As airlines continue to grapple with challenges, leaving passengers frustrated, Emirates airlines is doubling down on its customer experience by pouring $2 billion into upgrades aboard its planes. On Wednesday, the Dubai-based company announced sweeping improvements to the in-flight experience in all of its cabin classes, from totally new aircraft interiors to upscale dining options and more rigorous training for flight attendants.
"While others respond to industry pressures with cost cuts, Emirates is flying against the grain and investing to deliver ever better experiences to our customers," Emirates airlines President Tim Clark said in a statement. "We're rolling out a series of intensive programs to take Emirates' signature inflight experiences to the next level."
At the heart of the improvements is the refurbishing of 120 aircraft currently in the airline's fleet. All existing cabins-including economy, business class, and first class-will be overhauled and redesigned "with the latest interiors," Emirates' release says. The "extensive refurbishment" across all of its cabins will include brand new or reupholstered seats, as well as fresh paneling and flooring, among other features.
The renovations will also add premium economy cabins-a new class that the carrier introduced on a handful of aircraft in 2021-to more planes, bringing the total number of aircraft offering the chic class to 120. Emirates' premium economy is a separate cabin from regular economy, with 56 cream-colored seats that offer 40 inches of pitch and are 19.5 inches wide.
The cabin upgrades are currently in the planning and trial stages, with work scheduled to start in the Emirates Engineering Center this November.
Emirates is known for its friendly flight attendants who offer some of the best service in the sky. The carrier is pushing that standard even further. Emirates is now partnering with the iconic Switzerland-based hospitality management school Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, widely considered the world's best hospitality school, for an even more intensive flight attendant training.
Through the new training, the carrier hopes to "craft the Emirates Hospitality strategy and encourage inspiring customer experiences," the release said. The courses will focus on four main areas: excellence, attentiveness, innovation, and passion, as well as how to "create positive memories and feelings for Emirates' customers."
Also getting a revamp is the in-flight dining experience. As of this month, Emirates has begun offering a new vegan menu in every cabin. The new plant-based, hand-crafted options include pan-roasted king oyster mushrooms, jackfruit biryani, and sliced kohlrabi with burnt orange; dessert offerings include chocolate truffle cake with custard and a berry compote with yuzu pearls. Additional choices are available by pre-ordering.
The first-class cabin is also seeing opulent new additions to its menu. Passengers in the top-tier cabin can now request unlimited servings of Persian caviar paired with Dom Pérignon Champagne. Emirates is the only airline to partner with the Champagne label.
Additionally, the cabin is also now offering a new "cinema snack" menu to enjoy while watching a movie on board. Options include lobster rolls, sliders, edamame, and, of course, popcorn.
On select routes, the first-class cabin has also introduced a new menu with dishes like pan-fried salmon trout topped with moqueca sauce, roasted duck breast with orange thyme jus, and steamed broccolini with fondant potatoes. Both business and economy passengers will also see a new menu starting September 1.