SINGAPORE - Emirates rolled out premium economy class seats in June for flights from Singapore to Dubai, in a move to capture demand from travellers who want to fly in greater comfort at more affordable prices.

The United Arab Emirates carrier has outfitted its A380 planes with 56 premium economy seats each, and Emirates’ country manager in Singapore and Brunei Rashid Al Ardha is confident that the new cabin “will cater to the requirements of both corporate and leisure travellers”.

Fares for Emirates’ premium economy class start from $1,729, compared with $699 for economy class and $3,009 for business class, although final prices are subject to market dynamics.

At present, travellers cannot use their frequent flier points to upgrade from economy to premium economy.

Emirates has lagged behind other carriers in offering such seats, only doing so from 2021 for flights between Dubai and London.

The carrier now offers the choice of premium economy seats to eight destinations including Singapore, New York and Christchurch.

In comparison, Cathay Pacific launched its premium economy class in 2012, while Singapore Airlines (SIA) did so in 2015.

Aviation analysts attributed Emirates’ delay in introducing premium economy class to a variety of reasons, such as learning from other airlines’ experiences and studying consumer habits from the sidelines.

Head of Asia at OAG Aviation Mayur Patel told The Straits Times that a key driving force behind the airline’s revenue growth is its high-density seating with a 10-abreast economy class.

Refitting the premium economy cabin – by removing 88 economy seats – would thus require in-depth research on customer preferences to ensure an increase in revenue, he added.

Fully decked out in wood panel finishing reminiscent of its business class cabin, Emirates’ premium economy cabin comes fitted with leather seats – with a pitch of up to 101.6cm, width of 49.5cm, and a recline of 20.3cm, along with calf rests.

Premium economy passengers can also enjoy a more extensive drinks menu that includes premium sparkling wine Chandon, as well as a dedicated check-in area at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates embarked on a two-year retrofitting programme in November 2022 to roll out premium economy seats across its entire fleet of 67 A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, on top of the six A380s that were already in operation.

Mr Al Ardha said all refurbishment works were carried out in-house, in Emirates’ facilities in Dubai.

They included the installation of new premium economy cabins and the latest interiors across other cabins for the 126 aircraft.

The airline clinched the title for the best premium economy airline seats at the SkyTrax World Airline Awards 2023, an annual global poll involving more than 20 million travellers and over 325 airlines.

Mr Mohshin Aziz, director of the Pangolin Aviation Recovery Fund, said that Emirates could have been hesitant to launch its premium economy class due to the complexity involved, given that a significant number of aircraft would have to be retrofitted, as almost all its customers take transit flights at Dubai to reach their final destinations.

Hence, the airline began to formulate its own premium economy class only after other carriers had developed this market segment, so it could study the market in greater detail, added Mr Aziz.

He noted that many passengers on the Singapore-Dubai leg fit the profile of premium economy customers, who are typically mid-management or senior employees travelling to high-value corporate destinations.

Mr Shukor Yusof of Endau Analytics said that passengers’ preferences for lower prices after the Covid-19 pandemic may have encouraged Emirates to provide a premium economy cabin, while shifting away from its previous focus on ultra-luxury offerings.

According to Mr Al Ardha, demand for Emirates’ premium economy class on the Singapore-Dubai route has grown steadily since its launch in June.

Citing research from OAG traffic data, Mr Patel said demand for premium economy class tickets will remain strong on both regional and long-haul flights for business and leisure travellers.

This is due to increasing business travel after the pandemic, along with more leisure travellers wanting to fly in greater comfort at affordable prices.

Mr Greg Waldron, Singapore-based Asia managing editor of industry publication FlightGlobal, said that Emirates’ premium economy offering will allow the UAE carrier to better compete with SIA on European routes.

“Singaporean passengers who want a bit more comfort than normal economy (seats), but baulk at the high cost of business class, will certainly look at Emirates’ premium economy offerings,” he said.