No more middle seat: A review of Emirates’ refurbished business class on the 777-300ER from Dubai to Brussels

Quick take: Emirates’ refurbished Boeing 777 business class represents a substantial upgrade for passengers, but the seat still lags behind the industry’s best.

Pros:

• An enormous business-class lounge in Dubai with multiple food stations and a Champagne bar
• Lie-flat seats with direct aisle access, comfortable bedding and generously sized footwells
• A feeling of luxury and sophistication from start to finish

Cons:

• The seats lack privacy without sliding doors.
• Amenity kits are not provided in business class on daytime flights.
• Emirates’ 777s do not have an onboard bar.

A middle seat in business class on a leading airline is not what most passengers would expect to see in 2025.

However, despite its reputation for onboard showers, cocktail bars and celebrity endorsements, around half of the Emirates fleet are the Boeing 777s, and most of those have an uncompetitive angled-flat 2-3-2 seating configuration in business class where each row has a middle seat.

Good news for Emirates frequent flyers, though: The airline has embarked on a multibillion-dollar program to refurbish the majority of its 777 fleet with improved business-class seats and install the airline’s award-winning premium economy seats on the jets.

Was it worth the wait, and how does it compare to the airline’s iconic double-decker A380s?

I booked a flight from Dubai to Brussels — one of the few routes currently operated with a refurbished 777 — to find out. Here’s what the experience was like.

Related: Watch TPG fly all four classes on Emirates refurbished Boeing 777 aircraft

How much does business class cost to book on Emirates?

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with 119 active frames, according to Airfleets. Emirates plans to refurbish 81 of these to include the updated business class. 

The airline operates two daily services to Brussels, both currently flown with refurbished four-class 777-300ERs. I chose the afternoon departure to avoid an early start and to enjoy extra time in the airport lounge. Emirates flight EK181 departs Dubai at 2:05 p.m. local time daily and arrives in Brussels at 6:25 p.m. local time, just over seven hours later.

Here is the range of cash and award rates over the next 12 months for round-trip travel on this route:

Award availability is easy to find on this route in business class, especially when redeeming Skywards miles, as there are many days with both frequencies available for redemption.

We booked this flight using Qantas points, which remain a great deal, especially on peak dates when the lowest rates are unavailable through Emirates Skywards. Unfortunately, Qantas will increase the cost of Emirates redemptions later this year so if you want to book this product with Qantas points, do it before Aug. 5.

Both cash fares and mileage redemptions in business class include free seat selection, as many checked bags as you like up to a total weight of 88 pounds, one full-size cabin bag and one personal item (like a handbag or laptop bag).

On flights to and from the Americas (excluding fifth-freedom flights), business-class passengers can check in two bags of up to 70 pounds each. These refurbished aircraft are scheduled to operate select flights to and from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

While there are no Qantas-branded credit cards available in the U.S., you can transfer rewards from three programs with transferable currencies directly to Qantas Frequent Flyer:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Capital One
• Citi ThankYou Rewards

Each has a transfer ratio of 1:1, so 10,000 points equal 10,000 Qantas points.

That means you’ve got plenty of options for earning rewards, many of which feature terrific welcome bonuses. Here’s just a sample of the travel rewards credit cards that earn points that can be transferred to Qantas:

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Checking in and boarding business class on Emirates

Emirates business-class passengers can expect the following priority services at the airport:

Emirates operates from the sprawling, shiny Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Business class passengers could check in at the dedicated business class counters, where there was no wait to be helped by cheerful staff members.

Security was a similarly efficient, relaxed experience. I was through in mere minutes, and it reminded me that many passengers transit Dubai on Emirates rather than commencing their journeys there.

I headed upstairs to the enormous Emirates business class lounge in Concourse B, which spans a large portion of the concourse, where my flight was departing.

This is one of the largest airline lounges I have ever been in. It has hundreds of seating options and multiple food stations serving a wide range of local and international cuisines, and it is open 24 hours a day.

There was a dessert station, ice cream and popcorn trucks, and a health station for those looking for something lighter.

The Moet & Chandon Champagne bar with multiple styles to sample was particularly impressive.

The lounge had plenty of natural light, high ceilings, views of the tarmac, and the main Concourse B space below, making for a relaxing place to wait for your flight.

Having drunk more questionable machine-produced coffee in airport lounges than I care to admit, I was pleased to see a Costa Coffee shop within the Concourse B lounge, a popular chain in the high streets of London.

Barista-made coffee was available at no charge, and this was a fun activation to offer lounge guests quality espresso drinks. In short, this is a lounge worth arriving early for.

An hour before departure, I headed down to my gate, B32, a fair distance from the business class lounge. Unfortunately, this gate did not allow direct boarding from the lounge.

Plenty of seating at the gate ensured a calm and orderly boarding process, which commenced approximately 45 minutes before departure.

As Emirates does not board by group or zone numbers, business-class passengers were invited to board at leisure through the priority boarding lane.

How comfortable was business class on Emirates’ refurbished 777?

Emirates operates two different configurations of the four-class Boeing 777 with the refurbished business class. My flight was on the 40-seat version with an eight-suite first-class cabin (as opposed to one with six of the “Game Changer” versions on board, which only have 38 business class seats installed).

Here are the other details of the business-class cabin on my flight.

My first impressions of the cabin were of how shiny, fresh and new all four cabins felt. Emirates is sometimes accused of being too “blingy,” though to me, the plane felt more sophisticated than gaudy.

Business class is divided into two sections, with a smaller section of just three rows immediately behind the first-class cabin.

A second, larger business-class section of seven rows is located directly behind that.

While the front section did feel a little more exclusive, there wasn’t any downside to either.

I chose a window seat in row 8 in the larger cabin.

The refurbished seats are almost identical to the airline’s flagship Airbus A380 business class seats, with a few subtle changes, namely a slightly darker shade of wood paneling on some of the surfaces, beige seat coverings (rather than grey) and noticeably larger seatback entertainment screens.

I preferred this color scheme, though time will tell how light-hued upholstery will hold up with heavy use.

There wasn’t quite as much privacy as I would have hoped for a newly installed seat, and I could see other passengers as they were both seated and moving about, which is not ideal for a premium product.

The “oh-so Emirates” in-seat minibar on the console to my left, with still and sparkling water and packaged snacks, was a fun touch, though the drinks were not refrigerated, making the feature less useful than it could be.

There was a good amount of storage as I explored around the seat. Above the minibar was a decent-sized shelf, ideal for storing headphones, passports and small electronics. Below the footwell was a shelf to place your shoes, and a literature pocket was under the IFE screen.

USB-A, C and universal charging ports were in front of the in-seat minibar, where provided headphones could also be plugged in. The seat functions were on the corner of the console where you might rest your elbow; however, unlike on airlines like Iberia, I didn’t find myself accidentally knocking the seat buttons because of their placement. The window shades could also be adjusted via buttons on the side console above the mini tablet.

I reclined the seat for a quick post-lunch nap and was impressed with the comfort of the bedding and especially how roomy the footwell was for my large feet.

I have no doubt this would be a restful setup for a longer flight, too.

The glossy, wood-finish tray table swung out from the storage shelf to my left and was big enough for a meal tray or my large MacBook.

Two bathrooms were provided for the 38 business-class seats between the two sections of the cabin.

They were kept spotlessly clean and stocked with Voya fragrances. My flight to Brussels was not full, and there was rarely a wait to use the bathrooms.

Amenities in Emirates’ refurbished 777 business class

Each business-class passenger had a large, plush pillow and a beige comforter. I was also impressed to see a mattress pad provided on a daytime flight of under eight hours.

Less impressive was the absence of an amenity kit. I hoped to collect another Georgio Armani pouch like the one I received on my last Emirates business-class flight. It was as stylish as it was functional and something I still take on every flight.

The crew advised me that while amenity kits are provided on overnight flights from Europe, they are not distributed for daytime flights of the same length.

A sleep mask, slippers and Emirates-branded noise-canceling headphones were awaiting each passenger on the side consoles of their seats.

At 23 inches across diagonally, the seatback screen was one of the largest I’ve seen in business class and could be controlled by touch or via the golden tablet on the side console of the seat. Emirates’ ICE entertainment system is famous for its hundreds of channels of entertainment with new release movies, including “The Apprentice,” “Blackwater Lane,” and “Alien: Romulus.”

I also enjoyed multiple live television channels to catch up on the latest world events.

You will not struggle to find something to watch onboard Emirates in any cabin.

Wi-Fi was available on my flight to Brussels with prices starting from $4.00 for text-based messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to $16.99 for a whole flight, unlimited data package. I registered speeds of 6 Mbps download and 2.91 Mbps upload, which was sluggish but still usable.

How was the food in Emirates’ refurbished 777 business class?

During boarding, separate food and wine menus were handed to guests. Guests had a choice of water, orange juice and 2015 Veuve Clicquot Champagne (retailing for around $80 per bottle).

The menu featured an impressive range of cocktails, including an Aperol spritz, espresso martini and mojito. Two white wines (one each from France and Italy) and two French reds were available. Beer, an impressive range of spirits, including three whiskeys, juices, soft drinks, mocktails, vitality juices, coffee and tea were also available.

I stuck with the delicious Champagne after takeoff, served with marinated green olives and a warmed bowl of mixed nuts.

Lunch was served shortly after takeoff, starting with a choice of three appetizers:

• Roasted tomato soup with cheese straws
• Traditional Arabic mezze
• Smoked duck with celeriac and green apple remoulade, orange segments and balsamic pearls

I always choose mezze as an appetizer whenever I see it offered on a Middle Eastern airline in a premium cabin. I like having several different traditional morsels to sample. The mezze was as good as I have had on Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

Up next was a choice of three main courses, all served with a seasonal side salad and freshly baked bread:

• Pan-fried beef tenderloin with thyme jus, potato wedges and steamed asparagus
• Pan-seared chicken with onion jus, mashed root vegetables, zucchini and peppers
• Kingfish machbous with aromatic rice and roasted pine nuts

Keen to continue my Arabic feast, I chose the machbous, a deliciously filling dish bursting with rich Middle Eastern herbs and spices.

I can’t remember the last time I saw four different dessert options in business class, but Emirates offered:

• Chocolate pecan cake
• Yuzu green tea cake with dark chocolate and citrus pearls
• Seasonal fruit
• Cheese board with three boutique cheeses, dried fruit and crackers

I chose the moist and light tea cake to end an excellent meal.

I was a little surprised not to see any second meal service on this flight, though after such a substantial and elaborate lunch, I wasn’t hungry when we landed in Brussels.

There wasn’t an inflight snack bar set up, but the crew offered to serve leftover lunch items for passengers who wanted something to nibble on and insisted I at least sample some petit fours for the last few hours of the flight.

The service on my Emirates flight was consistently polished and professional from start to finish.

I appreciated how the Champagne was poured at my seat for each glass rather than being delivered from the galley, as was each dish, with no trolleys in sight. Although there were 40 business-class seats, the crew personalized the service.

The Purser, Anisa from Ireland, was an absolute hoot, and we had a hearty chat about the Emirates Skywards program and differences in cultures between Ireland and Dubai.

Would you recommend Emirates’ refurbished 777 business class?

The refurbished business-class seats on Emirates’ Boeing 777 represent a huge improvement from the previous seats still flying on most Emirates 777 aircraft. The introduction of lie-flat beds with direct aisle access for all passengers, and plenty of storage and personal space, means that if you book an Emirates 777 service in business class, it is worth going out of your way to secure a refurbished bird and avoid that dreaded middle seat on the older versions.

I would still choose the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft in business class over the retrofitted 777 purely for the terrific fun of the onboard bar, though I’d be content with either aircraft.

Still, with so much innovation in business class on other leading airlines, where sliding doors are now commonplace, it is a shame Emirates opted to install an almost 17-year-old design in this multibillion-dollar refurbishment program. This is a missed opportunity to raise the bar, especially as it competes with Gulf neighbor Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite business class on its Boeing 777 aircraft.

Where you can find availability using Emirates Skywards or Qantas points, this is a great way to redeem points and miles for a premium experience from start to finish.