Emirates Goes Big on Premium Economy, And Manchester’s in the Spotlight

If the Emirates Premium Economy rollout had a slogan, it’d be “Go big or go back to Economy.” From June 2025, Emirates is going full throttle, offering nearly 5,000 weekly Premium Economy seats in and out of the UK, as the airline deploys its latest blinged-out A380s to Manchester. And if you’re flying from Milan, get ready to sip Chandon at 35,000 feet because Italy’s fashion capital is next in line for that sweet Premium Economy upgrade.

More Champagne, Fewer Cramped Knees

Starting 6 June, Manchester will receive the Emirates A380 glow-up on flight EK017/018, joining London Heathrow in the VIP Premium Economy club. From 1 July, Milan Malpensa will hop on board with EK091/092, making it the second Italian city after Bologna (coming later in June) to see the airline’s latest cabin refit.

And this isn’t just a new seat and a smile. We’re talking 56 wide, plush seats in a 2-4-2 layout at the front of the main deck. Think extra legroom, cocktail tables, in-seat charging, and a menu including the exclusive Chandon Vintage Brut 2016 because sparkling wine tastes better in Premium Economy.

The Route Map of Dreams

With Manchester and Milan joining the club, Emirates retrofitted A380 network balloons to 19 destinations worldwide, with more premium options across Asia and Australasia. Whether you’re off to Sydney, Singapore, Osaka, Mumbai, or Bangalore, your journey just got an upgrade without entirely blowing the budget on Business.

Emirates Premium Takeover, UK Edition

Here’s what the UK’s Premium Economy scene will look like come June:

• London Heathrow: 4 daily retrofitted A380s
• Edinburgh: Emirates A350 with Premium Economy
• Stansted: Refurbished Boeing 777 joins the party in May
• Manchester: A380 with latest cabins from 6 June

At this rate, the only major UK airport not flying Emirates Premium Economy will be… probably some windswept runway in Cornwall.

Booking the Upgrade

You can lock in your Emirates Premium Economy seat via emirates.com, the Emirates App, your local travel agent, or in-store at an Emirates retail office if you’re feeling retro. Just don’t blame us when you never want to return to regular Economy again.