Emirates to launch new luxury first class A380 suites next year

Emirates plans to begin flying its all-new first class suites by the end of 2017, with both the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER in line for the luxe cribs.

The airline has been beavering away on its next-gen suite design for three years, with the final concept due to be signed off by December.

"I hope we will be looking at the final product towards the end of this year and go into production for October of next year" revealed Emirates CEO Tim Clark during a press conference following the release of the airline's 2015/16 financial results.

Clark has previously described the suite as being even more private than the current closed-door cabin, saying "we’re talking fully enclosed rooms, with all the touches and amenities that you’d expect in hotel or a private bedroom on a luxury yacht, room service and so on."

Although previously expected to be launched this year, Clark was adamant that the project was on schedule.

"There’s no delay," he said. "It’s an extremely complex project that we have designed ourselves in-house with a contractor and a couple of other designers, and when it comes to market it will be very interesting."

Emirates' supersuite will go head to head with Etihad's revolutionary Airbus A380 first class Apartments (below), along with a revamp of Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 first class suites due in 2017.

Singapore Airlines plans to reduce the number of suites in the next wave of its flagship Airbus A380s, although the remaining private suites are expected to be larger.

Also read: Concept designs for new Singapore Airlines first, business class

PREVIOUS | Emirates will launch a new private bedroom first class suite on its Airbus A380s this year, with the Boeing 777 fleet to follow, with an Emirates exec revealing the design will be "more like a private railway cabin."

The luxe private suite will cater for one passenger, unlike the two passenger capacity of rival Etihad Airways' three-room The Residence on the A380 (below).

Read: Inside Etihad's new Airbus A380 first class suites

However, Emirates' VIP suite – which wouldn't come with an Etihad-style butler service – would be "more commercially viable for passengers."

It will be pitched at "almost the same pricing" as Emirates' current first suites said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates' divisional senior vice president, told reporters on the sidelines of this week's Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

A return flight between London and Abu Dhabi in Etihad's A380 The Residence costs around $45,000 and covers up to two people travelling together, with the Sydney-London fare at $86,200.

Etihad's comparable A380 first class The Apartment fares from Sydney London average around $6,000 each way.

A380 meets luxury yacht

The design of the new private cabin is based on today's Emirates first class suites, which are fitted with sliding doors, but is "more as a room concept" according to Al Mualla, “more like if you’re in a railway and have a private cabin."

Tim Clark, President and CEO of Emirates, has previously said the "our new bedroom concept will take [privacy] to the next level.” 

"We’re talking fully enclosed rooms, with all the touches and amenities that you’d expect in hotel or a private bedroom on a luxury yacht, room service and so on."

Also read: Emirates CEO expects Airbus A380neo update mid-year

Upstairs, downstairs?

Al Mualla has previously said the new private bedroom could mean a reduction in the number of economy seats – leading some pundits to suspect the VIP suite would be located at the front of the superjumbo's main deck, which is currently given over entirely to economy seats, rather than the upstairs domain of first class.

This might also make it easy for a dedicated shower suite to be installed next to the private bedroom by building it directly beneath one of the two upstairs showers allocated to first class.

Review: Emirates Airbus A380 first class 'shower spa'

Tim Clark, President and CEO of Emirates, has previously said the new product would be "all about privacy."

"That’s very much in our current First Class private suites product, and our new bedroom concept will take it to the next level.” 

"We’re talking fully enclosed rooms, with all the touches and amenities that you’d expect in hotel or a private bedroom on a luxury yacht, room service and so on."

London is tipped as the launch route for the supersuite, which could be fitted to current A380s and Boeing 777-300ER jets as part of an extensive overhaul program as well as appearing on the newest planes to join the Emirates fleet.

At the same time as it launches this new suite for its well-heeled high flyers, Emirates will also begin flying A380s sans first class, with a two-class configuration designed to pack more passengers onto the upper deck.

Read: Emirates confirms two-class Airbus A380, drops first class suites

Qatar promises a double-bed in business class

The Gulf colossus and Qantas partner isn't alone in plotting its response to Etihad's A380 three-room The Residence.

Qatar Airways is working on what it calls a 'business class bedroom', which the airline says will be comparable to the more expensive first class cabins of Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines.

The all-new design will include "a double bed at a business class fare" Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker told Australian Business Traveller at the launch of its Airbus A350 in Doha earlier this year.

The airline's current business class seat (seen below on the A350) "by 2016 will be obsolete," Al Baker predicted.

Photo tour: Qatar Airways' new Airbus A350 business class

"We are developing a new seat to which we will have proprietary rights, and one which will be unrivalled... and when you introduce that product into the airplane there is really not need for first class."

Read: Qatar promises 'business class bedroom' for 2016

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David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.