New First Class suites costing no less than $125,000 each are being installed on Emirates’ latest jets - making them as comfortable as the most luxurious executive aircraft and just one of many features planned to persuade people to `keep on discovering’ the quality of its services.
The airline is investing $1.8 billion in reinventing longhaul travel with a series of innovations to tempt every traveller to try its new fleet of Airbus A340-500s.
The biggest initiative in the airline’s 18-year history to win and keep the vital custom of regular flyers will see the arrival of the world’s first private First Class suites, featuring privacy screens which they can open or close at will for maximum exclusivity.
The suites will house massage-enabled leather seats which convert to flat beds, with comfort covers, cosy fabric sleeping suits and slippers, down pillows and cotton-lined blankets to give travellers a really good night’s sleep.
To match the superbly comfortable seats, suites include a dining table, builtin vanity table with mirror and overnight amenity kit, and a host of other little touches of luxury.
Multi-course meals created by top international chefs can be ordered from an extensive menu at any time with a phone call to crew, and served in the comfort of the suite. Stylish sundries include hot toast and cappucino coffee.
No less than three crew will look after the 42 Business Class travellers, who will relax in new 2-2-2 sleeperette massage seats, 55 inches apart, and which recline almost flat. Extra luxuries include down-filled pillows, woollen blankets, hot towels and roomy wardrobes.
In Economy, where most Emirates customers travel, new contoured seats with adjustable footrests and winged headrests will incorporate wider backrest cushions and extra thigh support, making them more comfortable on even the longest flights.
Everyone on board is set to benefit from its astonishing new i.c.e inflight system (information, communication, entertainment), a world first featuring more than 500 channels of films, TV, music and games and three times as many as on rival airlines.
Every seat in every cabin will be equipped with a phone on which every traveller can call anywhere in the world for just $5 a minute via the world’s most widely-used inflight phone system, or send and receive email and SMS for just $1 a time - another world first.
The new aircraft carry 12 First Class, 42 Business and 204 Economy passengers, and 14 tonnes of cargo. From 1St December they will inaugurate 14-hour non-stop flights to and from Sydney, Australia, and from next year, North America, starting with New York.