Emirates airline’s fully-enclosed First Class Private Suites, launched in November last year on its Boeing 777 aircraft, has been awarded gold by Future Travel Experience (FTE) in the “Up in the Air” category.

The FTE Global Awards celebrate the outstanding efforts of organisations that have gone the extra mile to improve the passenger experience both on the ground and in-flight. The “Best ‘Up in the Air’ Initiative” category recognises the top three initiatives that have helped to improve the passenger experience and/or significantly enhance operational efficiency during the in-flight phase of the travel process.

The awards ceremony took place at Hyde, an indoor-outdoor nightlife venue overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio on the world famous Las Vegas Strip, the evening of September 11.

Matthias Schmid, Emirates’ senior vice president for North America, who collected the award, said: “We’re delighted that Emirates has won the gold award for our new 777 First Class private suites, which have once again raised the bar in commercial aviation. We always pursue excellence when it comes to delivering the best experience possible to our customers, so to be recognised for our efforts validates the attention we put into our products and services.”

Ryan Ghee, head of strategy, Engagement & Content, Future Travel Experience, said: “The ‘Up in the Air’ category in the FTE Global Awards 2018 was extremely competitive but Emirates ultimately came out on top for its display of true innovation with the development of its First Class Private Suites. On behalf of everyone at Future Travel Experience, I would like to congratulate Emirates on winning this prestigious award.”

Emirates’ new First Class private suites are the first in the industry to be fully-enclosed with sliding doors that extend to the cabin ceiling, ensuring an unmatched level of privacy. Customers can video call the crew for service requests without leaving the comfort of their suite, and crew can serve drinks and canapes through a special service window without disturbing customers.

All suites offer a window view, as those positioned in the middle aisle are fitted with ground-breaking virtual windows that live stream views from external cameras. The suite also comes with a 32-inch full HD screen on which to enjoy the 3,500 channels of inflight entertainment choices that Emirates offers; a personal wardrobe and private stowage space for carry-on bags; soft lighting and temperature settings that can be customised at a touch of a button; and binoculars to make the most of spectacular window views, amongst other features. The luxurious soft leather seat reclines fully flat, can be placed in a Nasa inspired “zero-gravity” position, or adjusted into dozens of other custom positions for optimal comfort.

The 777 First Class Private Suites will also include new Bowers & Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones created exclusively for Emirates. These headphones were designed by award-winning audio brand Bowers & Wilkins to ensure the sound is optimised for the First Class cabin environment. In addition, each suite is fitted with an inspiration kit which features a luxury Byredo skincare collection found only on Emirates, Hydra Active moisturising pyjamas, and Bulgari amenity kits.

FTE Global is an independent online media, events and industry change leader established in 2006 dedicated to enhancing the end-to-end passenger experience and business performance. FTE Global 2018 is an independent global forum that brings together airlines, airports, government agencies, vendors, start-ups, terminal designers, architects, ground handlers, destination partners and various other travel industry stakeholders to define tomorrow’s end-to-end passenger experience. - TradeArabia News Service