Customers flying Dubai’s Emirates can now purchase empty adjoining seats, starting at Dhs200

Customers flying Economy Class via Dubai carrier Emirates can now purchase up to three empty adjoining seats on their flight to accord them extra space.

Empty seats will only be offered for purchase at the airport check-in counter prior to flight departure, and costs range from Dhs200 to Dhs600 ($55-165) per empty seat, plus applicable taxes depending on the flight sector.

These seats will be offered to all Economy Class customers holding a confirmed booking. Customers will not be able to pre-book empty seats, as these are subject to availability.

Emirates has introduced this new seat product following customer feedback, addressing the needs of those who sought extra privacy and space while still flying Economy Class. This includes couples who wish to have the entire row to themselves (maximum of three seats in the same row), parents travelling with in-lap infants, or those who seek assurance of more space while travelling during pandemic times.

Emirates’ Economy Class customers can now enjoy even more personal space and privacy on board with the ability to purchase up to three empty adjoining seats on their flight. https://t.co/hn3AIrYZvS #FlyEmiratesFlyBetter pic.twitter.com/2k33WBsmmh

— Emirates Airline (@emirates) March 1, 2021

Emirates currently offers a variety of seat products for Economy Class customers to choose from, based on their travel needs:

• Extra legroom seats: Exit row seats offering additional space but subject to safety requirements
• Twin seats: Seats in a row of two at the back of Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft, and on the upper deck of Emirates’ 2-class Airbus A380 aircraft
• Preferred seats: Seats in the first section of the cabin and on the upper deck of A380 2 class
• Regular seats: All other Economy seats

These seats, available via the carrier’s website and contact centres, at airport check-in, onboard and through travel agent partners, are offered for free or at a charge, depending on the customer’s Emirates Skywards membership tier, fare type, time to departure, and other special needs.

Emirates has also introduced discounts on excess baggage rates, to help customers flying on essential trips carry what they need. These discounts range from 35 per cent up to 60 per cent off normal rates depending on the sector, and must be pre-booked and pre-paid up to four hours prior to flight departure via the website, through contact centres or at an Emirates sales office.

Emirates recently introduced contactless technology to ease customers through Dubai airport. Last month, it operated its first flight serviced by fully vaccinated frontline teams across all customer touchpoints.

Read: Dubai’s Emirates operates first flight with vaccinated crew at all customer touchpoints

The carrier also confirmed that its 32 self-service bag drop machines and 16 check-in kiosks can now be controlled completely by mobile phones without the need to touch the screens. The kiosks allow customers to check-in, receive their boarding pass, choose seats on board, and drop off their bags.

Read more: Emirates introduces touchless self check-in kiosks at Dubai International Airport