Battling back from Covid 19: Emirates reopens onboard showers and lounge

Emirates' premium bar is back - with a new look. Photo / Supplied

In a sign of some return to normality in aviation, Emirates has re-opened its A380 onboard lounge and shower spa services.

The lounge area for all premium passengers and five-minute showers for those in first class were suspended soon after the pandemic hit but as the airline rebuilds its international network it has chosen to re-open them after a health and safety review.

The airline says it is also introducing a "nutrient-rich" welcome drink for the northern winter season in premium classes.

But there are changes to protocols at the popular lounge which will transform into a take-away bar with limited seating capacity and social distancing in place.

The bar continues to serve wines, spirits, soft drinks and pre-packaged lounge bites for customers to take to their own seats.

The social areas in business class on select Boeing 777 aircraft and in first class also re-opened. The airline is currently operating four weekly 777 flights between Auckland and Dubai for returnees and those bound for the UAE and beyond.

The airline says first class customers can once again have a shower at 40,000 feet.

Luxury spa products will be provided in individual amenity bags to each passenger.

From November 1, Emirates' onboard dining will return while observing strict hygiene protocols.

Customers in all classes will enjoy multi-course meals and choose from a complimentary selection of beverages.

Like other airlines, Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures to help ensure the safety of its customers and staff on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers.

The airline sought to build confidence in flying by offering free, global insurance cover for Covid-19 related costs.

Passengers flying before the end of the year have Covid-19 related medical expenses should they be diagnosed with Covid-19 during their travel while they are away from home.

In March the airline grounded its entire 115-strong fleet of A380s but began rebuilding its network in the middle of the year.

Its president Sir Tim Clark last week said he expected the recovery in air travel demand to begin "sooner rather than later."

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He told a CAPA Live event that the industry's coronavirus crisis was a glitch from which his airline can fully recover.

While he acknowledged the pandemic as the industry's worst economic crisis, he dismissed predictions of a prolonged slump.

"I'm not one of these people who believes in the 'new normal'," Clark said. "I believe demand will return in a very robust manner."

Aviation's recovery from the pandemic has been patchy. Capacity is running about 50 per cent although over the weekend US passenger numbers topped one million in a single day for the first time since March.

In New Zealand there has been a strong domestic recovery although international services are a fraction of what they were last year.