Review: Emirates A380 First Class (JFK-MXP)

A great review - it is so much better from DXB to SYD - you get to eat drink and get a great sleep

Those finishes are so gaudy and out of date to me.

They are exactly what I picture an eastern European street thug, who murdered his boss, stole $100 million, fled to Miami, and built a mansion in the year 2002 would pick.

Excellent, excellent review. But, if I can't get pajamas in blue, forget it.

Flew EK from JFK to MXP in Business Class last month. Truly amazing experience from start to finish, and we did board from the lounge, which isn't the norm for this flight, as we found out from the receptionist as usually the DXB nonstop is prioritized. The look and feel of the EK cabins and uniforms are not to my taste from an aesthetic point of view, but EK is a wonderful way to travel and the experience was a significant cut above any other TATL service I've experienced across multiple airlines.

All of my long haul international flights have been on planes like B777, A330, A350, B787, A340, B764, etc. Never been on an A380 or B747. Look forward to flying one soon, potentially this exact route. Nice review.

Quite interesting your review. Thanks for your detailed and precise information

I wonder why all the Reuters headlines on top of the IFE screen are in German. My recent flights to DXB had that oddity. I’m sure Lucky (the ex-LH F fanboy that he used to be) understands all those headlines perfectly!

Emirates is truly providing magical experiences, transporting you straight back to 1999 with those outdated seats and cabin interiors!

Totally get that this was a special flight, but the product is really a sub-par offering. 14 seats on the same real estate as SQ uses for 6 just does not compare. It even looks less spacious than Q-suites...

The soft product seems pretty decent, but catering was a bit of mixed bag when looking at those waffles. Drink selection and appetizers are top notch though.

Ben when you get back home. Use 8 sprays of that Bvlgari eau de parfum right before entering a crowded elevator. Peoples nostrils will burn. :)))

@BlackBrent

Emirates first is a sub par offering ?

@Ludwig

If someone came to your college dormitory would it be flush with oakwood finish and gold trimmings ?

Just curious, what does “PC” on suite door refer to? Passenger Check?

How do you monitor for award availability? Expertflyer doesn't look to be capable of monitoring for EK F.

I flew this route a few years ago and it was a delight. The bar and especially the shower easily made it the most memorable flight I've ever been on.

Clock is ticking on those 747s. -400s are dropping off the planet, and the 748 are only flown by 2 reputable airlines in LH and KL.

Well, not compared to US domestic of course.

But I do think it is below serious F offerings like AF, SQ, CX, EY, especially the hard product.

The upgraded suites on their 777's are nice, but only still available on like 3 routes.

I doubt they are very interested in refreshing this product though, seeing they are more focused on premium economy and even the recent business refreshes show little interest to compete on seat in J.

If you wouldn't have gotten those seats at the last minute, what was your backup plan?
Thanks

I took this flight several months ago and it was unbelievably magnificent. We did continue on to Dubai.

Wow wow wow

I agree with Ludwig. The cabin is just gaudy. It has the same look and feel of an older Carnival Cruise ship.

Hi Ben when are you going to fly economy class transatlantic or trans-pacific we are waiting on that it won't be the end of the world. And everything should be okay

Ι want to know if passengers on first class give a tip to the crew member who serves them at the end of the flight ...Is it usual ? Is it a must ?

I experienced this in the other direction this past Tuesday. I loved the shower in the sky, the incredible service, the caviar and mezze, etc.

For my main dish for dinner, though, I had the "prawns and biryani," and it was really not very good at all. I didn't finish it. How is it that Emirates can do so much great in first class -- but can't consistently do food well?

@BlackBrent

I think EK F > LH F.

Never flown Singapore or AF.

I’m flying American Airlines International Flagship First next week. On a scale of 1-10 my expectations are negative 3.

That standard airline pyjama grey doesn't do anything for anyone. It would be so nice to wear later. Even black would be a better look.

Ben,
There is now an issue of transferring AMEX MR points to EK. They get refunded the second they get transferred. AMEX say that the EK account is inactive (which is not true), and EK says maybe it is an AMEX issue. Have delinked on both ends manually and relinked it, still have the same issue. Do you have any idea on this? Do transfers work for you still? (this has started just last week) Thanks.

I wish I could fly in Emirates first class.

I agree, LH is not in the same league as EK or any of the carriers I mentioned.

And don't worry about next week, AA will find a way to score lower than your expectations!

At the conclusion of the meal I was offered a warm towel and fruit plate, which is always placed at the seat after a shower.???
Did you finally find a new way to enjoy the shower suite?Took a meal in it?
By the way look like you are in a good mood today.Because your articles are so loquacious.
From this one: so if you end up next to a stranger (or get tired of your travel companion)
From another one:making them the only urinals on commercial aircraft (I know, this is a real key reason to fly the jet)

Having a ton of trouble finding any availability in biz or F on this route for essentially any time the rest of the year. Expert Flyer also returns "EK award inventory is temporarily unavailable due to an issue with our data provider. They are actively working to fix the issue. Thank you for your patience." Also getting weird errors while searching on the EK website.

Anyone know why?

always excellent and agree that I don't want to leave! Flying Emirates first on four flights this October / November and looking forward to it.

Daniel, please! I had an economy class anxiety dream the other night. I was flying Singapore Airlines in steerage! Your post has made me remember it. I have PTSD. Oy!

AA Flagship CAN be very, very solid...depending on your crew. The hard product is a little dated, but the swivel is pretty cool and makes for great working/eating ergonomics. The crew, on the other hand, is a real wild card. I've had the notorious seniority battleaxes that hate the job but are hanging on for other reasons, but I've also had a crew that's genuinely excited and proud to provide top notch service.

Ben, If coming from another US city to connect to Emirates, is there any airline that allows you to check all the way through to final destination with Emirates? Big hassle to have to get luggage and then re-check to Emirates.

Thinking ATL to ATH through Newark. Thank you

Tipping is not the done thing.

We fly Emirates usually on board A380 in first class. Everything is always excellent, however, we hope that Emirates provides a firmer pillow, as well as their regular pillow which we find too soft. We often need to ask the crew to additionally also bring us an extra pillow from business or economy!! It would also be great if the pull out dining table could move in or out when you need to go to the bathroom. It doesn’t move once it’s in position. The dining table on the game changer 777-300 first class can be moved if you need to get up from your seat. Food, wines, service all excellent.

Actually, no. The Milan stop is prioritised and always gets boarding from the lounge because Milan is a premium destination.