Emirates has announced that, by the end of the year, all of its Airbus A380 flights to and from 
New York JFK Airport will be operated by planes that are configured with the Dubai-based UAE flag carrier’s widely revered new premium economy cabin. At present, only one of its three daily rotations features this layout.
The introduction of premium economy on Emirates’ remaining rotations between its main hub at 
Dubai International Airport (DXB) and New York JFK, one of which has an intermediate stopover in Italy, will see passengers given the choice of four classes of travel on these flights. Let’s take a look at what this means.
All Of Emirates’ JFK Flights Will Have Premium Economy By The End Of The Year
As confirmed in a statement released earlier today by the Dubai-based UAE flag carrier, Emirates has announced its intentions to offer premium economy seating on all of its flights to and from John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City by the end of the year. It currently flies there three times a day, with only one rotation (EK203 and EK204) already featuring this opulent premium cabin offering.
However, from November 10, premium economy will also be available on Emirates’ Airbus A380-operated flights from Dubai to JFK via Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP). These are numbered as EK205 and EK206, and will be followed on December 1 by the introduction of premium economy on Emirates’ other non-stop Dubai-JFK rotation (EK201 and EK202). Commenting on this increasing rollout, Emirates said:
“These additions will expand Emirates’ network of destinations offering Premium Economy on its fleet of A380s, 777s, and A350 aircraft to 68 global points by March 2026, underscoring the airline’s commitment to investing in the very best customer experience in the sky and adding more premium cabin options, consistency, and choice across geographies.”
The News Is Also A Boost For Emirates’ Italian Passengers
The addition of premium economy to Emirates’ flights between Dubai and JFK that make an intermediate stopover at Milan Malpensa Airport also represents a boost for the UAE flag carrier’s Italian guests. Indeed, it means that, along with EK091/092, there will now be two daily flights with premium economy in each direction from Milan Malpensa Airport to the national airline’s main hub at Dubai International.
The segment of Emirates’ flight EK205/206 between Milan Malpensa and New York JFK Airport is notable for being a fifth-freedom flight that passengers can book in isolation despite it not starting or ending in the UAE. As it happens, this is one of Emirates’ longest-running fifth-freedom flights, and it dates back to 2013.
|
Emirates’ Dubai – New York JFK Flights |
|
|---|---|
|
Rotation (Westbound/Eastbound) |
Stopover |
|
EK201 / EK202 |
None |
|
EK203 / EK204 |
None |
|
EK205 / EK206 |
Milan Malpensa |
While routes to and from destinations located in Europe and North America make up a key part of Emirates’ most lucrative operations, its four-class A380s with premium economy seats are deployed all over the world. For instance, it also lists “Sydney, Singapore, Osaka, Mumbai, [and] Bangalore” among the routes served.
What’s It Like Onboard?
According to present fleet data made available by aeroLOPA, Emirates’ premium economy cabin consists of 56 seats onboard its Airbus A380s. Meanwhile, its A350-900s and 
Boeing 777-300ERs only have 21 and 24 of these recliners respectively.
These stylish and spacious seats are located at the front of the A380’s lower deck, and laid out in an eight-abreast 2-4-2 configuration, which means that no passenger is ever seated more than one place away from the aisle. These Recaro PL3530 seats offer a rather generous pitch of 40 inches, and they are 19.5 inches wide.
Increased recline is one of the main selling points of premium economy, and these seats boast a figure of eight inches, compared to just four in economy class. As far as entertainment is concerned, premium economy passengers on Emirates’ A380s have 13.3-inch screens and universal AC, USB-A, and USB-C charging sockets.
