Emirates upgrades first class audio experience with Bowers & Wilkins
By David Flynn, August 10 2018
Already boasting a superb first class experience from lounges at the airport to suites in the sky, Emirates is buffing up the rest of its inflight offering through partnerships with premium brands Bowers & Wilkins, Bulgari and BYREDO skincare.
Passengers settling into their first class suite on the Airbus A380 or Boeing 777 will find Bowers & Wilkins' new E1 noise-cancelling headphones at the ready.
These lightweight headphones, made of high-grade materials including aluminium and sheepskin leather, are a perfect partner for Emirates' inflight entertainment system which puts a library of almost a thousand movies, 400 TV 'channels' and 2,400 music and podcast channels at your fingertips.
However, we'd suggest dialling up the new Bowers & Wilkins Superior Sound playlist to really show what the E1's can do, as this mix is built around a selection of tracks which Emirates cites as being "selected for their acoustic excellence."
Emirates is also extending its BYREDO 'wellness kit', Moleskin-style notebook and pen – initially launched on its new Boeing 777 first class suites – across the fleet.
The allergan-free products include a facial toner, hydrating eye cream and calming Chamomile pillow mist spray and a roll-on sleep oil to apply to your pulse points.
The popular Bulgari amenity kits are also being refreshed in both first class and business class and will feature Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée Au Thé Vert green tea fragrance alongside skincare essentials.
The first class kits will be seen in eight designs and a new range of colours for men and women, with eight additional designs for business class – four for men and four for women.
In related news, Emirates has also pulled back the curtains on a refresh for its lounge at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport.
Open to the airline's first class, business class and top-tier Skywards frequent flyers, the revamped lounge shares familiar hallmark design elements from Emirates' other lounges around the world and offers always-enjoyable views across the airfield.
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.
Qantas - QFF Platinum
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 211
Some solid investments in product, good to see.
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
16 Jun 2017
Total posts 35
Thanks for the review. The amenity kits on Emirates certainly make the SIA kits look second rate. The last one i received (Lalique) contained a candle and a glass fish. Useful?
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Better than QF's amenity kit in F.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 May 2015
Total posts 30
No matches supplied for the candle? I take the the fish was a Babble Fish, helps in translating.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 276
I'm not sure which one you got, my SQ one had Ferragamo amenity kits (in April). Did not have a fish or candle.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
Lalique are known for crystal fishes and scented candles. They do a lot of homeware stuff. They aren't primarily a skincare company.
SQ
23 Oct 2015
Total posts 26
I can confirm the new headsets were on EK419 out of Sydney last night and they were really good - amongst the more comfortable headsets I had on a plane.
10 Aug 2018
Total posts 1
Can we take the headphones home ;) ??
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Aug 2017
Total posts 84
Bowers & Wilkins headphones are usually not mentioned in the same breath as other premium headphone brands such as Audio Technica and Beyerdynamic but, believe me, they should be. They're superb headphones. Emirates is really one step ahead here.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Mar 2013
Total posts 171
I was in the new EK JFK Lounge yesterday. It's nice, a ton of room for everyone.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 276
I didn't realize this was that new - I flew Emirates First in early July (777) and they already had the B&W Headphones and they were great!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 357
Is this headphone better than QC35? Just wondering if I need to BYO if flying EK F.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Aug 2017
Total posts 84
Whether a headphone is "better" is really a matter of personal taste -- the only way to find out is to listen yourself. My own opinion is that if noise cancellation matters most to you, Bose is slightly ahead. If music quality matters most, it's B&W by a country mile. But you might listen and come to a totally different opinion.
01 Apr 2014
Total posts 113
05 Jan 2017
Total posts 5
I’m flying EK383 HKG-DXB and EK71 DXB-CDG in J in about 5 weeks. Does anyone know if amenity kits are handed out or available if asked for.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
31 Oct 2016
Total posts 71
If you're lucky, you'll get them before the doors even close
01 Apr 2014
Total posts 113
EK automatically hands out amenity kits on long haul overnight flights, so given the flights you are on are only about 8 hrs + 7hrs each and not technically overnight, possibly not. Never had an issue when asking for them in F on shorter sectors, but not sure about J as they might not carry a full supply on those trips.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Mar 2013
Total posts 171
...love it. if it wasn't for this article I would have pulled my Bose out of my bag at JFK for the trip home. The B&W are brilliant. Wonderfully comfortable, a real treat. Thanks David.
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