EK confirms launch of Premium Economy in 2020
Mar 30, 2022, 3:19 am
#166
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester/London
Programs: Skywards Plat, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,226
Apr 5, 2022, 11:34 pm
#167
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 723
From April 1st through June 30th:
LHR EK1
LHR EK3
CDG EK75
JFK EK201
From July 1st:
SYD 412 will replace JFK EK201
There's always the chance that this plan changes. The route that sees the most often 'upgrade' to a premium economy A380 is IST EK123. Usually these are confirmed just a few days in advance.
May 1, 2022, 6:06 pm
#170
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 408
Following up on this. EK 201/202 from JFK-DXB & DXB-JFK does not show PE seating option anymore for July. So has EK removed the PE flights from JFK ?
May 2, 2022, 4:29 am
#171
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 49
On positive note Economy class is still good product, with usually good prices.
May 2, 2022, 11:45 am
#172
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 5,454
Easy answer is that the owner had to inject 2 billion USD in the other year, and unlike regional neighbours, they aren’t made of money, so it may be that the view of “cut costs, no investment for later” is dominant now, which would be sad but understandable.
May 3, 2022, 11:04 pm
#173
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 723
Jun 1, 2022, 12:35 pm
#174
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Posts: 33
Hi everyone. I'm booked in economy on EK201 from DXB to JFK on 13 June. I can see from the seat map that there is a premium economy cabin. When I booked my ticket, there was no option to book premium economy and there doesn't seem to be an option to upgrade to PE. So - who gets these PE seats?
Jun 1, 2022, 1:26 pm
#175
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Hi everyone. I'm booked in economy on EK201 from DXB to JFK on 13 June. I can see from the seat map that there is a premium economy cabin. When I booked my ticket, there was no option to book premium economy and there doesn't seem to be an option to upgrade to PE. So - who gets these PE seats?
Speaking of tickets in Premium Economy, today is the go-live date for PE fares. It seems that EK has designated the W and E classes to PE.
Based on a small sample, it's not going to be a cheap product - they have only filed two fares for DXB-LHR, and the cheaper of the two works out ~7000AED (USD 1900) roundtrip, which is a lot more than BA's 4500AED, and not that far off a J ticket on AF. To fly PE to SYD, the lowest fare is 12000AED (USD 3300).
So if you've been curious to try the PE product, I recommend that you try to do so before these fares kick in on 1 August - until then, you can pay e.g. 1000AED to LHR (or 1500AED ex-LHR due to APD) to pick a PE seat from any Y ticket, including redemptions.
Award seats are not offered yet in PE so it's not clear how many miles will be required.
Jun 1, 2022, 3:38 pm
#176
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Posts: 33
For flights departing until 31 July 2022 (i.e. in your case), you can pay extra to assign a seat in PE - just go to Manage My Booking -> Seat Selection. However, for flights departing 1 August 2022 or later, you need to actually book a ticket in Premium Economy (or upgrade an existing ticket into Premium Economy)
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I wonder what they'll do with seat allocation on the day if some PE seats have not been bought. Any thoughts?
Jun 4, 2022, 8:27 am
#178
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 49
Indeed paying for PE similar to J in another airline would be stupid.
Now, I hope that Emirates is not going to do:
1. reduce quality of service in economy (to make people to buy PE)
2. increase fares in business to force some people to buy PE instead (and then it would be easier to create 1-2-1 layout in business...)
3. eliminate first??
after such changes we would have:
a. economy more in-line with other, cheaper, airlines
b. premium economy will be old business class (when business class was without beds).
c. business class will be old first class.
I hope Emirates will not go this way...
Now, I hope that Emirates is not going to do:
1. reduce quality of service in economy (to make people to buy PE)
2. increase fares in business to force some people to buy PE instead (and then it would be easier to create 1-2-1 layout in business...)
3. eliminate first??
after such changes we would have:
a. economy more in-line with other, cheaper, airlines
b. premium economy will be old business class (when business class was without beds).
c. business class will be old first class.
I hope Emirates will not go this way...
Last edited by Krz; Jun 4, 2022 at 8:38 am
Jun 4, 2022, 8:33 am
#179
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 49
So actually it is based on fare paid? So people who paid for Flex Plus in economy would get upgrade. Maybe people with high Skywards status also.
I assume that if there is PE then upgrade to business is from PE.
This is another reason I do NOT like PE and actually it could be sometimes better to fly airlines which do not have PE.
Also, could it be that maintaining four class product is more expensive, so tickets in all classes must be more expensive if airline has PE?
Jun 4, 2022, 11:40 am
#180
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester/London
Programs: Skywards Plat, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,226
As a plat, I can select a PE seat regardless of economy seat purchased (this may soon be about to change). Having tried different seats on 4 occasions I now stick to economy over this product unless the two seats I want in economy are already taken.
In my experience, LHR outbound and inbound PE is always full - a combination of Status pax, paid pax and 'op-ups' from economy. I had high hopes for this product but sadly it isn't great.
In my experience, LHR outbound and inbound PE is always full - a combination of Status pax, paid pax and 'op-ups' from economy. I had high hopes for this product but sadly it isn't great.