Hi all,
My wife and I recently experienced the new J seats on the 777-300ER and wanted to let y'all know about our experiences. Preface: for both Mrs. Billygoat27 and I, this was our first time on Emirates (our most recent J class experiences are on CO, AF, BA and AA).
EK204 JFK-DXB on 7 November:
The complimentary chauffer drive was outsourced to Boston Coach, who picked us up on-time in a new Cadillac STS. The young lady at check-in wasn't terribly friendly, and we had to ask her for lounge vouchers in DXB. Also, she didn't know if the DXB Business Class lounges had showers or not.
The Emirates lounge at JFK is SUPERB, with great food, comfortable chairs, nice views of the airport operations and gates, and numerous newspapers, internet terminals and printers. Both J and F have access to the same lounge, as do EOS Airlines passengers. Boarding for F and J class pax are at the end, so we got to maximize our time in the lounge, which is, by far the best either of us have experienced.
As for the on-board service (and what you guys/gals really want to know about): We had Seats 7J and 7K on A6-EBR.
First off, the 19 inch screen is unbelieveably good. Crisp, sharp picture that doesn't wash out in sunlight. The screens are exposed at all times (on the seatbacks), so you can actually watch programmes (like the onboard cameras) during takeoff. We can't confirm, but it looked like the screens in the new J are nicer than in F (this plane did not have the new SkyCruiser F seats).
Privacy is excellent between the passengers in the window/aisle (there is an electronically operated privacy shade between the two). Mrs. Billygoat27 found it a bit difficult to talk to each other because even with the privacy shade fully down, the separation level is still pretty high (sorta like a how a Formula 1 car driver's head barely protrudes above the chassis). But, we were okay with that thanks to ICE, the excellent big screen, and the noise-cancelling headphones. Also, since its a pod like config, privacy in front of/behind is excellent. Privacy across the aisle is not so good. When reclining, the armrest actually goes now, so you can see/hear everything the person across from the aisle does (in our case, an older gentleman that had a cold).
The massage function did not work on either 7J or 7K, despite 2 reboots. Seat 7K had additional mechanical failures where certain only the "fully lie-flat" and "fully upright" buttons worked. We were able to start and stop the seat in mid-position, but movement was limited to the programmed tracks for those 2 positions. While not ideal, I was still able to find some comfortable positions for reading, watching TV and snoozing. A working lumbar adjustment would have been really nice though.
The "lie-flat" position is not fully horizontal (I would guess around 170-175 degrees or so), but quite easy to sleep on for my 5'8" (173cm) and my wife's 5' 6" (168cm) frame. Neither of us slid down at any point during the flight. There also is ample space between seats in the fully reclined position. Blankets and pillows are unchanged from the previous 3 class Business Class seats.
The food was medicore at best. Moet Brut Champange was great, but avoid the "chef-inspired" lamb special.
EK763 DXB-JNB on 8 November: Seats 11D and 11E (A6-EBR):
The 2 story EK Business Class lounge near gate 22 in DXB was very nice; similar food/amenities to the one in JFK except much more crowded, and slightly worse views of the airport operations.
The same plane that brought us to DXB was dispatched on the JNB segment. Different seats, more mechanical problems. Massage function on 11E did not work; 11D would recline, but not go back up. 3 Emirates engineers came to investigate, but after 20 minutes, there was no resolution. The crew and pax were nice enough to perform some shuffling, and we were moved to 11E and 11F, which both worked perfectly, and off to JNB. E and F seats are much more conducive to flying with companions vs. the A/B and J/K seats. The massage function is pretty nice as well (there are options for pulse, continuous, random, and another setting, which I forget). Food was a bit better on this segment, but we expect better for J class. AF coach food is superior. Our bags were among the first off the carousel, thanks to the J class "Priority" tags. We connected onto Capetown, and did not use the chauffer service.
EK764 JNB-DXB on 16 November - Seats 9E and 9F (old configuration) on A6-EBB:
We arrived from Livingstone earlier in the day, and hence, did not use the chauffer service. Check-in was quite efficient and took only a few minutes. Emirates J class passengers are provided access to the JNB "Premier Club", which is shared with NUMEROUS other airlines. Additionally, non J/F pax from any airline can pay 120 Rand to get in. 2 internet kiosks and 4 laptop touchdown pads make up the business center, which is woefully inadequate (long queues). It was VERY crowded in the late afternoon as well, as all the Europe-bound flights leave JNB around the same time. Small snacks (chips, finger sandwiches) and drinks were adequatelly supplied and re-stocked.
There is a big billboard approaching JNB that says "Fully Lie Flat Beds on Emirates". Upon closer inspection, it turns out that is true some of the time. Our bird (A6-EBB) had 3 class service, but did not have the new J class seat. After speaking to some EK folks, it turns out EK764 had a lie flat on 15 Nov, but not on 16 Nov (sounds like they rotate the 2 lie-flat configured aircraft on different routes). Compared to the new J, seat width is about the same, but sleeping comfortably on the older seats was a bit more difficult, and privacy is practically non-existant (in the fully reclined position you can see the heads of folks in front of you and no divider across seats). We really missed the new 19 inch screens and lie-flat position. The dinner was better than the JFK-DXB and DXB-JNB segents, but the breakfast (basically just bread/pastries) was a joke for a 7 hour overnight flight (the same duration as NYC-CDG). The lead flight attendant was WONDERFUL, and really went out of her way to assist us with arranging chauffer service to our hotel in DXB. Unfortunately, due to a ground mix-up, all F and J checked baggage was incorrectly handled, and we had to wait 90 minutes for our bags to arrive. The efficient chauffer service was outsourced to Avis and our vehicle was a Volvo V70 station wagon.
We are scheduled to return to JFK on EK203 on 19 November, and will be happy to provide y'all with an update then.
Executive Summary:
Ground Transport: None of the other carriers we have taken offer complimentary ground transport, so EK wins hands down!!!
Departure Lounges: Excellent when they are EK dedicated. Pot-luck otherwise.
Seats: All in all, despite the mechanical failures, we both feel that when working properly, the new J class seats are pretty nice and near the head of the class. We both like the new J seats more than the sleeper seats on Continental's BusinessFirst (both the 777 and 757/767) and its MILES better than the awful old J class seats on AA. IMO, BA Club World seats are significantly narrower, but more comfortable in the upright and lie-flat positions (provided you're skinny that is). Upgrades to blankets and pillows would be a nice addition.
In-flight food:: Miles worse than CO/AA/BA/AF. AF trans-atlantic coach is better.
In-flight Entertainment: Obviously, ICE is light years ahead of everyone elses inflight entertainment.
Arrivals Lounge: An arrivals lounge would be a nice addition.
If you're flight has the new J and does NOT have the SkyCruiser F seats (I'm not sure if this plane has the SkyCruiser F or not), in our opinion, its not worth going for F, unless you want better food and a nicer lounge in DXB (assuming the seat's mechanical bits are working properly).
Hope you found this useful, and thanks for reading!!!!
My wife and I recently experienced the new J seats on the 777-300ER and wanted to let y'all know about our experiences. Preface: for both Mrs. Billygoat27 and I, this was our first time on Emirates (our most recent J class experiences are on CO, AF, BA and AA).
EK204 JFK-DXB on 7 November:
The complimentary chauffer drive was outsourced to Boston Coach, who picked us up on-time in a new Cadillac STS. The young lady at check-in wasn't terribly friendly, and we had to ask her for lounge vouchers in DXB. Also, she didn't know if the DXB Business Class lounges had showers or not.
The Emirates lounge at JFK is SUPERB, with great food, comfortable chairs, nice views of the airport operations and gates, and numerous newspapers, internet terminals and printers. Both J and F have access to the same lounge, as do EOS Airlines passengers. Boarding for F and J class pax are at the end, so we got to maximize our time in the lounge, which is, by far the best either of us have experienced.
As for the on-board service (and what you guys/gals really want to know about): We had Seats 7J and 7K on A6-EBR.
First off, the 19 inch screen is unbelieveably good. Crisp, sharp picture that doesn't wash out in sunlight. The screens are exposed at all times (on the seatbacks), so you can actually watch programmes (like the onboard cameras) during takeoff. We can't confirm, but it looked like the screens in the new J are nicer than in F (this plane did not have the new SkyCruiser F seats).
Privacy is excellent between the passengers in the window/aisle (there is an electronically operated privacy shade between the two). Mrs. Billygoat27 found it a bit difficult to talk to each other because even with the privacy shade fully down, the separation level is still pretty high (sorta like a how a Formula 1 car driver's head barely protrudes above the chassis). But, we were okay with that thanks to ICE, the excellent big screen, and the noise-cancelling headphones. Also, since its a pod like config, privacy in front of/behind is excellent. Privacy across the aisle is not so good. When reclining, the armrest actually goes now, so you can see/hear everything the person across from the aisle does (in our case, an older gentleman that had a cold).
The massage function did not work on either 7J or 7K, despite 2 reboots. Seat 7K had additional mechanical failures where certain only the "fully lie-flat" and "fully upright" buttons worked. We were able to start and stop the seat in mid-position, but movement was limited to the programmed tracks for those 2 positions. While not ideal, I was still able to find some comfortable positions for reading, watching TV and snoozing. A working lumbar adjustment would have been really nice though.
The "lie-flat" position is not fully horizontal (I would guess around 170-175 degrees or so), but quite easy to sleep on for my 5'8" (173cm) and my wife's 5' 6" (168cm) frame. Neither of us slid down at any point during the flight. There also is ample space between seats in the fully reclined position. Blankets and pillows are unchanged from the previous 3 class Business Class seats.
The food was medicore at best. Moet Brut Champange was great, but avoid the "chef-inspired" lamb special.
EK763 DXB-JNB on 8 November: Seats 11D and 11E (A6-EBR):
The 2 story EK Business Class lounge near gate 22 in DXB was very nice; similar food/amenities to the one in JFK except much more crowded, and slightly worse views of the airport operations.
The same plane that brought us to DXB was dispatched on the JNB segment. Different seats, more mechanical problems. Massage function on 11E did not work; 11D would recline, but not go back up. 3 Emirates engineers came to investigate, but after 20 minutes, there was no resolution. The crew and pax were nice enough to perform some shuffling, and we were moved to 11E and 11F, which both worked perfectly, and off to JNB. E and F seats are much more conducive to flying with companions vs. the A/B and J/K seats. The massage function is pretty nice as well (there are options for pulse, continuous, random, and another setting, which I forget). Food was a bit better on this segment, but we expect better for J class. AF coach food is superior. Our bags were among the first off the carousel, thanks to the J class "Priority" tags. We connected onto Capetown, and did not use the chauffer service.
EK764 JNB-DXB on 16 November - Seats 9E and 9F (old configuration) on A6-EBB:
We arrived from Livingstone earlier in the day, and hence, did not use the chauffer service. Check-in was quite efficient and took only a few minutes. Emirates J class passengers are provided access to the JNB "Premier Club", which is shared with NUMEROUS other airlines. Additionally, non J/F pax from any airline can pay 120 Rand to get in. 2 internet kiosks and 4 laptop touchdown pads make up the business center, which is woefully inadequate (long queues). It was VERY crowded in the late afternoon as well, as all the Europe-bound flights leave JNB around the same time. Small snacks (chips, finger sandwiches) and drinks were adequatelly supplied and re-stocked.
There is a big billboard approaching JNB that says "Fully Lie Flat Beds on Emirates". Upon closer inspection, it turns out that is true some of the time. Our bird (A6-EBB) had 3 class service, but did not have the new J class seat. After speaking to some EK folks, it turns out EK764 had a lie flat on 15 Nov, but not on 16 Nov (sounds like they rotate the 2 lie-flat configured aircraft on different routes). Compared to the new J, seat width is about the same, but sleeping comfortably on the older seats was a bit more difficult, and privacy is practically non-existant (in the fully reclined position you can see the heads of folks in front of you and no divider across seats). We really missed the new 19 inch screens and lie-flat position. The dinner was better than the JFK-DXB and DXB-JNB segents, but the breakfast (basically just bread/pastries) was a joke for a 7 hour overnight flight (the same duration as NYC-CDG). The lead flight attendant was WONDERFUL, and really went out of her way to assist us with arranging chauffer service to our hotel in DXB. Unfortunately, due to a ground mix-up, all F and J checked baggage was incorrectly handled, and we had to wait 90 minutes for our bags to arrive. The efficient chauffer service was outsourced to Avis and our vehicle was a Volvo V70 station wagon.
We are scheduled to return to JFK on EK203 on 19 November, and will be happy to provide y'all with an update then.
Executive Summary:
Ground Transport: None of the other carriers we have taken offer complimentary ground transport, so EK wins hands down!!!
Departure Lounges: Excellent when they are EK dedicated. Pot-luck otherwise.
Seats: All in all, despite the mechanical failures, we both feel that when working properly, the new J class seats are pretty nice and near the head of the class. We both like the new J seats more than the sleeper seats on Continental's BusinessFirst (both the 777 and 757/767) and its MILES better than the awful old J class seats on AA. IMO, BA Club World seats are significantly narrower, but more comfortable in the upright and lie-flat positions (provided you're skinny that is). Upgrades to blankets and pillows would be a nice addition.
In-flight food:: Miles worse than CO/AA/BA/AF. AF trans-atlantic coach is better.
In-flight Entertainment: Obviously, ICE is light years ahead of everyone elses inflight entertainment.
Arrivals Lounge: An arrivals lounge would be a nice addition.
If you're flight has the new J and does NOT have the SkyCruiser F seats (I'm not sure if this plane has the SkyCruiser F or not), in our opinion, its not worth going for F, unless you want better food and a nicer lounge in DXB (assuming the seat's mechanical bits are working properly).
Hope you found this useful, and thanks for reading!!!!
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Thanks for the report. The food with EK has always been pretty good in all classes in my experience. Maybe you just got unlucky, or else they're now cutting back - I hope it's the former 
Cheers,
Rick
Cheers,
Rick
Thanks for the detailed review.
Billygoat27 indicates that the JFK-DXB aircraft did not have the SkyCruiser seats in FC. I understood that all the 77W a/c came from Boeing with these seats in first. I have an upcoming booking on EK204 in first class and assumed I would have the flat-bed Skycruiser seats.
Can anyone clarify?
Billygoat27 indicates that the JFK-DXB aircraft did not have the SkyCruiser seats in FC. I understood that all the 77W a/c came from Boeing with these seats in first. I have an upcoming booking on EK204 in first class and assumed I would have the flat-bed Skycruiser seats.
Can anyone clarify?
Hi folks,
We just returned on EK203 earlier today. Here's the scoop:
Pre-flight:
Emirates Chauffer drive picked us up from our hotel on-time at 11pm (again, a Volvo V70 wagon), and we got to the airport comfortably in about 40 minutes. There is a dedicated check-in area for New York F/J passengers, which went very smoothly. We went to the same Emirates Business Class lounge near gate 22, which was as nice as on our inbound flight, and less crowded. Noticed that on the first floor near the toilets, there are 2 showers; however, we didn't use them.
Boarding was relatively smooth (lounge announcement came near the end of boarding). There is additional security screening at the gate, presumably to meet TSA requirements (take shoes/belt off, etc). 1 of the 3 x-ray/metal detectors is dedicated for F/J. Once through the additional security, there is one queue to get to the jetway. Once in the jetway, there are 2 lines -- one for F/J pax, and another for Y pax.
On-board:
Once again, our seats had mechanical problems. Like on the outbound, the individual seat adjustments didn't work on 11K, and to recline, I had to use the "fully lie-flat" and "fully upright" buttons. On the bright side, 11J was fully operational at takeoff. Immediately after take off, the crew had to reboot the ICE system on the entire flight, which brought it down for about 15 minutes. We immediately went to sleep, and missed the warm snack.
Food/beverage service:
- Bottle of water in the seat pocket
- Option of Champange/Orange Juice/Apple juice on the ground
- Warm snack after takeoff
- "On Demand" selection of warm and cold snacks
- Fruit/Yougurt and warm Mushroom Omelette (I forget the other options) prior to landing
Woke up about 6 hours into the flight, and not surprisingly, the warm snack service was over. So, I ordered 2 cold snacks and 1 warm snack. The chicken/shrimp tikka masala salad was pretty good. The cold spicy beef quesadilla was an unpleasant reminder of my college years (think TGI Fridays leftovers sitting in the fridge for 2 days). The flight attendant forgot the warm beef sandwich, but after sampling the quesadilla, I was in no rush to experience any other EK culinary delights.
About 7 hours into the flight, the video on my seat went down.
The attendant tried 2 soft-reboots to no avail, and then claimed "I'm sorry, we're busy in first class -- please be patient with us". The senior crew member arrived about 10 minutes later, and asked another crew member to perform a full seat reboot. Unfortunately, they inadvertendly rebooted Mrs. Billygoat's ICE system, which then experienced the same video problem as I had. All in all, after about 75 minutes of reboots, the ICE systems in both our seats began working (full reboot take 15 minutes) -- however, the seats adjustments in 11K were still limited.
In parallel, we noticed many other people (11D, 11F and 9J) having seat issues. 11D would recline but not go back up; 11F needed to be adjusted manually; couldn't tell with 9J. Keep in mind this was only what we were able to see (there are more J seats on the other side of the gallery). You could see the frustration in the cabin crew's faces; and in converations, some mentioned to us that the new systems have been an operational nightmare; bugs all the time. Apparently the "we're busy in First Class" comment made earlier was in frustration to a seat/ICE/laptop issue up there.
Breakfast was served about 90 minutes prior to landing. The fruit was reasonably fresh, and apricot yogurt tasty, but the omelette relatively bland. Both Mrs. Billygoat and I preferred the omelette we had on South African Airlines in coach just a couple of days earlier. SA just upgraded their coach food a few weeks ago. It still looks like typical coach food, but tastes pretty good -- significantly better than the Emirates J food we've experienced.
We landed about 20 minutes late. Thanks to the morning arrival at Terminal 4, there was practically no line at passport control and our bags were among the first off the carousel, thanks to the J class "Priority" tags. The EK Chauffer service (outsourced to Boston Coach) was waiting right outside the door, and the Cadillac (STS or DTS, I'm not sure) brought us home in comfort.
To answer questions:
Lladnar, thanks for the clarification. As this was my first flight with Emirates, I thought "SkyCruiser" was the name of the super fancy mini-suite found on the A340-500. Upon closer inspection, that is not the case, and this bird does have the SkyCruiser first class seats. (See posting #124 from Emirates777: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...2&page=9&pp=15)
Obviously we did not and have not sat/slept in the SkyCruiser seats, but at initial glance, they didn't seem that much nicer than the new J seats. But obviously Emirates First wins a lot of awards and accolades for a reason.
CTOM9, all the seats are forward facing in a 2-3-2 configuration. Also, its relatively easy to hop over the aisle passenger, even in
fully reclined position.
773ER, I didn't not get any pictures :-(
Summary:
Of the 3 segments (6 seats) we flew with the new J class, only 1 was fully functioning for the duration of the flight. Considering this success rate, and the very clear frustration on the faces of the cabin crew, EK should reconsider their press release:
- Food really needs to be upgraded. I'm far from a picky eater -- and consider it barely acceptable coach chow.
- Upgraded blankets and pillows (in that order) would be nice as well
Thanks for reading!!!!
We just returned on EK203 earlier today. Here's the scoop:
Pre-flight:
Emirates Chauffer drive picked us up from our hotel on-time at 11pm (again, a Volvo V70 wagon), and we got to the airport comfortably in about 40 minutes. There is a dedicated check-in area for New York F/J passengers, which went very smoothly. We went to the same Emirates Business Class lounge near gate 22, which was as nice as on our inbound flight, and less crowded. Noticed that on the first floor near the toilets, there are 2 showers; however, we didn't use them.
Boarding was relatively smooth (lounge announcement came near the end of boarding). There is additional security screening at the gate, presumably to meet TSA requirements (take shoes/belt off, etc). 1 of the 3 x-ray/metal detectors is dedicated for F/J. Once through the additional security, there is one queue to get to the jetway. Once in the jetway, there are 2 lines -- one for F/J pax, and another for Y pax.
On-board:
Once again, our seats had mechanical problems. Like on the outbound, the individual seat adjustments didn't work on 11K, and to recline, I had to use the "fully lie-flat" and "fully upright" buttons. On the bright side, 11J was fully operational at takeoff. Immediately after take off, the crew had to reboot the ICE system on the entire flight, which brought it down for about 15 minutes. We immediately went to sleep, and missed the warm snack.
Food/beverage service:
- Bottle of water in the seat pocket
- Option of Champange/Orange Juice/Apple juice on the ground
- Warm snack after takeoff
- "On Demand" selection of warm and cold snacks
- Fruit/Yougurt and warm Mushroom Omelette (I forget the other options) prior to landing
Woke up about 6 hours into the flight, and not surprisingly, the warm snack service was over. So, I ordered 2 cold snacks and 1 warm snack. The chicken/shrimp tikka masala salad was pretty good. The cold spicy beef quesadilla was an unpleasant reminder of my college years (think TGI Fridays leftovers sitting in the fridge for 2 days). The flight attendant forgot the warm beef sandwich, but after sampling the quesadilla, I was in no rush to experience any other EK culinary delights.
About 7 hours into the flight, the video on my seat went down.
The attendant tried 2 soft-reboots to no avail, and then claimed "I'm sorry, we're busy in first class -- please be patient with us". The senior crew member arrived about 10 minutes later, and asked another crew member to perform a full seat reboot. Unfortunately, they inadvertendly rebooted Mrs. Billygoat's ICE system, which then experienced the same video problem as I had. All in all, after about 75 minutes of reboots, the ICE systems in both our seats began working (full reboot take 15 minutes) -- however, the seats adjustments in 11K were still limited.
In parallel, we noticed many other people (11D, 11F and 9J) having seat issues. 11D would recline but not go back up; 11F needed to be adjusted manually; couldn't tell with 9J. Keep in mind this was only what we were able to see (there are more J seats on the other side of the gallery). You could see the frustration in the cabin crew's faces; and in converations, some mentioned to us that the new systems have been an operational nightmare; bugs all the time. Apparently the "we're busy in First Class" comment made earlier was in frustration to a seat/ICE/laptop issue up there.
Breakfast was served about 90 minutes prior to landing. The fruit was reasonably fresh, and apricot yogurt tasty, but the omelette relatively bland. Both Mrs. Billygoat and I preferred the omelette we had on South African Airlines in coach just a couple of days earlier. SA just upgraded their coach food a few weeks ago. It still looks like typical coach food, but tastes pretty good -- significantly better than the Emirates J food we've experienced.
We landed about 20 minutes late. Thanks to the morning arrival at Terminal 4, there was practically no line at passport control and our bags were among the first off the carousel, thanks to the J class "Priority" tags. The EK Chauffer service (outsourced to Boston Coach) was waiting right outside the door, and the Cadillac (STS or DTS, I'm not sure) brought us home in comfort.
To answer questions:
Lladnar, thanks for the clarification. As this was my first flight with Emirates, I thought "SkyCruiser" was the name of the super fancy mini-suite found on the A340-500. Upon closer inspection, that is not the case, and this bird does have the SkyCruiser first class seats. (See posting #124 from Emirates777: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...2&page=9&pp=15)
Obviously we did not and have not sat/slept in the SkyCruiser seats, but at initial glance, they didn't seem that much nicer than the new J seats. But obviously Emirates First wins a lot of awards and accolades for a reason.
CTOM9, all the seats are forward facing in a 2-3-2 configuration. Also, its relatively easy to hop over the aisle passenger, even in
fully reclined position.
773ER, I didn't not get any pictures :-(
Summary:
Of the 3 segments (6 seats) we flew with the new J class, only 1 was fully functioning for the duration of the flight. Considering this success rate, and the very clear frustration on the faces of the cabin crew, EK should reconsider their press release:
Quote:
Designed to Emirates' exacting standards and specifications, the new generation Business Class seat was put together in record time. A team of engineers from the airline worked closely with B/E Aerospace, the US-based manufacturer of high-end seat products, on an intensive programme that saw the product fast-tracked from the drawing board to installation in just one year when the process typically takes twice the time.
- When functioning properly, the new seat is really nice seat. However, they really should have gotten all the bugs worked out prior to rolling out, especially on high profile routes such as NYC-DXB.Designed to Emirates' exacting standards and specifications, the new generation Business Class seat was put together in record time. A team of engineers from the airline worked closely with B/E Aerospace, the US-based manufacturer of high-end seat products, on an intensive programme that saw the product fast-tracked from the drawing board to installation in just one year when the process typically takes twice the time.
- Food really needs to be upgraded. I'm far from a picky eater -- and consider it barely acceptable coach chow.
- Upgraded blankets and pillows (in that order) would be nice as well
Thanks for reading!!!!