Business Insider's aviation reporters have flown economy with over two dozen airlines, but Emirates' Airbus A350 has the fanciest coach cabin we've seen by far.
The Dubai-based airline unveiled the U-Dream headrest on Monday, and we got to try it out at the UK's Farnborough Airshow.
It features two side wings that fold down and inwards, functioning like a neck pillow to support your head.
Emirates' A350 economy cabin has plenty of other features too, like electronic window shades and Bluetooth connectivity to use your own wireless headphones.
As airlines lean into their premium offerings, like improving business-class suites, it's good to see more investment in coach.
Emirates is clearly seeking to have the best economy cabin.
Travelers might not want to pay as much as an upgrade to premium economy or business class, but maybe a better coach cabin is worth it.
Here's what it was like on board the A350.
We toured an Emirates Airbus A350-900 at the Farnborough Airshow this week.
Only three Airbus A350s already have the new headrests installed, but Emirates plans to have them on all 25 by the end of the year.
The airline also said it plans to put them on most of its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 jets, starting from 2027.
The economy cabin is full of perks that bring it a step ahead of other airlines.
Economy passengers may not pay the most, but they make up the majority of the customer base. So it's important that airlines show they still consider them worth investing in.
On Emirates' A350 cabin, the seats are arranged in a 3-3-3 formation, and have a good amount of leg room. The seat pitch, or distance between the same spot on one seat and the one in front, is 31 to 32 inches.
But the new U-Dream headrest is especially innovative.
"The U-Dream changes the game if the person wants to sleep — by supporting the neck in full," Emirates President Tim Clark said in the press release. "No more neck pillows needed."
It looks like a neck pillow, with adjustable wings that cradle your head.
This means you can fall asleep without your head falling forward or sideways, waking up with a pain in your neck.
The headrest also moves vertically and tilts to align with passengers of different heights and body types.
It is clear that Emirates cares about making even the coach cabin feel premium.
Emirates' A350 is the first time that electronic window shades have been installed across all the cabins.
In premium economy and business class, there are dual blind/shades, so you have the option of a translucent shade or a blind that blocks out all the light. In coach, there's only the blackout blind.
It's refreshing to see investment in economy instead of just the premium cabins.
In its press release, the airline said the installation of the headrests is "backed by a significant investment."
It's worth noting that Emirates has the advantage of state ownership, backed by Dubai's wealthy government, unlike US airlines.
United Airlines has also impressed with its upgrades to economy class. Like on Emirates, customers can connect their own Bluetooth headphones to the in-flight entertainment.
Plus, United has a self-serve snack bar in economy on its coming A321XLRs, and a convertible bed in economy called the "Relax Row" planned for its Boeing widebodies.
It could be a game changer for Emirates.
Emirates' business model relies on a hub-and-spoke route network. This means transporting passengers from around the world to its hub in Dubai, then connecting them to their destinations on another flight.
So, it's all about long-haul flights. And if you're about to spend hours in an economy seat, small upgrades in comfort could be important when choosing which airline to fly with.
The Iran War has led to a drop in passenger demand as some customers look for direct flights to avoid a layover in the Gulf.
Emirates also competes with other Middle Eastern airlines that operate similar networks.
While they all have elite business-class suites, the U-Dream gives Emirates a leg up on the competition for economy.
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Pete Syme is an aviation reporter for Business Insider, based in London.He writes about all things related to the industry, such as flight diversions, aviation safety, airline updates, travel tips, plane tours, and aviation leaders.Pete has appeared on BBC News to discuss a Heathrow Airport closure and on Sky News to talk about Boeing.Before joining Business Insider in 2022, he graduated with an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London. While getting his BA in English from the University of Exeter, he was the award-winning deputy editor of the student newspaper, Exeposé.You can get in touch by emailing [email protected] or via Signal @syme.99.
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