OREANDA-NEWS. Emirates, a global connector of people and places, and Skytrax Airline of the Year 2013 is adding passenger and cargo capacity in San Francisco and Houston on December 1st and 3rd respectively when it switches from operating the routes with a Boeing 777-300ER to its iconic double-decker Airbus A380.

The A380 will offer an additional 135 seats to San Francisco and 137 to Houston, representing a 38 percent increase in overall passenger capacity, and 80 percent more seats across the premium cabins. In addition to offering a choice of 14 First Class Private Suites and 76 lie-flat Business Class seats, the aircraft offers 399 spacious Economy Class seats to San Francisco and 401 to Houston.

Emirates continues its growth in the U.S. delivering A380s to San Francisco and Houston, increasing capacity in each gateway by 38 percent beginning in December 2014.

Ў°Emirates continues to see strong customer demand from our U.S. gateways. Since 2007, we have carried over 2.3 million passengers on the San Francisco and Houston routes, and our flagship A380 will allow us to connect even more people and facilitate trade between these important U.S. cities and the Middle East, India, Africa and beyond.Ў± said Hubert Frach, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations West. Ў°Everywhere we fly our A380, we receive a tremendously positive customer response, thanks to the unique, award-winning product and service which Emirates offers passenger in all cabins. We look forward to bringing this experience to our customers in San Francisco and Houston.Ў±

The Emirates service from San Francisco operates daily as EK226, departing San Francisco at 3:30PM and arriving in Dubai the following day at 7:25PM. EK 225 departs Dubai at 8:50AM and arrives at San Francisco International Airport at 12:50PM the same day.

Emirates' daily flight EK211 to Houston departs Dubai at 9:30AM and arrives at 4:05PM. The return flight, EK212, takes off from George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 6:25PM and lands in Dubai at 7:05PM the next day.

San Francisco and Houston will be Emirates' 4th and 5th U.S. gateways serviced by an A380, joining New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas/Fort Worth which is due to commence on October 1st. This latest announcement means that by December, Emirates will be serving both its Texan destinations with an A380 service.

Onboard passengers in all three cabins can enjoy over 1,800 channels of entertainment on ice, Emirates' multi award-winning in-flight information, entertainment and communication system, while enjoying specially created gourmet cuisine with a regional flavour and specially selected beverages whilst being served by Emirates multi-lingual cabin crew.

The entire upper deck of an Emirates A380 is dedicated to its premium First Class and Business Class cabins, creating a relaxed and exclusive space. Even at 40,000 feet the two First Class Shower Spas allow passengers to arrive feeling refreshed. First Class and Business Class passengers connect in the popular A380 Onboard Lounge to relax, socialise and network over fine wines and cocktails while enjoying canapЁ¦s prepared by five-star chefs. Whether discussing innovations in technology on flights from San Francisco or the energy and oil & gas business on Houston routes, the Onboard Lounge provides a unique way for people from all places to connect during their Emirates journey. Experience Emirates' A380 on Google's Street View here.

Economy Class passengers are also well catered for with comfortable ergonomically designed seats with adjustable headrest and personal 12.1 inch touch screen TV's, showing the latest in entertainment. Each seat features a laptop power supply and USB port, wi-fi access and mobile phone connectivity allowing passengers to stay connected throughout the flight.

Emirates started flying to Houston in December 2007, directly connecting the city with the energy sector hubs in Dubai and the Middle East. Since then, Emirates has seen steady growth in business and leisure travellers, thanks to the city's strong international community and corporate industries and last year connected around 190,000 people and over 7,900 tonnes of cargo from a range of industries including the construction and automotive sectors.

San Francisco is a city which Emirates has served since December 2008. As a world-renowned corporate and tourism destination, it offers global travellers access to incredible culture and cuisine from Napa Valley to Silicon Valley. Emirates' ties to the City by the Bay extend beyond the airport, as a proud supporter of the San Francisco Symphony orchestra.