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Emirates unveils upgraded business class amid stiff competition from US carriers

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Emirates unveils upgraded business class amid stiff competition from US carriers
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For years, major U.S. airlines Delta, American, and United have called for protectionism against Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways. They argued that these Middle Eastern carriers were subsidized and offered such an attractive product that competition was untenable. Efforts were made with both the Obama and Trump administrations to abrogate treaty obligations, raise airfares, and reduce choices.

Their argument seemed peculiar concerning Emirates, whose business class has long been considered subpar compared to the offerings of the major U.S. carriers. The mainstay of Emirates' fleet is the Boeing 777, which for years did not feature fully flat seats or direct aisle access in business class.

Emirates is well-known for its first-class suites on a few new 777s and its Airbus A380 showers and bar. These features have been heavily advertised but overshadowed what some consider an inferior overall product. Emirates was also among the first airlines to introduce 10-abreast seating on its Boeing 777s.

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Recently, Emirates unveiled its new Boeing 777 interior. However, industry observers find the new business class offering disappointing.

The upgraded Boeing 777s will include a new business class cabin and premium economy seating. The first plane (registration A6-EQH) took a month to retrofit and is already in service. Each subsequent aircraft will take two weeks to complete. Flights EK83 and EK84 to Geneva launched with the new cabin today; EK312 and EK313 to Tokyo Haneda will follow on September 1; EK183 and EK184 to Brussels will get the cabin on September 11. Newer 777s with Emirates' updated first class are being retrofitted first.

The new business class closely resembles the old Airbus A380 configuration: lie-flat seats with direct aisle access but lacking spaciousness or suite doors.

Emirates President Tim Clark stated this upgrade "raises the industry benchmark" for premium travel: "Emirates continues to carry out our commitment to deliver an unmatchable onboard experience with the introduction of our latest Boeing 777 with new signature interiors... Our latest Business Class cabin offers customers a sense of exclusivity and privacy... With more Boeing 777s and A380s refreshed... customers can consistently have the very best experiences in the sky across both aircraft types."

While this new business class marks an improvement over previous offerings on Emirates' Boeing 777s, it still falls short compared to Delta's suites-equipped aircraft or American Airlines' forthcoming suites on their Boeing 787-9s and reconfigured Boeing 777-300ERs.

However, it should be competitive with United's current Polaris seat offering. United itself is contemplating an update that may include suites as part of its next generation of Polaris seating.

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