Cabin review: A380 bumps up Emirates economy

Those who have travelled in the business class cabin of an Emirates Airlines Airbus A380 will know it is one of the iconic air travel experiences. But what about the Economy cabin? 

We tried it out on our recent visit to Munich, flying from Johannesburg via Dubai and back on the same route. All four legs were in Economy on the same configuration, giving us a chance to test variations in Economy locations.

If you are used to the narrow legroom and minimal functionality of the smaller Emirates aircraft, the legroom is a pleasant surprise, not feeling cramped until the seat in front suddenly reclines during the meal service.

The biggest surprise, on a working trip, is the universal power socket just below the TV monitor. Usually, these are hidden in spots that are both hard to find and hard to plug in. Ever tried to plug in on United Airlines, on a full flight, after take-off? You have a good chance of being arrested for unwanted touching of someone’s legs. Unwanted by both parties, I hasten to add.

The most premium feature of this A380 economy cabin is a removable mini-console, which one can use as a handheld TV screen. It is a feature right out of business class. The screen is a decent size, too, and would not be out of place in a more premium cabin.

I would warn against choosing a seat in the first row of economy, where any electronics would have to be buried in your armrest due to having no row of seats in front of you. The extra legroom may be small compensation, though.

The 3-4-3 seat configuration of the economy cabin is not the most welcoming, and the legroom underneath the seats can be compromised by luggage. The aisle seats have a dedicated underseat space, while those sitting off the aisles have to share. The designers didn’t think about nature there. When idiot travellers feel it’s okay to shove their elbow into your seat space, how do you think they’ll treat non-dedicated foot space?

All is forgiven, though, when you discover the power sockets support 100-watt fast charging. No need for power banks, which airlines now discourage on board. Talking of which. Not all economy seats are equal. One in three do not seem to have that power socket – for example on the aisle seats on the let-hand side of the plane. Time to be very friendly with your neighbour. But at least you still have your dedicated foot space.

Bottom line: this is as close as economy class gets to premium economy, but make sure you get the right aircraft, and the right seat. I also recommend that you board as early as you are allowed, to make sure you can find space to place your carry-on luggage in an overhead bin, so that you can take full advantage of the decent legroom.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.