Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER business class (Brisbane-Dubai)
By Chris C., November 20 2018
Route
Brisbane - Dubai
Aircraft Type
Boeing 777-300ER
Airline
Emirates
Flight
EK431
Cabin Class
Business
Seat
7F
Notes
The Good
- Comprehensive food and beverage service
- Chauffeur-driven airport transfers for most passengers
- Free WiFi for the entire flight for all Skywards members
The Bad
- Angled-flat beds without direct and uninterrupted aisle access
- There's a middle seat
X-Factor
- A smaller business class cabin means more attentive service than on Emirates' larger A380s
Introduction
Now with three daily flights between Brisbane and Dubai, Emirates offers Queenslanders more flexibility when jetting to the Middle East and beyond, with this third-daily service the newest addition to the airline's Brisbane schedule.
Timed best for locals maximising their business day, but departing late enough in the evening for passengers to head home from work or even out to dinner before being driven to the airport, this Boeing 777-300ER flight could be a tempting alternative to the earlier-evening Airbus A380 departure based on schedule alone, although the two aircraft feature very different business class seats.
With Emirates also increasing the presence of Boeing 777s on flights to Sydney and Melbourne, including its Sydney-Bangkok and Melbourne-Singapore 'fifth freedom' routes, Australian Business Traveller put Emirates' Boeing 777-300ER business class to the test on a recent journey from Brisbane to Dubai, to see how it stacked up.
Check-in
- Frequent flyer program: Emirates Skywards, although Australian travellers can earn Qantas Points by attaching their Qantas Frequent Flyer number instead, and status credits too if booked on a QF codeshare flight number.
- Carry-on baggage allowance: 1x113cm bag, plus either a 100cm briefcase or a garment bag of up to 20cm in depth when folded, each weighing no more than 7kg.
- Checked baggage allowance: 40kg on most itineraries, plus 12kg for Silver, 16kg for Gold and 20kg for Platinum frequent flyers with Emirates or Qantas. If you're connecting to North or South America, the base allowance may instead be 2x32kg for your entire journey.
- Priority airport services: There's fast-track check-in and security screening in Brisbane, along with priority baggage delivery at your destination. You'll also receive a fast-track card for Dubai, providing speedier service either at transit security screening if connecting onto another flight, or immigration if entering the UAE.
Australian passport holders can also register for access to the Dubai Smart Gates for automated processing, and to save time – especially if travelling with only carry-on baggage – mobile check-in and digital boarding passes are supported on all Emirates flights from Brisbane.
Lounge
In Brisbane, Emirates operates a dedicated lounge above Gate 75, with a familiar look and feel as adopted by many of the airline's other lounges around the globe, albeit an 'older' design than now seen in Melbourne and Perth:
In the evenings, there's a good selection of hot and cold buffet fare, along with a choice of Champagne – Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial NV, or my pick of the two, Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label.
Fun fact: Emirates' lounge in Brisbane was the first lounge the airline ever opened outside of Dubai, and like the Gulf mega-hub, the lounge here provides boarding facilities directly to the aircraft, without setting foot back in the terminal concourse:
That is, of course, unless you're booked on this flight, EK431. Emirates has two flights to Dubai departing within two hours of each other, so the earlier service – EK435, served by the Airbus A380 – generally gets the 'direct boarding' gate, while EK431 gets the gate next door, which is a quick walk from the lounge.
AusBT review: The Emirates Lounge, Brisbane
Flight
Running non-stop from Brisbane to Dubai, this Boeing 777-300ER flight clocks in at 14hrs 10min, departing at 10:50pm ahead of a 7am touchdown.
For most business class passengers – including those booking flights with Skywards miles or Qantas Points – the journey begins and concludes with complimentary chauffeur-driven airport transfers which can be booked in advance via the Emirates website.
In Brisbane, I was collected in a black Mercedes-Benz R350 CDI SUV, which, as always tends to be the case with professional drivers, arrived at my door five minutes early.
On arrival in Dubai, a third-generation Volvo V70 – the first car available from Emirates' expansive chauffeur drive pick-up zone – took me to my hotel.
AusBT review: Emirates Chauffeur Drive
Inflight Internet access is also complimentary with no time or download limits for business class travellers who are also members of the Emirates Skywards program, including base-level Blue cardholders, when their Skywards number is linked to their reservation.
This perk doesn't apply to travellers with a Qantas Frequent Flyer number or other partner airline frequent flyer number attached to their booking, who instead get 20MB of free WiFi or two hours online (whichever comes first), and can purchase further access for US$9.99 (150MB) or US$15.99 (500MB).
Seat
While the journey gets off to a good start, here's one part of the business class experience that Emirates can definitely improve upon – aboard most Boeing 777-300ERs, business class comes in a 2-3-2 layout, which means nobody has direct and uninterrupted access to the aisle.
Choose a seat by the windows (A/K), or a seat in the centre (E) and you'll need to step past or over somebody to get up. Select an aisle seat (B/D/F/J), and you become that somebody.
My strategy for flights like this is to choose an aisle seat in the centre group – in this case, 7F – because realistically, nobody wants to sit in a middle seat in business class, so unless the flight is completely full, you have a better-than-normal chance of having no seatmate: and fortunately, that's exactly what happened on this flight.
The trio of centre seats might also be appealing to couples travelling with a child, however, who could book all three and lower the privacy walls between them to have a conversation. Here, the privacy divider is raised on the left and lowered on the right, and as the headrests can also be raised for taller travellers, here's what that looks like in the middle:
The dividers are motorised, so the press of a button sends that wall up or down:
Each seat provides AC and USB power facilities with a small nook below that makes it easy to keep your smartphone out of the way while it's charging: although with a vacant seat next door, it was easiest to charge it over there...
... while nearby, you'll find a tablet, which Emirates calls a "mode controller". You can use this to adjust your seat, browse through the inflight entertainment catalogue and set movies to play, or even use it as a second screen, such as to display an external aircraft camera or the airshow while watching something else on the big screen.
After take-off, the controller can also be unlocked and released from its hub, using a mix of battery power and WiFi to display content and control your experience wirelessly. This can be particularly handy if you're adjusting your seat while standing up, but it works just fine when seated, too.
Of course, easy adjustments can also be made via pre-set keys in your arm rest, such as for lounging, sleeping, or preparing for landing without having to navigate through the tablet's menus:
Along with that nook near the charging ports, extra storage is provided in the seat pocket in front, where you'll find reading material and a bottle of water...
... with cubby holes for your shoes between each seat – although with large size 11s, I could only fit one shoe in each space, so was glad to have the adjacent seat vacant on this flight:
For dining or working, a sturdy tray table folds out from the middle...
... while the seat itself measures at 20.5 inches (52cm) wide – that's two inches (~5cm) wider than Emirates' Airbus A380 business class – and transforms into an angled-flat bed, which accommodated my 6ft frame:
As I had the trio of seats to myself, I put the middle seat to the test at nap time, and although the bed wasn't fully-flat, the supplied pillow and mattress pad, combined with the presence of adjustable air vents at every seat (which many other airlines remove at the expense of comfort), allowed me to get a solid eight-hour sleep on this 14-hour journey.
The later arrival time of this flight into Dubai of 7am, compared to the more eye-watering 5:10am of Brisbane's earlier Airbus A380 service, also meant being better-adjusted to the local time zone ahead of a busy day of work and an important meeting.
Naturally, I'd still prefer a fully-flat bed with direct aisle access, as is increasingly standard (and now, expected) on long international flights – including every Brisbane flight from Emirates' neighbour and competitor, Etihad Airways – although as far as angled-flat beds go, I found this more comfortable than EVA Air to Brisbane a few months prior.
Meal
Aside from the full meal table, the seat also features a small fold-down beverage shelf: useful to nurse your Champagne (Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial NV) before take-off...
... with bar service continuing in the sky. I began with a nice glass of Grosset Springvale Riesling 2017 from Clare Valley, South Australia, served with warmed nuts.
Dinner follows, with a seasonal side salad and warm bread joining one of the following appetisers:
- Roasted tomato soup with sun-dried tomato ravioli
- Smoked salmon with green gazpacho
- Japanese seven-spiced beef with cucumber ribbons and ponzu sauce
I went for the beef, which was tasty and fresh...
... and for mains, these were the choices:
- Seared beef tenderloin with mushroom jus, colcannon potatoes and buttered green beans
- Steamed salmon with coriander pesto, fingerling potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, almonds and macadamia nuts
- Lemon and herb chicken with cauliflower purée, grilled asparagus and roasted cherry tomatoes
Salmon is a tricky dish to serve well in the air, so I tried that, and found it perfectly cooked:
Something I've come to like about business class on Emirates' Boeing 777s is that unlike on the A380s, when you order a glass of wine with your meal, it comes delivered with your meal.
Aboard the superjumbos, because the business class cabin is so big, the crew otherwise just leave an empty glass and walk through the aisles to pour the wines – and you can sometimes get through two plates of food before the wine you'd like actually passes your seat, by which time there's no point pairing it with your meal, as it's already been eaten.
On these Boeing 777 flights, however, your drink preference is taken in advance, allowing you to match wines with each course, if you'd like to.
When it comes to dessert, I often skip it, but in this case was tempted by the cheesecake from the following list, paired with a glass of Sandeman 20-year Tawny Port.
- Cookies and cream cheesecake with raspberry compote
- Coconut cake with lime curd cream and raspberry coulis
- Seasonal fruit
- Cheese board with crackers and accompaniments
Godiva chocolates follow, and if you get peckish throughout the night, you can order the following meals at any time:
- Smoked chicken panini with potato salad
- Boscastle wagyu beef pie with tomato relish
- Pan-fried chicken gyoza with soy sauce
- Tandoori tofu kebabs with green pea pilaf and mint raita.
Instead, I slept through until a few hours before landing, so began my day with a cappuccino (which you can also order at any time)...
... before continuing with breakfast from the following options, paired with fresh fruit and yoghurt:
- Cheese and chive omelette with rosti, grilled asparagus and sautéed cherry tomatoes
- Gingerbread French toast with raspberry compote and lemon curd butter
- Vanilla yoghurt and granola with mango purée, coconut granola and pomegranate seeds
- Arabic cold plate: sliced bresaola, hard-boiled egg and zaatar labneh with tomato relish and Kalamata olives
While the cold plate sounded tempting, it's hard to go past French toast, which does look a little 'plain' in the photograph but was nice and soft, and went well with the accompaniments:
During breakfast, the crew come past to offer tea, brewed coffee, orange juice or Champagne, but if you'd like anything else and you don't mind a brief wait – such as a cappuccino – don't be afraid to ask.
Entertainment & Service
Seatback screens serve up a variety of movies and TV shows, together with a range of music, games, satellite TV channels, two different 'moving maps', and also provide access to the aircraft's external cameras...
... which don't show much during the bulk of this overnight flight, but closer to landing in Dubai, can provide some good views when flying over the desert, as the plane has both a downward-facing camera (shown below) and one that's forward-facing:
These are touch screens, although you can also use the mode controller (tablet device), or this traditional remote control, depending on what's most convenient:
Gents are offered one of the following four Bvlgari amenity kits, which come well-stocked...
... while ladies have four Bvlgari bags of their own to collect:
Cabin crew on this flight were friendly and personable, with on-board announcements made in Arabic and English.
The smaller footprint of Emirates' Boeing 777 business class cabin – being just six rows, as opposed to almost the entire upper deck on the Airbus A380 – also made the service feel more personal, without the 'production line' vibe as can sometimes be experienced on the superjumbo.
That said, with angled-flat seating that doesn't provide direct (and uninterrupted) aisle access for anyone, and still places a middle seat in business class in 2018, many travellers would be justified in preferencing Emirates' Airbus A380 flights over the Boeing 777-300ER where possible, but having managed eight hours of sleep on this flight, it's not a plane I'd go out of my way to avoid, either.
Chris Chamberlin travelled to Dubai as a guest of Emirates.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
The food looks dreadful, that salmon is clearly overcooked and looks like it is served in the plate it was heated in. YUK
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 122
So your saying that it was overcooked based on a photo against someone who ate the food and said it was fine. Mmmm
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
And a relatively dark photo at that!
(As always, but particularly on overnight flights, I disable the flash on my camera to avoid disturbing those who are sleeping, and instead rely on the seat's overhead lighting - and holding the camera very still with a longer exposure - for any food photos. I wouldn't want to be woken up by somebody else taking snapshots of their meal, so certainly wouldn't subject other travellers to the same!)
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 780
I'm sure the soft product is lovely, but they lost me with those seats.
07 Jun 2016
Total posts 29
The whole cabin and lounge look dreadful in terms of style. Let’s imagine for a moment they got rid of the faux wood and expanses of grey and beige everywhere and replaced it with colours and surfaces more similar to what QF, SQ or CX put in their cabin and lounges. Presto! Would be amazing when all we’ve got now looks like the interior of Trump Tower
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2015
Total posts 59
I was glad to change our flights after being switched to this subpar j configuration!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 147
Hi Chris
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
Hi Ian, the kits pictured above are the current business class range, which have a fabric exterior - the first class kits look similar but have a faux leather finish instead.
To compare, here are the male and female first class amenity kits, respectively, which are just a tad different (you can click the photos to enlarge them):
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jul 2013
Total posts 35
Do you get to pick which version of the amenity kit you get, or do you get what you’re given...?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Aug 2012
Total posts 213
Got stuck with the 2 cabin version of this plane HKG-DXB recently. Took the same seat Chris did, but had a couple occupying the other 2 seats. Business was pretty full. Hated the entire flight especially the uncomfortable squishy little seats. None of the food was memorable. If you can, avoid this Business cabin wherever possible. You will question weather you got value for money (or points/miles); you didn't!
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
16 Oct 2017
Total posts 157
This is tired and old and EK need to get rid of it. We should encourage that by boycotting the 773. Pairing wine and food on an overnight flight where dinner is served at 11pm in no way makes up for ancient angle flat seats!
18 Nov 2015
Total posts 117
Let's face it, airline food, even in First Class, is mostly re-heated food and nothing really to get excited about. I've had First Class food on Qantas, Emirates and Qatar , and Business Class food on Qantas, American, Cathay, Qatar and Garuda. Sure it's decent food, but it's generally no better than a good restaurant.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Aug 2012
Total posts 213
Travelling as "a guest of Emirates" is unlikely to produce a poor review if the writer hopes for further freebies on this or any other airline. Obviously Emirates hoped for a nice review (and duly got it) to boost seat sales on this dog of an aircraft.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
Hi MissBasset, readers who know my work well know that I'm free to publish what I like regardless of how a flight was booked, and aren't afraid to review products and experiences honestly (take a look at my review of the Qantas Boeing 787, for example, which wasn't exactly glowing, despite travelling as a guest of Qantas, and I could point you to many other similar examples).
I'd also highlight that for this review, a star rating of 2.5/5 for the seat (equivalent to a 5 out of 10) isn't exactly industry-leading, and fairly reflects that it's not of the same standard as competitors such as Etihad Airways on comparable routes, a fact that was outlined (and linked) within the article.
Travelling on this particular flight was also at my own request, not at the insistance (or "hope") of Emirates - in the past, and as many clued-in travellers would do, I'd always aimed for Emirates' Airbus A380 flights instead, but with more Boeing 777s now flying to Brisbane, and replacing A380s on many flights to Sydney and Melbourne as well, I wanted to give the Boeing 777 a try. My options for doing that as a Brisbane resident were to either take this non-stop flight to Dubai which left Brisbane at a good time, or to fly much later in the night at 2:35am (when I'd rather be sleeping) and with a Singapore detour, so the choice was obvious.
Finally, when we travel, airlines know to expect honest and fair reviews, and are not provided with a copy of the review (or any hints as to the outcome of a review) until after it's published for everybody to read – if an airline can't handle that, that's not our problem, and the prospect of future media travel (as you suggest) is never a consideration, because our first priority is always our readers, who expect fair and accurate content, as we deliver.
QF
02 Oct 2012
Total posts 45
Vote with you feet - travel on other airlines is what I do. SQ and QF get my business every time over EK
23 Jul 2018
Total posts 9
What possessed them to think a centre seat was a good idea ? It's nowhere near the industry standard. I'd never pay to stuck in coffin like seat for 14 hours. You'd have to bonkers to pay for that. Qatar all the way !
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
07 Sep 2012
Total posts 146
It's the old standard from 10-15 years ago aceboy. These particular models just haven't been fitted out with the new configuration yet
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
21 Feb 2012
Total posts 29
I always appreciate the honest reviews from ABT and Chris in particular, as opposed to those in the Sydney Morning Herald whose positive glowing bias "as a guest of (the airline/hotel/etc)" is evident always. I have commented on that several times in the comments section of the review in SMH but the editors delete my message within 24 hours.
01 Sep 2015
Total posts 4
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jul 2017
Total posts 3
My wife and I traveled on this flight around 10 weeks ago, and whilst the angled seats are definitely outdated, I couldn't fault the flight, the meals were terrific and the service outstanding. In recent times I/we have traveled over to Europe on Qantas, Etihad, Malaysian and Emirates Business Class. For me, Emirates wins hands down,and this particular 10:50pm flight is ideal with the 7:00am touchdown into Dubai. Agree 100% with your review Chris
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 117
Chris, this J product is a disgrace. How dare EK dump such a dated and clapped out piece of $&@! on BNE?! I’m extremely worried now. I’m travelling F on EK430 early January. Will this flight be a waste of money? My DXB connection is 2hrs... do you think it’s bad enough to warrant changing my flight?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
Hi Concorde, first class on Emirates' Boeing 777s is almost identical to that on its on its A380s, except that there's no shower (although the seat/bed is marginally wider because the 777 cabin is just that little bit wider, too).
I've flown both and personally prefer first class on the Boeing 777, because the cabin is smaller (only two rows), and the purser (the crew member with the most experience) generally works in first class, so the service is just that little bit better (whereas on the A380, the purser takes on more of a 'management' role and other flight attendants work in first class).
We'll be publishing a review of Emirates' Boeing 777 first class soon (the 'current' suite, as opposed to the 'new' suites recently launched), so keep your eyes peeled.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 117
So we flew on the old 7777 in F. Jan 2019 DXB-BNE
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 147
Hi Chris
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 8
I've been routinely travelling Brisbane - Dubai - Istanbul with my job for a number of years now, and am very familiar with both the 777 and A380 offerings from Emirates. Really not too bad. Actually prefer the peace and quiet of the 777 Business cabin over the larger, usually crowded and somewhat noisier A380 cabin. Have also noted that there are variations in their 777 Business cabins - aircraft on the Dubai-Istanbul run are not configured exactly the same way.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 190
flew a few times on this both business and first-the first class is pretty good but the business it's a disgrace-food mediocre -no choice when to eat-still 2-3-2 layout -it's not even close to the standard anymore-when you have the option to fly with SQ or QA for same price or less with a much better service on board EK is a big looser as far as this product goes wonder why people put up with it at all??
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
07 Sep 2012
Total posts 146
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Nov 2018
Total posts 117
A smoother ride than the A380? You must be joking. The 777 jumped around like a baby bouncer. The A380 is definitely more stable!
22 Nov 2018
Total posts 1
Nice, honest review. Thanks Chris. Having used a variety of airlines to Europe in recent years, including a couple of ordinary flights that left myself and my wife disappointed considering the money we paid, my travel agent suggested last trip that we fly Oman Air. I used QF to BKK then Oman Air from there to LHR via MCT. Yes, it's an extra stop, but their biz class fares are outstanding, as was the service, seat, meals and new airport and lounge in Muscat. Certainly glad I tried them and certainly will again. An excellent alternative to "The Big Guys" in my humble opinion.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Mar 2015
Total posts 231
These repulsive seats are without doubt the worst there are on almost any Airline save for a few very few third world airlines. There's no way I would even give it the slightest consideration of flying on this awful product again. There are so many massively better products out there , thank goodness for that. I see Chris gave them 5/10 for the seat but I fear he left the decimal point out should be .5/10 IMHOP. Good report though!
03 May 2013
Total posts 680
Thats better food than Qantas 'first'! Even the drink nuts are more in quantity than you get in 'first'. In comparison Qantas throws a foil bag at you in economy class style and glory in 'business'.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 May 2018
Total posts 73
I have done two flights on the 777 and 2 on the A380 in business... give me the latter every day. The 2x3x2 seating is rubbish in 2018!.
Whilst the Brisbane lounge may be "dated".. I found it to be great..good food and wine..and access to the A380, as well as attentive and welcoming staff.
30 Aug 2017
Total posts 32
Yes, Its's very true that EK's 777's J class service is more personal compared to the assembly line type of feeling n A380s
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