Hello from Germany, as I just flew Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER business class on the 6hr35min flight from Dubai (DXB) to Frankfurt (FRA). I was excited about this flight, as it was operated by one of Emirates’ newly retrofitted 777s, featuring the carrier’s new business class.
All-in-all, I had a lovely flight, with a comfortable cabin, a very friendly crew, and great food and drinks. That being said, if I had to choose, I definitely prefer Emirates’ A350 business class, which I flew on the previous sector. In this post I’d like to share some initial thoughts on this 777 flight, and then soon I’ll have a full review.
Emirates’ new 777 business class seats are a huge improvement
Emirates’ old 777 business class has to be one of the most underwhelming business class products out there, as it’s in a 2-3-2 configuration, with angled seats. So to step onboard a 777 with fresh business class seats was awesome.
Emirates’ new 777 business class is nearly identical to the carrier’s A350 business class. The cabin consists of 38 seats, and they’re produced by Safran and staggered, so they’re in a 1-2-1 configuration. While this isn’t a cutting edge hard product, I certainly think it’s competitive. It’s a thoughtfully designed product, with luxurious finishes.
I won’t talk too much more about the hard product in this preview post, since I think I covered most things when discussing the A350.
The bedding definitely helps with getting comfortable, as I appreciate the mattress pad, pillow, and blanket. The individual air nozzles help as well!
While the business class seats on the A350 and 777 are basically the same, I do have a strong preference for flying on the A350, all else being equal:
- The A350 has just 32 business class seats, so the cabin is a bit more intimate, compared to 38 seats
- The A350 has a much better lavatory ratio, as there are four lavatories business class passengers get access to, compared to two
- The A350 is a quieter plane, and has a more elegant cabin with some cool features (like the ghaf tree on the window shades), and has an updated entertainment system
- The A350 doesn’t have first class, and there’s definitely something nice about being in the “top” cabin (in terms of deplaning, supervision by the purser, etc.)
Emirates’ 777 business class has awesome entertainment, slow Wi-Fi
Emirates’ ICE inflight entertainment system is stellar, among the best in the sky. The 777 doesn’t quite have the latest entertainment system that you’ll find on the A350, but seats do have 23″ personal screens, and there’s also bluetooth audio. The entertainment selection is endless, from movies, to TV shows, to live TV.
While the 777 doesn’t have a tail camera, it does have a nose camera, which is surprisingly decent.
Unfortunately a weak point of the experience, at least for the time being, is that most 777s have OnAir Wi-Fi, among the slowest systems in the sky. At least it’s free for all Skywards members. Emirates is currently installing Starlink on these planes, so that’ll be a massive improvement, once it’s live.
Emirates’ business class food, drinks, and service, are great
I was on Emirates’ very early morning flight from Dubai to Frankfurt, departing around 3AM and arriving around 7AM. Departures around this time are of course the norm in the Middle East, so Gulf carriers are really good at figuring out the right service flow for these flights.
As is standard, Emirates has a flexible “light bites” menu after takeoff, where you can choose from several options (most people just elect to go straight to sleep). I decided to order a tofu poke bowl and a cheese plate, both of which were very good. Then to drink I had a martini — you’ve gotta love how Emirates serves them in proper martini glasses!
Talk about a perfect snack for a flight departing at this time. And best of all, this was served around 20 minutes after takeoff, so that really allows rest to be maximized.
The main meal was then breakfast, and of the choices, I opted for the cheese omelet with spinach and potato cakes. It was also served with a side of fruit, yogurt, and a selection from the bread basket.
Service on this flight was excellent as usual, with a lovely Egyptian flight attendant taking care of my section of the cabin. Funny story — at the beginning of the flight we were talking, and I asked where she was from. She told me to guess, and I said I thought Morocco or Tunisia. She then said “close,” so I guessed Egypt.
She confirmed that was correct, and asked if I had been to Egypt before. Well, let me tell you… that ended up turning into quite a conversation. 😉
Bottom line
Emirates’ new 777 business class is a massive improvement over the carrier’s old business class product, as the airline finally has direct aisle access and flat beds in business class (I know, it’s wild to be saying this in 2026, about an airline that’s very well regarded).
But hey, the reality is that Emirates offers a really great experience all-around, with excellent entertainment, friendly service, great food and drinks, and extensive amenities. While there are definitely flashier business class products out there, I find that Emirates delivers consistently, and I almost always walk off Emirates planes with a very favorable impression. This was no exception.
What’s your take on Emirates’ new 777 business class?