Emirates

Emirates runs a four-cabin product across most of its long-haul fleet. Economy is the workhorse with consistent meal service and a strong IFE system. Premium Economy is the newest addition and is rolling out A380-by-A380 on key routes. Business gets you a lie-flat seat in 1-2-1 (A380) or 2-3-2 (777) configuration, plus access to the Onboard Bar at the back of the upper deck. First Class is where Emirates earns its reputation - enclosed suites on A380, the Shower Spa, and the bar that makes long-haul feel like a club night.

Dubai Connect is Emirates' free-hotel stopover offer. If your layover at DXB is between 6 and 26 hours, you qualify for complimentary hotel accommodation, meals, transfers and visa - regardless of cabin class. There is one catch: the layover must be the shortest available connection at the time of booking. You cannot stretch a 4-hour layover to 8 to qualify, but if your booked routing already gives you that 6-26hr window, the perk is automatic.

For the full picture of Middle East stopovers and the recent disruption that has hit Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai routings, see my stopover to Australia retrospective.

Emirates operates one of the most extensive long-haul networks from a single hub. From Dubai (DXB), the airline flies to over 150 destinations including major UK gateways (London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Newcastle, Stansted, Glasgow), continental Europe, all of Australia and New Zealand, most of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and select North and South American cities. Australia routes use the A380 to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and onward to Auckland.

Frequency to Australian cities as of April 2026: up to 3 times daily Sydney and Melbourne, daily Perth.