Emirates Spacious A350-900 Business Class from Ahmedabad to Dubai
by Krish Patel
It’s not every day that an airline will launch a Business Class product on a new aircraft. Not too long ago, Emirates took delivery of the Airbus A350-900 and has been flying them on various short and medium haul flights to Europe and Asia. The A350 features a modern and spacious Business Class cabin that I had the chance to put to the test on a recent flight from Ahmedabad to Dubai. Thanks to several in-seat features such as plentiful storage, plush padding, and large seat consoles, the A350 Business Class seat is the best Business Class product in the Emirates fleet.
The Ground Experience
Along with all of the other international airlines at AMD, Emirates flies out of Terminal 2. Checking in for my flight to Dubai was very efficient and uneventful. The staff who checked me in at the Business Class counter were friendly and soon I had my boarding pass in hand.
Security was somewhat packed, considering that there are many international departures from Ahmedabad during the early hours of the day. Unfortunately, there’s no priority security queue for Business Class passengers. I cleared security with just under one hour to spare before departure, so I made my way to The Lounge. The Lounge is a contract lounge run by the Ahmedabad airport terminal and is accessible to premium cabin passengers and Priority Pass members. It’s not a special space and features the most basic essentials of any lounge, with a small buffet, some seating, and bathrooms.
Boarding commenced 45 minutes before departure, with priority lines for Business Class passengers. A bag inspection was held at the gate right before boarding the aircraft and was relatively quick. The gate area offers a decent view of the aircraft, and I admired the A350-900 painted in the new Emirates livery. On an A350, there’s nothing as stunning as its wingtip. Emirates’s new jet has one that wears the airline’s signature tail design.
A Comfortable Cabin and Seat
The Emirates A350 features one Business Class cabin with 32 cream seats decked out in a 1-2-1 configuration. Emirates has arranged its Business Class cabin in a way where the seats are staggered and face closer to the window or to the aisle. The seats are incredibly spacious and feel cozy thanks to the cream leather. I’m a huge fan of the wooden finishes, silver trims, and soothing purple mood lighting that all make the cabin stand out. Emirates hasn’t installed central overhead lockers on the A350, which makes the Business Class section feel more airy and spacious. Printed onto the back cabin wall is the Ghaf tree, also the national tree of the UAE.
Each seat offers 44 inches of pitch and 21 inches of width. I found it to be very plush and the cool-touched headrest was sturdy and supportive.
At the front of the Business Class seat is the touchscreen IFE system. The Emirates ICE entertainment system offers a great selection of entertainment, with numerous genres of movies and TV to choose from, including live television and sports channels. The collection of movies and TV includes award-winning blockbusters, classics, episodes, documentaries, and comedy films. Entertainment is available in over 50 different languages, which includes more than 600 international films. You can also choose from various music playlists and podcasts curated by Spotify. Several music genres are listed on the IFE program, ranging from classical to pop. The selection of podcasts includes things such as scientific debates and even guided meditation sessions. Best of all, the new A350s feature tail cameras and have a great inflight map.
Right below the inflight entertainment screen is the seat pocket for literature and the legrest. The legrest is a generous size and there’s some room underneath to store a small carry-on bag.
Depending on whether your seat is in an odd or even-numbered row, the seat console is found to the outer or inner end of the seat. It’s massive for the size of a Business Class seat and is composed of a wooden side table, from which the tray table slides out. You’ll find the preset of seat controls to adjust the seat built into the side table. Of course, Emirates installed signature elements of their fantastic A380 Business Class seat on the A350, such as a tablet and mini bar stocked with snacks and drinks. Placed above the mini bar is a reading lamp and small storage bin.
Emirates only has one lavatory on the A350 exclusively for Business Class passengers. The 32:1 (passenger to lavatory) ratio can mean that there might be a line for the restroom on some longer flights. It’s very spacious and features a white countertop and oak wooden finishes. There are also dental kits found near the sink that you can use.
After breakfast, I converted my seat into a bed and decided to get some sleep. The footwell offers ample space, and I found there to be plenty of room around the head and shoulders. With the comfortable blanket and leather seat, this bed was great for the standards of a short or medium-haul Business Class flight.
The Food and Beverage in Emirates Business Class
Upon boarding, each seat comes provided with a menu card that highlights the selection of food and drinks on today’s flight. It lists a great selection of non-alcoholic drinks, which includes several mocktails. Several choices were listed for breakfast, which would be served after takeoff.
Pre-departure beverages and hot towels were offered before departing Ahmedabad, and I opted for an orange juice to start the morning. Other choices included apple juice and champagne.
Once we were airborne, hot towels were offered again. I was then served my breakfast and opted for the Anda bhurji. It included a beetroot patty, spiced scrambled eggs, and potatoes. Served along with the main meal was a croissant and bowl of fruit. For my beverage, I tried the tropical twist mocktail, which was quite rejuvenating.
A small grab-and-go snack bar with snacks, sandwiches, and sweet bites was set up at the back of the cabin. It looked very beautiful with the stunning back wall and red accent lighting. Some of the options included brownie bites, raspberry cheesecake, and veggie sandwiches.
Amenities in Emirates Business Class
Waiting at each seat is a pillow and blanket, noise-canceling headphones, and a kit that includes slippers and an eye mask. The blanket was somewhat thin compared to others in Business Class, but it’s still nice to have one on a two and a half-hour flight. Other than that, the amenities were of a good quality and the slippers were a nice treat on this short hop.
Depending on your Emirates Skywards status and cabin class, you’ll receive Wi-Fi inflight for free or at a cost. Business Class passengers can access free Wi-Fi if they have Gold or Silver status. Additionally, all Skywards members receive free messaging inflight.
Service in Emirates Business Class
The crew working the Business Class cabin on this flight were great. They always kept a smile and were friendly and proactive, always checking on passengers. Even though the A350 is a relatively new aircraft for Emirates, the crew still took care of the inflight service efficiently and it seemed as if they had known the aircraft very well.
Booking Emirates Business Class
One-way flights from Ahmedabad to Dubai in Emirates Business Class typically start at $850 and can go up further, sometimes exceeding $1,000.
For the same one-way flight, Emirates will charge 54,000 Skywards points. A better option is to book via Air Canada using Aeroplan points. Aeroplan will usually charge between 25,000 and 45,000 points for a one-way Emirates Business Class flight from AMD to DXB. Chase Ultimate Rewards can be transferred to Air Canada at a 1:1 ratio and can be earned by spending on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred.
Overall Thoughts
Emirates Business Class on the new A350-900 offers a comfortable and luxurious way to fly from Ahmedabad to Dubai. The Business Class seat would even be very comfortable on a slightly longer flight to Dubai from Europe, Eastern Asia, or the Americas. It offers plenty of width, storage space, and great comfort thanks to the cream leather. I love how the interior feels exciting and spacious, with bright purple mood lighting that just feels super fun. Flying Emirates Business Class on the A350 is always going to be a fun experience, with spacious lie-flat seats, great entertainment systems, and incredible vibes that you won’t find on many other aircraft.