Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.
I recently enjoyed an AMAZING holiday in the Maldives. You can read my trip reports here:
- Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER (new) Business Class Brussels to Dubai (today)
- Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER (old) Business Class Dubai to Male
- Review: Maldives seaplane transfer with Manta Air
- Review: Soneva Jani Chapter One
- Review: Soneva Jani Chapter Two
- Review: Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
- Review: Velaa Private Island
- Review: Soneva Fushi
- Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER (old) First Class Male to Dubai
- Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER (new) First Class Dubai to Brussels
Today: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER new Business Class Brussels to Dubai
On February 23 2022, I flew Business Class with Emirates in a Boeing 777-300ER from Brussels (BRU) to Dubai (DXB). Flying the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER is a vastly different experience as compared to the airlines’ flagship Airbus A380, since the Dubai based carrier has installed a different Business Class product & seat on both aircraft types. While Emirates’ Boeing 777 offers a highly enjoyable onboard experience, its Business Class product with a 2-3-2 layout is considered to be inferior to the one offered on the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet, as the latter features direct aisle access for all passengers and a well-appointed bar on the upper deck (read my review of Emirates’ A380 Business Class here). However, the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on my flight featured Emirates’ newest Business Class product, which is a great improvement over the carrier’s ‘old’ B777 Business Class product and which feels more comfortable and luxurious compared to Emirates’ A380 Business Class (unfortunately though, only a small number of Emirates’ B777s is equipped with the new product).
Have you ever flown in Emirates’ Business Class? What was your experience? Leave a comment below.
- Trip: Brussels (BRU) to Dubai (DXB)
- Airline: Emirates
- Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER
- Aircraft registration number: A6-EQO
- Flight Number: EK184
- Date: February 23, 2022
- On time departure: yes (3 pm)
- On time arrival: yes (12 am)
- Miles: 3200
- Flight time: 6 hours
- Seat: 8K
- Class: Business Class
In this review (more information & photos below my YouTube video):
- Emirates chauffeur service
- Lounge at Brussels Airport
- Business Class cabin
- Business Class seat (+ best & worst suites)
- Amenities
- Meals
- Entertainment
- Onboard internet
- Other inflight experiences (views, crew, lavatory)
- My verdict (score)
1. EMIRATES CHAUFFEUR SERVICE
One of the great perks about flying Business (or First) Class with Emirates is the complimentary chauffeur-driven airport transfers. The carrier transfers premium passengers to and from the airport at both ends of their journey. Chauffeur-driven service can be booked online (at no costs), up to 48 hours prior to the flight.
2. LOUNGE AT BRUSSELS AIRPORT
Although Emirates operates some of the best lounges around the world, unfortunately, it doesn’t have its own lounge at Brussels Airport. Instead, its Business & First Class passengers have access to the airport’s Diamond Lounge in Terminal B.
Located one floor above the main airport hall, the lounge is basically a spacious rectangular room, with floor-to-ceiling-windows on one side offering nice views of the airport apron. The space is divided into two separate seating areas which are centered around a self-service bar & buffet area. The latter offers a decent selection of food & snacks, with several hot dishes being offered in addition to a small cold buffet with salad bar & cold cuts. Belgian beers are available in bottles and on tap, including famous brands like Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegaarden and Belle-Vue
While the lounge is decent, it does not come close to the quality of lounges that Emirates operates at select airports across the globe. I can only hope that one day the Dubai based carrier will open its own lounge at Brussels Airport (my home airport).
3. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
Business Class on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER is located between First and Economy Class and spread over two cabins. A front Business Class mini-cabin contains two rows of 14 seats and feels quite intimate, while a second and larger aft cabin contains 28 Business Class seats spread over four rows. The two Business Class cabins are separated by a galley kitchen, the lavatories and the main exit doors.
The Business Class seats on Emirates’ Boeing 777s are arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, which implies that not everyone has direct aisle access: passengers in the center and window seats will have to scramble over their neighbor’s legs to reach the aisle. Nevertheless, this ‘traditional’ layout is quite good if you are traveling with a group of friends or family. In comparison: Emirates’ A380 aircraft feature a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, which is much better for solo travelers (and which I reviewed here); also, the carrier is currently in the process of refurbishing its B777-200LR aircraft (used for its longest B777 routes) with a 2-2-2 layout (instead of 2-3-2 across).
Emirates’ new B777 Business Class cabin has a more refined and sleek-looking interior compared to the old B777 cabin. The design and shape of the new Business Class seat is inspired by a modern Mercedes-Benz sports car, with a diamond stitch pattern on the full leather cover and ergonomically designed headrest. In fact, is the first time an Emirates product has been so influenced by another luxury brand. Except for this soft product upgrade, the B777 Business Class cabin still retains Emirates’ signature airplane design marked by burled walnut veneer, gold trim and pearlised plastic framing the seats (some may find it kitsch though).
It is worth mentioning that all of Emirates B777s (both older and newly delivered aircraft) feature excellent mood lighting, with the colors of the ceiling changing according to the local time. Quite impressive are the stars on the ceiling – called StarLight – which is a technical feature unique to Emirates; it is pretty amazing lying down in your bed at 35,000 feet, opening your eyes and seeing stars.
For a seating plan of Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER, click here.
4. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
The new Emirates B777 Business Class seat is almost identical to the airlines’ old B777 Business Class seat: it has a width of 20.5 inch (52 cm) and also features touchscreen controls (one tablet and one handset) for the seat and inflight entertainment system, several personal lighting options, privacy panels between seats (so you can turn your seat into a little self-contained pod when not traveling with a partner), and a shoe stowage area. However, there are 6 major differences which makes this product a welcome upgrade as compared to the old B777 seats:
- The seats are fully flat beds (and not angled flat beds) and move into a fully flat sleeping position, which is a huge improvement.
- Each seat comes with an ottoman or footrest, covered in soft white leather.
- The new seat has a pitch of 72 inches or 183 cm (compared to 60 inch or 150 cm of the old seat), making it more comfortable to get in and out of the seat when you are not seated next to the aisle.
- The seat has a more sleek look and also feels much more comfortable (I would even call one of the most comfortable Business Class seats in the skies).
- There’s a personal mini-bar in the arm rest (similar to what you find on Emirates’ A380s). The bar is on room temperature though (it’s not cooled) and only contains non-alcoholic drinks (e.g. Pepsi, Seven Up, and Perrier).
- The new seats feature the industry’s largest personal in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens at 23 inches wide, which is considerably larger than the TVs of the old seats. In addition, there’s a small storage compartment located below the screen, that contains a bottle of water and a bag with socks & eyeshades upon boarding (but that can easily be used to stow away small personal items during the flight).
What are the best Business Class seats on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER? Click here for a seat map.
- Seats in row 6: at the front of the smaller cabin, these bulkhead seats immediately behind First Class have a little extra legroom for maneuvering (and hopping over the aisle passenger if in a window or middle seat). In addition, the smaller cabin is quieter and further away from the noise and bustle of Economy Class.
- Seats in row 8: at the front of the larger second cabin, these bulkheads again have a little more legroom. But they are also bassinet crib seats, so business travelers are slightly more likely to be moved for a passenger with an infant.
What are the worst Business Class seats on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER? Click here for a seat map.
- Seats 7A & 7K: these window seats are missing a window, so if you lean back you’re just looking at a wall.
- Seats in row 11: all the way at the back of Business Class and separated from Economy by only a thin wall and curtain, these are right in front of the Economy Class bassinet crib spots. In addition, these seats also lack a window.
- Middle seats (designated by the letter ‘E’ on the seat map): these seats are flanked by other seats on both sides, so avoid them if flying alone, and if traveling with a partner aim for the window pairs (A&B or J&K) instead.
5. AMENITIES
The following amenities were offered during the 6 hour flight from Brussels to Dubai:
- A thin but comfortable blanket
- A decently sized pillow
- A duvet (provided by the crew during the flight to enhance the sleeping comfort)
- Emirates-branded noise cancelling headphones (you cannot keep these as they can only be powered within an aircraft)
- Flight socks and earplugs
Unfortunately, no amenity kits nor pajamas are offered by Emirates on medium-haul flights. The carrier has phenomenal Business Class amenity kits but only provides them on overnight flights (e.g. Dubai to the Maldives) or on longhaul flights of more than 8 hours. On a positive note, the lavatories are stocked with toiletries and Bvlgari perfumes (so it’s always possible to refresh a little).
6. FOOD & BEVERAGES
A lunch was served about two hours after takeoff (lunch service was postponed because of continuous turbulence). I choose the following selection from the menu:
- Starter: cream of cauliflower soup, served with red pepper-spiced parmesan croutons
- Main course: prawn marinated in a traditional Emirati spice blend, served on fragrant rice
- Dessert: raspberry and rose water cake, served with raspberry compote
Food was decent and definitely above average for a Business Class product. The soup was delicious and my main dish (prawn machbous) tasted excellent as well. The rose water cake served with raspberry compote was an interesting but flavorful dessert.
About ninety minutes before landing, all Business Class passengers were served an ice cream (with a choice of vanilla or chocolate flavor). Personally, I would have loved the addition of another pre-arrival light meal service (especially because mid-flight snacks were not offered on the menu).
7. ENTERTAINMENT
Emirates entertainment system, called ICE (information, communications, entertainment) is the best in the industry, albeit a bit overwhelming when you are using it for the first time. You have three options on how to control the system: touching the screen (problematic given the seat pitch), using a small wired remote, or using a touch-screen monitor that is about the size of a small tablet.
ICE has an extensive range of new-release and classic films, television shows, box sets and audio options to choose from. You can choose from up to 1,800 channels of the latest and greatest movies and must-see TV shows, on demand and in multiple languages. You can also relax to music from around the world or play a range of fun games. There’s even satellite TV on offer (CNN, BBC World, and Sport 24).
My favorite ICE feature is the outside camera that you can access on your screen. Emirates’ B777s are equipped with two cameras: one facing forward and once facing straight down (no tail camera like on the A380). When not in a window seat, it can be handy watching the aircraft take off via the cameras.
8. ONBOARD INTERNET
Emirates offers several WiFi plans
- Unlimited chat. Connect to all your favorite text apps for the whole flight
- USD 2.99 ‑ USD 5.99 depending on the length of the flight
- Chat using WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Line or Viber with text‑only service
- Wi‑Fi internet for the whole flight: $ 9.99 – 19.99 USD depending on the length of the flight
- Easy connect ‑ available in selected regions: $ 9.99 USD for 30 minutes with no data limit
Emirates Skywards members can take advantage of free Wi‑Fi services (to make sure to enroll in the program before boarding your flight).
- Free unlimited chat: use WhatsApp, Messenger and other text services for free as an Emirates Skywards Blue, Silver or Gold member traveling in Business Class or an Emirates Skywards Gold member traveling in Economy Class.
- Free Wi‑Fi internet for the whole flight: enjoy free Wi‑Fi throughout your flight as an Emirates Skywards member traveling in First Class or a Platinum member traveling in Business Class.
To use the free Wi‑Fi services, you must add your Emirates Skywards membership number to your booking at least 24 hours before your flight.
9. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
#CREW: the Emirates crew on this particular flight did are wonderful job: they addressed me by name at every single occasion during the flight, presented themselves individually before take-off, thanked me in person for choosing Emirates, and explained the features of the cabin and seat to all passengers individually. They were doing all they could to make the flight as enjoyable as possible.
# LAVATORY: there are two decently sized lavatories for Business Class passengers in the galley between the 2 Business Class cabins. All lavatories were kept very clean during the flight.
# VIEWS: we enjoyed some stunning sunset views during the flight.
10. MY VERDICT
- Cabin design & layout: 7/10
- Seat comfort (upright): 8/10
- Seat comfort (bed position): 8/10
- Food (quality): 8/10
- Food (quantity): 8/10
- Inflight entertainment : 10/10
- WiFi: 8/10
- Service: 9/10
- Overall experience: very good: 8/10
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