When I boarded the Emirates Boeing 777, I couldn’t help but feel excited. After years of walking past the fancy seats, I was finally a premium passenger.
The moment I settled in, I noticed how spacious it was. Instead of the usual 10 seats across, there were only four. This meant more room to stretch out and relax.
I’ve traveled with Emirates in economy before, and I knew they had great service and plenty of food and drink. But what would be different this time?
The airline promised a comfy journey with the best seats at 40,000 feet. They even mentioned mixing business with pleasure. That sounds nice, right?
Before I boarded, I skimmed the info on the airline’s website but didn’t dive deep. Had I done so, I might have seen this: “Emirates operates a mixed fleet, so services may vary based on aircraft.”
Once aboard, I was surprised to find myself in the first class section instead of business class. Moving into business class, I noticed seven seats across—much more crowded than expected.
I asked a flight attendant about it. “This is business class,” he assured me.
The staff was wonderful. When they offered pre-flight champagne, I opted for tea instead. Within minutes, I enjoyed a proper cup of tea right at my seat.
However, the seating was less impressive. Compared to the economy class I’m used to, there wasn’t much elbow room, even though the legroom was better. The seat dividers felt intrusive, making the space seem narrow.
It reminded me of a dentist’s chair. At least on the plane, someone brought tea instead of a needle. Still, comfort was lacking.
As for sleeping, good luck with that. The seats are called “angled lie-flat,” but they only reclined to about 14 degrees. That’s not exactly flat and can make getting past your seatmate to reach the restroom a challenge.
An Emirates spokesperson mentioned that they prioritize customer comfort and are working on refurbishing over 200 aircraft to improve the passenger experience. So far, 40 planes have been updated.
The core issue seems to be that while some Emirates planes boast great space and true flatbeds, others still have outdated configurations. The airline needs to address these issues in its marketing and pricing.
Despite the concerns in business class, I can still recommend Emirates’ economy class. It remains a solid choice for travelers.
Simon Calder, known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been sharing travel tips and insights with The Independent since 1994.
