Emirates has announced it will unbundle business class fares so that travellers simply looking for a decent sleep, without the other perks that typically come with travelling up front, can do so at a reduced fare.
In a move usually associated with low cost carriers, Emirates has created a new ‘business special H fare’ that allows travellers to still enjoy all the service and fanfare of the Emirates business class product onboard, including award-winning dining and entertainment, a generous baggage allowance of up to 40 kgs, and priority boarding, but does away with land-based amenities, ranging from limousine transfers and lounge access, to points upgrades to First Class. The fare will also offer less flexibility when it comes to seat selection and ticket cancellation.
Emirates’s new fare, which will only be available on selected routes, follows in the footsteps of Air Lingus and British Airways, both of which offer business class-lite style fares. The new Emirates fare will make sense to travellers departing some destinations and who already have lounge access thanks to their established Skywards program tier status.
In addition, some of the on-ground benefits, including limo transfers, are not available to business class passengers in some markets (including Hong Kong where it’s only offered to First Class passengers), allowing travelling to save on products they wouldn’t have access to anyway.
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