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.
In this post:
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?
The seat still looks vanilla. Qatar QSuite is still the seat to beat.
Which first class cabin did this plane feature? Was it the Game Changer or the refreshed old first class with the new sports car-style upholstery?
@ Alvin | YTHK -- It was supposed to be the eight-seat cabin with the new interiors, but at the last minute it got swapped to the "Game Changer," which made me sort of sad I wasn't in first. Heh.
Also, super random question, how do you choose which side of the cabin to sit on (assuming it's empty)? I've started to develop a bit of a thought process and am wondering whether you have a much more developed one...
@ Alvin | YTHK -- Excellent question, and I'm not sure I have a simple answer. A few considerations:
-- On a wide body, I generally prefer the left aisle to the right aisle, just in terms of being able to get down the aisle as quickly as possible to take pictures, without having to cross over
-- My general preference is to sit on the opposite side of the plane of where...
@ Alvin | YTHK -- Excellent question, and I'm not sure I have a simple answer. A few considerations:
-- On a wide body, I generally prefer the left aisle to the right aisle, just in terms of being able to get down the aisle as quickly as possible to take pictures, without having to cross over
-- My general preference is to sit on the opposite side of the plane of where the sun will be most of the flight, as it makes it more pleasant to look out the window
-- If there are any other sites along the way (or on departure or arrival, based on the typical patterns) that I know will be interesting, I factor that in as well
So let's hear your strategy now! :-)
Thanks! Mine:
- If there's a reason to pick one side (e.g. Fuji in Japan, LHR landing, empty seat next to me) I always go for that first
- If I've written a review of a similar product before, I try to pick the opposite side on the next flight to break up the photo monotony (and also pick up whether being seated on the other side comes with any ergonomics issues e.g....
Thanks! Mine:
- If there's a reason to pick one side (e.g. Fuji in Japan, LHR landing, empty seat next to me) I always go for that first
- If I've written a review of a similar product before, I try to pick the opposite side on the next flight to break up the photo monotony (and also pick up whether being seated on the other side comes with any ergonomics issues e.g. storage area not very good for left handed people etc.)
- I generally find that people without seat selections fill up from front-to-back, then left-to-right, so if no other factors arise I pick the right side
- I still enjoy picking whichever side of a plane a sunset or sunrise is on (or, if flying over the Arctic Circle, the side facing north for potential northern lights sightings)
- When I get onboard a plane I just cross over if I need to – many times I've been the first non-infirm passenger to board, and just head down the aisle that's clearer or more out of the way
I recently booked a flight from HND-ITM, and I kid you not, every single window seat on the right side was taken, whereas most of the window seats (and most other seats) on the left side were empty!
Hallo, Guten Tag.
Just a quick point on the camera, that particular camera is optional and is not tied to the GMCS for taxiing. It's the camera most used by most carriers these days including Cathay for on their newly refurbished 77Ws. Very few carriers feed the GMCS onto the IFE.
@ Mike O. -- Yeah, it's super nice that they have it, I wish it were offered more regularly on other airlines on the 777.
Ben plz don't fly over Egypt airspace we worry about you!
Lol! What was her take on how Cairo Airport treated you?
@ Daniel from Finland -- Hah, she wasn't surprised to hear my criticisms of the airport, though she was surprised to learn about the response.
The last time I flew on Emirates, it was on their 777 out of Seattle to Dubai (then onto CPT). It was during Ramadan, so I made a point of picking up a prosciutto sandwich from the airport deli and ate it on board as my main. Lol
And that Business Class was a joke. 2-3-2 seating configuration. Never again.