Review: Emirates First Class A380 Los Angeles To Dubai

My favorite comment and why I wanna try this first class experience one day...

"So I typically wet myself, then turn off the shower while I soap/shampoo up, then rinse myself off, and then just stand under hot water for three minutes giggling. Because I’m on an airplane. At 35,000 feet. Flying at 600 miles per hour. Showering."

Thanks for such a comprehensive review...THIS is why I read this blog and enjoy it so much. There is a story behind the pics and descriptions that make these even more memorable and engaging for the reader. Well done Ben!

@ Lucky- How does Emriates first class compare to Ethiad's first class apartment?

@ Lucky- This has nothing to do with this post but I am flying from ORD to MAA via Frankfurt. The first segment is on United and the second is on Luthansa. I would like to upgrade to business on one or both of these segments so what are my options?

Dominus on board! Very nice to see! 15 hours seemed like the flight was too short.

With all the good things mentioned, I think it's strange that Emirates charge you 2 usd for wifi. Why don't they raise the ticketprice by 2 usd and do not bother first class passengers for the 2 usd? What do you think?

@ Leon -- They're actually working towards free wifi as a stated goal. The reason it's not free is because they don't have the bandwidth to support everyone using wifi (yet). By adding a small price they're creating a small barrier to people using it.

@ Navin -- Which airline issued the ticket, and is it a codeshare on either flights?

@ Navin -- The Etihad hard product is definitely better. I do however prefer Emirates' onboard bar. Keep in mind though that Emirates has more than 10x as many A380s on order as Etihad, so it's much easier to get on an Emirates A380 than an Etihad A380, which they'll only ever fly to London, New York, and Sydney.

Thanks a lot for the review, Ben. I just can't help but feel that the EK F experience is lacking a lot. The density of the seating of outright unacceptable and makes the seats look very tight. The lack of Bose headphones is also not a very nice thing. But hey, showering in the sky must've been an amazing experience.

Lucky, jumping on the off topic comment thread here, do you know if there's any specific information on when EY will fly the A380 to New York, other than "by the end of 2015?"

Thanks!

@ NB -- Nope, nothing further has been published, and an inside source has told me it may be delayed, so wouldn't count on it necessarily being this year.

The menu on Emirates is overwhelming to say the least, so I have a very simple strategy f9r tackling it.
I assume that is supposed to be 'for'...

Nice review. What word on first class availability for later this year?

I flew the Emirats a380 first class from JFK-DXB in June of 2013 and then flew from DXB-JNB(Johanisberg) on their 777-300er. I though both flights were the best I have been on. I have noticed on the a380 that the window seats have more storage but I though the 777-300 to JNB flight was better as the cabin was smaller and less empty even though it was only an 8 hr day flight with no WIFI. Everything about it was great except the flight to JNB being at a remote stand in DXB and first passengers still need to take the crowded bus. Did Emirates change their pjs and slippers as they seem different now in your pictures as well as when I flew them and in your previous reviews? Also is the entertainment controller new? After I flew from JNB-HKG on Cathey Pacific new 777w buissness class on a 13 hour flight and that could not even compare with any aspect of Emirates.

@ Grammar Police -- Thanks for the heads up. Seems to be a WordPress issue whereby it shows correctly on the back end but displays incorrectly when published. Fixed now.

@ Christian -- Haven't heard anything yet for availability after March.

@ Ted -- Happy to hear you enjoyed your flight! Yes, they did change up the pajamas slightly compared to what they were in the past. This was one of Emirates' newest A380s, and there were some minor differences about the suite, including the controller.

I bought on Orbitz . I believe that it was bought on Luthansa. The United flight from Ord to FRA is a codeshare.

@ Navin -- As far as I know you can't upgrade a Lufthansa codeshare on United metal, though someone correct me if I'm wrong. As far as the Lufthansa segment goes, all depends on what fare class you're booked in. You can potentially use Lufthansa miles to upgrade it.

Just relived Christmas again reading this trip report. I had been waiting for this like a kid does while waiting for Christmas morning. I was not disappointed with my present 😉

@ BHill -- Hah, you're too kind, thanks! 🙂

Was your dad in 2F? I took my mom on this exact flight for a much scaled down but still awesome version of this trip for your dad and she had IFE troubles. We both did and there's even a thread on FT about the new ULH A380s having these problems. 2F was worse than 2E but it didn't mar the flight. You're totally right about there being too much to do. I wasn't ready to get off! Luckily I get to take DXB-SFO next month in F.

Your dad got a free bottle of Dom? I wouldn't be surprised if Emirates finds more broken IFEs in the future, courtesy of blog readers who want Dom 😀

@Ben - Any codeshare flight on Star Alliance can not be upgradable with any kind of currency. Not the metal carrier's currency and not the ticket issuer's currency.

Hey Ben just wondering if you can use delta miles on an airfrance flight in first or bussiness

@ Liam -- You can for business class, but not for first.

@ nemme -- Yep, was in 2F. Interesting that it seems to be recurring problem.

So how much would a upgrade cost from economy to business in United miles?

Did you take the Dom in the end? I thought alcohol is prohibited in the uae?

This trip report could have used more daddy Schlappig. He's my favorite.

How many Alaska Miles was this?

@ Navin -- What fare class are you booked in? Could only upgrade the Lufthansa segment if you were on a full fare ticket. Otherwise not possible.

@ James -- Yes, we did. Alcohol isn't prohibited in the UAE. It's not served in many places, but isn't prohibited.

@ Reine -- 100K Alaska miles per person LAX-DXB-SIN. More on the cost of the entire trip in the intro:
https://onemileatatime.com/best-trip-ever-introduction/

Brings back memories of my own EK F flight 2 years ago. The shower experience is almost worth the money and Skyward miles alone!
I admit to be an EK apologist, and have flown with EK the best part of a decade, seeing their amazing expansion almost first hand. Their hard product on the A380 is right up there, especially the bar area and to have it on all their A380s means a consistent experience equipment wise, I hope they will keep the bar even on the 2 class configuration aircraft in the near future.
I have no issues with the so called bling interiors, the wood and gold is perfectly suited to the brand and the culture. Sure beats shades of grey and black on other carriers.

Great TR, reminds me of many fun times in EK F!

Don't forget, as far as the entertainment on board is concerned, there is also a few polaroid cameras hidden around the A380 (and maybe all EK planes?) which you can request from the crew. I have many great pictures from hanging out at the bar with my friends drinking dom in pyjamas! 😀

Experienced the DXB-LAX long haul in April on the Emirates A380 and your review is spot on. As someone who typically gets ridiculously bored on long hauls, I found that my ADD had met its match with Emirates First. Once I got over the Las Vegas-like vanity and made my way through the multiple bags, boxes, and potions, I knew this was going to be an easy flight. The Wifi was more expensive than it is now and rather slow when it was working but other than that a perfect flight. Am flying again in Emirates Business in February from TYO-DXB then Emirates First DXB-JFK (anxious to eperience the difference on each leg). The only complaint I had was families tended to congregate with their children at the bottom of the stairs just off the first class bar so you often heard crying kid noises during the flight. However, the JW Blue more than made up for it!

What is inside the writing kit?

"So Emirates does have the most compact A380 first class layout."

Isn't it tied with BA's A380 first class layout? Though I guess being on the lower deck does give BA some more room...

@ wwk5d -- The cabin on the lower deck is wider, so there's a bit more square footage, I believe.

@ Kira -- There's a pen, envelope, paper, etc., all of which are Emirates branded.

@ qasr -- Hah, indeed, we took full advantage of that on the next sector. 😀

Nice Ben, long time reader first time commenter.

How did you feel it compared to the A380 Business Class Experience outside of the Shower Spa? I flew the A380 Business Class SYD-DUBAI in Oct last year and had a tour of first class and aside from the privacy screens it didn't appear to be a whole lot different (I didn't sit/sleep in the seats though). The wine and booze selection is obviously better but they serve the Paradis in Business Class as well and the food menu looks almost exactly the same. I flew onwards to Brussels in the 777 First looked infinitely better than my Business Class seat so I can see the value there but how do you feel about the price jump and comparative experience jump on the A380? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Lucky, so what's the reaction, and looks you get, when business class are denied dom right beside you? Don't you feel annoyed with the situation?

Hi,

Amazing review.

Do you know where I can check reward availability if I want to upgrade from economy to business or business to first? I heard that if there are only skywards saver seats, then it is possible to upgrade from economy to business or business to first. Is that correct?

Thanks

@ James Want -- Ultimately I do think first is significantly better than business on the Emirates A380. The service is much more personalized, food better (in terms of options, quality, and presentation), there's the shower, better bedding, etc. I do think it's a significant difference.

@ Bernard Mamo -- It's usually fine after the crew explains, but it is always a bit awkward.

@ Cath -- Availability for upgrades is the same as saver inventory. You can search it on the websites of Alaska or Emirates, or otherwise use ExpertFlyer.

@lucky well that's greats to hear! Looking forward to giving it a go.

Great review. I was on the same flight and plane in October sitting in 2K. It brought back great memories.

I went back and looked at that disorganized Asiana boarding process and that was fairly similar to the chaotic boarding process Lufthansa used for the A380 at JFK. Granted JFK Terminal 1 was never designed for an A380, so they probably were doing the best with the space they had.

Lucky, regarding changing the F bar into the soothing spa / waterfall / tea bar, they actually do that for every passenger getting out of the shower, and then immediately restock it to the F bar, only to again make it the spa "exit" after the next shower, and back to the bar yet again!
Amazing that they do this!

Ben - love the stories and details. I've not had the pleasure of flying first in Emirates and the stories and pictures are awesome. Secondly - you are a great son. Hooking your Dad up like that. What a cool thing. Keep up the great work. Best - Jeff.

I just need to say: "it's Bulgari". Yes, they write "BVLGARI" but it's an antique type. Check the URL: www.bulgari.com Hey, there is also www.bvlgari.com… but it's there just for you :-p

@ Fabio -- Hah. Right, I get that, I'm just typing it the way they brand it.

Ben,

What an amazing trip report - you are very thorough and the pictures are fabulous! I absolutely did NOT think I could get any more excited about my first class Emirates ticket to Dubai/Paris in June, but your trip report did the trick! (:

We are booked for one night at Burj Al Arab and one night at Burj Khalifa Armani (a big splurge, but our tickets were free) and I wondered if you'd like a luxury hotel report from an English teacher/traveller/blogger?! I'm legit, Daraius from millionmilesecrets interviewed me on December 5 last year and you can also check out my blog - milestravelingteacher.com.

Let me know and THANKS for the great blog!
Ellen

Great trip report! Really enjoyed it Ben!

How do you compare it to SQ Suites/First in terms of services, staff attentiveness, attention to details etc?

I have plan to go to UK and cannot choose between the two airlines! Need your advise 🙂

@ Andrew -- I'd argue that a good Singapore crew is as good as it gets. But it is tough to compete with the onboard shower and bar.

@ Andrew — I've flown both of those products in the last 4 months and I highly recommend Singapore over Emirates.

First the crew on Singapore will be much better. Emirates takes pride that their crew speaks many languages but they put them in bad housing (my sister works in Dubai, I've seen the housing first hand) and the crew doesn't have any loyalty to the airline. On the other hand, Singapore crews are amazing and love and take pride in the airline they represent.

Second the hard product is not even close. Suites are amazing, the bed is awesome and the seat is large and comfortable. The Emirates seat is cramped and in my opinion not even flat. There is no foot piece so the bottom of the bed drags down with weight. The food on Singapore is awesome , some of the best lobster I have had, and you can request what you want ahead of time. Emirates food was blah. Plus Singapore has Krug which everyone can admit is way better.

The shower is the only area where Emirates is better but in my opinion it doesn't make up for all the flaws.

Regardless of how Emirates ranks in top experiences, this review is a top review. I was chortling with glee the whole time. Thanks so much for this.

Are the headphones part of the takeaway swag? I can't really imagine being given secondhand headphones on such a superior 1st Class flight !

@ MissBasset -- Nope, you can't take those with you.

Ben - this was one of the best trip reports I've ever read. Very well done. Onemile is my new favorite blog. I'm actually planning a surprise birthday trip for my wife in October to the Maldives on EK in F. We're going through Orlando...they start service to Dubai September 1st. Sadly though, on the 777-200LR and not the A380. When you said you did the trip on 100k Alaska miles pp, I about fell out of my seat...I'm sitting on over 600k of DL miles and could never get a good F class seat on a real airline, even with that many miles. I'm doing the Amex Platinum 2-for-1 on EK. Do you know if they'll make that a 380 route by Oct 8???

@ MontanaMatty -- Thanks for reading and for the kind words! Unfortunately it's probably unlikely Orlando will get the A380 any time in the near future, especially since it's a brand new route. The 777 has the same seats, so it should still be an excellent experience. Enjoy the flight!

Hi Ben,

I am impressed with you blog on A380 flight 1st class to Dubai on Emirates.
I am currently a Delta Skymiles member and I have accumulated over 500K miles on it over 15 years. Do you think there is anyway I can do this 1st class Emirates flight from LAX to Dubai and return next years? I am totally new at this.
and How to I transfer my Skymiles over to redeem that Dreamed 1st class flight?

Thank you for your beautiful blog on all the glory details about each airline's First class products, I am drooling as I read through your blog.

Andrew

Heyyy!!
I really loved your post!!
I will one day fly on this!!
Luxury every way!!
hahahaha made me laugh a lot " Where’s the “I’m-so-freaking-excited-I’m-trying-not-to-cream-myself” collection?!"
Best Wishes, Esther.

Truly amazing post. I started the Emirates music as soon as I saw your link to it and poured another scotch. Thanks!

Great write-up. The Emirates first class suite is awesome ( I have flown in the 777 with identical seats but minus the shower/bar area), but I've struggled to find a place to keep my bulky carry-on.

Kept it right in the front but gets in the way when it's flat-bed time.

Hi Lucky,

German is pronounced her-m'an in Argentina, and we call the germans actually "alemanes" and germany is "alemania" (similar to French people's way) — that's why he didn't have trouble during the world cup hahaha

AM I YOUR ONLY ARGENTINIAN READER?!??!

Leaving Feb 29th, Emirates A380, First Class, SFO to BKK with stop in Dubai. Cannot wait. Used FF miles so the trip cost $82 for the two of us. Loved your blog.

Wife and I are flying Emirates First Class DFW - DXB April 19 using Alaska miles. Will we be able to use the First Class Lounge in Dubai? Also, can we use the free car transfers in Dubai and at our final destination Beijing? Will the swag be the same on the second leg DXB - PEK?
Always enjoy your posts. Thanks

Taking this flight next February with my wife.
I was probably one of the last few lucky ones to use Alaska Airlines to book flight from LAX to Maldives with a stopover in Dubai before the devaluation.
My wife prefers to be next to each other in the middle seats.
Is there anything we'll miss not having window seats?
We still have plenty of time to change. I'd love some feedback.
We've got Singapore suites on the return to LAX, and we've already got the side by side double bed reserved.

Flying F from Sydney to Bangkok on 777 -300 er , does anyone know if Emirates use the Suites on this leg .

Hey Lucky great post! Really interesting! Quick, general question though; is there any possible way to use American Airlines miles to upgrade a Lufthansa flight inbound to Boston from Munich? Also, what would you say is the best way to rack up enough miles to redeem them for awards between Europe and the US?

Hi lucky, Just to ask... Is there a Priority Lane for Emirates F Passengers at LAX ?

This report hurt me slightly XD
I'm flying from CPT to SYD via DXB in a couple of months but I'm doing it in economy. ULH is slightly less fun without access to a bar!