Emirates is extending its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product to Switzerland, adding Zurich to a fast growing list of destinations that already includes Ireland, Italy, Iraq, the Czech Republic, Jordan, Uganda and Vietnam. The move underscores the Dubai based carrier’s ambition to redefine long haul comfort by bringing a four class cabin experience to more routes at a moment when demand for premium leisure and blended business travel remains strong. For travelers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the latest expansion signals that the sweet spot between business class luxury and economy class value is rapidly becoming a new standard rather than a niche perk.
Zurich Takes Center Stage in Emirates’ European Premium Economy Push
From 1 February 2026, Emirates will upgrade its second daily service to Zurich from a retrofitted Boeing 777 to an Airbus A380, deploying its flagship double decker on flights EK85 and EK86. On the same date, Premium Economy will debut on a dedicated A380 rotation, EK87 and EK88, placing Switzerland firmly on the airline’s premium comfort map. This dual move both increases overall capacity and introduces a four class configuration that has quickly become one of the most talked about products in commercial aviation.
For Swiss travelers, the timing is significant. Zurich has long been one of Emirates’ most important European gateways, appealing to both corporate traffic and a strong outbound leisure segment that connects via Dubai to Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. With Premium Economy now in the mix, passengers who may have historically opted for economy on ultra long segments to destinations such as Sydney, Bangkok or Johannesburg will have a compelling intermediate choice that softens the journey without reaching business class price levels.
The Zurich upgrade also dovetails with Emirates’ broader strategy in Switzerland. Geneva became one of the first destinations in Europe to benefit from fully retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft featuring Premium Economy and refreshed business cabins on all flights, reflecting the importance of the Swiss market in the airline’s network. By 2026, both of the country’s key international gateways will be served by aircraft offering the full four class experience, giving Switzerland an outsized role in Emirates’ European premium portfolio.
A Growing Map of Premium Economy Destinations
Switzerland’s inclusion comes as Emirates methodically layers Premium Economy across a diverse set of markets spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In Europe, Ireland and Italy have been early beneficiaries, with Dublin, Milan and Rome all seeing the rollout of retrofitted A380s and Boeing 777s featuring the cabin. These cities tap into a strong mix of visiting friends and relatives traffic, corporate demand and high spending leisure travelers, making them prime candidates for an upsell oriented product.
Further east, Emirates has extended Premium Economy to Prague in the Czech Republic and to destinations such as Baghdad and Basra in Iraq. These routes highlight how the carrier is taking a nuanced approach to network planning, identifying markets where there is growing appetite for more comfort and privacy, even if traditional business class demand is not yet mature. In the Middle East, the introduction of Premium Economy to Riyadh marked the first time the product entered the Gulf region, with services to Jordan adding another important Levantine link.
In Africa, Uganda’s capital Kampala has emerged as a key focus, connecting East Africa to the Emirates hub with upgraded cabins that appeal to both regional business travelers and long haul tourists routing through Dubai. In Asia, Vietnam features prominently as a growth market, with Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi benefiting from the carrier’s wider deployment of retrofitted aircraft and, in some cases, A380 services. Together, these additions underscore a strategy focused on breadth as much as depth, positioning Premium Economy not just as a niche on flagship routes, but as a network wide differentiator.
Inside Emirates’ Premium Economy Cabin
Emirates’ Premium Economy has attracted attention for how closely it mirrors many aspects of a traditional business class experience while remaining firmly positioned between the two existing cabins. On the A380, the cabin sits at the very front of the main deck, configured in a spacious 2 4 2 layout with 56 seats. Passengers benefit from a generous seat pitch that allows for a deeper recline and more legroom than standard economy, along with increased seat width and larger personal space, making it markedly easier to relax or work on longer sectors.
The seating design focuses on both comfort and practicality. Each Premium Economy seat incorporates a wide cushioned headrest with adjustable side wings, a calf rest and footrest to support different seating positions, and a sturdy dining table complemented by a small side cocktail table. In seat power outlets and USB ports enable passengers to keep devices charged throughout the flight, while larger high definition entertainment screens bring Emirates’ expansive ice system to life with sharper resolution and more immersive viewing.
Bespoke soft furnishings, from plush blankets to upgraded pillows, underscore the airline’s intent to define a distinct experience rather than simply a slightly improved economy section. The color palette, materials and ambient lighting are aligned with the most recent iterations of Emirates’ business cabins, reinforcing a sense of continuity throughout the aircraft and ensuring Premium Economy feels like a genuine step up, not a marginal tweak.
Service Touches That Redefine Mid Tier Luxury
Beyond hard product enhancements, Emirates has carefully crafted the service flow in Premium Economy to further distinguish it from the main cabin. Travelers are greeted with welcome drinks served in glassware, and menus are designed with more elaborate, regionally inspired dishes that echo elements of business class dining while maintaining operational practicality. Meals are typically presented on chinaware with metal cutlery, accompanied by a selection of wines, beers and spirits curated specifically for the cabin.
The service cadence is calibrated to match the expectations of passengers who are paying a premium over economy. Cabin crew assigned to Premium Economy receive additional training to manage a smaller cabin with more personalized attention, ensuring timely responses to requests and proactive touches throughout the flight. This might include offering additional amenities, checking on sleep comfort, or tailoring beverage and snack timing to individual preferences on longer sectors.
Boarding and disembarkation experiences are also often streamlined for Premium Economy customers, depending on airport infrastructure, with priority tagging for checked luggage on some routes and dedicated check in counters at key outstations. While these perks vary by airport, the overarching goal is to create a journey that feels consistently elevated end to end without encroaching on the exclusivity associated with business and first class.
The Retrofit Program Powering the Expansion
At the heart of Emirates’ Premium Economy rollout lies one of the most ambitious retrofit programs currently underway in commercial aviation. Since late 2022, the airline has been overhauling its existing A380 and Boeing 777 fleets at a rapid pace, refreshing interiors nose to tail and introducing the new cabin configuration along the way. At peak momentum, engineers have been turning around a complete aircraft approximately every three weeks, a pace that has enabled Emirates to quickly scale the product across dozens of routes.
Each retrofitted Boeing 777 emerges with a four class layout that includes first, business, Premium Economy and economy cabins. Typical configurations feature six or eight first class suites, up to 40 business class seats, 24 Premium Economy seats and more than 250 economy seats. On the A380, the Premium Economy cabin takes pride of place at the front of the main deck, while first and business cabins remain on the upper deck, allowing the airline to maintain the flagship’s well known onboard bar and signature design elements.
The retrofit strategy serves multiple purposes. It breathes new life into existing aircraft at a time when widebody delivery slots from manufacturers remain tight, and it allows Emirates to respond flexibly to market demand by aligning capacity and cabin mix with emerging travel patterns. The upcoming deployment of A380s and Premium Economy to Zurich, alongside similar moves in markets like Shanghai and Singapore, illustrates how the program is being used to surgically upgrade key city pairs where the revenue potential for a mid tier cabin is strongest.
Why Premium Economy Resonates With Today’s Travelers
The strong uptake of Premium Economy across Emirates’ network reflects shifting traveler preferences in the post pandemic era. Leisure passengers are increasingly willing to spend more on comfort, particularly on long haul journeys that may be taken less frequently but planned more deliberately. Many travelers who previously flew economy are now seeking extra space, better rest and enhanced service, but still want to keep total trip costs below the level of a full business class ticket.
Corporate travel policies are evolving as well, with some companies encouraging employees to opt for Premium Economy on longer routes rather than business class, striking a balance between cost control and traveler wellbeing. This is particularly relevant on routes linking Europe to Asia, Africa and Australasia, where flight times can stretch beyond twelve hours and rest becomes a critical factor in productivity on arrival. For small and medium sized enterprises, Premium Economy also offers a more attainable step up for key staff and client travel.
On a psychological level, the relative intimacy of a smaller dedicated cabin, along with visible upgrades in seating and service, creates a sense of occasion that resonates strongly with passengers. The ability to board knowing there is a higher likelihood of restful sleep, more personal space and upgraded dining helps justify the fare premium, especially for special trips such as honeymoons, family reunions, or milestone vacations that are common among passengers connecting through Dubai.
Implications for Switzerland and Connecting Markets
For Switzerland, the arrival of Premium Economy on Emirates’ Zurich flights in February 2026 carries meaningful implications for inbound and outbound travel. Swiss based travelers headed to popular holiday destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius, Bali or Australian cities via Dubai will gain an additional comfort tier that could influence carrier and routing choices. Competing airlines serving similar markets from Zurich and Geneva may feel pressure to refine their own cabin strategies, especially if Emirates’ new product accelerates share gains in the premium leisure segment.
Inbound tourism is likely to benefit as well. Travelers from Asia, the Middle East and Africa who have historically seen Switzerland as a high value, aspirational destination may now find the journey more appealing with a more comfortable cabin at a manageable price point. As Emirates aligns schedules to optimize connections, Swiss tourism stakeholders could see increased arrivals from markets such as the Gulf, India and Southeast Asia, where the airline enjoys strong brand recognition and distribution.
On a broader level, the integration of Switzerland into Emirates’ expanding Premium Economy network reinforces Dubai’s role as a global hub for mid tier luxury travel. The combination of a modern, efficient connecting airport and an increasingly consistent four class onboard experience creates a proposition that is difficult for rivals to match at scale. As more routes join the roster, from Ireland and Italy to Iraq, Jordan, Uganda and Vietnam, travelers will find it increasingly seamless to plan multi city itineraries in a single, familiar cabin product.
What Travelers Should Expect Next
With the retrofit program continuing at pace and the airline demonstrating a clear appetite for deploying Premium Economy wherever demand supports it, analysts expect more destinations to follow Switzerland’s lead. Regions with strong premium leisure traffic, such as parts of Southern Europe, North Asia and Australasia, are natural candidates for further expansion. As the share of the fleet equipped with the four class layout increases, Emirates will have greater flexibility to rotate aircraft and fine tune capacity based on seasonal patterns and evolving demand.
For travelers planning journeys from early 2026 onward, particularly those originating in or connecting through Zurich, the key message is that the cabin landscape is changing rapidly. Premium Economy is no longer a rare feature confined to a handful of flagship routes, but an increasingly central pillar of the Emirates offering across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Passengers willing to invest in additional comfort without stepping all the way up to business class will find a growing number of options tailored to their expectations.
As Switzerland joins a diverse lineup of destinations from Ireland and Italy to Iraq, the Czech Republic, Jordan, Uganda and Vietnam, Emirates is signaling that the future of long haul travel will be defined as much by nuanced tiers of comfort as by sheer capacity. For many global travelers, that future will be experienced from the quiet of a Premium Economy cabin, somewhere between Zurich and Dubai, with a little more space to stretch out and a renewed sense that the journey itself is part of the reward.