all Emirates flights to and from the United States.

Hemal Gosai

Author

  • Hemal Gosai

    Hemal took his first flight at four years old and has been an avgeek since then. When he isn't working as an analyst he's frequently found outside watching planes fly overhead or flying in them. His favorite plane is the 747-8i which Lufthansa thankfully flies to EWR allowing for some great spotting. He firmly believes that the best way to fly between JFK and BOS is via DFW and is always willing to go for that extra elite qualifying mile.

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