Emirates expands premium economy service to four new regional routes

Currently, Emirates operates premium economy cabins on 635 weekly flights across its network. By winter, this product will be available on some level at 68 destinations served by the airline. Of these destinations, nearly half—36—will be exclusively served by aircraft fitted with premium economy cabins.

The airline states that increasing availability of this cabin class provides "a more consistent experience when connecting through Dubai to destinations also served by the airline’sAirbus A350 and retrofitted Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft."

To support this expansion, Emirates has undertaken a significant cabin refurbishment program. The company reports completing one retrofit every three weeks; so far, it has finished upgrades on 67 out of a planned total of 219 aircraft (110 A380s and 109 Boeing 777s). New Airbus A350 deliveries already include premium economy seating.

Premium economy seat configurations vary depending on aircraft type: the Airbus A350-900 features 21 seats arranged seven-abreast (2-3-2), the Airbus A380-800 offers a section with eight-abreast seating (2-4-2) totaling 56 seats, while the Boeing 777-300ER provides space for up to 24 passengers in this class.

Seat dimensions are consistent across all types: each seat measures approximately 19.5 inches wide with a pitch of about 40 inches and an eight-inch recline.

Onboard the A380 specifically, premium economy is located at the front of the lower deck due to business and first class being situated upstairs—a layout which gives passengers quicker access upon landing.

Emirates was founded in 1985 as a full-service carrier based at Dubai International Airport under CEO Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Its loyalty program is known as Emirates Skywards.