Brisbane flat-out first to experience new Emirates Business Class comfort in Australia

Emirates’ latest Boeing 777-300ER touched down at Brisbane Airport on Saturday, opening a fresh chapter for Queensland travellers, the first in Australia to experience the airline’s premium lie-flat seats in Business Class.

One of the most advanced in the skies, the aircraft offers superior advantages such as Emirates’ fully lie-flat massage beds in Business and First Class, as well as Emirates’ award winning advanced information communications and entertainment system (ice), both firsts for the Brisbane market.
 
The arrival of the new Boeing 777-300ER in Brisbane heralds the first in a series of major events for Emirates in Queensland this year, with a new airport lounge to be launched next month and a second daily service to Dubai to be introduced in October. The new aircraft will be used on the daily Brisbane flight to Dubai via Singapore and the daily Brisbane to Auckland service.
 
Stephen Pearse, Emirates’ Vice President Australia said: “2008 is an important year for Emirates in Australia, with Queensland central to our expansion plans.  Last November we announced that Emirates’ services to Australia would grow to 70 a week by 2009, providing much-needed capacity to cater to the increasing demand from around the airline’s network.
 
“We are committing the latest technology to the Brisbane route – our aircraft will be more efficient to operate and better for the environment.  At the same time, the latest Boeing 777-300ER will enable Emirates to continue setting the gold standard in service for Queensland travellers.”
 
Especially appointed and equipped to Emirates’ exacting standards, the state-of-the-art 777-300ER includes 12 forward facing flat bed massage seats in First Class, separated by wide isles in a 2-2-2 configuration.
 
Brisbane Business Class travellers will also experience the lie-flat massage seats with a 72″ pitch that reclines to form a 78″ lie-flat bed and ample room for taller passengers.  The aircraft features an Integrated Passenger Seat Controller (touch screen) for controlling massager, privacy partition, backrest recline, seat pan extension, footrest extension, leg rest extension and lumbar support.
 
Also new to the Brisbane route for all three classes is Emirates’ ice entertainment system, which scooped the much-coveted Skytrax 2007 Best Airline Inflight Entertainment Award for the third year in a row. With over 600 channels of entertainment, seatback sms and email services, live text news updates throughout the flight and seat-to-seat calling, ice ensures passengers can relax with an incredible choice of entertainment, communicate with their businesses and loved ones, and have a thoroughly engaging time while flying Emirates. Mood lighting throughout the cabin ensures increased comfort while sleeping on long flights.
 
Economy passengers will also experience ergonomically designed seats, extra legroom and superior service to ensure that Emirate’s Economy class travel stands out from the competition.
 
In addition to the new innovative products, Emirates will continue to offer Queensland First and Business Class travellers’ special services on the ground, including complimentary Chauffeur-drive services to and from Brisbane airport, exclusive First and Business Class check-in desks, access to the Emirates Lounge and priority baggage handling. Passengers in all classes can look forward to some of the finest wines available served with menus created by leading chefs to reflect the culture and preferences of Emirates’ international customers. 
 
In July 2008, a further advancement of in-flight product will be available to Brisbane travellers, with the introduction of eight enhanced First Class suites on the route.
 
Currently the daily flight into Brisbane via Singapore brings around 2,600 people to Queensland per week.   When the second non-stop daily service to Brisbane is introduced in October, this additional daily flight will result in increasing weekly seats to Queensland by more than 1,800.
 
“The second daily flight will provide non-stop travel from Dubai to Brisbane, opening up one stop travel from the UK and continental Europe via Dubai to the Brisbane market. The non-stop service will also allow Queensland businesses easier access to the important Middle East market without having to travel either via Sydney or Singapore,” concluded Mr Pearse.
 
In November 2007, Emirates Airline announced a historic civil aviation aircraft order, when it signed contracts for a 120 Airbus A350s, 11 additional A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, worth an estimated US$34.9 billion in list prices.  This was the largest-ever aircraft commitment in civil aviation made by any airline in a single order and takes Emirates order of the A380 up to 58 in total.
 
A Report by The Mole

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