Economy class doesn’t get much better than on this refurbished A380

The airline: Emirates

• Route Melbourne to Dubai, flight EK407
• Frequency 21 times a week, although this varies according to season
• Aircraft Airbus A380-800
• Class Economy, seat 55A
• Flight time 14 hours. We’re scheduled for a 9.15pm departure and are pushing back from the gate at 9.17pm.

Emirates is the largest operator of Airbus A380 superjumbos.Credit: iStock

Checking in

When I arrive at 6pm for my 9.15pm flight, my bag is checked in just a few minutes. The staff member also helps me add the booking to my new Skywards account, something I’d been unable to achieve on either phone or laptop.

Baggage

You can check as many bags as you like, up to a total weight of 30 kilograms as an economy passenger travelling from Australia. Officially, you’re allowed one piece of cabin baggage weighing no more than 7 kilograms, but the cabin crew is lenient – likely because the A380-800 has plenty of overhead storage.

Loyalty scheme

Skywards is Emirates’ loyalty program. Travellers can earn and spend Skywards points on eligible Qantas and Jetstar flights. Qantas Frequent Flyer members can also earn points on Emirates flights.

The seat

Economy class on an Emirates A380. Seats at the front of the cabin are “preferred” and require an additional fee to secure. Credit:

Seats in the economy section are in a 3-4-3 layout. I’ve paid an extra $90 for a preferred seat (55A) at the front of the cabin. The seat pitch, at 32 inches (81cm), and width, at 18 inches (46cm), are the same as non-preferred seats, but my rationale is that if the flight isn’t full, you’re more likely to end up with a spare seat next to you. The cabin looks fresh, and the seat feels comfortable – there’s even some wiggle room. I’m a window-seat devotee and, although the window is the biggest I’ve seen on an aircraft, it’s too far away to lean on. Just a minute or so before the doors close, someone sits in the spare seat beside me. So much for that theory.

Entertainment + tech

You’re spoilt for choice with Emirates’ inflight entertainment system.Credit:

There are thousands of choices on the in-flight entertainment system, including movies, TV series, podcasts, live TV, music and an information channel on Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. The screen is a decent size (34 centimetres) and easy to use. During take-off I watch The Fall Guy, which I’d missed at the cinema. You can pay for onboard Wi-Fi, although as a Skywards Blue member I could have used the text apps Wi-Fi (for WhatsApp, Messenger, etc) free. Instead, I sleep for a long stretch then start watching Succession from the beginning. There’s a USB for charging your devices near the screen.

Service

Service is surprisingly good for an economy class flight.Credit:

After flying economy regularly I never expect special service, particularly on a full A380 flight. So it’s a pleasant surprise when the call bell is answered quickly, and the flight attendant exchanges fun banter with the passenger at the end of my row who wonders aloud where his champagne and warm towel might be.

Food

After take-off we’re handed menus with the choices for dinner, a run-down of the late-night snacks, and what will be served at breakfast. For dinner I choose the chicken biryani, which is served with orzo salad and milk chocolate and caramel cake. It’s some of the tastiest food I’ve ever eaten in economy, and that continues. There’s a delicious beef and mushroom calzone while most people sleep, and a decent corn and basil frittata, served with croissant and jam, yoghurt and fresh fruit, before we land.

Sustainability

Emirates doesn’t offer passengers the option to pay for carbon offset, although it has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Waste from meals is recycled, and the economy class blankets are made from recycled plastic bottles.*

One more thing

Emirates is retrofitting the A380 aircraft in its fleet at a cost of $3 billion, making this customer favourite even more comfortable, and meaning the superjumbos will continue flying for quite some time yet, despite claims their time in the sky was coming to an end.

The price

About $1945 return for economy**.

The verdict

If you have to fly long-haul and can’t afford the pointy end, your options don’t get better than Emirates, especially in the newly refurbished aircraft. This was the first time I arrived feeling human after flying to the Middle East.

Our rating out of five

★★★★½

The writer flew at her own expense.

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and are subject to change.