Emirates Wins APAC Best Premium Economy And Opens Emirates World In Manila

When it comes to designing luxurious premium cabins, it seems the large Middle Eastern carriers lead the way, often sparing no expense to develop new concepts, materials, menus and service levels. When Emirates debuted its Premium Economy cabin in 2022, it ushered in a step change of what premium economy could look like, challenging many other airlines' business class layouts.

An award-winning premium economy cabin

In November, Emirates was crowned the Best Premium Economy Class in the 2024 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards. The award comes as no surprise to anyone who has traveled in the cabin and adds to the more than 20 awards and recognitions Emirates has received this year, including seven accolades at the Skytrax World Airlines Awards in June, including one for the Best Premium Economy Class.

This latest achievement comes as Emirates continues its global multi-billion-dollar retrofit program. This program will see more than 200 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 cabins fitted with premium economy, along with other cabin refreshments, ensuring all passengers can travel in the utmost comfort for many years to come.

Emirates Divisional Vice President Australasia Barry Brown said that having launched Premium Economy just two years ago in Sydney, seeing it receive this recognition from voters in the Business Traveler Asia-Pacific Awards is brilliant. He added that it has garnered global praise from customers and industry experts, with multiple award wins reflecting its outstanding performance and excellence.

"We currently serve Australia with close to 3,200 weekly seats in Premium Economy, having doubled the product deployment on flights to Melbourne earlier this year, giving passengers greater choice and flexibility while maintaining Australia's position as one of the key markets served with our best-in-class seats."

What makes the Emirates Premium Economy cabin a winner

As the pictures highlight, the Emirates Premium Economy cabin offers a signature experience with plush cream leather seats and wood veneer touches. Passengers also enjoy a generous baggage allowance and an exceptional dining experience, attended to by a team of Emirates cabin crew dedicated to Premium Economy passengers.

The award-winning cabin currently features flights to 19 destinations globally, including Asia-Pacific routes to Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Singapore, Osaka, Tokyo Narita and Tokyo Haneda. In its two years in service, the cabin has exceeded expectations, with more than 90,000 passengers flying to and from Australia opting for the premium experience.

Emirates opens first Emirates World in Southeast Asia

On Thursday, Emirates launched its first Emirates World retail concept in Southeast Asia, introducing the fully immersive experience in the Philippines' capital of Manila. Emirates has launched these reimagined retail spaces in Hong Kong, Dubai, London and Nairobi, with more stores set to progressively roll out to key markets over the next three years.

Emirates is investing approximately $27.2 million in these retail spaces, where visitors can browse a curated selection of Emirates-branded merchandise and travel accessories. A highlight of the Manila Emirates World Store is the Emirates A380 onboard lounge display, which gives customers a first-hand look at the premium touches that define Emirates' products in the sky.

The Emirates World retail store is part of the airline's broader strategy to get closer to its customers as they plan their travel and create an elevated experience consistent with the airline's brand. The Manila store was inaugurated by Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim, who said:

"The new Emirates World Store in Manila is designed to serve as a one-stop shop where customers can explore Emirates' best-in-class products and services, and provides visitors a glimpse of our onboard hospitality and excellence, ensuring the bar is set high when it comes to retail experiences both in the Philippines and across our global network."

The store is also equipped with smart technologies that set it apart from conventional travel spaces, featuring an interactive self-service screen that allows customers to quickly browse flight options, check availability and more. Emirates first operated in Manila in 1990 and currently serves the Philippines with 28 weekly flights. Emirates also has an interline agreement with Philippine Airlines (PAL) that allows PAL customers to connect to nine international points via Dubai.

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