Game Changer Suite
 

Do we know which routes will have Game Changer Suite in 2025?

Resources I’ve read have stated ORD-DXB has GC Suite until June 2025, but Expertflyer shows old 777 F starting in March. None of the other 777 USA-DXB routes show GC Suite past March, as far as I can tell.

The only route I can find that does still show GC Suite in March is HND-DXB.

I assume this has something to do with the 777 retrofitting, but just curious if there’s any solid info on which routes will have GC suite, or if it’ll just be a crap shoot between old and new 777 F

Where are you getting your info from?

GVA, ZRH (EK85/86), BRU, HND and RUH (EK 819/820) are all showing GC seatmaps well in to 2025.

The OP mentions US routes. :)

Can anyone tell me whether the DXB EWR (Newark) flights use the GC suite? As far as I can tell it doesn't but I'm not sure

You’re right, I apologize for my miscommunication. I was specifically referring to USA routes (right now the only USA route with GC Suite is ORD).

I confusingly brought up HND because I was hoping to do usa-dxb-hnd all in GC F, but you’re correct that the GVA, ZRH, BRU, and RUH routes also have GC suite.

To further clarify, I do have this route currently booked ORD-DXB-HND in January, but a work conflict is forcing me to push it back a couple months. Just trying to suss out if there will be any reliable USA GC Suite routes from March onward, as it appears ORD loses it by the (according to Expertflyer seat maps)

No
And from my experience on the EWR-ATH route, it was one of the older 777s with the smaller/older IFE screen and controller

Short answer is unlikely. Per the last post in the link below, it appears that the GC was on ORD because they needed a PE 77W, which initially were only retrofitted GC 77Ws. Now that all GC 77Ws have been retrofitted, and non-GC 77Ws are being retrofitted with PE, GC aircraft will likely return to their initial narrower focus.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emir...l#post36701882

RUH is a complete waste of this experience.

Not for the airline. The short hops aid aircraft utilisation, in-between longer haul flights.

Also, a RUH resident can travel all the way to GVA on the GC. RUH was not chosen randomly. A lot of cash-rich residents there with not-so-great / mixed bag commercial options.

Same logic applied to KWI in the beginning, but haven’t been in yonks and not sure if the GC is still deployed there.

Sure it’s solely utilisation as opposed to experience; given that they only launched chauffeur driver recently, have no EK lounge, it goes inconsistently and a hundred other reasons. Poor planning for the experience IMO for GC generally.

Utilisation is primary. But if you look at the map of cities in the region where you’d deploy it for utilisation purposes, you’d pick the city with largest number of people with the most money to spend and the least comparable options within a range.

That’s not poor planning. It’s sound business. But if you think deploying it on short hops to Baghdad or Amman makes more sense, then okay.

I understand the obsession with this suite, but as someone that has flown it on both 2 hour flights to RUH and 14 hours flights, I can tell you the product is aging terribly. Frequent issues with the lighting, traytables falling apart, issues with the IFE, etc. I had these issues even in 2021. I understand the obsession purely from a rarity standpoint but they are going to increasingly have issues with them.

I fly EK F exclusively 10-20 segments a year and have for 15+ years, and I have never had the issues with the original suites that ive seen/had with the new ones. Even FAs have commented they have noticed the same.

The new suites definitely don’t age well, agreed. I understand the preference for the suite, but maybe obsession is unproductive.

I find the tray table to be a very poor design and especially flimsy considering all the thought that went into the seat. Not surprised to see them falling apart. Why they wouldn’t have just build it out from the side panel like the old suite is a head scratcher.