Emirates stands out as a prominent global airline, celebrated for its outstanding first-class suites and diverse cabin amenities. However, navigating this experience requires some insights. This guide aims to assist you in recognizing whether your flight operates on an Emirates’ game changer aircraft. In the event it doesn’t, I’ll provide information on identifying alternative planes that have undergone recent retrofitting. That way you can ensure you enjoy a flying experience that reflects value for money.
There is nothing worse than paying good money or spending your hard earnt miles only to be dumped onto an aircraft that feels like the interior is going to fall apart.
If you’ve arrived here, chances are you’ve heard about Emirates’ ground-breaking offering known as the game changer. Especially in its first-class cabin.
What is the Emirates First Class Suites Game Changer?
In late 2018, Emirates introduced its latest Boeing 777-300ER, featuring fully enclosed private suites inspired by Mercedes Benz.
These private suites provide 40 square feet of personal space, arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration with only 6 suites in the entire cabin. The fully flat bed adopts a zero gravity position inspired by NASA technology, and for the middle seats, there are virtual windows – a first in the airline industry. Using real-time camera technology, passengers can enjoy the view outside, similar to a regular window. Additional features include a video call function to communicate with cabin crew, and binoculars for those who want to maximize their sky experience.
Exploring the suite’s features can easily occupy hours. With options for mood lighting, floor lighting, suite lighting control, and the ability to choose the temperature of your suite, the experience is customizable. The seat offers various functions, and at the front of your suite, there’s a mini bar stocked with snacks and refreshments. Personal amenities, including a closet with hangers, a luggage cabinet, and pyjama’s and amenity kits that come standard.
For the rest of the cabin, these newly refurbished aircrafts feature newly-designed seats and upgraded in-flight entertainment. The color palettes are soft, and the seats are ergonomically designed.
However, there’s a catch – these exclusive flights operate on specific routes, and securing a spot on this aircraft can be a stroke of luck. With only 9 of these special aircrafts in operation, they’re a rare treat in the skies.
Emirates 777 game changer routes
We don’t know if Emirates will be adding more routes or if it will revamp more aircrafts with the game changer suites especially since its more focused on the multi billion dollar retrofitting project of all other aircrafts.
Where does the Emirates gamechanger fly to?
For now the Boeing 777-300 ER game changer flies to the following cities:
(They fly from Dubai – they are not Emirates fifth freedom routes)
Brussels
Geneva
Zurich
Tokyo Haneda
Riyadh
The following currently fly the 777 300 ER game changer, but will be replaced from April 1 2024 with the A380.
Nice
Washington Dulles
London Heathrow EK 041 (will stop completely)
The aircraft registration codes are as follows:
The aircraft’s registration code, also referred to as the aircraft registration or tail number, is a unique alphanumeric code that aviation authorities assign to each aircraft. This code serves as the aircraft’s identifier and is prominently displayed on the fuselage, wings, or tail of the aircraft.
This code is essential for air traffic control, aviation authorities, and airline operations to track and identify individual aircraft. It is also used for various administrative and safety purposes in the aviation industry.
Here are the currently known registration codes for the Emirates aircrafts that are fitted with the Game Changer First Class Suites:
A6-EQI
A6-EQO
A6-EQJ
A6-EQK
A6-EQM
A6-EQN
A6-EQP
A6-EQL
A6-EQH
If you want to find out specific details about the aircraft you’ll be flying on, including its registration code, you can check this information on the airline’s website or through aircraft tracking platforms like Flightradar or FlightAware. These websites provide insights into the aircraft’s history and its previous flights.
For instance, if you visit FlightAware and input the registration code A6-EQO, the platform will provide information about the airline and, most importantly, the current location and route of the aircraft.
By scrolling down to the flight history or past flights section, you can view the various routes it has taken over the last few weeks. In the current instance, you can see that it is currently en route to Dubai from Brussels, with its next flight heading to Haneda. Looking at the past week, you’ll find that it has flown to Washington, Geneva, London Heathrow, and Riyadh.
How else can you know if your plane features the new game changer first class?
Simple. It has only 6 seats in the cabin configured to 1-1-1. Simply click on ‘select your seats’ when booking through Emirates and take note of the seat map. Here is what it looks like:
Seat Map First Class 777-300ER Standard Configuration
Seat Map First Class 777-300ER Game Changer Configuration
Why is it important to know what aircraft you are flying?
Understanding the aircraft you’ll be flying on is crucial for maximizing the value of your investment. Differences in business class and first class experiences can significantly impact your travel comfort and amenities. I vividly recall a 2007 trip to Europe on a first-class ticket with Emirates, where I assumed the showcased features on their website matched the actual experience. However, after spending $14,500, I found myself on an outdated A340-500 layout with a mere recliner instead of a flat bed.
To my surprise, my business partner, who paid the same amount, secured the new first-class suite, a revolutionary and magnificent upgrade at that time. This experience served as a lesson, prompting me to never book a flight without knowing the specific aircraft. When facing a minimum travel time of around 21 hours from Australia to Europe, and almost 15K in tickets getting this detail right becomes paramount.
This significance becomes evident through instances like a passenger from New Zealand who successfully sought compensation from Emirates. The passenger, who had purchased a business class seat that did not meet expected standards, highlighted the importance of ensuring that advertised features align with the actual onboard conditions. Emirates awarded the passenger just over $13,000 in compensation.
What if your route does not have this specific aircraft?
If your chosen route doesn’t feature the Emirates game changer aircraft you were hoping for, there’s no need to panic. Keep an eye out for newly retrofitted aircraft. These planes have undergone significant upgrades and provide an equally enjoyable experience, including in first class. Try to avoid flying on their older aircraft, which may visibly show signs of wear and tear, giving a less pleasant experience. Recognizing this, Emirates deserves commendation for their substantial multi-billion dollar investment in retrofitting their fleet.
The goal is to consistently retrofit four Emirates aircraft every month, maintaining this pace for over two years. The initial focus involves refreshing 67 designated A380s, followed by the renovation of 53 777s.
Upon finishing this extensive project in April 2025, the airline will install nearly 4,000 state-of-the-art Premium Economy seats. Furthermore, they will refurbish 728 First Class suites and upgrade over 5,000 Business Class seats to a new style and design, ensuring a complete transformation of the fleet.
This is a much-needed upgrade. Well done, Emirates.
Which Emirates planes have been upgraded?
In my quest to identify retrofitted planes featuring premium economy as part of the overhaul, I routinely check for flights departing from Melbourne with premium economy seating.
As of now (February 2024) , the following flights from Melbourne to Dubai have been retrofitted: (and I will be taking EK409 in a couple weeks time – coupled with the exquisite Emirates lounge at Melbourne airport I’m pretty chuffed!😊)
EK 406/EK 407
EK 408/EK 409
Note: When booking through the official Qantas site either through a revenue ticket or a qantas reward ticket, EK 409 may appear as QF8409. Ensure you look for the Emirates logo and the statement indicating, “Flight QF8409 is operated by Emirates.”
For flights from Sydney to Dubai, the retrofitted aircraft are:
EK414/EK415
EK412/EK413
In other cities, the upgraded Emirates planes are assigned to the following routes:
DUBAI To:
Auckland: EK448/EK449
London: EK1/EK2, EK3/EK4, EK5/EK6, EK7/EK8
Los Angeles: EK215/EK216
Mumbai: EK500/EK501
Singapore: EK354/EK355
Tokyo (Narita): EK318/EK319
Summing Up
I have a deep admiration for Emirates and consider it to be one of the premier airlines globally and probably the best airline to travel business or first class. My journey with them dates back to the late 90s, and witnessing their remarkable transformation has been truly awe-inspiring. The evolution extends beyond their aircraft to encompass their service, the Dubai airport, and the city itself.
I have manage to master travelling free in business and first class in most cases through miles.
While I acknowledge the exceptional experience they offer, I must say that the steep fees associated with securing a reward ticket is a factor that I find unappealing. This drawback often serves as a deterrent when comparing Emirates to other carriers such as Singapore Airlines. Nevertheless, if you ever get the chance to travel with them, use the above information to secure yourself the very best that Emirates has to offer.
Don’t overlook a free stopover in Dubai with Emirates. It’s an unforgettable experience.
