Emirates will begin flying its flagship Airbus A380 between Auckland and Dubai from October 2016, snaring the trophy for the world's longest superjumbo flight.
The Gulf powerhouse and Qantas partner opened the route in March this year using a long-range Boeing 777-200LR jet engineered to handle the non-stop 17 hour, 14,000km trek, although the first flight featured an A380 for added media appeal.
Now the A380 will take over the route on a full-time basis as of October 30.
The superjumbo swap will mean a substantial upgrade for business class to the A380's fully flat beds, without the dreaded middle seat and the cumbersome 2-3-2 layout...
Read: Emirates Airbus A380 business class review
... and also give business travellers the opportunity to mix and mingle at the inflight bar.
Read: Emirates Airbus A380 inflight cocktail bar and lounge review
Of course, if you're flying right at the pointy end, you can duck out of your first class suite and into one of two showers to freshen up during the flight or shortly before you land.
Read: Emirates Airbus A380 first class 'shower spa' review
Emirates is also closing in on the design of its next generation of A380 first class suites, with the final concept for the luxe private apartments due to be signed off by December
Read: Emirates to launch new luxury first class A380 suites next year
PREVIOUS | Qantas partner Emirates will launch its first non-stop flights between Auckland and Dubai in March, linking New Zealand directly with the UAE and providing Kiwis with new one-stop options to Europe.
Using a Boeing 777-200LR – the ‘LR’ representing ‘long range’ as you’d expect – passengers can indulge themselves in one of eight first class suites…
… or can get some rest in business class with 42 angled-flat beds in a 2-3-2 layout: admittedly a step down for travellers accustomed to the fully-flat beds of Emirates’ A380s.
Also unlike the A380, Emirates’ Boeing 777s don’t come with an inflight bar – yet first class passengers can find drinks and snacks at the front of the aircraft for a chance to stand and stretch those legs on what will become the world’s longest flight by distance.
“Operating a non-stop service between Dubai and Auckland has been in our sights for some time,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.
“We are particularly delighted that we can now bring this exciting plan to fruition,” he added.
Expected to clock in at 17hrs 15min, flight EK449 is wheels-up in Auckland at 9:30pm every night from March 2, touching down in Dubai at 5:45am the following morning.
On the return, EK448 pushes back at 10:05am in Dubai for an 11am arrival into Auckland the next day as a shorter 15hr 55m service.
Emirates’ existing flights between New Zealand and the UAE will retain their Australian stopover, yet this new non-stop option slashes approximately three hours from the total travel time between Auckland and Dubai.
Passengers booked on any of Emirates’ current one-stop Auckland-Dubai flights (via Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) can switch to the new non-stop flight at no charge by contacting Emirates, subject to availability, even if the fare purchased wouldn’t normally allow changes.
Also read: Emirates Boeing 777 first class review: Melbourne-Singapore
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A Brisbane-based contributor to Executive Traveller, Chris Chamberlin lives by the motto that a journey of a thousand miles begins not just with a single step, but also a strong latte, a theatre ticket, and later in the day, a good gin and tonic.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
16 Apr 2013
Total posts 49
Well done Emirates! Certainly gaining a lot of market share in Oceania. I wonder if this is a replacement route for the DXB-Panama City route which has been delayed by 2 months due to the abysmal sales on it.
All we need now is Etihad to start flying to NZ to really start the competition :)
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
13 Dec 2014
Total posts 81
Qatar Airways is planning Doha to Auckland using a B777-LR. This would become the longest non-stop scheduled flight in the world.
Cheers
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 143
Not just that but also QR is also planning non-stop ultra long haul flights from Doha to Santiago.
07 Feb 2016
Total posts 23
The DXB-Panama launch was impacted more by the delay in international codeshare approvals on Copa Airlines flights by some Latin American countries in the Caribbean. These are naturally vital for Emirates.
Etihad Airways, I believe, can't fly to New Zealand as part of its codeshare agreement with Air New Zealand. But I'm not entirely sure about that. Nevertheless, Etihad is currently focussing bedding down its recent Australian expansion, which included the deployment of Airbus A380 and Boeing 787.
05 Dec 2013
Total posts 36
Wow, this is a fantastic announcement! It does make me wonder though whether this flight will be filled - I assume it will be charged at a premium compared to the 1 stop options via Australia. 17+ hours in economy wouldn't be fun either!
20 May 2015
Total posts 588
17 hours in an Emirates 777 Economy seat?
The drinks better be strong and the passengers better have a lot of valium on hand because that would be torture. Utter torture. Seriously, routes like these make me just want to beat on Sir Timmy's door and say "come on, just a small Economy Plus section with 9-abreast seating, please!!!"
Plus EK's old business isn't much to be enthusiastic about either.
IMO, anyone flying from AKL to Europe who only wants one stop and cannot afford First Class should take Cathay or Singapore.
That said, I'm somewhat surprised by this route announcement. I would've thought EK/EY/QR would've waited for 777-8s before doing direct AKL flights.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Mar 2015
Total posts 240
I agree withStudiodeKadent . Using a B777-200 LR with those horrible Business Class seats for a 17 hr. flight is beyond sensible comprehension. The seats on the A380 are marginally better but they are still amongst the worst Business Class seats around , absolutely awful but terrible on the B777.
No person with any good sense would contemplate sitting for 17 hrs in theses seats , 13 hrs on the A380 Business Class was 13 hrs. too long for me. If SQ or Etihad were allowed to compete on these routes with their B77-200 LR's the EK Flights would be almost empty.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 745
Very good news.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Nov 2011
Total posts 246
Super long flight on a tight plane!
What are the newer jets that can take on this B777-200LR? A350-900 as per SQ's plan for SIN - LAX
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
14 Apr 2013
Total posts 335
Wonder if QF will codeshare on this service.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 691
“Operating a non-stop service between Dubai and Auckland has been in our sights for some time,” ...
Seems a little curious then that the press announcement (and the allowance for existing one-stop bookings to be able to switch) is announced only one month before startup of the route in March.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Oct 2012
Total posts 150
What's with all the latest new routes into and out of NZ!!!
Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Emirates (direct to Dubai), Qatar (potentially).
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Mar 2014
Total posts 40
Plus NZ to EZE & IAH, PR to MNL via CNS, CA to PEK, AA to LAX, UA to SFO, JQ to RAR, CZ on CHC-CAN... Plus probably more i have missed
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1272
AirAsia X will also be extending its KUL-OOL flights to AKL.
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 118
SQ flying Wellington - Canberra - Singers too.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Apr 2013
Total posts 31
Good news.
I see potential for an expanded tie up with QF, which could see one of the EK BKK or SIN stopover services jump straight onto Auckland instead of Australia with QF picking up the Australia to SIN leg. This could allow EK another direct aus to DXB flight. In addition, if QF coded on SIN/BKK to AKL which would give NZ/SQ a run for their money.
18 Nov 2011
Total posts 35
That's the way to travel now. With another exciting nonstop flights introduce from point to point to max new aircraft utilization. UNITED launches newnonstop from SFO hub to SIN in July 2016 utilizing B789. 8441 NM with flying time 16 hours 35 mins & SIN back to SFO for 15 hours 30 mins. This will wonder what SQ is thinking for waiting for 2018 if it is really going to realize to offer nonstop using A350 ULR. AWESOME with more nonstop market opens up. Great way to fly.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2012
Total posts 310
hmmmm... angled flat beds for the world's longest flight... no thanks
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1272
Simple solution: fly F.
24 Apr 2014
Total posts 273
Non stop is the way to go. No point in building these long range planes if airlines don't utilise the potential
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 513
At this rate even Adelaide will get an A380 by EK! But I definitely want Tim Clark to seat in Y on the inaugural service.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 452
4, maybe 5 (SQ) A380s on the ground at once in Auckland.
Can't imagine that would be a very pleasant situation for the traveller since they're struggling for gate space already.
Also, I wonder how much traffic is being cannibalised from the AUS-AKL services.
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 59
Amazing stuff - 4 EK A380's on the ground at the same time, assuming this is not matched anywhere but DBX? Also how many other cities get 4?
Based on aviation load factors by the department of infustruture and regional dev EK's cross tasman routes had a load factor of around 90% interesting to see if this changes
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Aug 2015
Total posts 126
LAX gets a few A380's at the same time from different airlines. LHR has all A380 flights from Emirates, so maybe there.
07 Feb 2016
Total posts 23
This is absolutely smashing news although not much of a surprise considering that Emirates is now well known for going the distance boldly. However, I am wondering whether the Airbus A380 will be able to fly the Dubai-Auckland-Dubai legs with full payload. There may be some payload restrictions as the A380's range is lesser than the Boeing 777-200LRs that currently ply on the route.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 365
Didn't see that one coming... said no one ever
31 Jul 2012
Total posts 21
Is this the beginning of the end of Trans-Tasman F? Let's hope not!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 513
There are still lots of PAX from Oz to warrant Trans-Tasman 380s.
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