Emirates will debut a new premium economy seat in 2020 onboard its A380. One design firm has dropped a very strong hint as to what that seat will look like.
Haeco Cabin Solutions showcased its new Eclipse seat in Hamburg this week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo. In a press release about the new seat, Haeco strongly suggests that Emirates will be its launch customer.
The launch customer − an as yet unnamed Middle East-based airline − will begin flying with the seats in 2020.
Now that’s a hint if I ever heard one…
As of yet, the seat is not certified on the 380. The new seat is already certified on the Boeing 737 and 787:
Discussions with airframers to make the Eclipse Cabin linefit-offerable are ongoing. The Eclipse Cabin has already achieved technical viability with Boeing and configurations for the Boeing 737 and 787 are now available.
Emirates, like any airline, must walk a fine-line wtih its premium economy product. Make it too uncomfortable and no will pay more for, especially considering that Emirates already has a competitive economy class product. Make it too comfortable and people will stop paying for business class. Emirates business class is already a far cry from industry-leading products.
CONCLUSION
Whether or not this is the actual seat, I have a feeling Emirates’ new premium economy will greatly resemble the photo above.
image: Haeco Cabin Solutions
That’s a nicer seat than some biz class products out there.
I think the picture is a bit deceiving.
No contest: this over “deep coach” for a 14-hour flight. I wonder if they will go with a 2-3-2 layout or a 2-4-2 layout.
Looks like QF’s premium economy product on the B787 with a wider wraparound shell.
Looks nice, but the staggered aspect of it could make getting out of the window seat a bit annoying.
This will once again shame the North American airlines, especially Delta with its uncompetitive 2x4x2 premium-economy product that is so cramped Delta had to remove lavatories from the A350 and 777 to accomodate it. The seat is like 1 inch wider than economy. Hardly premium.