Unlike some airlines who dreamed of being a rooftop bar, Emirates had a bar in the sky – until COVID-19 slammed it shut. Well – there’s good news, as the airline is opening its bars backup on its Airbus A380 aircraft.
On top of that, it is opening its showers and resuming its normal services in all classes.
A roof-top takeaway – Image, Emirates.
As well as the onboard lounge/bar, the showers will re-open too with the introduction of additional health and safety measures.
The A380 Onboard Lounge, which serves First and Business Class customers, will transform into a take-away bar with limited seating capacity and social distancing protocols in place.
The bar continues to serve wines, spirits, soft drinks and pre-packaged lounge bites for customers to take and enjoy in the comfort of their seats. Customers can also make their orders from their seats if they prefer.
Open for take-away- Image, Emirates
The social areas in Business Class on select Boeing 777 aircraft and in First Class also re-opened with pre-packed snacks for customers to grab and go.
Showers? They’re open
Emirates First Class customers can once again have a shower at 40,000 feet. Luxury spa products will be provided in individual amenity bags to each customer. The sets include essentials from Irish brand VOYA, a disposable bath towel and a menu to choose additional amenities.
VOYA Amenities in Emirates First Class – Image, Emirates
The return of the full meal service – in all classes
Not content with this move,s Emirates’ onboard dining experience will return to its signature service from the 1st November 2020, Customers in all classes will enjoy multi-course meals and choose from a complementary selection of beverages including wine and beer, as well as juices and soft drinks. Cocktails will also be served in premium classes.
In Economy Class, customers can choose from 2 wines; in Business Class, customers can choose from 6 wines including port and champagne, while in First Class, customers will have a selection of 11 wines including a dessert wine, port and Dom Perignon champagne. To support this, the airlines’ app has been updated to allow customers on board to browse the menus on their devices both online and offline.
Bringing back the passenger experience
It seems that Emirates believes that it has enough safety measures in place to bring back as many of its premium services – be they in a modified state to allow for distancing, cleaning, or operating an onboard takeaway bar.
But it starts to bring a little normality back to the skies.
For other airlines, its a message that standing still with reduced passenger services may not be a thing to do soon, and that the challenge to resume an “as normal as possible” cabin has been laid down.
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