Emirates just gave economy passengers something nice for once

FastCompany: You’ve just settled into your seat on an international flight. Next to you, a baby is crying. Somewhere down the aisle, another passenger has just unwrapped a tuna sandwich. And to make matters worse, you realize you forgot your neck pillow. Emirates might not be able to fix those first two problems, but the airline has just debuted a clever design that might address the third. The U-Dream headrest also functions as a neck pillow.

Designed for the airline’s Economy Class (its lowest flight tier), the U-Dream is already flying on three Emirates A350s, and will eventually be installed onto Economy Class seats across all Emirates A350s and most of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. [Photo: Emirates] According to a press release, the U-Dream represents a “significant investment” to “[reinforce] the airline’s commitment to helping Economy Class customers fly better.” It’s the latest in a steady influx of airlines offering new perks to attract fliers. The difference: The new Emirates design might actually benefit customers without upcharging them.

“No more neck pillows needed” The headrest is a design that feels like an obvious solution to a universal problem. The U-Dream comes on a track that can move up and down to adjust to a passenger’s height. Like a standard headrest, it includes two wings that can fold inward to support the side of the head. But these wings can also flip down to surround the neck on both sides; exactly like a typical neck pillow might. It allows passengers to leave a cumbersome gadget at home and forgo the process of fiddling with their neck pillow and headrest to make the two work in tandem.

Tim Clark, president of Emirates, explained in the press release: “Emirates never rests on its laurels when it comes to customer experience and we have found a way to significantly improve the comfort for Economy Class passengers, especially those traveling long-haul. The U-Dream changes the game if the person wants to sleep—by supporting the neck in full. No more neck pillows needed.” Right now, the name of the game in the airline industry is “ premiumization .” As competition among the biggest carriers intensifies, companies are betting on more and more special perks to keep fliers coming back.

These perks can be broader efforts, like American’s swanky lounges and Delta’s reworked cabins , but they can also be smaller, more individualized upgrades. Typically, the offerings in that latter category come with a catch. Take Southwest’s new extended-legroom seats and United’s “Relax Row” or middle-seat-free option . All of these seating options boast benefits for comfort, like more room for your legs or the option to lie down, but they also require you to pay an extra fee.

The U-Dream might be yet another “premium” play to catch passengers’ eyes, but it also represents a genuine design upgrade across most of the airline’s Economy Class—sans the added fee.

The introduction of the U-Dream headrest by Emirates is a significant enhancement in customer experience that sets a new standard in the airline industry, making it highly relevant for brand strategy professionals focused on customer satisfaction.