Remember the Jennifer Aniston commercial where she wakes up on an Emirates airplane in a private suite with an on-board bar? (If you don't, here's a little recap.) It appeared to be the pinnacle of luxury at 30,000 feet—but at the Dubai Airshow yesterday, Emirates topped itself, unveiling new, even more refined suites.
Emirates' new Boeing 777 first-class suite is a shameless celebration of all things posh and is geared toward the ultra jet-set elite. With round-trip flights often going for more than $10,000, customers expect the best, and that goes beyond the vintage Dom Perignon served on board. The new suite offers 40 square feet of personal space, but it's the collaboration with luxury German auto maker Mercedes-Benz that provides the most intriguing new design elements.
Emirates drew inspiration from the Mercedes S-Class sedan, adding state-of-the-art seat controls, personalized mood lighting, and soft leather to create a sense of privacy that extends beyond the floor-to-ceiling door and walls. Guests can create a dedicated, personal color scheme to reflect any and all of their ever-changing in-flight moods. There's even a "zero gravity" seating position, designed to simulate the feeling of weightlessness for passengers, though we can't personally attest to its effectiveness.
All of that's impressive, but it's the connectivity built into the suite that will blow your mind. The new suites, set in a three-across layout, will of course feature one "middle" suite. However, to make up for the lack of windows, large high-def screens on either side of the suite will beam real-time HD video of what's going on—outside. As for ordering another glass of that vintage Dom from behind your paparazzi-proof doors, the airline offers a clever new tech-based service option. With the tap of a button on new tablet-style control surfaces, guests can "face-time" with dedicated cabin crew members, making any requests face to face, without the hassle of the dreaded call button. (In case you’ve decided to shed a few layers in enjoyment of your floor-to-ceiling privacy, just know that the face-timing works both ways—when you ring, cabin crew can see you, too.)
The new suites will debut December 1 on flights between Brussels and Geneva, and Dubai, in both directions, on flight numbers 83, 84, 183, and 184. The airline has announced plans to rapidly expand the reach of this new offering, with flights to Chicago and Perth on the horizon, though they likely won't have more than eight aircraft fitted with the new suites until 2019, according to order reports.
Emirates revolutionized luxury air travel when it launched its first-class suites in 2003, at a time when first-class luxury was rumored to be on the verge of extinction. When Singapore Airlines launched its new first-class suites just two weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before Emirates, the first class incumbent, would offer a response. The result: There's never been a better time in history to fly first class, if you can afford the price tag.