Image via Wikipedia

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Emirates Airline has placed the largest order of the largest plane in the world. They will eventually have 58 A380s – one third of the total orders Airbus has received till date. Their first A380 that flew from Dubai to New York City on Aug 1, 2008 dazzled everyone with exclusive showers in the First Class and a plush bar for Business Class, along with an overloaded in-flight entertainment system across all classes. Luxury and novelty was the name of the game. But will this last?

Three questions for Emirates

1. Once Emirates has 58 of these double-decker planes flying around the world, will they still be able to maintain such high product standards across the fleet?
2. How will service consistency be ensured?
3. How will Emirates ensure that the right expectations are set among customers for A380s with different configurations? Emirates VP for the Americas, Nigel Page, doused our curiosity with his forthcoming replies on these issues.

Three A380 configs, Two types of aircraft, Single minded focus on service

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Nigel explained that Emirates will have two versions of the aircraft the ULR (Ultra Long Range) with 489 seats [in three classes], and an Intermediate range version with two configurations – a three class version with 507 seats and a two class version with 625 seats.

So how doest Emirates ensure service consistency on-board for planes carrying anywhere from 400 to 625 passengers? Nigel revealed that Emirates “cabin crew will be trained and licensed to operate all three versions of the aircraft.” To ensure that a consistently high standard of service is maintained, every new cabin crew will be provided with comprehensive training in Emirates’  state-of-the-art training college in Dubai. Moreover, on the ULR, Emirates will carry two cabin attendants to supervise the showers and ensure they are cleaned after each use! Now that’s some dedication.

Setting the right expectation for customers

Given that the Emirates A380 product will vary for in difference markets, Nigel clarifies that “advertising may [also] vary from one market to another dependant of the aircraft type. The configuration will be selected according to route demand. Where there is little demand for First Class we would probably operate the two class version.” The importance of implementing this aspect of the roll-out cannot be over-stated. There is nothing that upsets customers more than stepping into the aircraft only to realize that the product in reality differs drastically from the picture they had in their minds.

So, what’s the key to success? Given Emirates has shown commitment from the outset to ensure consistency of standards across their products, it’s certainly moving in the right direction. But the real test will be when the rubber hits the road (or wings reach for the skies). It’s no small feat to ensure that each passenger gets a consistent experience on a fleet as large as Emirates’. It will be the actual implementation of these plans which will be the feather in the hat, if done right.

What do you think? Can other proactive measures be taken to ensure consistency? Is it as important as we think it is? Let’s discuss.

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1. How would you differentiate Emirates A380 from Singapore Airlines‘ and Qantas’ product?
   1. Geographic advantage – Dubai is located mid-way between Russia and Africa, US East coast and the Far East and of course, Europe and Australia. We will take full advantage of this, once our 58 A380s are in service.
   2. Cabin crew of 130 nationalities – each plane has a crew that speaks over 10 languages between them 
   3. Cellphone use permitted on-board – in a controlled way
   4. Technological leadership – IFE system, fax machines and more.
2. Given the size of the A380, what’re some of the customer service challenges encountered?
   1. The airplane is so huge that you almost get the feeling it’s a cruise liner.
   2. It’s too early to comment on the problems, as flights have just begun
3. How do you intend to garner customer feedback for the product?
   1. Customer surveys
   2. Feedback from cabin crews
4. Will there be different products for the A380?
   1. 3 different configurations – 489 seats (3 class, Long range), 500+ seats (3 class, mid-range) , 600+ seats (2 class, Mid-range)
5. Where will the Emirates A380 fly?
   1. Announced routes: New York (started), Los Angeles (Oct 1), San Francisco (Nov 20),
   2. Planned routes: London, Sydney, Auckland, Houston, Chicago, Toronto

Image courtesy Emirates.com

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