Premium passengers traveling on Emirates’ flagship Airbus A380 aircraft are in for a more social experience again, starting tomorrow.
In this post:
Emirates A380 bar reopens February 11, 2022
Emirates is known for its incredible Airbus A380 amenities, including the business class bar and first class shower. For the past several weeks the business class bar has been closed due to the spread of the omicron variant. That will be changing once again shortly.
Emirates is instructing crews to reopen the A380 onboard bar and social lounge as of Friday, February 11, 2022. As before, capacity limits will apply. Passengers will be able to enjoy a variety of drinks and snacks either while sitting or standing. Of course masks are supposed to be worn while not eating or drinking, though I suspect most people won’t be masking while they have a martini glass in their hand…
Even beyond those looking to be social, the A380 bar is a useful place to just grab a drink mid flight to take back to your seat, rather than pushing the flight attendant call button.
This represents a bar re-reopening
Emirates initially closed its A380 onboard bar and showers shortly after the start of the pandemic. For that matter, the airline grounded virtually its entire A380 fleet at the time due to lack of demand, so these planes weren’t even flying.
Emirates first reopened its A380 onboard bar and showers as of October 2020. The bar stayed open for quite a while, though it closed in the first week of 2022, due to the rapid spread of omicron (the shower remained open, since use of the shower typically isn’t a social activity). So Emirates now opening the lounge represents a re-reopening.
With the A380 bar once again available, it’s more or less business as usual for Emirates premium passengers compared to the pre-pandemic service flow and amenities.
Bottom line
The Emirates Airbus A380 bar and social lounge is once again reopening, after being closed for the past several weeks due to the spread of omicron. Here’s to hoping that this is the last time that the bar has to reopen…
Anyone have any upcoming A380 flights where they look forward to using the bar?
Wonderful news - am flying to Madrid 20 February - and will also return from MAD rather than BCN - due to A380 and the bar. This is not for drinking a lot more than what can be served at the seat, but it’s the option of a break during a long flight. I love A380 and even arrange my trips based on the availability of that aircraft
Wir werden erst im September fliegen aber hoffen das sie da genau so offen hat um diesen schönen Genuss auszunützen zu können sind jetzt schon mit großer Vorfreude gespannt wie es wird
Wish and wish with all my heart ❤️ to work with Emirates one day
Excuse me. Who pushes the call button for an alcoholic beverage? So low class.
The call button is pushed when the loudspeaker asks for a named passenger to self identify by pushing the call button, or for an emergency situation like a TMZ event or a lost cell phone, or for a medical emergency. Anything else definitely is low class.
I got tempted to visit the bar during my trip back to Toronto. I already asked Emirate’s office about an upgrading, but the price is too high for a senior citizen. Thanks.
If all of the snacks have to be individually wrapped in layers of plastic for reasons which no one can logically elucidate other than “because pandemic” I’ll pass until it’s really back to normal. Flying the EK 388 is a bucket list trip for me which will cost a ton of points. So I’ll wait until the full experience (including normal self-service buffets in the lounge) is truly back.
Flew back from Dubai to JFK on New Years Day and it was open
I’m flying first class on the a380 next month. Not really interested in the bar. I’d rather focus on the champagne , food, shower , etc. If it was a 16 hour flight maybe I’d check it out but I want to maximize my 8 or 9 hours.
Looking forward to experiencing my first business class experience in June.
You will not be disappointed, wonderful.
Are the drinks usually any good? The one time I was in the bar I ordered an Old Fashion and the guy behind the bar had to lookup how to make it...
I also just got an upgrade offer from J to F on my upcoming flight
I took it, so I will enjoy the bar, the shower, the Dom, the caviar and feel entitled like half of you lot, lol.
It's interesting that it is perfectly safe for Emirates cabin crew to operate a bar in-flight, but it is too dangerous onboard American Airlines for their crew to be able to offer customers a second glass of water on a 6 hour transcon.
Emirates cabin crews are generally fit, healthy, slim young people from Europe, Asia and Africa. In contrast, American Airlines cabin crews are majorly older, unhealthier nourished and have body dimensions that would block the emergency exits and weight that likely exceeds the maximum load.
So yes, in fact the risk is much higher for them.
Lucky: What is your source please?
Great! I'll be flying in first from SFO to DXB in October for my 50th birthday.
@ disco stu
Happy birthday !
Now they just need to bring back the A380 to IAD in time for my May flight
I think it’s back. Flying to iad in April end and it’s scheduled as a 380
I really don't understand this. I flew several sectors in both F and J with EK in the past 4 months and the bar was always open and the showers too. Not sure why they are making a big deal out of this....
Yes, the article clearly states that both the bar and showers had been open since October 2020 until the beginning of 2022. The bar only closed down recently due to Omicron.
Aww, that rear business cabin will be noisy now. Time to move seats.
We were flying from nyc to Dubai last year June, the bar was fully open and people were already doing all sorts of things
Yes, the article clearly states the bar had been open since October 2020 until the beginning of 2022. The bar only closed down recently due to Omicron.