Review: Emirates New Business Class Boeing 777 (Dubai to Brussels)

Wednesday newsletters feature a hotel or flight review.

A few months ago, I enjoyed a terrific holiday in Bali, Indonesia. You can read my trip reports here:

Review: Emirates Boeing 777 new Business Class from Brussels to Dubai
Review: Emirates A380 Business Class from Dubai to Bali
Review: Soori Bali
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Review: Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape
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Review: The Mulia Bali
Review: Mulia Villas & Mulia Resort
Review: Potato Head Suites & Studios
Review: Emirates A380 Business Class from Bali to Dubai
Review: Atlantis The Royal Dubai
Review: Emirates Boeing 777 new Business Class from Dubai to Brussels (today)

Review: Emirates New Business Class on the Boeing 777

Emirates’ Boeing 777 has been a cornerstone of the airline’s long-haul network for many years, but the aircraft’s Business Class cabin has recently undergone a major transformation through Emirates’ extensive refurbishment program. On this flight from Dubai to Brussels, I had the opportunity to experience the updated Boeing 777 Business Class cabin, which introduces a number of significant improvements over the previous configuration.

The most notable change is the introduction of a new 1-2-1 Business Class layout, replacing the older 2-3-2 configuration and providing every passenger with direct aisle access. Combined with refreshed seats, updated cabin finishes, and a more modern overall design, the refurbishment brings the Boeing 777 Business Class experience closer to the standards of Emirates’ A380 premium cabin product. With dozens of Boeing 777s already completed as part of the program, these updates represent a significant step in modernizing one of Emirates’ most important aircraft types and one of the largest Boeing 777 fleets in the world.

In this review, I’ll take a detailed look at the complete Emirates Business Class experience from Dubai to Brussels, including the airport experience, boarding, seat, dining, service, inflight entertainment, Wi-Fi, and my overall impressions of the refurbished Boeing 777-300ER cabin.

Have you flown in Emirates Business Class? Please share your experience in the comments below.

I made a YouTube video documenting the full flight experience, which you can watch here:

Trip: Dubai (DXB) to Brussels (BRU)
Airline: Emirates
Aircraft type:Boeing 777-300ER
Aircraft registration number: A6-EQH (built in 2017)
On time departure: Yes (8:30 am)
On time arrival: Yes (1:30 pm)
Miles: 3200 miles (5100 km)
Flight time: 7 hours minutes
Seat: 6A
Class: Business Class

In this review (more information & photos below my YouTube video):

Emirates Business Class Lounge at Dubai Airport Concource C

Emirates new business class on the Boeing 777

1. Chauffeur Service

My Emirates Business Class journey began in true luxury at Atlantis The Royal Dubai, where a chauffeur arrived to collect me for my early morning flight. One of the standout perks of flying Emirates Business or First Class is the complimentary Chauffeur Drive service, available in many cities around the world, including Dubai.

Booking the service is straightforward — you simply reserve your transfer online through the Manage Your Booking section on the Emirates website before your flight. On the day of departure, a professional chauffeur picks you up from your hotel, home, or office and drives you directly to the airport in a luxury vehicle, making the journey completely hassle-free.

Arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB) is just as seamless. Emirates Business and First Class passengers have access to a dedicated check-in area in Terminal 3, separate from the main departure hall. The spacious, elegant check-in space means shorter queues, attentive staff, and a premium atmosphere from the moment you step inside.

For your information, the luxury experience doesn’t end when you land either. At participating destinations, Emirates also offers complimentary chauffeur transfers from the airport to your hotel, home, or office, creating a true door-to-door premium travel experience. It’s one of those touches that elevates the entire journey, ensuring that every step — from leaving your hotel to arriving at your final destination — is as comfortable and effortless as the flight itself.

2. Emirates Business Lounge at Dubai

Before boarding my flight to Brussels, I spent some time in the Emirates Business Class Lounge in Concourse C at Dubai International Airport. Emirates has an impressive presence at its home hub, operating exclusively from Terminal 3 — the world’s largest airport terminal by floor space and one of the largest buildings ever constructed. The terminal is divided into three concourses (A, B, and C), each with its own Emirates lounge for First and Business Class passengers.

The airline’s flagship Business Class lounges in Concourse A and Concourse B are the largest and most luxurious, stretching almost the entire length of their respective concourses and offering an incredible range of amenities. My flight to the Brussels departed from Concourse C, so I visited the lounge there instead. While it’s more compact and offers fewer facilities than its larger counterparts, I actually appreciated its more tranquil atmosphere.

One thing to keep in mind when flying through Dubai is that Emirates lounges can become extremely busy, especially during the airline’s peak departure banks in the early morning and late evening. At those times, even these enormous lounges can feel crowded, making it difficult to find a quiet seat. Fortunately, during my visit, the Concourse C lounge was noticeably calmer than the larger lounges, making it a pleasant place to relax before boarding.

Like the rest of the Emirates experience, the lounge is decorated in the airline’s signature elegant style, with beige and brown tones accented by Arabian design touches. Curved floor-to-ceiling windows run along one side of the lounge, flooding the space with natural light and offering excellent views of the aircraft parked on the apron. Comfortable leather armchairs — many equipped with power outlets — are spread throughout the lounge, while a small business center provides computers and a printer for those needing to catch up on work.

The self-service buffet is located at the far end of the lounge. Emirates offers an impressive selection of freshly prepared dishes, including hot meals, salads, mezze, cheeses, cold cuts, desserts, and fresh fruit. During my visit, the hot buffet featured dishes such as lamb, chicken curry, beef stroganoff, and baked white fish, alongside a generous dessert selection.

The lounge is spread across two levels. Upstairs you’ll find additional seating, a second buffet area, and a smoking lounge. While the smoking room is enclosed, its open design means the smell of smoke can occasionally drift into nearby areas — a slightly surprising feature for an otherwise premium lounge.

Lounge amenities include complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, shower suites for freshening up before a long-haul flight, and a shoe-shine service.

Emirates Business Class Lounge at Dubai Airport Concourse C

3. Business Class Cabin

The new Emirates Business Class onboard the airline’s refurbished Boeing 777 features a completely redesigned cabin with 38 lie-flat seats arranged in a spacious 1-2-1 staggered configuration. Thanks to the new layout, every passenger enjoys direct aisle access —a major improvement over the previous 2-3-2 configuration — and significantly more privacy throughout the flight. With this 1-2-1 redesign, the Boeing 777 now offers a Business Class experience that matches Emirates’ Airbus A380 fleet. The consistent seat design and layout mean Emirates’ passengers can expect the same high standard of comfort, privacy, and direct aisle access regardless of which aircraft operates their flight.

The staggered 1-2-1 seat arrangement on Emirates’ refurbished Boeing 777s caters equally well to solo travelers and couples:

Along the windows, seats alternate between true window seats, positioned directly against the fuselage for maximum privacy, and seats located slightly closer to the aisle with a larger side console next to the window. If you’re traveling alone, the true window seats are undoubtedly the best choice, offering excellent privacy, unobstructed views, and a comfortable cocoon-like feel.
The aircraft’s center section features paired seats that alternate between two layouts. Some pairs are positioned close together—often referred to as “honeymoon seats” — making them an excellent choice for couples traveling together. These seats are separated by a movable privacy divider, which can be lowered to allow conversation or raised for greater privacy. The alternating pairs are positioned farther apart, with the side consoles between the seats, making them better suited for solo travelers who prefer more personal space.

Unlike several competing airlines, Emirates has chosen not to install sliding privacy doors in its refurbished Boeing 777 Business Class cabin. However, this hardly detracts from the overall experience. The high seat shell and carefully staggered layout naturally shield passengers from one another, especially in the true window seats, where privacy is excellent.

The cabin itself is split into two distinct sections. A smaller forward cabin, located immediately behind First Class, consists of three rows and offers a more intimate, exclusive atmosphere. Behind it is the larger main Business Class cabin with seven rows, which still feels spacious thanks to the clever seat layout and modern design. One of the cabin’s hidden gems is the final row of the forward Business Class section. Here, Emirates has installed only two seats (5A and 5K) instead of the usual four. These seats sit in their own quiet corner, creating the feeling of a private mini-cabin. Although they only have one window instead of two, they are among the most secluded seats on the aircraft and are an excellent option for passengers who value peace and privacy.

Visually, the cabin feels every bit as luxurious as you would expect from Emirates. Inspired by high-end automotive interiors, the design combines smooth curves, premium leather upholstery, brushed metal accents, and subtle wood-effect finishes. A sophisticated palette of cream, champagne gold, and bronze creates a refined atmosphere, while soft ambient lighting enhances the sense of space and elegance.

4. Business Class Seat (+ Best & Worst Seats)

The new Business Class seat on Emirates’ refurbished Boeing 777 is a significant upgrade over the airline’s previous 777 product. It delivers a noticeably more premium experience, offering greater privacy, improved ergonomics, and exceptional comfort for both working and sleeping.

Each seat is 21 inches (53 cm) wide with a 44-inch (112 cm) pitch. At the touch of a button, it converts into a fully flat bed measuring almost 78 inches (200 cm) in length, providing ample space even for taller travelers. The seat itself is well padded, but the real game changer is the mattress topper, which the cabin crew provides shortly after takeoff. It adds an extra layer of cushioning that noticeably enhances comfort, making the seat exceptionally comfortable whether you’re relaxing upright or getting a good night’s sleep in the fully flat bed.

The seat has been designed with functionality in mind. A spacious side console houses a personal reading light, a mini-bar stocked with bottled water and snacks, and a full range of charging options, including a universal power outlet, USB-A, and USB-C ports. A small shelf on top of the console is perfect for keeping essentials such as your phone, passport, or camera within easy reach.

Adjacent to the console is a large side table that provides plenty of space for working or dining. It also features a tablet-style controller, allowing you to adjust the seat position, lighting, and Emirates’ award-winning ICE entertainment system without touching the main screen. The interface is responsive, intuitive, and remarkably easy to use. A second control panel is located just above the armrest, providing quick-access buttons for seat adjustments, lighting, and the Do Not Disturb function. While conveniently placed, I occasionally activated the cabin crew call button by accident when resting my arm.

A large tray table folds neatly out from the side console and offers a generous workspace for both dining and laptop use. In front of the seat, a crisp 23-inch HD touchscreen delivers one of the best inflight entertainment experiences in the industry. Beneath it, a wide ottoman serves as both a footrest and additional storage for smaller personal belongings.

What are the best Business Class seats on Emirates’ refurbished Boeing 777-300ER?

If you’re looking for the best seats, choose one in the forward Business Class cabin, located immediately behind First Class. With only three rows, this smaller cabin feels noticeably quieter and more exclusive than the larger cabin behind it. Being closer to the front galley also means meal service typically starts earlier.
For solo travelers, the true window seats offer the highest level of privacy thanks to their position against the fuselage. Couples should opt for the center honeymoon seats, where the divider can be lowered to create a more sociable experience.

What are the worst Business Class seats on Emirates’ refurbished Boeing 777-300ER?

There are very few poor choices in this cabin, but seats 5A and 5K are worth noting. While they benefit from extra privacy as described above, they lack a window alongside the seat, so instead of looking outside you’ll be facing the cabin wall. If having a window view is important to you, it’s best to choose another window seat.

5. Amenities & Bedding

On this medium-haul flight from Brussels to Dubai, Emirates offered a selection of comfort amenities, including soft slippers, a comfortable eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones, a large pillow, and a plush blanket. A true amenity kit was not offered (Emirates only hands out amenity kits on long-haul flight). Shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew also added a mattress topper to each seat — a thoughtful touch that significantly enhanced comfort, whether relaxing in the upright position or sleeping on the fully flat bed.

6. Meals

As expected, the Emirates Business Class dining experience was one of the highlights of the flight.

Shortly after takeoff from Dubai, the cabin crew welcomed passengers with a choice of drinks, including Champagne, fresh juices, and soft drinks, accompanied by warm mixed nuts.

Since this was a morning flight to Brussels, breakfast was served first. Passengers could choose between a full continental breakfast with a generous selection of fresh fruit, cheeses, cold cuts, and freshly baked bread, or a lighter express breakfast consisting of a pastry served with tea or coffee. I had the full breakfast with the assorted deli selection, which comprised sliced smoked chicken, beef salami, pastrami, hard-boiled egg, brie, emmental, red leicester, cornichons, cherry tomato, cucumber, olives and quince jelly.

Two hours prior to landing, the crew served a multi-course lunch on fine china with crisp linens and real cutlery, creating an elegant dining experience at 35,000 feet. For lunch, I selected the following dishes:

Starter: Traditional Arabic mezze featuring hummus, tabbouleh, kisir, soslu patlican, and lamb kibbeh.
Main course: Pan-fried salmon trout served with hollandaise sauce, creamy polenta, snow peas, and carrots.
Dessert: Coffee and almond mousse with date paste on vanilla sablé, finished with chocolate and pistachios.

All dishes were beautifully presented and full of flavor, while the quality of the ingredients was exactly what I’ve come to expect from Emirates. The airline’s carefully curated wine list, featuring labels from several renowned wine-producing regions, complemented the meal perfectly, and the attentive cabin crew regularly offered drink refills throughout the service before finishing with coffee and tea.

Between meal services, passengers could also help themselves to refreshments from the self-service snack station located at the rear of the forward Business Class cabin. Stocked with fresh fruit, snacks, chocolates, and drinks, it was a convenient place to grab a bite without waiting for the crew.

7. Entertainment

Emirates’ ICE (Information, Communication, Entertainment) system remains one of the leading inflight entertainment platforms in the world. With thousands of movies, TV series, music albums, games, and podcasts available, it offers an impressive range of content designed to suit every preference and language.

The HD touchscreen is smooth, responsive, and intuitive to use, while the tablet-style remote control provides added convenience by allowing passengers to browse the extensive library without interrupting the content playing on the main display. The entertainment selection is refreshed regularly, featuring the latest Hollywood blockbusters, international cinema, popular TV box sets, and a wide variety of on-demand options for extended viewing.

A standout feature of Emirates’ ICE system on the Boeing 777 is the availability of external aircraft cameras, offering passengers live views from outside the aircraft. These cameras provide unique perspectives during takeoff, landing, and flight, including forward-facing and belly-camera views. The feature adds an engaging dimension to the journey, especially for aviation enthusiasts or anyone who enjoys watching landscapes unfold from above.

Emirates also provides high-quality noise-cancelling headphones, which effectively reduce cabin noise and enhance the overall viewing and listening experience.

8. Onboard Internet

Emirates offers onboard Wi-Fi across its Boeing 777 fleet, allowing passengers to remain connected throughout their journey. Business and First Class passengers, along with eligible Skywards loyalty members, receive complimentary access for messaging and browsing, making it convenient to stay in touch with colleagues, friends, and family while flying. Passengers who are not eligible for free access can purchase a range of Wi-Fi packages during the flight.

While complimentary access covers essential services such as messaging, email, social media, and general web browsing, streaming platforms are not supported due to the limited bandwidth available at cruising altitude. Nevertheless, the connection is typically reliable for everyday online tasks, making it a useful feature for business travelers or passengers who want to stay productive and connected while in the air.

9. Other Inflight Experiences

# Crew: The cabin crew provided a professional and attentive level of service throughout the flight. From boarding to arrival, interactions were courteous and efficient, with the crew maintaining a friendly and approachable manner while managing the needs of passengers. Service was delivered smoothly, with regular checks throughout the journey and thoughtful attention to passenger comfort. Small details, such as offering assistance at appropriate times, responding promptly to requests, and helping create a comfortable cabin environment, contributed to a positive overall experience.

# Lavatory: The two Business Class lavatories on Emirates’ refurbished Boeing 777-300ER are finished with a refined design featuring polished fittings, modern fixtures, and subtle lighting. The cabin crew regularly ensured they remained tidy throughout the flight, replenishing essentials such as hand towels, soap, and other amenities. Additional items available in the lavatories included quality hand creams and facial mists.

10. My Verdict

Overall, Emirates’ new refurbished Boeing 777-300ER represents a significant improvement over the previous generation Business Class product. The introduction of a 1-2-1 seating layout, combined with refreshed cabins, strong service, excellent entertainment, and a consistently polished onboard experience, makes the aircraft a much more competitive option for long-haul travel. While it may not offer the newest generation of Business Class suites, the refurbishment successfully modernizes one of Emirates’ most important aircraft types and delivers a comfortable, refined experience that remains true to the airline’s premium positioning.

Here’s my verdict on Emirates’ new refurbished Business Class on the Boeing 777-300ER:

Cabin design: 9/10
Cabin layout: 9/10
Seat privacy: 8/10
Seat comfort (upright): 10/10
Seat comfort (bed position): 9/10
Food (quality): 8/10
Food (quantity): 8/10
Inflight entertainment : 10/10
WiFi: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Overall experience: exceptional – 9/10

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