Nobody ever liked sitting in the middle seat of Emirates’ Boeing 777 business class cabin, with its cramped and not-at-all private 2-3-2 layout – but that’s all changing, as the Gulf colossus begins upgrading its 777s with modern business class berths along the same lines as the A380 superjumbo.
Emirates’ “next generation” 777 business class embraces the same 1-2-1 layout and broad feature set, including a “staggered seating arrangement” with direct aisle access for every seat.
Each seat comes with a personal mini-bar, “ample stowage” for personal devices and a large table for dining and working, with the 20.7′-wide seat topped by a padded headrest.
The more contemporary colour and materials palette includes soft leather cream seats accented with champagne trim, and light wood panelling.
Passengers are fronted by a 23” HD screen (the same screen size as the current 777 business class),
However, increasingly common high-tech touches such as wireless charging and streaming Bluetooth audio appear to be missing from the mix, despite Emirates previously trumpeting this next-gen 777 business class would include “next level-technology.”
As expected, the Boeing 777 business class cabin also includes “a small bar for customers to quickly grab mid-flight snacks and refreshments”, along the same lines as Emirates’ long-range Boeing 777-200LRs (shown below).
Emirates is putting 38 lie-flat seats in the revamped business class cabin, down from the current count of 42, ahead of a dedicated cabin of 24 premium economy recliners; the 777’s first class cabins are also getting a refresh.
The seat itself is from French multinational aerospace specialist Safran, whose SkyLounge product is the foundation of Emirates’ A380 business class.
Emirates describes the new 777 business class cabin as “warm and inviting… featuring thoughtful refinements with enhanced privacy for customers.”
“Borrowing inspiration from our flagship A380 in every cabin, our Boeing 777 with revamped interiors boast the very best in customer comfort,” says Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim, who has previously noted “everything will be streamlined in term of the product offering and consistent” across the Emirates fleet.
Emirates is upgrading over 80 of its Boeing 777s with the revised business class seats, along with its popular premium economy cabin, to counteract ongoing delays for the Boeing 777X; each tip-to-tail facelift will take approximately two weeks.
As previously reported, Emirates also expects to take delivery of its first Airbus A350 in August 2024 for flights from mid-September, while also revamping its A380s to keep them flying “until at least 2041.”
The superjumbo’s first class and business class cabins will adopt a lighter colour palette, stepping gently away from the original gold and faux-walnut burl finishes towards the softer tones and cream-coloured leather upholstery of the second-gen cocktail bar and the latest 777 first class suites.
The A380’s 14 first class suites are also being finessed with higher walls for added privacy and a wider seat for greater comfort.
Meanwhile, the arrival of the first Emirates Boeing 777-9 is still two years away.
“At the moment it looks like the delivery will slip from 2025 to 2026,“ Kazim told media on the sidelines of the recent IATA conference in Dubai, adding that this delay drove the airline’s decision to upgrade its 777-300ERs.
Source: https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/emirates-new-next-gen-777-business-class
