Updated April 2025 – because Emirates Premium Economy just went platinum.
Remember when Emirates first teased Premium Economy in 2022, and we all squinted at renderings, wondering if it was just marketing fluff with a bit of bronze trim? Fast-forward to 2025, and oh yes, it’s real. It’s plush and spreading faster than a TikTok travel hack.
Here’s what’s changed since that first retrofit and why Premium Economy on Emirates now deserves its own boarding group.
In This Post
From a Sprinkling to a Stampede: The Retrofit Boom
When Emirates first got to work in 2022, the plan was modest: retrofit 67 A380s with Premium Economy cabins. The rest of the fleet? Still living that two-class life.
But Emirates isn’t one to do things halfway. As of 2024, the airline supercharged the plan, announcing:
- 111 A380s
- 80 Boeing 777-300ERs will be fully refitted with Premium Economy cabins, for a total of 191 aircraft getting the glow-up and a $5 billion budget.
Five. Billion. Dollars. That’s enough to buy a few new planes – or, in Emirates fashion, make the old ones look better than new.
What’s Premium Economy Actually Like?
Think of it as Business Lite with a side of smugness. Here’s what you’re getting:
- 19.5-inch-wide leather seats with leg rests and footrests
- Up to 40 inches of pitch (basically, your knees don’t touch anything)
- A dedicated, quiet mini-cabin just behind Business Class
- Cream-and-bronze interiors that scream, “I’ve upgraded – and I’ve got taste.”
The cabin has been lifted straight from Emirates shiny new A380s and adapted for the rest of the fleet. And yes, the Boeing 777 versions look just as sleek despite the narrower fuselage.
Where Can You Fly It?
These aren’t just showpieces in Dubai–London anymore. Emirates is rolling Premium Economy out like it’s the new First:
As of 2025, you’ll find the cabin on:
- London Heathrow
- New York JFK
- Paris CDG
- Sydney
- Christchurch
- Melbourne
- Auckland
- São Paulo
- Tokyo Narita
- Dubai–Manchester (from 6 June 2025)
- Dubai–Milan (from 1 July 2025)
As retrofits continue, more routes are being added quarterly, and those 777s will unlock even more destinations beyond the A380’s domain.
Who’s Booking It?
Turns out Premium Economy isn’t just for indecisive Business Class downgrades. Emirates says demand is high – especially on long-haul routes where:
- Business Class is too dear,
- Economy Class is too cramped,
- and Premium Economy is just right.
On some routes, revenue per square foot in Premium Economy is beating Business Class. Not bad for a cabin that didn’t exist three years ago.
Final Boarding Call
Emirates Premium Economy started as a soft launch, with a few rows on a few jets. But now, it’s a core part of their strategy to refresh the fleet without buying a dozen new aircraft.
For passengers, that means better comfort without Business Class pricing and for AV geeks, it means more refitted jets to track and cabins to review. We’ll raise a glass (of bubbly, if they’re offering it) to that.
Keep the Miles Rolling
