Emirates will begin offering UK premium ticket passengers more comfortable first and business class seating from mid-December.
Keith Longstaff, the Dubai carrier's senior VP commercial operations in Europe revealed to Business Traveller that new B777-300ERs will be arriving on selected routes. "They will be taking over flights currently flown by smaller A330s which will mean we will be able to offer 60% more seats overall."
Premium fare passengers benefit the most because first class passengers will get fully lie flat beds. And while Emirates still hasn't gone down the lie-flat (or even lie-flat style) route with business class, the seat pitch on the B777ERs will be increased from 50 to 60 inches.
Adds Longstaff, "Glasgow-Dubai will be the first route to see the B777-300ERs from December 15. London will follow in the first quarter of next year. This plane will also take over one of our two daily flights from Manchester."
Emirates departs for Dubai from five UK airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. The carrier claims that between 60% and 70% of UK passengers are making onward connections at Dubai for destinations in Asia, Africa and Australasia.
For more information go to www.emirates.com
Report by Alex McWhirter
