Yes, I think, in theory, paid for lounge access for economy class is a great thing, but in the case of Emirates simply isn't viable. Offering free lounge access on a certain route e.g. people going to or originating from Bangkok could give an airline significantly better usage and market share, as if one airline was £50 more but my whole family got free lounge access then I would fly with them, over QR/WY/EY.

If KLM or a European airline did that, imagine how much more passengers they could carry. Imagine if BA offered this deal for economy class passengers originating/going to New York, there would be a lot more demand as people would use BA from all over Europe, above maybe Lufthansa or Air France (if prices are similar) because of lounge access.

In conclusion, superb idea but the correct infrastructure is needed to put it into action or a designated economy lounge where passengers can pay for access or get complimentary access if they are on a qualifying route.
 
Yes, I think, in theory, paid for lounge access for economy class is a great thing, but in the case of Emirates simply isn't viable. Offering free lounge access on a certain route e.g. people going to or originating from Bangkok could give an airline significantly better usage and market share, as if one airline was £50 more but my whole family got free lounge access then I would fly with them, over QR/WY/EY.

If KLM or a European airline did that, imagine how much more passengers they could carry. Imagine if BA offered this deal for economy class passengers originating/going to New York, there would be a lot more demand as people would use BA from all over Europe, above maybe Lufthansa or Air France (if prices are similar) because of lounge access.

In conclusion, superb idea but the correct infrastructure is needed to put it into action or a designated economy lounge where passengers can pay for access or get complimentary access if they are on a qualifying route.
 
Emirates frequent flyer scheme has four membership tiers: Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver allows access to the EK business lounges at DXB even if flying economy. Gold and Platinum allow lounge access throughout the Emirates network even if flying economy.

So already some economy travellers can use the EK lounges without payment but I doubt that many do because to have achieved a Silver status, and certainly a Gold or Platinum one, it's likely that most would be business class or first class travellers anyway.
 
Emirates frequent flyer scheme has four membership tiers: Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver allows access to the EK business lounges at DXB even if flying economy. Gold and Platinum allow lounge access throughout the Emirates network even if flying economy.

So already some economy travellers can use the EK lounges without payment but I doubt that many do because to have achieved a Silver status, and certainly a Gold or Platinum one, it's likely that most would be business class or first class travellers anyway.
Is this a similar situation with European airlines? e.g. if you were oneworld Emerald, travelling Economy, would you get lounge access at LHR with BA?
 
Is this a similar situation with European airlines? e.g. if you were oneworld Emerald, travelling Economy, would you get lounge access at LHR with BA?
I don't know about Oneworld as I don't use airlines in that group. I've nothing against them, it's just that other airlines' schedules etc suit me better at present.
 
I don't have access to the full article, but interesting if anything were ever to happen...

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...potential-power-of-an-emirates-flydub-439124/

Essentially Emirates and Flydubai are in talks about a potential merger with "nothing off the table". Given there have been rumors in the past of a possible Emirates/Etihad merger, could these merges lead to the world's largest airline? (Emirates/Etihad/Flydubai)

Given how ties have already been cut to Qatar, how would Qatar Airways be able to respond to this?

10 years ago, nobody had really predicted how much the Middle East Airlines & Hubs would grow. In 10 years time, may we see just a single mega-airline, operating from a mega-hub in the Middle East?
 
Emirates places US$15.1 billion order for 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners at 2017 Dubai Airshow
  • Latest announcement for 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, worth US$ 15.1 billion, takes Emirates’ total wide-body commitment with Boeing to 204 units
  • Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive says order underscores airline’s fleet strategy and optimism for future of aviation in the region and globally
Dubai, UAE, 12 November 2017 – Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, today announced a US$ 15.1 billion (AED 55.4 billion) commitment for 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners.

In the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group signed the agreement with Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister on the opening day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “Emirates’ orders today will be delivered from 2022, taking the airline well into the 2030s. Some of these will be replacements so that we maintain a young and efficient fleet, and others will power our future network growth. We see the 787 as a great complement to our 777 and A380 fleet, providing us with more flexibility to serve a range of destinations as we develop our global route network.”

“It has always been Emirates’ strategy to invest in the most advanced and efficient aircraft, and today’s orders reflect that. Today’s announcement is also speaks to our confidence in the future of aviation in the UAE and the region.”

Mr McAllister said: “We are excited that Emirates has selected the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner to power its fleet expansion and future growth. This is an airplane that will set a new benchmark for operating economics in the commercial aviation industry when it enters service next year. Emirates’ endorsement of the 787 Dreamliner extends our long-standing partnership and will sustain many jobs in the United States.”

Emirates is evaluating engine options for its Dreamliner order.

Emirates’ agreement includes conversion rights to switch the aircraft to 787-9s, offering the airline additional flexibility for its future fleet and global network. Emirates’ Dreamliners will be delivered in a mix of two and three-cabin class configurations, potentially seating between 240 and 330 passengers. These aircraft will be delivered in phases from 2022 onwards.

Emirates is a powerful engine for American aerospace manufacturing jobs. Applying the US Department of Commerce jobs multiplier (every $1 billion in US aerospace exports supports 5,200 American jobs), this new order will create and support over 78,000 additional jobs in US aerospace manufacturing – not only with Boeing, but also with the thousands of other suppliers in the value chain across the US, many of which are medium and small-sized businesses.

Today’s order comes on top of Emirates’ historic purchase of 150 Boeing 777X aircraft equipped with GE9X engines at the 2013 Dubai Air Show, to be delivered from 2020 onwards.

Emirates’ partnership with Boeing spans decades. Emirates is by far the largest Boeing 777 operator on the planet with 165 777s in service today. With today’s announcement, Emirates will have committed to future delivery of 204 Boeing wide-body aircraft.

Emirates Press Release
 
Personally I'm disappointed Emirates have gone with Boeing. It would have been nice to see them sticking with the A380 with some A350 aircraft tied onto the order. The 787 is a great aircraft though and hopefully more regional airports will get a chance to see the airline operating to Dubai. #emirates #dreamliner #airbus380 #787
 
Commitment to grow its flagship A380 fleet

Dubai-based Emirates Airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire up to 36 additional A380 aircraft. The agreement was signed this morning at the airline’s headquarters in Dubai by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft. The commitment is for 20 A380s and an option for 16 more with deliveries to start in 2020, valued at US$16 billion at latest list prices.

Full details: http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/pres...-agreement-for-up-to-36-additional-a380s.html thanks to @David_itl
 
Emirates are to launch daily flights between Barcelona and Mexico City.

Emirates was given the green light to launch direct flights from Barcelona El Prat to Mexico City, securing fifth freedom rights, according to announcement made in Dubai by Spain's Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Housing, Julio Gómez-Pomar, after meeting with Vice President of Emirates, Salem Obaidalla.

http://newsroom.aviator.aero/emirates-to-launch-daily-flights-between-barcelona-and-mexico-in-2018/
 

Interesting interview with Sir Tim Clark, President and CEO of Emirates, regarding the airline's present and future. Main points that emerged:

1. The last financial year results were lower than was hoped, mainly for external reasons.

2. The President said that management was told by shareholders to 'get its act together' which led to in-depth look at all aspects including use of the assets, human resources, and internal cost structures.

3. He admitted the airline has been parking aircraft this year because of a lack of pilots but says the situation will be resolved later in the year.

4. The rise in fuel prices is a concern but Emirates is better placed to cope than in the past and anyway the President suspects that the rise will not continue inexorably because of geopolitical concerns. He does suggest though that some airlines might find the going tough and go out of business because of the rising fuel price.

5. He doesn't see wider geopolitical issues in the region such as Qatar and Syria a major problem for his airline.

6. The introduction of more ultra-long routes such as Qantas's London-Perth is not a threat to the Dubai hub as this will indicate more people travelling generally worldwide and Emirates will take its share of the increase.

As one would expect, the President was not likely to have issued a gloomy prognosis. He's been with the airline in senior positions for the last 30 years.
 
Emirates reportedly reducing the new Edinburgh-Dubai service from daily to 5 x weekly later this year. A poster on another forum reckons it's because of a lack of pilots. The Emirates CEO says that problem will be resolved this year (see my previous post). Perhaps it's being resolved by reducing frequencies.

Also in the news this week is more talk of some sort of tie-up between Emirates and Etihad.
 
Is emirates the launch customer of the 777x or Lufthansa??
As this video says it Lufthansa as emirates said they are not 777x launch customer but couldn’t find anything say it
 
Is emirates the launch customer of the 777x or Lufthansa??
As this video says it Lufthansa as emirates said they are not 777x launch customer but couldn’t find anything say it

I think Lufthansa was the original launch customer, but then for whatever reason Emirates become the official launch customer.

Lufthansa is still the 'European Launch Customer' and will be the first to receive a B777X though so not really sure what the criteria for being a Launch Customer is...? :unsure:
 
Summary of flights suspended due to COVID restrictions -
 
I've been looking at Skytrax which I accept is not necessarily an accurate guide of passengers' views generally, as in life many people tend to moan about anything far quicker than they praise. Furthermore, it's frequently the case on sites such as Skytrax that some people will mark down substantially because one part of their journey was not up to their expected atandard. For example, a few years ago one poster gave an airport an overall score of 1/10 simply because there was no publicly available water fountain in the terminal.

Neverthless, because several passengers are reporting the same thing with Emirates, it seems to me that there might be some truth in their comments about a particular aspect which, inevitably, concerns the airline's response to the COVID-19 situation.

Along with most airlines Emirates have cancelled numerous flights because of the virus. Like other airlines their preferred repayment option is via a voucher for a future flight. Some passengers have declined the voucher and requested their fare money be refunded. Emirates' reported reaction is to drag their heels and say that any cash refund will entail a cancellation fee even though they and not the passenger cancelled.

Emirates is our usual carrier when we fly to Australia for VFR and from experience the cancellation fee can be as much as 50% of the fare depending on the type of booking.

I think that Emirates are trying to use the argument that they didn't cancel the flight, their government did.

The last ten Emirates Skytrax marks have been marked 1/10 nine times and 2/10 once.

Contrast this with the last ten Qatar Airways reports which show eight at 10/10 and two at 9/10.

In its last ten reports Etihad has two at 9/10 but the others are all 1/10 except for one at 2/10. The low scores relate to Etihad's response to the crisis with vouchers the only offer. As with Emirates they seem to be suggesting that their government cancelled the flights not them.

We've always used Emirates for our Down Under trips (seven times since 2010) because their frequency from the London airports means we can tailor a flight time that suits our requirements. In fairness we haven't found anything to complain about but the test of any organisation is how they react to adversity.

We had intended to visit Australia again this year - in November. Fortunately, we hadn't yet booked but easily could have done. We shan't be looking to fly there again until at least next year and will be seriously considering with whom we fly. This type of crisis factors in another element on top of the usual ones that most people consider when booking a flight.

Currently, Qatar seems to have responded infinitely better than the other two members of the MEB3. Now that Qatar has cancelled a lot of its own flights I shall be following with great interest how they deal with the question of refunds.
 

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