I may have missed something, but has EK started to retrofit some of their 777s or did OP just get lucky that EK shifted a 777 with the game changer to this route??

Please ignore, a new post confirming the answer to my question posted while I was typing in my question.

Ah well I enjoyed it regardless and thankful

AFAIK, EK will first retroft the A380.....the B777 will be retrofitted later.

And not the entyre fleet will get the retrofit....about 63 A380 and 47 B777.....but plans can change very fast.

Thinking you were flying business and not first? They have been operating aircraft with the new 777 business class on the EK209/210 route regularly since last fall. These planes have the old F still though.

Yes Business, and cool didn't realize!

Yes, the A380s should be done by May next year and the B777s by March 2025. The first report I saw said 67 A380s and 53 B777s, although some of the 777s is only a partial refit as they already have the new J cabin.

Yes, that's right! The plans can change very fast. They are not in a hurry. Just take a time! No need to rush.

Does anyone have any idea of the likelihood of EK switching the MXP-JFK route back to an A388 come the 2024 summer schedule ? That is to say the current swap was loaded in for the Winter schedule of end of October to March 31 but hoping that it switches back for higher capacity summer travel beginning in IATA summer window of April 1- October 28. Have a flight I had booked on April 2nd and know its a slim shot but certainly hoping.

5 additional weekly flights to LHR eff 30th October bringing total number to 47 weekly flights:

EK041 DXB-LHR 13:20-17:20 -23456- B77W
EK042 LHR-DXB 20:15-07:15 -23456- B77W
https://www.emirates.com/media-centr...throw-flights/

​​​​​​​Was hoping that this 77W service would have the gamechanger F but it looks like standard F from the seat maps that have been loaded.

I don’t think new F works for LHR as 6 isn’t enough F seats. There was a brief period during COVID where new F was deployed to LHR but sadly I think that will be the only time LHR sees it unless EK puts it on an A380. Probably the same for SYD too. You can always go to STN.

If I was in revenue management I’d try and put it in to see if I could charge a significant premium for new F over old F to see if anyone cares!

Their findings would be:

• huge demand for miles upgrades
• large demand for miles bookings

... from the informed frequent-flyer community, plus ...

• confirmation of their usual strategy (ie: "Why waste it, when we've proven people still book and pay the same prices for the antique 2-3-2 setup compared to the a380?").

Even the "Sleeperettes" on the A330s and A340s weren't 2-3-2 in F, which is what's being discussed.

Okay, I'll write it out in longhand if you didn't comprehend the point:

"We know people pay for second rate product (in the famous case: 2-3-2, yes, in J, but on EK) so why offer something better when we can profitably get away with what we're doing [in both F & J]."