In November we learned about some changes that Emirates is making to their Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The airline only has 10 of these aircraft, and plans on reconfiguring them. Emirates’ 777-200LRs:
- Will no longer feature first class
- Will go from having 266 seats to having 306 seats
- Business class will go from having seven seats per row to having six seats per row, so they’ll be eliminating the middle seat
Well, Emirates has now revealed the first routes to get their new two class 777-200LR aircraft. The first route to have first class cut will be Dubai to Fort Lauderdale. According to @airlineroute, as of March 25, 2018, the route will be operated 3x weekly by a Boeing 777-200LR without first class, and then as of May 2, 2018, it will be operated daily without first class.
The new 777-200LR features 38 business class seats and 268 economy seats. Indeed, business class will go from a 2-3-2 configuration to a 2-2-2 configuration, which I find strange, given that they won’t even be installing new seats. I guess the aisles will just be wider.
Emirates’ current 777 business class
With this change, Fort Lauderdale will be Emirates’ only US destination not featuring a first class cabin. I guess that’s logical enough, given that this is mostly a leisure destination.
Interestingly the next 777-200LR destinations to have first class cut will be Ahmedabad, Karachi, Mumbai, Yinchuan, and Zhengzhou. What I find fascinating here is that the 777-200LR is a plane airlines got because it was ultra long range, yet in looking at Emirates’ current routes for the plane, the only ultra longhaul flight on which they’re using the plane is Dubai to Fort Lauderdale. The 777 is also their lowest capacity plane, so it seems they’re just using the 777-200LR for some short routes when they don’t think there’s sufficient demand for a 777-300, which on some level seems like a waste of an “LR” aircraft. Then again, I guess most of Emirates’ fleet is ultra long range.
Do you know if the fort lauderdale to dubai ( or the way back ) business class has the new seat or are some planes used in this route have the old seats?
@ Ale sn -- They have the new 777 configuration:
https://onemileatatime.com/emirates-new-777-200lr-business-class/
First still seems to be available in FLL. I just booked a flight leaving FLL in first class for November 2018.
Ahmedabad and Mumbai?????
Ok.... I will have to start flying Qatar Airways....
Interestingly, Emirates also flies the A380 to Mumbai
Interested to see what will happen with the Geneva route, the -200 appears on the early flight often, will be interested to see whether they just cut first or upgrade it to the -300...
This makes sense given that part of what makes FLL work for EK is their codeshare with JetBlue into the Caribbean and Central America. Few people would pay for EK F connecting to JetBlue Y.
@nfd Emirates doesn't sell first class on flights to Karachi as it's just a two hour hop. Most flights are operated by their two-class 77W unless there's an equipment change, in which case you just get business class service in a first class seat.
No lounge in FLL. They give you a good voucher. It is a jet blue and spirit terminal. It’s pretty awful but with Qatar Mia-doh flight not being able to connect to Dubai, it’s still the best option.
only 2 flights out of weekly 48 flights(in summer and 35 in winter) to Karachi will be converted to this new configuration
Will the business class seats be the same as Emirates' latest 777-300ER fully flat business class except in a 2-2-2 configuration?
I could be wrong but aren’t they angle flat as well? And FLL has zero amenities save for a delta club (surprisingly good) and a United club
@W - if you consider a 3 hour drive to be not far.
Emirates already has a flight to Orlando that features First Class so if you want to fly first from Fort Lauderdale then the nearest option isn't far away.
Ahmedabad and Mumbai are getting 777-200LR because of capacity constraints due to full utilization of bilateral seat entitlement.
What lounge does Emerites use for First & Business & FLL?