Emirates Airline Services

Services

Service innovation
Emirates in-flight entertainment system, ICE (Information Communication Entertainment), was introduced in 2002 and is now offered to passengers in all classes with over 1,200 entertainment options. Emirates won the award for best in-flight entertainment in 2006 from Skytrax, because of their ICE system, with the biggest selling point being over 500 channels of movies, television and music.

In 2005, Emirates was one of the earliest to introduce high-speed, in-flight Internet service in March by installing the Inmarsat’s satellite system and became the second airline in the world to offer live international television broadcasts using the same system in June.

In November 2006 the airline signed a deal with mobile communications firm AeroMobile. This allows passengers on board Emirates flights to use their mobile phones to make telephone calls or do text messaging. The system was first made available on an Airbus A340 in March 2008, making Emirates the first commercial airline to offer this service.

Emirates has begun construction on its own luxury five star hotel and towers. It is located next to Dnata headquarters on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

In mid-2007, Emirates will feature docking capability for Apple Inc.'s iPod portable music and video player. This will allow the device's battery to be charged, but will also allow integration with Emirates' in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. This will also enable the IFE system to play music, television shows, or movies stored on the iPod, as well as function as a control system.

Emirates Flight Catering

Emirates Flight Catering Co. has over 4,800 employees and provides in-flight catering and support services for airlines at Dubai International Airport.

A catering facility dedicated to the production of airline meals for Emirates Airlines opened in March 2007. The facility has a capacity of 115,000 meal tray set-ups per day, and will feature automation including an electric monorail system for metal carts, a bin conveyor system for equipment, and a vacuum waste disposal system.

The company provided 22.3 million airline meals in 2006, and is on course to produce over 24 million meals in 2007. The daily average meal uplift is 115,000.

Cabin

Emirates announced a major upgrade to its cabin and in-flight service on 15 October, 2003. The upgrade was initially planned for its Airbus A380-800s introduction into service in 2006, and subsequently on the Boeing 777-300ER. The postponement of the first A380-800 delivery meant the upgrade had to be introduced with the launch of the first Boeing 777-300ER with the airline on 9 December, 2004 between Dubai and Paris. There are no plans to introduce the upgrade to the remaining Emirates fleet.

Thirty-one Boeing 777-300ERs being operated by the airline now offer upgraded cabin services to New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, and London.

Frequent flyer programme

Skywards is the frequent flyer program of Emirates, SriLankan Airlines and other Emirates travel partners. Miles are earned through flights with Emirates and SriLankan, or with cooperating airlines such as Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, South African Airways, Virgin Blue and United Airlines. Skywards offers status tiers Silver and Gold, which give additional benefits based upon miles flown in a year.

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