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While the company is known for offering a more luxurious travel experience for passengers in business and first class seats, Emirates has now revealed a brand new upgrade for economy travellers

When it comes to travelling in comfort, Emirates is often praised for the comfort it provides passengers on long-haul flights, and the company has even been named one of the most luxurious airlines in the world. However, the extra bells and whistles are likely to cost you, as they are mainly offered to passengers in business or first class.

But that doesn’t mean its cheaper, economy class is uncomfortable. The airline has upgraded economy seats in its newer A350 planes to provide more legroom. The on-screen entertainment system has also been given an upgrade. Passengers can also choose to pay an extra fee to enjoy Wi-Fi services on their flight – something budget airlines like Ryanair don’t always offer.

But now, the airline has revealed one more upgrade to their economy seats, and claims to be the first in the world to have upgraded seats’ pillows to provide more support for the passengers’ heads.

Emirates upgrades economy class seats

Taking to Instagram, the airline shared a video with the reveal, writing in the caption of the post: “Emirates just added something to Economy that no other airline has.

“Introducing the U-Dream adjustable headrest – just one of the many ways we’re continuing to invest in Emirates Economy. From thoughtful comfort to award-winning in-flight entertainment, every detail is designed to make your journey even better.”

The clip showed a female passenger seated in an economy seat aboard an Emirates plane, before pulling down two sections of cushioning behind her head, one on either side, creating a makeshift travel pillow that makes nodding off on the plane considerably easier. The clip went on to explain that, while the carrier is widely recognised for its more premium offerings in business and first class cabins, it is equally committed to delivering a comfortable journey for those travelling in economy.

Branded the U-Dream, the ground-breaking adjustable headrest boasts flexible inward-folding wings designed to cradle the head and neck, enabling passengers to unwind in comfort throughout their journey.

To date, the headrests have been fitted on three A350 aircraft, with plans to install them across all of the airline’s A350s and the majority of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.

Fans have different responses to the news

Viewers were quick to flock to the comments section to share their opinions. While the majority seemed to be happy with the upgrade, some also pointed out some of their worries with the headrests, such as how hygienic they would be.

“Personally, I will never use this new tool as they are never cleaned,” one person wrote. Another said: “U dream: Pre-seasoned headrests, comes with free dried drool flavor from previous passengers.”

Some flight attendants have previously revealed that the seats on planes don’t get cleaned as often as you make think, making these worries very valid.

Someone else also pointed out: “This doesn’t address the root issue. When people sleep/doze on the plane, their heads fall forward, not sideways; therefore, they really need something that supports the front of their neck and head/face.”

But despite the skepticism, the majority of fans seemed to be excited about the upgrade, with one person saying: “THANK YOU EMIRATES.”

Someone else said: “@emirates taking things up a level AGAIN!” A third person also commented: “”Honestly a simple but beautiful solution.”

Airline passengers took to Reddit to complain about some of the most disgusting things they’d seen passengers get up to on a plane, and many agreed their habits were best left in the privacy of their homes

Being trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet seems to bring out the worst in people, and despite sharing a small space with dozens of others, some people treat the plane cabin like their personal living space.

A thread on Reddit’s AskUK titled “Worst thing you seen on a plane? What do you think is just not acceptable?” brought in over 200 responses, with holidaymakers keen to call out bad behaviour they’d seen onboard. And there were definitely some common themes among the complaints.

The original poster started the ball rolling, writing: “For me, it was that the lady sitting next to me was picking her toenails!” and many agreed lack of shoes was a huge etiquette breach. “I was sat next someone yesterday who took off their shoes and socks as soon as the opportunity allowed. They even went to the toilet barefoot.”, claimed one poster.

They added: “It wasn’t just the fact they were barefoot it was the general hygiene, e.g.: coughing and sneezing without covering, etc. They had me on edge the whole time thinking “right… I’m catching whatever disease they’ve absorbed through the soles of their gross feet.””

In a similar thread, posters complained about passengers doing tasks more suited to their private bathroom: “I don’t like it when people clip their toenails. I’ve seen it 3 times. Twice a row across from me and other time in my same row.”, said one. While another posted: “My wife and I were sitting in 1C and 1D. The guy in 1B pulled out dental floss after the meal and started going at his mouth like he was giving himself a root canal. Full on two handed flossing right in his seat.”

Another said: “I try to be kind and understanding of the difficulties and lack of facilities on this, but, a woman changed her baby’s ‘filled’ nappy in the middle of the cabin… twice. The stench roamed right through that B777.”

Instagram account @passengershaming has amassed over 1.3 million followers thanks to its hilarious posts that highlight some of the worst behaviour on planes. In one classic reel, a woman was seen using the overhead air vent to dry the crotch of her knickers. The viral video was captioned: “PRO TRAVEL TIP: Airplane air vents aren’t for drying underwear Kthx!”

Other examples posted to the account over the years include a woman using a foot file to remove hard skin, and a man opening a can of tuna on a plane for a snack, seemingly unperturbed about the smell in a confined space.

While the examples above are mostly harmless, if disgusting, behaviour, recently there have been calls to create a national database for abusive passengers, which would allow airlines to share information on disruptive passengers and restrict their access to flights.

According to the BBC, Department for Transport officials will be meeting later this month to discuss the proposals, and the database would likely be a collaboration between the government and the airline industry.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Christian Magnuson paid extra for his preferred seat on a Scandinavian Airlines flight, only to find it had been reassigned – moments later, he spotted who was sitting in it

Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or preparing to board a plane for the first time in ages, most of us have our tried-and-tested routines for making the journey as pleasant as possible. This might include wearing a particular outfit, grabbing some food or a drink at the terminal, or pre-selecting your favourite seat on the flight. But when these arrangements fall through or take an unexpected turn, it can throw your entire day off.

This was precisely what happened to one passenger named Christian Magnuson, who, despite being a regular flyer who frequently posts snapshots of his journeys on social media, was left utterly bewildered when his seat was abruptly switched without any warning.

Chris went on to show evidence that he’d reserved seat 17C on his Scandinavian Airlines flight, explaining he had paid extra to secure a seat towards the rear of the aircraft on the route from Stockholm Arlanda airport to Kalmar, a city in southern Sweden.

However, when boarding time arrived, Christian discovered his seat had been unexpectedly switched to 5D. The confusion deepened as he stepped onto the aircraft, only to spot his original seat remaining vacant.

Nevertheless, he proceeded to make his way through the plane to his reassigned seat. It was at that moment something wholly unexpected happened.

“Then a convoy of cars pulled up and the King of Sweden boarded the airplane and sat in my seat,” he revealed in the caption of the post.

The footage captured King Carl XVI Gustav standing on the tarmac as Christian made his way down the aircraft steps after landing. A silver vehicle could be spotted in the distance, presumably waiting to collect the monarch from his journey.

Later that day, the royal family’s official Instagram account, ‘Kungahuset’, posted a photograph of the King alongside his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, clarifying the reason behind the King’s travels.

“Was it fair of them to kick me out of my seat with no compensation? I will say it was cool that he flew on a regular airplane but he took my seat!” Christian added in the caption of the post.

Viewers quickly flocked to the comments section to voice their opinions, with many praising the Swedish King for choosing to fly commercially. “Happened to me too and I’m just proud to have a monarchy not wasting our resources with a private jet,” one person said.

A second user wrote: “I think it’s awesome that the King flies commercial. Also, you have a cool story.”

Others also questioned why Christian should have received compensation, given he still secured a seat on the flight. “Well, the king is… the king,” one person argued. Someone else added: “Airline employee here, yes its fair since they need security personnel onboard. ARN – KLR is also a really short route.

“I would be happy and proud to give him my seat! It’s for his safety. He did not decide himself,” another user chipped in.

Scandinavian Airlines has been approached for comment.