Airlines

Emirates Rolls Out Refurbished Boeing 777s Across Six U.S. Destinations

Boeing 777 with enhanced cabins will be introduced to Chicago, Boston, Dallas Fort Worth, Seattle and linked routes Miami/Bogota and Newark/Athens
Ten of Emirates’ 12 gateways to US gateways to feature Premium Economy by February 2025
New Business Class in a 1-2-1 arrangement is featured on Emirates’ retrofitted Boeing 777

Emirates is set to introduce its newly refurbished Boeing 777s across six key routes in the United States, providing passengers with an elevated travel experience across all cabin classes. This rollout marks the debut of the emirates pilot benefits latest Business Class seats, alongside its highly popular Premium Economy offering.

Starting in November 2024 and continuing into early 2025, the upgraded Boeing 777s will operate on direct flights to Chicago, Boston, Dallas Fort Worth, and Seattle. In addition, passengers traveling on flights between Miami and Bogotá, as well as Newark and Athens, will enjoy the revamped interiors and enhanced services.

The retrofitted aircraft boast four cabin classes, including six or eight First Class suites, 38 or 40 Business Class seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration for added privacy, 24 Premium Economy seats, and 256 Economy Class seats. All cabins are enriched with refreshed interiors featuring new color palettes, updated wood finishes, and an overall luxurious design.

In Chicago, the upgraded Boeing 777 will begin service three times weekly from November 1, 2024, before increasing to daily flights by November 22. Boston will follow on December 10, 2024, with the enhanced aircraft also transitioning to daily service by December 18.

Dallas Fort Worth will see the newly configured Boeing 777 three times weekly starting January 9, 2025, expanding to daily by January 15, while Seattle joins the schedule on January 24, 2025. Newark/Athens will experience the refurbished aircraft on February 10, and Miami/Bogotá will follow on February 19, 2025, with daily flights starting March 1.

The introduction of Premium Economy across these routes reflects Emirates’ commitment to offering superior in-flight experiences. By February 2025, flights to and from ten of the airline’s twelve US gateways will feature the understated luxury of Premium Economy. Additionally, this new service will extend to Bogotá in Latin America, joining São Paulo as one of the two Latin American cities with Premium Economy seats.

Customers across all cabins will benefit from the redesigned interiors, offering comfort, style, and enhanced service throughout their journey. emirates airways’ refurbished Boeing 777s can be booked via emirates.com, the emirates App, or through travel agents.

Airlines

US DOT Approves Merger: Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines Finalize Deal

In a significant development for the aviation industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an order granting an exemption for the transfer of international route authorities in the merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

The merger, which is expected to be completed in the coming days, represents a major consolidation in the airline sector. Under the terms of the exemption, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are required to adhere to several key public-interest protections.

Emirates Rolls Out Refurbished Boeing 777s Across Six U.S. Destinations

These stipulations are aimed at preserving service quality and consumer benefits as the merger progresses. Specifically, the airlines must protect the value of rewards, maintain existing service levels on crucial Hawaiian routes to the continental U.S. and inter-island routes, and support rural services.

Additionally, they are required to ensure competitive access at the Honolulu hub airport, offer fee-free family seating, provide alternative compensation for controllable disruptions, and lower costs for military families.

This proactive approach by the DOT marks a new phase in the Department’s merger review process. For the first time, airlines are required to agree to binding, enforceable public-interest protections as a condition for closing their merger.

Japan Airlines Rolls Out Free Domestic Flights to International Passengers

This move highlights the DOT’s commitment to safeguarding public interests and ensuring that mergers do not undermine service quality or competition. As part of the merger agreement, Alaska Airlines will assume approximately $900 million in Hawaiian Airlines’ debt.

Despite this substantial financial responsibility, Alaska plans to retain Hawaiian as a separate brand, which will negate the need for repainting aircraft. To secure approval from the DOT, the airlines agreed to maintain current service levels on key routes where competition is limited.

The exemption granted by the DOT allows Alaska and Hawaiian to finalize their merger while remaining separate and independently operated until the Department completes its review of the transfer application. If the transfer is approved, the public-interest protections will remain in effect for six years.