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 Dec.1 and 3, respectively, when it switches from operating the routes with a Boeing 777-300ER to its 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 to see strong customer demand from our US 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 US cities and the Middle East, India, Africa and beyond,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates’ divisional SVP, commercial operations West.

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

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.

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.