Emirates Launches Its New Onboard Lounge

a group of people in an airplane

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The onboard bar that Emirates offers Business Class and First Class passengers in its Airbus A380 is one of the things that the airline used differentiate itself when it introduced the concept back in 2008.

Other airlines like Virgin Atlantic offered a version of the onboard bar before Emirates came along with its concept, but it’s the Emirates version that most people seem to think of when you mention a bar at 38,000 feet.

Personally I prefer the bar on the Qatar Airways A380…..

a bar with bottles of alcohol on the shelfQatar Airways A380 onboard bar

…as I’ve alway found the Emirates version a little small and a little too shiny for my liking. Qatar’s is more understated and, in my opinion, classier.

Still….a bar (or lounge as Emirates insists on calling it) at 38,000 ft is still a cool concept no matter how shiny it may be and Emirates has now revamped its offering.

9 years to the day since the original Emirates A380 was launched the new bar has been unveiled on a flight to Kuala Lumpur.

a group of people in a planeEmirates new A380 onboard lounge

It’s still shiny although, compared to the old version,…..

a woman standing behind a counter in an airplaneEmirates old A380 bar – image courtesy of Wiki Commons Media

….it’s definitely sleeker and more modern looking. Visually it’s a definite improvement.

Here’s what Emirates has to say about the new “lounge”:

The latest makeover of the lounge, inspired by private yacht cabins, features a more intimate and social area. With a clientele made up of Business and First Class customers on board the A380, the exclusive lounge accommodates 26 guests and serves the finest wines from around the world. The six wines on offer differ by destination but a champagne offering of Moët & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot is always available.

Emirates has over 6,000 crew trained as mixologists who can whip up 14 cocktails such as its signature Bloody Mary or a non-alcoholic Apple Spritzer. The lounge stocks fine spirits such as Hennessy XO Cognac and Chivas Regal 18 year old Scotch whisky.  It also serves over 18 different bar snacks, the most popular of which are the smoked salmon bagels and fresh fruit skewers.

For those who prefer a perk me up, the menu also includes juices, Illy coffee and several varieties of tea from Dilmah. At the back of the lounge, a 55 inch LCD screen gives customers the latest flight information, or live TV broadcasts of the latest news or sports updates.

a bar in a plane

a man and woman standing behind a barEmirates new A380 onboard lounge

It’s still small but I actually like this. Normally I consider most of Emirate’s premium cabin efforts to be overly “bling-y” and more than a little ostentatious…..but this looks ok.

More importantly, the seating on the left (in the image above) looks comfortable….but I just wonder how easy it will be to find room to sit down.

To accompany the launch of the new onboard bar Emirates has shared a fun fact sheet:

a bar with drinks and drinks

It’s incredible to think that the lounge (which isn’t exactly big) costs over $3m!

Here are some of the facts distilled:

  • 96 lounges (Emirates has 96 A380s)
  • 48 destinations to which you can fly and experience the onboard lounge
  • The lounge is made in Bournemouth (UK)
  • 26 guests can occupy the lounge at one time (I wonder how many can sit?)
  • There are 10 different lighting options the bar can use to set the mood
  • It takes up 21 square metres of onboard space (226 square feet)

If this leaves you wanting to see more of the new lounge, here a very short video Emirates has pulled together: