Best In Class? Emirates A380 Premium Economy To London

I’ll also touch on some key areas where Emirates can certainly improve and discuss the pricing, which I intentionally left out earlier.

Flight Details:

• Route: Dubai (DXB) to London (LHR)
• Flight No: EK001
• Date: December 2024
• Departure Time: 07:35
• Flight Duration: 7 hours 50 minutes (blocked)
• Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
• Seat: 37K

Lounge Access

An Emirates Premium Economy ticket lacks of lounge access. There was an option to purchase access via the app, but the steep price made it unappealing.

Emirates will not be breaking new ground by offering complimentary lounge access – airlines like Japan Airlines already do so! A discounted lounge access would have been a good offering here at least.

Fortunately, Dubai Airport is a hub of activity with no shortage of places to eat, shop, and even relax in designated sleep pods available for hire.

Boarding Emirates A380 Premium Economy To London

Once again, boarding began much earlier than expected, and with a full load of A380 passengers, it was quite the sight.

The boarding area was busy but very well managed with clear designated priorities.

I found myself somewhere in the middle of the 56 Premium Economy passengers, and it struck me just how high the demand was for this product, despite Emirates not yet offering last-minute upgrades from Economy.

This time, I went right past the massive staircase and turned right..

In the daylight, the cabin truly shone, closely matching Emirates’ promotional material. Unfortunately, the full cabin made it impossible to snap any wide shots during boarding – I do have some later on.

Still, it looked as elegant as advertised. Placed in each seat was again the same larger pillow, plastic wrapped blanket and a bottle of water..

Whichever way you look at it, this is one spacious cabin, particularly amplified by the nature of the A380, just look at wide the aisles themselves are !

I couldn’t help but admire the Emirates crew in action — impeccably dressed, polished, and professional.

They truly stand out compared to some other Gulf carriers, where crews can sometimes come across as slightly aloof. The Emirates team strikes the perfect balance of approachability and efficiency.

As everyone settled in, we were offered a choice of two welcome drinks, setting the scene for what promised to be an enjoyable flight.

On-Time Departure

Our aircraft departed promptly at 7:35 am, taking off into the bright winter sunshine of Dubai.

Breakfast Service

Service began around an hour after take-off with a round of hot towels — a nice touch. However, unless you ordered a special meal in advance, there was no choice of breakfast.

The menu was as follows:

You can check the catering on your particular flight directly with on Emirates site or via their App

The meal itself was surprisingly sparse, consisting mainly of fruit, a croissant, yogurt, and a Nature Valley bar — more of a light snack than a hearty breakfast..

This seemed a little underwhelming, especially considering that Premium Economy passengers don’t have lounge access to grab a bite beforehand.

In contrast, in Business and First Class, a similar selection might just be considered a starter. Given the early departure, if you hadn’t eaten before the flight, you’d likely find yourself still peckish.

Mid-Flight Refreshments

A couple of hours later, the crew served refreshments, offering soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and small snack packs like peanuts and crackers.

However, nothing more substantial was available, leaving me craving something a bit more filling.

Seat Comfort: Luxurious Yet Not Without Flaws

Settling in after breakfast, I took full advantage of Emirates’ world-class ICE entertainment system.

Rather than spending endless time trying to find something new, I was delighted to find and pickup right where I left off in the comedy series Ghosts.

The leg rest, while present, was flimsy and practically useless.

It would have been far better to have a proper leg or calf rest to support a relaxed “Z” position. Instead, I found myself more comfortable just planting my feet on the floor.

There’s also an issue when the seat in front of you is fully reclined…

Navigating your way to the restroom without disturbing others is nearly impossible, and I had to wake the person next to me just to get out. This wasn’t a problem on my previous flight, where I had an empty seat beside me.

Another downside: the tray table especially during full meal services was disappointingly small — not much bigger than a standard Economy tray. It felt a bit cramped, especially given the supposed step up in class.

While the seat itself is spacious, the lack of thoughtful storage solutions, like the window-side cubbies available on other A380s, was noticeable.

Emirates A380 Premium Economy To London Lunch

To my surprise, lunch service began a full three hours before landing — quite early, given the UK time was barely 8 am.

Again, the meal was served on a single tray after a round of hot towels and drinks.

I opted for the butter chicken, which looked and smelled fantastic.

Unfortunately, it was served in a very shallow dish — I could have easily eaten twice the amount. Despite finishing in record time, it was undeniably tasty.

The meal concluded with tea, coffee, and a small chocolate.

The Best Seats: What to Choose

One major perk of Premium Economy is the ability to choose your seat for free during booking. While many recommend Row 33 for its privacy and the lack of a reclining seat ahead, I disagree.

Row 33 Cons:

• No footrest
• Even less storage options !
• Less accessible IFE screen
• No proper remote for controlling entertainment

Row 33 Pros:

• First to be served (if the crew starts from the front)
• No one reclining into you
• Increased privacy

If you want the best experience, I recommend Row 34 — it offers the same privacy without the compromises. Alternatively, window seats between Rows 38-40 are also excellent choices, with Row 40 offering the added perk of no one behind you.

Pricing: A Tough Sell

This is where things get tricky. Emirates prices Premium Economy at a substantial premium compared to other carriers, with a return ticket from London to Singapore costing around £1,700. You can often find Business Class on other airlines for not much more, or even as low as £2,700 return for Emirates Business Class itself.

Compared to competitors like British Airways, Finnair, SAS, and Lufthansa, Emirates charges around 30-50% more for Premium Economy. While the product is undoubtedly better, it doesn’t quite justify the hefty price hike given the shortcomings — particularly the underwhelming catering and lack of a proper amenity kit.

Final Thoughts

Emirates Premium Economy is undoubtedly a stylish and comfortable product, and the service quality is consistently high. The seat itself is plush and well-cushioned, and the cabin has a distinctly premium feel.

However, it’s let down by a few key issues:

• Limited catering quantity despite high quality
• Flimsy plastic headphones with no Bluetooth to use your own wireless devices !
• Lack of distinguished amenity kits that you would expect from Premium carrier
• High ticket prices compared to other carriers’ Business Class

For many, the choice becomes a no-brainer — why spend so much on Premium Economy when you can occasionally snag Business Class for just a few hundred pounds more?

Emirates could make this the world’s best Premium Economy product, but they need to either improve the experience or make pricing more competitive. Or a combination of both to achieve a better balance. For me personally, while I am impressed with the product – I’d say it is more style over substance. Is Emirates Premium Economy worth going out of your way for? At this pricing level it would be a hard no.

Would you choose Emirates Premium Economy, or opt for a Business Class deal on another carrier? Let me know in the comments!