EMIRATES: Pyjamas in Business, Brisbane flights & Lounge reopens

Quite a bit of activity on the Emirates front this week. They are re-opening their ‘refreshed’ Brisbane Lounge from tomorrow, Saturday 3 February 2024. Pyjamas – not previously offered in Business Class on Emirates are being introduced on longer flights. And finally, Emirates is increasing its capacity to Brisbane, with one of those services, formerly on a Boeing 777, being upgraded to an A380 – giving Brisbane flyers a shower in the sky if travelling in First Class.

Renovated Lounge

I have never visited the Emirates Brisbane lounge. It was one of the first lounges Emirates created outside the Middle East, so I presume it had some design features in common with the hideous lounge in Sydney. I haven’t visited that for years, but its distinguishing feature was an unconvincing fake rock mountain spouting water in the middle of the lounge.

The Brisbane Emirates lounge has always been petite, with a capacity of 183. The renovation including some unseen but critical systems has been updated with some Middle Eastern influences.

The Emirates Lounge is in Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal on Level 4. It’s open to First and Business Class passengers and eligible Emirates Skywards members.

Opening hours are 17:00 – 01:30 daily. You can pay to access the lounge, but that’s subject to availability.

Emirates increases capacity to Brisbane

From 1 October 2024, Emirates will be increasing capacity on the Brisbane route with a change of aircraft from a Boeing 777-300ER to an A380. This means that both daily services will be on the A380.

Besides eliminating the dreaded middle seat in Business Class, First Class passengers on this flight have access to the famous showers in the sky. The flights A380 flights servicing the Brisbane/Dubai route are:

• EK430 leaves Dubai 2:30 am, arrives Brisbane 10:20 pm same day
• EK431 leaves Brisbane 1:55 am, arrives Dubai 10:05 am same day
• EK434 leaves Dubai 10:35 am, arrives Brisbane 6:25 am +1 day
• EK435 leaves Brisbane 9:00 pm, arrives Dubai 5:10 am +1 day

Bananas in Pyjamas

Well, not quite the ABC children’s hit, but Emirates is introducing long overdue pyjamas in international business class flights over 9 hours. That basically covers every flight between Australia and Dubai.

The Pyjamas are available from 1 January, and will be distributed on boarding. You get a choice of two sizes of these cowl-necked and draw-string panted stretchy light blue ‘athleisure’ (ugh!) style jim-jams. You’ll also get a pair of slippers and an eye mask.

If your flight is between 2 hours and 30 minutes and nine hours, you will get slippers and eye mask only.

2PAXfly Takeout

Emirates is upping its game to keep in the competition for luxury airline status by matching the offerings of close competitors like Qatar Airways. It’s upgrading everything from introducing these pyjamas to retrofitting upgraded aircraft interiors (goodbye 777 business class middle seat), new menus, new champagnes, and even improving its entertainment selection with live TV.

Many travellers new to Emirates Business class have been aghast at the lack of ‘jaamies on the airlines flights. I have been known to take onboard either my Qantas or Qatar sleepwear. Maybe they finally got the message.