Qantas Frequent Flyer members may soon have more options to book an Emirates first class award.
Emirates will soon introduce another direct flight from Brisbane to Dubai, providing another way to fly from down under to the Middle East and beyond.
The Dubai-based carrier will add a second daily flight from June 1, just in time for travellers in the Sunshine State to jet over for Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
This move officially sees Emirates flights out of Brisbane return to their pre-pandemic glory – yet another milestone to mark the return of travel.
The aircraft
While the existing daily flight takes place on an Airbus A380, Emirates will bring in a new three-cabin Boeing 777 to complete the additional service from June.
While the less-loved 777 may not boast popular premium economy seats, eight Emirates first class suites promise to make you forget about anything else.
There’s no denying a redemption on Emirates first class is truly a travel-altering experience. In saying this, you’ll be missing out on those inflight showers on the 777, so we’d still hold out for a first class redemption on board the A380 if possible.
Business class onboard the new service features 42 lie-flat seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, admittingly less ideal than the 1-2-1 layout of the A380 – our tip is to avoid the middle aisle if you can!
The flight
Emirates flight EK431 will take off from Brisbane at the slightly awkward time of 2.50 am, before arriving in Dubai at 11 am – just in time for many connecting flights to Europe.
The early morning flight out of Brisbane may be well worth it for travellers who plan to continue to Europe without a lengthy stopover.
On the return leg, EK430 leaves Dubai at 2.30 am and touches down in Brisbane at 10.20 am – perfectly timed for a solid sleep.
For those who shiver at the thought of the new 2.50 am flight, the existing EK435 flight heads out of Brisbane at 9 pm and arrives in Dubai at 5.10 am.
The return trip is also arguably more friendly, with EK434 leaving Dubai at 10.35 am and landing in time for a Brisbane breakfast at 10.35 am.
Summary: Good news
Ok, so while the additional flight may not involve the A380 spoils we’re used to dreaming of when we think about Emirates, another option to book an Emirates first or business class seat is still good news.
Emirates is one of the standout partners of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, which means earning Emirates Skywards could offer local travellers an ideal way to take advantage of truly aspirational flight rewards.
Safe to say we’re happy to see more award seats flying out of Brisbane this year.
What do you think of Emirates first class?
While you’re here: Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest tips, deals and news. It only takes a few seconds and we respect your privacy:
Is it confirmed lie flat beds in business class on this b777?
When ate emerites offering premium economy from brisbane to dubai
Hi Lorna, we’re not aware of Emirates having announced any addition of premium economy for this route, we’ll be sure to report on it if and when news is released.