Melbourne travellers will find the same standards of seating aboard all Emirates flights from March 25 2018 as the Qantas partner upgrades its final Boeing 777 service to the Victorian capital to its flagship Airbus A380.
The most noticeable improvement comes for business class passengers with the Boeing 777’s angled-flat beds replaced by fully-flat sleepers on the superjumbo in a 1-2-1 layout, providing direct aisle access to every traveller and a welcome improvement to the disappearing 2-3-2 configuration.
AusBT review: Emirates Airbus A380 business class
At the rear of business class, an inflight bar and lounge area where high flyers can order cocktails, snacks and light bites as they socialise with companions or make new acquaintances:
First class passengers will find near-identical suites at the pointy end with closing doors for privacy...
... but with the addition of two spacious ‘shower spas’ at the front of the cabin:
AusBT review: Emirates Airbus A380 first class 'shower spa'
Economy class retains its 3-4-3 layout with seating on the A380’s main deck, although as the superjumbo’s passenger cabin is slightly wider than the outgoing Boeing 777, the seats here provide a little more shoulder space for a more comfortable journey.
Emirates flights EK408/409 are the last of its Melbourne services to be upgraded to the Airbus A380, with the airline offering two daily non-stop Melbourne-Dubai flights and a third that routes Melbourne-Singapore-Dubai.
Airbus A380s are also used on Emirates’ flights to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, although Brisbane continues to see Boeing 777s on one of Emirates’ two daily flights, and Adelaide remains an all-Boeing 777 destination for the Gulf airline.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
27 Apr 2017
Total posts 39
Looking forward to travelling on EK more often now that QF has left MEL with a paltry, cramped 787.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1205
I'll be interested to see Emirates' premium economy product when they release it on their A380s next year.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
23 May 2013
Total posts 44
Qantas cut QF9/10 through Dubai and hand all their European business to EK. Idiots
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
QF and EK run the whole system of flights as a joint venture - when you book MEL to Europe on EK, Qantas gets cash from that.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
QF should realise that people join the QFF program because they want to mainly fly QF metal. If Emirates can increase capacity to cover for QANTAS then QF didn't need to cut the route.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 191
ek-s FF program is a farce!one of the worst in the world-doesn't even recognize family pooling not to mention the amount of points you need to get a business or first class ticket.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Skywards is actually surprisingly good value for booking Japan Airlines and Korean Air business class flights to/from Australia, although neither of those airlines fly to Melbourne, of course. (JAL is Sydney-only while KE is Sydney and Brisbane.)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 416
that's the total truth.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 191
obviously Qantas cannot and will not compete with Emirates an airline runned and funded by the gulf state-now that Etihad -which by the way is also a funded airline just from Abu Dhabi-pulled out it's 380-Ek is quick to move in and reap the benefits
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Aug 2016
Total posts 54
i think they could easily compete especially on their home turf where they have loyalty. besides the ME3 are just as state helped as british airlines with their monopoly on LHR slots or the big 3 US airlines
Qatar Airways
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 25
Partners? It would appear to me that EK and QF are going head-to-head with their marquee products on the MEL-LHR route.
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 122
Brisbane EK432/433 SIN-BNE has to be next?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
I'm confused. If QF are pulling the A380 off MEL-DXB-LHR because it would be too much capacity with the new 787, then won't the new EK flight be doing exactly that...doubling the capacity? Why don't QF just leave their own aircraft on it?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Emirates' flight isn't a new A380 service: it's an upgrade of a Boeing 777 to an A380, so there are some extra seats but not an entire plane worth, if that makes sense.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 416
what is that extra seat count number? it's still increasing capacity after all.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
EK increases by around 130 seats (depending on configs used), while QF cuts 248 seats and send the other 236 via PER.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 416
exactly my point.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Aug 2012
Total posts 171
But is this permanent? This does free up an A380 service to facilitate the much needed upgrade which I'm pretty sure will be rolled out when the Dreamliner come on line.
16 Dec 2016
Total posts 58
Remember EK has spare aircraft with the downturn in the US market (& their decreasing flights to many ports) so it makes sense to pick up the extra seats. Qantas are smart to respond to market conditions and remember they add capacity to Melbourne when the market asks for it (TYO, extra LA). Who knows what will happen as they get more 789s and upgrade their A380s. People here are acting like they have closed their Mel port whereas they are basing their first 4 789s here!
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