If you haven’t read it already, be sure to check out my Emirates first class trip report from London Heathrow to Dubai from last December, which is a bit more thorough than this review will be (in part because much of this flight was a blur, so I can’t say I remember the entire thing).
Continue reading: A380 Extravaganza: Emirates First Class Singapore to Dubai
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Where's the grilled chicken breast or lasagne that I would've expected you to order?!!
You have amazing posts. I started reading your blog about two months ago, but I've read almost every post since then. I have only had the pleasure of flying a premium cabin internationally once, though, on a United flight from Newark to Delhi.
He was too tipsy to eat it!!!! Although if it was me and one taste of Dom and I'd be wasted.
A shower at 35000 feet remains on my bucket list...and with the rest of the service like this....its an added bonus.
@ Tony -- Hmm, I've flown those of Lufthansa (3x), Qantas (3x), Singapore (2x), and Emirates (3x). Have plans to try more this year.
Thanks also I am at a really young age and I enjoy reading your trip report. Also I am a. Airplane geek at around 11-14
Great review Lucky. I'd way rather read about an unplanned lapse into first class drunkenness than have everything go perfectly all the time.
That's odd you didn't get amenity kits on the DXB-LHR and LHR-DXB flights... that seems very odd.
anyone else with the same experience?
@ Lantean -- It was explained to me that it depends on the departure/arrival time of the flight. Still not sure what times qualify, though it is odd.
interesting... well, i am on the 7.45AM DXB-LHR flight and they'd better have amenity kits... because i want one for myself and i also want to ask for the female kit to bring as a souvenir to my mom.
if they don't have the kits I'll be seriously upset...
🙁
Hi Lucky, did you transit or stopover in Dubai? If transit only for less 24 hours, how to ask for limo to hotel? Would they also pick up from hotel to DXB?
@ Sean -- I spent a night in Dubai. The chauffeur service can be arranged in advance either online or through the call center. The airport transfer is roundtrip.
LOL at calling half the cabin. Sounds like a fun time!
Must have been entertaining to be on the receiving end of one of those calls. Only on Emirates can you drunk dial another random first class passenger!!
So even just transit only for one night stay in Dubai will be entitled for round trip chauffeur service? That sounds too good to be true..
You get an amenities bag when your departure time is night. If it's daytime, you don't get one.
was the Park Hyatt complimentary as part of your layover of less than 24 hours?
"Or for that matter the minibar, since you can order anything to drink on demand and it won’t be room temperature…"
Hah! I've said it before, but that mini-bar is more style than substance.
Emirates - overnight flights above four hours always get the full spread of pajamas and amenity kits. Of course the long haul flights over ten hours always get them, but if it is a medium haul flight, such as Dubai to Europe or Asia, you don't get the pajama and amenity kit if it is a daytime flight. You get the eyeshades, socks, slippers, earplugs and light amenities, but no PJ or amenity kit. If you fly from London to Dubai in the morning flight, the F/As will get you an amenity kit or a PJ if they have leftover from the previous overnight sectors. However, if the turnaround flights are also daytime, they don't have any stocked. Emirates is very cost conscious and I guess since they offer many discounted F and J fares, they really don't want to pass those things freely.
I find Emirates far better than singapore on the product offered,the suites are more intimate in emirates,even if you dont like many added amenities as the minibar,the interseats phone,the snaks,all that are extras but i ve the feeling you rate over the top singapore and lufthansa,anyway everyone have his preference and we still enjoy your posts.
Is it just me, or isn't it quite odd that right above the caviar is listed... instant cup noodle?
That's interesting about the amenity kits. We are hoping to fly ba first ord to lhr. Do other airlines also only give amenity kits on some, but not all flights?
@ Carl -- It wasn't, as the complimentary hotel is only available if you take the next available flight, and there were several flights to London before ours.
@wwk5d
as far as i can see from the posted pictures,singapore suites doors you can see through the glass while emirates seems to have more compact doors that can give you more privacy.
what time was your DXB-LHR flight departing? i should probably avoid the same flight just to get the kit!
😉
OK, well, i am on the 7AM now... so i guess no kit for me either! unless i switch to the 3AM flight, that one hopefully gets the kit... now i really want it! ha! 😉
@ mohamed b -- The shades on Singapore actually close for utmost privacy, and the walls are a bit higher than on Emirates.
Forgive me if I missed this. Where can I find your detailed post about how you earned/booked this trip? Great report!
@ Joe C -- I have all the details in the introduction post:
https://onemileatatime.com/a380-extravaganza-introduction/
Let me know if you have any questions!
Luky, did you get complimentary chauffeur service in Singapour before your SIN-DBX flight also and in London after DBX-LHR? Or is this service just for Dubai?
thanks
@ IS -- I could have, though I forgot to book it and it was too late by the time I thought of it. I did get it in London as well.
Emirates does NOT service Paradis cognac in C (only in F), please correct. The cognac at the C bar at the rear is XO.
I loved the experience of this airline and I was only in business class. It would be fun to take a flight in first just for the experience and the Pajamas. I also had no idea that they had cars waiting for business passengers, we got lost trying to find the hotel car service we would have paid for and when asking Emirates they just sent us to a car , they said it was included. Thanks Ben for getting us there.
@ Stefan -- It was definitely in the business class bar, so I'm not sure if that was a fluke or what...
Lucky -- with which airline did you credit your EK miles? AS? Is there any way to take advantage of the fare you booked for your return on different airline combinations and credit on star alliance or AA?
@ Larry -- I credited to Alaska. You can easily fly OneWorld the whole way if you wanted to, or even do Star Alliance for many of the segments. The only restriction is that transatlantic travel has to be on an American Airlines codeshare.
Thanks Lucky. Can you give any hints? I can find stuff on TG flghts in J, but the hard product on the 777 looks underwhelming. Basically, my goal is not that different from your trip. I want to use my miles to try SQ suites, but pay for premium class return, earning on *A. I seem to be able to find good stuff on EK and Qatar, but am having trouble finding any high quality hard product that earns on *A.
Great trip report Lucky, I especially liked your veiled reference to unattended bottles of Dom at the bar outside the shower... But, I have a few rather complicated questions...
EK is one of the few airlines I haven't flown, but anecdotal reports paint it as a moneyed airline that has bought a global staff of flight attendants that are somewhat lacking in personalized service.
Many of your trip reports over the years have lauded flight crews of countries that have flag carriers that impart hospitality with a "local flavor" that makes lasting memories...
So, here's my question: is the super-impressive EK F lounge/floor in DBX really that spectacular, or is the smaller, more personalized TG F lounge in BKK a more soulful experience?
And how do your many flights on flagship airlines of countries with local staff compare with EK with their "mercenary" flight attendants?
@ MACABUS -- You need to fly Emirates first class so we can read about how many bottles of Dom you can down on a flight!
Great question you have. The way I see it, service on Emirates completely lacks any local flavor or for that matter isn't especially good most of the time. They can't compete with a good Singapore or Asiana crew, or even a good Lufthansa crew, for that matter.
But in many ways that truly is reflective of what's "local" in Dubai, where it's nothing but foreign labor doing the dirty work while the locals chill.
As far as the lounge goes, it's not at all an authentic or intimate experience, but it's physically an impressive space. I do prefer the service in the Thai and Lufthansa lounges at their hubs, but for variety it's also nice to experience Emirates.
Let me summarize it this way -- if I had to choose one airline to fly forever it wouldn't be Emirates. I find most aspects of their product to be gaudy, like the gold trim and everything. But that's also part of what makes them so interesting and a fun change of pace. They're unlike the airlines we're used to that are reflective at least somewhat of local culture.
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Hey! Great Trip Report! I was wondering if the cabin crew escorts you to your seat, or they just gesture towards the seat. Thanks!