Showers on planes - my experienceTaking a shower on a plane is entirely possible if your pockets are deep enough.
It was a lifelong dream of mine to take a shower on a plane. I fulfilled this in 2022 with a first-class Emirates flight. It was nice to freshen up before we landed, but I really just wanted to be able to say that I'd taken all my clothes off on a plane.
Showers on planes - my experience
To date I've enjoyed just one shower on a plane - an Emirates first-class flight from Manchester to Dubai on an A380. That was also my first experience of a bathroom on a plane that you could actually turn around in. I didn't do my research beforehand, so I didn't know that the toilet itself is hidden under a fold-down seat - that was my first surprise.
About an hour before we were due to land I requested use of the shower. Our flight only had four people in first class, including myself and my wife, so there was no wait. The attendant prepared the bathroom, and let me know that I'd have five minutes of hot water.
This might seem miserly, but in fact it was more than enough time. There are a lot of amenities in the first class bathrooms - with cupboards and drawers featuring even more. The amenity kits on Emirates are from Bvlgari.
It was a unique experience. and I'm looking forward to an upcoming first-class Etihad flight where I can experience it a second time.
Which planes are likely to have showers?
Before we look at which airlines have showers on board it's worth thinking about the planes themselves. The only plane with showers is the A380, due to it's size. Putting a shower in a 787 or A350 would take up too much space.
That's also why most lounges on planes are only on A380s. Virgin is the outlier, with a small lounge called The Booth on some of their A350s, and a slightly larger space called The Loft on their A330neo's and some A350s. Virgin also squeeze in a three-seater bar on their A330's and 787s.
Which airlines have showers on board their planes?
This list is short and it'll get shorter over time as airlines move away from the A380. Your best bet if you want to get a plane with a shower on board is an Emirates A380.
They have around 123 of these aircraft in use. Over the years they've talked about retiring the aircraft in the future, previously this was expected to be in the early 2030s but recently they've changed this to the 2040s. In order to use the shower you must be travelling in first class - not all A380s have this, but if you can get a first-class ticket on an Emirates A380 you'll be guaranteed to get a shower. There are two showers on each A380 with first class.
Etihad's A380s feature two showers, but only one is accessible to first-class passengers. That's because one is within the Residence suite (a grade even higher than first class) and that's for the exclusive use of whoever is using the suite. The suite itself contains a living room, bedroom and a bathroom. Etihad has a much smaller A380 fleet, and it was close to retiring the plane completely during the pandemic.
Now they want to keep the jet flying until 2032. Getting on that plane is more challenging as it flies limited routes, namely between Heathrow, New York or Paris to/from Abu Dhabi.
Qatar are still - begrudgingly - operating their A380s. In the past, they've talked about retiring these planes from 2025, but more recently their frustrations with the jet have mellowed. In the last month, they've talked openly about extending it's lifetime to at least 2028, and refurbishing them. However - surprisingly - Qatar have never had showers on their planes, despite Etihad and Emirates championing them. There is a slim chance that they appear during the refurbishment.
Which airline shower has the best?
Emirates, based on the size of the bathroom. Both showers on the Etihad A380 are within much smaller bathrooms. The Emirates bathroom is huge by aircraft standards, and there's enough space to walk around. It's also better zoned, with space to sit, generous space to shave or do make-up and a bigger shower unit.
Which airlines and aircraft have showers on board?
Here's the list of airlines and aircraft that are currently operating and that have a shower on-board
- Emirates A380s (Any A380 with first-class will have a shower)
- Etihad A380s (All A380s will have two showers - one for The Residence, one for first-class)
Which airlines do not have showers on board?
The most surprising is Qatar. Second is Qantas, who fly some extra long flights. Air France didn't have showers on board (they have now retired their A380). British Airways also don't have showers on their A380. In fact the largest plane in their fleet still has the old business class seat on it, although there are tentative plans to upgrade it to the impressive club suite.
