As part of its ongoing fleet upgrades, Emirates will begin offering tickets for its remarkable, fully private first-class suites—ever so humbly, though not inaccurately, called “Game Changer”—on the air carrier’s Dubai–Vienna route starting December 1. This makes Austria one of the first few countries to be serviced by one of the airline’s Game Changer–equipped Boeing 777s.
More akin to a sleeper car you would find on a train than a typical first class airline seat, the 40-square-foot suite can be fully closed off, isolating you from the noise and distractions of the rest of the cabin and letting you enjoy your flight in privacy. The design of the suite takes inspiration from the interiors of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with leather and fabric upholstery and a spacious, leather lie-flat seat that can be set to zero-gravity mode to cradle your body in a natural position free from stress points.
The suites are laid out three to a row, but don’t worry about feeling claustrophobic in one of the middle units; they feature LCD screens in the place of windows that project the view from outside the plane in real time. Those in suites with actual windows are treated to complementary binoculars for getting a closer look at the terrain you’re flying over.
When it’s time to relax, you can take in movies and television on a 32-inch screen—much more respectable dimensions than the postage stamp–size screens you typically find on the backs of headrests. If you need anything, a flight attendant can be summoned with a video call and meals can be ordered on demand. And when it’s time to get some shut-eye, you can adjust the lighting and temperature from a panel in your room to create the perfect sleeping conditions.
Of course, the one drawback to booking a suite on the new route is the length of the flight, about six hours, because this is one time when you’re not going to want to sleep through the whole flight.
