Emirates Unveils New Premium Economy Seat With Full-Height Privacy Screen
Emirates is improving its Premium Economy experience once again by launching what it says is the world’s first fully electrically powered Premium Economy seat with a full-height adjustable privacy screen between every seat.
The seat will debut on newly delivered Airbus A350 aircraft, with 28 Premium Economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration.
Top features include:
An electrically adjustable full-height privacy screen which can be locked into position
Seats are 20 inches wide with a pitch of up to 39-inches.
Cradle-style recline which does not intrude on the row behind
Safran U-Dream headrest with adjustable neck and head support
Manually deployable leather footrest
13.3-inch 4K HDR entertainment screen
Wireless charging and USB-C charging
Tray table with an integrated phone holder
Fully electric seat controls
It’s a much-needed addition to the experience, especially if travelling solo. A major benefit of Business Class is more privacy. If this is your main reason for choosing Business, Emirates Premium Economy could soon be the way to go.
However, if you’re booking Business for lie-flat seats, premium food, lounge access or other benefits, it’s still the better option; but a more private space at a much lower cost than Business will be a game changer for many.
It’s not yet confirmed which routes will benefit from the new seats. It will only be on newly delivered A350s.
We will update you if more details on the routes are released.
Get 20% Bonus Avios When You Transfer HSBC Reward Points
Until 30th September, you can get a 20% bonus when you convert HSBC Reward Points into British Airways Avios as long as you transfer at least 100 Points. You can convert points at a rate of 2 HSBC Reward Points to 1 Avios, with the 20% bonus added on top. This applies to transfers from the HSBC Premier Credit Card (free) and World Elite Mastercard (£290 per year).
For example, if a transfer would usually give you 50,000 Avios, during the promotion you would receive 60,000 Avios – an extra 10,000 Avios just for transferring points during the promotion.
This is ideal if you were planning to redeem soon or transfer points anyway. Once in your BA account, you could also move the Avios onwards to programmes like the Qatar Privilege Club, Finnair Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub and Iberia Club.
Keep in mind, Avios can take up to 14 days to be credited, though they often arrive instantly.
This offer may not be as good as the previous 25% bonuses, but it can still work out great value.
If you’re wondering how to use your HSBC Reward Points, this is a great option!
EES Changes Again From Monday as Missed Connections Rise
The temporary measure brought in to prevent excessive queues at European borders ends on Monday (7th September).
The EU Entry and Exit System (EES) has been operational since 10th April and requires biometric information, including facial images and fingerprints, when entering the Schengen area.
Until now, some biometric registration requirements could be temporarily suspended for up to six hours, but that will no longer be possible from Monday. Before suspension was an option, there were delays at many airports across Europe at times such as Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt, Tenerife, Milan, Brussels, Marseille and Lisbon. Nine countries have already asked for the flexibility to be extended, including Greece, where many biometric checks were suspended to prevent overcrowding.
This doesn’t mean queues will suddenly become longer everywhere, especially as the school holidays and peak August travel season will be over by then, but it does mean that at airports that have previously struggled to cope with the system, or have regularly had to suspend it, removing this option could cause long delays.
At certain times of day, fewer border staff are available at some airports, which already causes delays, not to mention when EES formalities have to be done.
Also keep this in mind when booking flights, if you have a connection where the EES applies and you need to clear immigration.
The same applies when booking transfers. Many will wait for up to an hour after your booked time, but you could have to re-book if you arrive even later.
Check conditions at the airports you’ll visit before you travel so you can plan accordingly.
