This isn’t just any Premium Economy, it’s Emirates Premium Economy!

For years, the big Middle Eastern airlines—dubbed the “ME3″—completely dismissed the idea of Premium Economy, with Qatar Airways’ former CEO famously claiming their Economy class matched most airlines’ Premium Economy.

But times change. In 2022, Emirates surprised the industry by introducing Premium Economy on select retrofitted A380s, instantly grabbing attention. In just two years, despite limited route availability, they’ve not only redefined expectations but also scooped up multiple awards as a leading Premium Economy airline.

What’s behind the hype? In this two-part review, I’ll uncover the substance behind Emirates’ Premium Economy—and one standout detail that truly blew me away!

Flight Particulars

Route: Singapore – Dubai
Flight No: EK355
Date: November 2024
Departure Time: 9pm
Flight Duration: Blocked 6:50 minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Seats/Suite: 33A & 39A

Emirates Premium Features & Perks

The “premium” in Premium Economy means different things to different airlines and travellers. Here’s how Emirates has chosen to set its product apart—building on what is already considered one of the better Economy experiences in the industry:

• Dedicated, exclusive cabin – 56 seats in A380, 24 seats in retrofit 777 and new A350s.
• Dedicated crew to the cabin
• Larger seats and more space – 39-40″ pitch and 19.5″ wide seats
• Greater recline compared to Economy, 8″ vs 5″
• Stylish Mercedes inspired leather seats
• Elevated dining experience with fresh meals served on Royal Doulton china tableware with stainless steel cutlery wrapped in linen
• Extra vintage drinks from Business Class list
• Larger 13.3″ IFE screen to enjoy the award winning ICE entertainment offerings
• Increased luggage allowance with upto 35KG checked luggage or 10KG of cabin luggage.

Emirates Not So Premium Check-In

While Emirates does have dedicated Premium Economy desks at it’s hub airport in Dubai, this is not the case in outstations.

In Singapore, you are encouraged just to use self check-in and bag drop or directed to normal Economy desks should you need assistance or document checks for your destination.

Nonetheless, my check-in experience was smooth.

Complimentary Lounge? No can do

As with most Premium Economy products, lounge access is not included here.

Emirates did offer paid lounge access in Dubai for 120 Singapore dollars on the app the day before. This seemed reasonable, would have been good to see Emirates offer discounted lounge access rather than the standard prices would be available for Y class passengers anyway.

Emirates Premium Economy Cabin & Seats

Emirates boarded Premium Economy passengers right after First Class on this flight and in parallel with Business Class through a different door.

With something as humongous as the A380, there are 3 different jet bridges, with First Class followed by Premium Economy being boarded via door 1 on lower deck.

Being able to board the A380 right from the front with the staircase up sure does feel special. Here is what the cabin/seat map looks like:

I was warmly greeted by crew at the door and shown to my initially selected seat, 33A right at the front..

Row 33 seats have some extra privacy in the sense that you see no one else in front and vice versa with the stairs on your right or left..

In total there are 56 Premium Economy seats over 8 rows ( 6 rows in centre due to stairs ). I will cover more on what I think might be the best seats in the follow up post, for now you can view the interactive seat map

Talking of stairs, I love the Gaff trees now embossed within them in the refurbished A380s..

Going past these stairs, you can’t help look up toward the mini First Class bar, it is eye catching..

As expected, the cabin itself is stunning. It feels very stylish and welcoming.

The wide leather seats look and feel luxurious and gives off ( by design ) a Mercedes Benz vibe within..

Then you also have the familiar the wood veneer panelling dressing the windows, the same you will find in Business Class..

Placed in each seat you will find a larger pillow, a wrapped blanket, amenity kit (for overnight flights ) and some headphones

Due to the night time departure with low cabin lighting, these pictures really do not do the cabin justice!

Each seat has a plush 6 way adjustable headrest, a fold down footrest ( note no footrests for bulkhead seats in row 33 ! )

The footrest is fairly standard.

Storage wise, you will find a little compartment beside the footrest, where headphones are places for all standard seats..

Then small storage pockets in the side armrests away from the centre which are big enough to place a small book/notebook or phone or small tablet. There is also a narrow space to store some valuables like wallets or phones right under the IFE screen.

The centre dividers house a small cocktail table shared by both seats with the seat controls for recline and extending the leg rest on the sides

Notice the bulkhead IFE. At eye level, they are further away from normal and thus the screens feel smaller..

The middle armrests also reveal a polished woodgrain dining table, which can be used partially or fully extended…

Surprisingly the table is rather small, though I did not notice any actual issues during meals times.

Soon, my focus was back in the rather glamourous windows with electric blinds – a feature that is certainly luxurious and not even available in most Business class products!

Emirates Premium Economy Service

During boarding, the crew graciously handed out hot scented towels.

Welcome drinks were offered in trays with a choice of lemonade, orange juice or a sparkling wine..

The drinks were even served in little paper coasters – which carried through with the entirely of service.

During this time, bottles of water and a menu was also distributed..

And right off the bat, the enhanced “Premium” feel was starting to set the tone of the flight.

There are 3 choices of wine, with Domaine Chandon brut sparkling wine making an elegant apertif

The thick paper menu set out a starter of Watermelon salad with feta, rocket, pesto & pistachio,  I anticipated my main choices:

Brasied beef cheeks with tomato and olive jus, polenta and steamed broccoli 

or

Pan-fried vegetable gyoza with steamed kai-lan and soy sauce

Emirates Premium Economy Dinner Menu

Soon after talk-off service began with choice of drinks, served alongside a bag of mixed nuts..

And mere moments later, it was time to make my dinner choice.

Curious as I may have been, I was sceptical about the gyozas on a plane, so I opted for Braised beef cheeks paired with the Shiraz

It’s safe to say there was nothing remotely “economy” about the meal in front of me.

The dish was exceptional—the beef cheeks were irresistibly tender and juicy, perfectly paired with the polenta, which had the creamy texture of mashed potatoes. I surprised even myself with how quickly I polished off the plate.

As the crew came around to top up drinks, they asked how I found the beef cheeks. I was more than happy to shower them with praise. Smiling, they mentioned they had extras if I wanted seconds.

“Maybe,” I replied, “but what about the gyoza?”

“They’re excellent too, sir,” they assured me. That was all the persuasion I needed.

Wow! The gyozas were a total surprise—not only beautifully presented but crispy, aromatic, and absolutely delicious. They completely blew me away!

In fact, this meal surpassed what I’d expect in Business Class. While I haven’t flown Emirates Business since 2017 (my last four flights were all in First Class), this easily outshines most other Business Class catering.

Once the plates were cleared, the crew offered tea and coffee. I chose a mint tea, served with a small pack of mini chocolates—a perfect finish.

Midway through the flight the crews again walked through the cabin offering refreshments.

Then about 1 hour 2 minutes before landing, a lighter snack was served..

I was still full from dinner merely 4 hours prior but the mini sandwiches were a decent selection. It was nice to see some sweet treats too !

Emirates Premium Entertainment

As listed above, Emirates Premium guests can enjoy a bigger 13.3″ HD screen to consume the endless hours of entertainment via the award winning ICE system.

After take-off, I decided to move from my bulkhead seats where the screen were a little further away and I discovered the lack of a proper remote control.

It was much better when I moved to a regular seat in 39A.

The screens can be tilted forward should the person in front recline. Whilst all settings can be accessed via the touch screen, there are physical control buttons as well as USB charging ports underneath..

The biggest let-down here would be the provided headphones

These headphones were cheap and very economy-esue.

Emirates Premium Economy Restrooms

For Emirates A380’s, Premium Economy have their own dedicated restrooms and there is not one but 3!

They are all located at the front of the aircraft, with one being fairly small but other two very decent sizes..

The same polished woodgrain finishes continue in the bathroom wall patterns complementing the gaff tree designs.

I have no idea what Emirates Economy restrooms look like, but these are not too far off from Emirates 777 Gamechanger First Class bathrooms !

Off-course the amenities are different but you will still find all essentials with some nice NOIR toiletries by the White Company here too..

Emirates Premium Economy Routes

While Emirates is not even half-way through it’s multi billion dollar retrofits, these are the current destinations you can fly Premium Economy from it’s Dubai hub:

Auckland (AKL), Brussels (BRU), Bengaluru (BLR), Chicago (ORD), Christchurch (CHC), Dammam (DMM), Geneva (GVA), Houston (IAH), Kuwait City (KWI), London Heathrow (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), Melbourne (MEL), Mumbai (BOM), New York John F Kennedy (JFK), Riyadh (RUH), San Francisco (SFO), São Paulo (GRU), Singapore (SIN), Sydney (SYD), Tokyo Narita (NRT)

Emirates Premium coming soon to following routes in 2025

Boston (from December 2024), Dallas Fort Worth and Seattle (from January 2025), Newark/Athens and Miami/Bogota (from February 2025)

Overall Thoughts

Emirates has brought a surprising wow factor to a cabin you might not expect to have one. My 6.5-hour flight was supremely comfortable—easily sustainable for double that time.

The design stands out, with luxurious touches like cream leather seats, elegant finishes, and even electric blinds. While the base shell is essentially the same as British Airways’ World Traveller Plus, Emirates elevates it with superior details.

Catering felt more “Business Lite” than “Economy Plus,” with dishes—especially the gyozas—leaving me speechless in quality and presentation. It was simply perfection. Easily among the best Business Class meals I’ve had.

Though I won’t make concrete conclusions from from one flight now, this experience surpassed my favourite Premium offering thus far, Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy.

In my next review, I’ll explore pricing, catering in more depth, and areas for refinement. Stay tuned!