Flight: Emirates EK 516 from Dubai to New Delhi
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes
Equipment: B77W (Boeing 777-300 ER)
Class: Business
Seat: 9K(window seat)
Seat Specification: Angled Flat seats, Seat pitch: 60″, Seat width: 20.5 ”
On Dubai – New Delhi route, Emirates currently operates a Boeing 77W with the dreaded and very outdated 2 x 3 x 2 configuration. I know that they even operate this awful configuration on some long haul routes like DXB – SEA and DXB – SFO. In fact, outside of A380 aircrafts, Emirates business class is not competitive at all and lagging far behind the competition.
The seat felt narrow and constrained and felt like I was going to slide out of the seat the whole flight. One of my least favorite business class seat ever!!
I opted for the tandoori chicken salad for appetizer, Mutton masala for entree and cheese plate for dessert. Tandoori chicken was kinda meh but the mutton masala was tasty. I did not care for the sauteed cabbage accompanying the mutton at all.
After lunch, I tried to lay the seat out in bed mode but there was a problem with the seat and just decided to take a nap on a half recline. The seat felt very narrow and constraining even though the specs don’t suggest so. It was ok for a 3 hours flight but would dread it if traveling long-haul.
Bottomline:
Seat: **
Service: ***
Food: ***1/2
Emirates Business class has a good reputation but that must be the A380 business class carrying the rest of Emirates along. Business class on a 77W aircraft is sub-par and way far behind the competition. The seat felt cramped and 2 x 3 x 2 layout is very outdated.
The business class menu was very average with nothing striking out above and beyond what you would expect a business class meal to be like.