Ah, Emirates! It was so nice to be back onboard Emirates, especially on a flight this long. We boarded through the forward left door on the upper deck, where we were greeted by the purser and two flight attendants, and escorted left into the first class cabin. Emirates' A380 first class cabin consists of a…
Continue reading: Emirates First Class A380 Review
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"Emirates’ A380 first class cabin finishes are simply extra"
It's almost like a blingy cigar bar with way too much faux mahogany...
Oi vey Ben ...I love your reviews but this one was just filled with self entitled comments. (Heaven forbid you have to walk down a flight of stairs to disembark) Please be mindful of your readers, most of us are living the dream through your posts 😉
Looks like another consistently great EK F flight. I struggle to get over how dated EK's interiors are though, everything in the photos for this review was the height of luxury about 10-15 years ago...
The way you use the word 'extra' is also slightly annoying.
My last experience at DXB was a bus gate for a two cabin A380. Greatful I was in J but even with the special bus it still took 45 minutes to get into the terminal with all the bus congestion. Point is, it could have been worse and this is a symptom of a horribly congested airport.
@Tom Maybe you're bothered by the use of 'extra' but he's using it in a common, millennial way. I sort of appreciate it.
Hey lucky! Just took my Emirates F flights off the sale you posted about, thank you so much again!!, and was wondering your experience with how long it takes for the miles to post to Alaska? Thank you!!!
Says I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol these days.
Then proceeds to down champagne and martinis.
Alrighty then.
I'm guessing that Hennessy bottle needs more grip on the table surface due to its wobbly nature hence the tape.
PLEASE, no more Emirates reviews! Or change the name of your blog to One Emirates Flight At A Time.
@ Super VC-10 -- I'm sorry you don't want to read Emirates reviews, though in fairness, it has been nearly three years since I've reviewed Emirates' A380 first class, so I think an update was in order.
@ William K -- Hope you enjoyed the flights! Took about a week for my miles to post.
@ Drew -- Sorry if it came across that way. To be clear, I had no issues walking down the stairs (of course), but Emirates transports a lot of senior passengers, so forcing up to 90 people to walk down stairs seems like something that should be avoided if possible.
Their F cabin is ghastly (as is their J) and anyone who thinks otherwise has a severe lack of taste. It's just too Sex in the City 2 for words.
How come nothing about the booking process? Was in on points? Paid with cash? Emirates sponsored? Would love to hear strategies about booking this kind of flight.
@ Ryan -- The intro post has all the info how I booked (it was a very reasonably priced paid first class fare):
https://onemileatatime.com/greece-trip-report-introduction/
Facilities and F&B offerings look awesome... cabin interior may be the taste of some (or many, I don’t know) but not me.. I’d rather be in either Qatar or Etihad cabins.. I’d rather be in SQ’s old Suites, but get Emirates’ F&B offerings..
Great review, thanks!
I thought Emirates was serving pricey stuff on their wine list. They market that they serve First Growth Bordeaux and substitute second label Forts de Latour (albeit with a little age on it which is apporpopriate). The other bordeaux is a $30 bottle at best. No burgundy, although the Jaboulet Hermitage blanc ($80 at retail) might be interesting.
Champagne and port are appropriate offers vs. what they say in the marketing and WSJ, the rest seems no better than any other airlines first class and worse than what I'm been seeing for Cathay's new, and lesser, wine list offerings.
I drink lightly these days, so it wouldn't bother me anymore, but if I was looking forward to the wine based on the WSJ article (for those with a subscription, here it is https://www.wsj.com/articles/chateau-margaux-for-seat-2a-emirates-rewrites-rules-for-airlines-1531406181).
I have to say an Emirates review is probably the most boring out there... Nothing about the cabin, seat or food gets me excited.
@Ben,
I will bet taking my Emirates F (from December sale), starting on Friday YYZ-DXB-MXP (RT), plus Friday is my b-day, and I think my wife requested a cake!
Lovely review and lovely trip!
I don't get why so many other airlines don't serve Cappuccino-based drinks. Seems like a given to me and only marginal costs.
Re: the stairs, you can always request a wheelchair service at Dubai (quality and arrival time can be hit or miss) to get you off the plane. This includes getting off the upper deck of the A380 when no upper deck bridge is available.
@Gina, calling someone a douche is not necessary. I had the same question about the stairs, which Lucky did address.
Lucky, I am will you all the way on this review. I am a US citizen that happens to own a residence on the island of Mauritius. If it was not for Emirates I wonder if I would have pulled trigger on the property purchase in 2014. They serve the island with two daily flights. We look forward to our 22 hours of flight time each time we visit. Of course, it is in their wonderful first class cabin. Worked hard over my business career to be able to sit up front, so please, no weenie whining from those in the gallery that can't seem to resist throwing an elbow or two. Keep up the good work Lucky and hope to run into you someday on Emirates.
enjoyed the post even though I shall never be able to go first class. I am looking forward to a business class trip with them as soon as I transfer enough points...….
Is their any award for the most shoddy interior Lucky? I'm sure Emirates will be the winner. What a terrible interior. I guess you closed your eyes as soon as possible
Just booked our first emirates 1st class ever!! Can't wait! So excited! Keep the emirates reviews coming!!
Ah, yes, the drunk and abusive, presumably Indian, couple. It's an unfortunate failure mode of the culture among the slightly privileged... They seem to enjoy terrorizing those who they believe are inferior.
On other carriers, one wonders if the pilot would have declared an emergency and diverted to Thule, deposited the violent passengers, and then departed.
Loved the report Ben. Nearly 2 months since you took the flight, I’m looking forward to reading the new trip reports - are you a little behind posting trips ?
@Beachfan I too noticed the Paul Jaboulet Ainé ! One of my favourite wine estates.
I can assure you that a 14€ bottle from them (and I've tasted some already) is worth any 100€ you might think is better !
Gret review Ben, your life is aweful 😉
White tape - the bottle is probably a form of crystal which is vulnerable to shattering when striking against the metal retaining bar on the shelf during turbulence. Hope you had some of that, not cheap.
Interestingly flew EK in J recently and the amenity kit above is exactly the same content as the one in this post, fabric case rather than leather but same exact same content. I wonder if this is usual or if they are cost cuttting?
@George I'm flying to Mauritius on Emirates F in less than a month. I am beyond excited! Any tips on what to do or see on the island beyond the beaches and more popular activities? Thanks!
@Drew:
The other reason for mentioning the stairs to deplane is that Ben's flight was arriving at DXB, EK's home airport. Given how many A380's EK flies, it's kind of pathetic that the airport should have any gates at all that can't accommodate both decks of the plane.
@Nicholas Bedworth - do you really think it's an unfortunate "failure mode" of just that culture? I have observed similar behavior from individuals of many varied cultures (ahem, look at the d-bag leading my country...)
@Lucky you're being so slow with the segments for this trip report! It's killing me!
What a coincidence! I got exactly the same items on the snack basket on my trip last May from Dubai-Tunis 🙂
I’m so glad you mentioned the work of the shower attendants. I have friends that used to be cabin crew for EK and from what they say and you’ve said here, they work so hard and totally deserve recognition. Thanks for mentioning that!
following is my daughters review of her emirates FC flight. I have flown all of the top 15 FC intl carriers including emirates (all using mileage)...except singapore and air france (of course) also all of the asian carriers. IMHO emirates is #1....peeps that think the "bling" is over the top dont get it IMHO as the service is what matters and it is truly incredible. currently on a trip in cambodia...FC jal westbound...looking forward to my FC korean 747i into sfo. i know you love that equipment.
heres her review:
7/22 8 am: My journey began with Yoshi the driver. He was right on time and took me to IAD. No traffic. He had a perfect balance of talking and leaving me alone to read my paper.
7/22 9 am: Security was swift. The lounge at IAD, as you know, was mediocre. There were some yummy snacks, but nothing special.
7/22 10 am- 7/23 8 am: The first leg of my journey begins (IAD to Dubai). The staff was wonderful, as expected. The person assigned to me was Russian and talked to me about a psychologist she loves, recommending a few of his books. Similar to Yoshi, she didn't overdo it with the chatter. I timed my shower perfectly for right before dinner. I could have lounged in that bathroom for longer it was so luxurious. The water was the perfect temperature. The shower was short, but still quite enjoyable. While I appreciated that you could make your suite private by closing the doors I was also worried I would sleep through meal times and wanted them to be able to wake me up. Besides I could sleep anytime! This was an experience I couldn't miss! I watched about half of the Vietnam War PBS doc, did some work, and some reading. I took short walks and attempted to hang out at the bar, but no one was really around so that got boring. I wish they had lounge seats at the bar and I could do my reading out there. The caviar was divine and for my second order they brought me a double order. I got 2 pairs of pajamas (one went to Seth). They're better quality than most of pjs I have purchased. I took my toiletries (Bvlgari bag, perfume, etc.) and tote bag, thanked the staff, and was on my way to the Dubai lounge.
7/23 8 am- 4 pm: I had the whole day in Dubai and took full advantage! I started in Lounge B, which was by far the biggest and the best (see pics). It was empty (like the other lounges) so the staff was very responsive to any needs. I loved being able to order off the menu and eat at the buffet at the restaurant. After breakfast it was time to explore. I asked about the pool/ jacuzzi at the Timeless spa (as advertised on the Emirates' timeless spa website) and the staff was mostly confused, but directed me to the lounge at terminal C (see pics). This was the smallest lounge and surrounded by construction. Not the greatest. The staff there was also confused about the pool/ jacuzzi, but I figured I have the whole day it must be located at the Timeless Spa in lounge A. So I headed there (30 minutes total, with the tram and walking). The special part about Lounge A is that you can connect directly to your gate from the lounge. Beyond that it's narrow and not as enjoyable as Lounge B (I thought I took a picture of lounge A, but must have forgotten). A staff person there informed me there is no pool or jacuzzi at the Timeless spa. I said excuuuuuse me! then showed her the pictures on the website. She did some research and as it turns out the pool/ jacuzzi are located in the Terminal B hotel! Emirates first class customers do not have free access, but I figured whats 20 bucks? So I headed back to Terminal B. After about an hour in the pool/ jacuzzi--pics attached (relaxing and also had a steam room... highly recommend) I showered and headed back to my favorite Lounge B. I order some more off the menu and of course nibbled at the buffet. The mutton stew was my favorite meal. While I am not a fan of massages since it was free (15 min) I felt an obligation so I got the thai stretch massage. This is not for those who do not like massages, but it felt sort of nice about an hour after.
7/23 4- 8 pm: My second Emirates first class experience from Dubai to Nairobi. A shorter flight, but just as enjoyable. Unfortunately I hadn't really slept on my previous flight or at the lounges in Dubai due to fomo, which meant I slept most of this flight. The service was again impeccable. The attendant combined 3 different meals into one so I could test all of them for dinner.
To summarize: A great experience overall and highly recommend regular travelers due it once. Of course it's not worth the $30,000 price tag, but if you have the funds and can get it for half off I would say do it (of course i was using my dad's mileage). And definitely make sure you have a long enough layover in Dubai to fully enjoy the lounges. My only complaint is that the pool/ jacuzzi should not be advertised on the Timeless Spa website if it is not located at a Timeless Spa. It should be clearly indicated where it is located and that there is a charge for those not staying at the hotel. I had plenty of time to go on a search, but if my layover wasn't all day this would have been very aggravating. Looking forward to wintertime when I can lounge in my pjs! I've already made good use of my tote bag and toiletries.
sorry her pix didnt copy but u have them all anyway.
BTW: i have also flown etihad FC and it was extremely irritating that the seats reclined about as much as a coach plus seat
hello again lucky...i love all of your reviews especially your hilarious pithy comments: like always watching "ice age". i dont quite get periodic comments you receive criticizing these. its what makes your reviews so much fun to read..i also like "onemileatatime" mostly just for basic info.
do you ever get to sfo for conferences as i would like to meet you someday
Flying on Emirates First Class is my dream I have never flown on Emirates first class but I am dreaming to go on the A380.
We also travelled first class on A380 and had to walk down the stairs(waited for 15mins) with our cabin bags to then exit the aircraft together with all the economy pax as well!! This is not what you’d expect flying first class on Emirates after paying for a $16000 fare!!
After many flights on Emirates Syd-Gla in economy, it was #1 on my bucket list to fly this route in First Class one day.
Happy to say we are booked on EK413 in June 2023, seats 2E &2F, First Class all the way through to Dubai on A380-800 then seats !E & 1F Dubai to Glasgow on 777-300.
Dreams do come true!!!