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DUBAI: Three years of weak oil prices have taken something of the swagger out of Gulf carriers’ premium cabin offerings —­ but Emirates is back with a brand new first-class suite to show off. And the Dubai airline has recruited Jeremy Clarkson to advertise it.
In the luxury stakes, the Gulf airlines have appearances to maintain and the Dubai Airshow is where they look to attract the admiration of passengers who turn left when they board the aircraft — or in the case of the Emirates A380, ascend the stairs.
The show has historically been an opportunity for the region’s big three — Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways — to show off their latest enhancements to their first and business-class flying experience.
But the political feud between Qatar and four of its neighbors has meant the familiar maroon livery of Doha’s national carrier is absent from this year’s event.
Etihad, emerging from the financial losses incurred through its ill-fated codeshare alliance strategy, has also been keeping a relatively low profile.
But Emirates yesterday did its bit to re-inject some pizzazz into an industry struggling to emerge from over-capacity and subdued passenger demand.
Helped by designs from Mercedes-Benz and an advertising campaigned fronted by motoring guru Jeremy Clarkson, the Dubai-based carrier aimed to steal a march on regional rivals struggling with weak demand in the premium cabins amid job cuts.
The refreshed interiors of the new Boeing 777 aircraft offer seats that recline into what the airline describes as a zero-gravity position “inspired by NASA and giving the feeling of weightlessness.”
Passengers sitting on inside rows have virtual windows with the option of looking to the left or right using high-definition camera technology.
The new 777 aircraft will have six private suites with porthole-style windows.
And for star-gazing passengers, binoculars are provided.
Asked by one reporter if the suite beds were big enough for two, airline president Tim Clark replied that he didn’t think they were.
“People generally behave,” he said — reminding reporters that the suites were designed with windows allowing the crew to look inside.
The suites also come with restaurant-style hatches where passengers are served drinks and canapes undisturbed — and they can also order “room service” using a video call function.
“Emirates pioneered the first class private suite concept back in 2003, and today it’s the industry benchmark when it comes to first -class travels,” said Clark. He added that Jeremy Clarkson was a natural face for the new designs while conceding that some people do “find him irritating.”
The upgraded premium cabin comes despite a global slump in first and business class — including the Gulf region where prolonged oil price weakness has led to mass job cuts and has also hit travel budgets.
“Premium traffic is very much linked to the performance of the oil sector and so while the oil price has been low, demand for premium travel has been hit,” said John Strickland, a UK-based aviation analyst. “But that could improve now prices are recovering.”
And weak oil prices or not, Clark said the notion that the airline famed for its luxury offering might phase out the first-class cabin over time, was simply not going to happen.
“Not on my watch, anyway,” he said.