For many years Emirates has been considered the “Game Changer” of commercial aviation. The innovations standards of service introduced by the Dubai based airline set the bar for many years. However competition, particularly around the gulf, has gotten fierce over over the past decade. Etihad and Qatar Airways have put on a real fight with Emirates to take over the top dog position. Therefore Emirates has had to evolve its hard product. It tried doing so with the Game Changer first class, which unfortunately seems to remain just an experiment. So let’s see what set the Game Changer first class apart from the rest and which planes feature this upgraded cabin.
In this post:
- Which Planes Feature The Emirates Game Changer First Class
- Which Routes Is It Most Common To Find The Game Changer First Class On?
- Will The Emirates Game Changer First Class Remain Just an Experiment?
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Which Planes Feature The Emirates Game Changer First Class
Out of the 131 passenger Boeing 777 in Emirates’ fleet only 9 are fitted with the upgraded version of the first class cabin. So if you just look that those two numbers your chances of getting a ride on one of them are quite slim. However you can turn the odds in your favour, kind of.
To start turning the odds of flying the Emirates Game Changer First Class in your favour you need to know which planes are fitted with the product. How do you do so you ask? There are two ways.
- By looking at the seat map when booking or checking in online
- By identifying the registration number and the most frequent routes covered.
The first method has the drawback of letting you know only with short notice if you hit the jackpot or not. So it’s not really going to change the odds in your favour.
Knowing the registration numbers of the planes that feature the Emirates Game Changer Cabin on the other hand will dramatically improve your chances. We can then track back to which are the most common routes these planes fly. So let’s do that.
The Emirates Game Changer First class is fitted on 9 planes, all Boeing 777-300ERs. Specifically:
- A6-EQH
- A6-EQI
- A6-EQJ
- A6-EQK
- A6-EQL
- A6-EQM
- A6-EQN
- A6-EQP
- A6-EQO
Now that we know which these special planes are, it’s time to find out which routes they cover most commonly.
Which Routes Is It Most Common To Find The Game Changer First Class On?
Not all routes were created equal in the Emirates network. On some it is much more likely to score a seat on the EK Game Changer First Class. So let’s find out which routes are more likely to see this exclusive Emirates product.
In order of likelihood:
| Departure Airport | Code | Arrival Airport | Code | Flight Number | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | DXB | London Stansted | STN | EK65/EK67 | Almost Sure |
| Dubai | DXB | Tokyo Haneda | HND | EK312 | Almost Sure |
| Dubai | DXB | Geneva | GVA | EK83/EK89 | Almost Sure |
| Dubai | DXB | Brussels | BRU | EK183 | Very Likely |
| Dubai | DXB | Zurich | ZRH | EK85 | Some Chances |
What is The Difference Between the Game Changer And Standard First Class?
There are a couple substantial differences between the upgraded “Game Changer” version and the standard Emirates First Class. The most obvious one is that you will get a fully enclosed suite to yourself. Standard first class on both the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 feature door that however do allow someone to possibly peek inside from above. The Game Changer on the other hand has walls from floor to ceiling offering you a totally private space.
This is much closer to what Singapore Airlines and Etihad offer on their Airbus A380 First Classes. However keep in mind that Emirates has fitted this cabin on a much smaller Boeing 777. In your suite you are the king. You can adjust the temperature to your liking and enjoy watching movies in style on the massive 32″ TV.
Also central suites are fitted with virtual windows which play the scenery seen outside captured in HD. So although you won’t have direct window access you won’t feel like you are locked up in a space with no view to the outside, albeit just an illusion.
Will The Emirates Game Changer First Class Remain Just an Experiment?
Although it all sounds amazing, Emirates’ Game Changer might remain just an experiment applied to these 9 Boeing 777-300ERs. Although EK will be retrofitting its A380s and Boeing 777s with new seat versions, it doesn’t seem like the airline is planning to go ahead and introduce the First Class Game Changer on more planes.
So it is quite likely that the 9 special 777s might remain the only ones to offer this ultimate version of Emirates’ First Class.