Market Update: Emirates Premium Economy to serve 99 routes by the end of 2026 – Full Analysis

The airline continues to expand its Premium Economy offering

Back in 2022, Emirates introduced a new way to fly Emirates, launching Premium Economy, a class somewhere between Economy and Business, offering extra comfort and Business Class-style meals, without costing quite as much as a Business Class flight. And as it continues to expand, it’s set to become available on 99 routes by the end of 2026.

New Emirates Premium Economy routes

From March 1, Emirates’ daily Karachi route, EK606/607 will offer Premium Economy, as will its daily service to Addis Ababa, and EK085/86 to Zurich.

The airline’s daily flight to Taipei will also come with Premium Economy from March 15.

From March 29, the Italian capital of Rome will be serviced with an A350, featuring Premium Economy, via route EK099/100, as will the Dubai-Entebbe route. The same date will see Emirates launch Premium Economy on a retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER between Dubai and Brisbane, Dubai and Mauritius, and on a retrofitted B777 to Tehran.

From April 1, the airline’s EK201/202 route to New York JFK will be served by a four-class retrofitted A380 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, increasing to a daily service from 1 June.

Beginning May 1 flights EK392/393 to Ho Chi Minh City will be operated with a three-class retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR

From May 10, EK101/102 will join the Emirates Premium Economy network for passengers travelling between Dubai and Milan.

June 1 marks the launch of a second daily service between Dubai and Copenhagen, EK153/154, which will offer Premium Economy.

From July 1, a third daily service between Dubai and Phuket will come into effect, which will also offer Premium Economy seats. July 1 will also see a third daily flight added on the Dubai-Cape Town route, serviced by an A350 aircraft.

And from October 25, Emirates’ EK165/166 between Dubai and Dublin will also offer Premium Economy, meaning all 21 weekly flights to Dublin will come with Premium Economy.

From December 1, EK382/383 between Dubai and Hong Kong will be operated by a retrofitted A380 with Premium Economy.

The airline now offers nearly 2 million Premium Economy seats annually across its network, which is set to reach 4 million by 2026.

And if you’re curious, here’s the full list of Emirates flight routes you can fly Premium Economy on:

• Addis Ababa

• Adelaide, Australia

• Ahmedabad, India

• Amman, Jordan

• Auckland, Australia

• Baghdad, Iraq

• Bahrain

• Bangkok, Thailand
• Barcelona & Mexico City
• Basra, Iraq

• Beijing, China

• Beirut, Lebanon

• Bengaluru, India

• Bologna, Italy

• Bogota, Colombia via Miami, USA

• Boston, USA

• Brisbane, Australia

• Brussels, Germany

• Cape Town, South Africa

• Chicago, USA

• Christchurch, New Zealand

• Colombo, Sri Lanka

• Copenhagen, Denmark (from June 1)

• Dallas Fort Worth, USA

• Dammam, Saudi Arabia

• Dublin, Ireland

• Edinburgh, Scotland

• Frankfurt, Germany

• Geneva, Switzerland

• Hangzhou, China
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Hong Kong

• Houston, USA

• Istanbul, Turkey

• Johannesburg, South Africa

• Karachi, Pakistan (from March 1)
• Kochi, India
• Kolkata, India

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• Kuwait

• Lisbon, Portugal

• London Heathrow, UK

• London Stansted, UK

• Los Angeles, USA

• Lyon, France

• Madrid, Spain

• Male, Maldives

• Manchester, UK

• Melbourne, Australia

• Milan, Italy

• Mumbai, India

• Muscat, Oman

• Nice, France

• New York John F Kennedy, USA

• Newark, USA via Athens, Greece

• Osaka, Japan

• Oslo, Finland

• Perth, Australia
• Phuket, Thailand (from July 1)

• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• Rome, Italy (from March 29)

• San Francisco, USA

• São Paulo, Brazil

• Seattle, USA

• Seoul, South Korea

• Shanghai, China

• Shenzhen, China

• Singapore

• Sydney, Australia

• Taipei, Taiwan (from March 15)

• Tokyo Haneda, Japan

• Tokyo Narita, Japan

• Tunis, Tunisia

• Vienna, Austria

What is Emirates Premium Economy like?

The premium economy cabin offers 56 seats in a 2-4-2 cabin layout. These wide, cream leather seats offer extra comfort to passengers with 6-way adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests, so you can sit back and relax. Screens are 13.3 inches, and each seat is also equipped with easily-accessible charging points, a wide dining table and a cocktail table.

Premium Economy passengers also enjoy a welcome drink in fine glassware, and a Business Class-style meal service with chinaware and stainless steel cutlery wrapped in linen napkin.

How much does Emirates Premium Economy cost?

Of course, it depends on the destination, flight occupancy, and the time you book, but fares are typically closer to Economy fares than Business.

A quick glance at Emirates’ website shows that a flight from Dubai to New York’s JFK this summer would set you back from Dhs2,655 one-way in Economy, while Premium Economy would be Dhs4,645. For Business fares on the same flight, expect to pay Dhs14,765.

For a shorter flight from Dubai to London Heathrow, Economy fares start at Dhs1,335 one-way, Dhs3,105 for Premium Economy, and Dhs8,885 for Business.

emirates.com

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