15 Emirates First Class Secrets & Tips, From Hidden Cameras To Room Service

There are a lot of amazing first class products in the world, though Emirates first class is among my favorites. That’s true whether you’re flying the Airbus A380, and can enjoy the inflight shower and bar, or whether you’re flying the new Boeing 777, and can enjoy among the world’s best first class suites.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to take dozens of Emirates first class flights over the years, and I’ve consistently had the most fun on these flights (including my recent flight with my dad!). In this post, I figured I’d share some of the most interesting aspects of the experience, which you may or may not know. While I’m sure some of you will know some or all of the below, I’m guessing most people won’t.

In no particular order, below are 15 Emirates first class secrets and tips…

1. Smile, you’re on camera

Emirates first class might be extremely private in the sense that you have a suite with a door, but don’t get any ideas based on that. If you’re flying the Airbus A380, you’ll see that there’s a camera at the back of the first class cabin (it’s the little black box at the back of the cabin in the below picture).

This can be viewed from the purser’s office, from the cockpit, and from some other crew monitors. Chances are that crews aren’t spending their free time watching the camera, but you never know.

For those curious about the reasons for this, there’s actually an innocent explanation. Regulators generally require crews to have a “direct view” of the cabin for safety reasons, to ensure passengers are seated during taxi, takeoff, and landing. In some cabins with higher suite doors or where jump seats are oddly positioned, cameras are needed to meet that requirement. That’s what’s going on here.

2. The crew doesn’t know if you redeemed miles

While it shouldn’t have any practical implications, people are often curious if the airline crew knows if you redeemed miles for your ticket or not. In the case of Emirates, the crew can’t tell whether you redeemed miles or paid cash for your ticket. Interestingly the crew can see if you upgraded, as that shows differently in the system.

But for all practical purposes, an award ticket is treated as a “paid” ticket. So whether you paid $21,000 or redeemed 150,000 Emirates Skywards miles, it’s all the same to the crew…

3. Shower attendants aren’t flight attendants

Emirates is one of only two airlines to have shower spas on commercial aircraft (Etihad’s small A380 fleet also has showers), and they’re such a treat. Not only are there two showers, but there’s also a dedicated shower attendant.

Some people are surprised to learn that these aren’t flight attendants. Rather they actually sit in passenger seats for takeoff and landing. You can tell them apart from the rest of the crew based on the fact that they wear trousers rather than the usual skirts.

Unfortunately the shower attendants aren’t treated especially well, so be extra nice to them. They make a fraction of what the other crew members make, share rooms at their accommodations in Dubai, etc.

4. If you’ve got a problem, talk to the purser

On airlines in the United States, the purser is typically a flight attendant who gets paid an extra few dollars per hour to do the paperwork and coordinate the crew. That’s not to say that they don’t have any duties beyond standard crew, but they’re not “proper” managers (which might explain some of the service issues we have in the US).

On Emirates, the purser’s responsibilities are much greater, as is their accountability. They have to email the crew before the flight to introduce themselves and assign positions, they do a crew briefing and uniform check before the flight, and they’re also responsible for evaluating the performance of other flight attendants.

If there’s something you’re not happy with on your Emirates flight, let the purser know. If you’re in first class, I guarantee they’ll take it seriously. They could be in trouble if there’s a problem on the flight they’re not aware of, so they’ll do everything they can to make it right, and will also write a report after the fact sharing what the issue was and what they did to resolve it.

So if you’re unhappy with the flight, engage the purser. Of course this assumes that you have a decent purser. In some cases you may end up with a not-great purser, which makes things a bit more complicated.

5. You want pajamas and an amenity kit?

Emirates has among my favorite first class amenities, as the airline has pajamas, slippers, amenity kits, and even an exclusive beach bag of sorts on the A380 (intended to be able to take stuff to the shower suite).

While you should proactively be offered this on long haul flights and nighttime flights, on daytime flights that aren’t long hauls (like to most destinations in Europe or Asia), the crew won’t necessarily proactively offer these. However, they should be available on demand, so it can’t hurt to ask.

6. You can request a birthday cake

Are you traveling around your birthday? You can request to have a cake onboard at no additional cost. Just phone up Emirates and you can make the request — you don’t have to be traveling on your actual birthday to take advantage of this.

7. You can order room service

It’s one thing to have a dine on demand concept, though being able to order room service on a plane is next level, in my opinion, even if it’s sort of a gimmick.

If you’re on one of Emirates’ older planes you’ll notice a phone in your armrest, and in it you’ll see a button that looks like a flight attendant with a telephone. Push it and you can call the flight attendant to place your order.

In practice people usually misuse it and assume it’s the call button, so you may find that the crew just shows up at your seat instead. But the phone does in fact ring in the galley when you push that button.

If you’re on a flight operated by Emirates’ new Boeing 777, you can even video call the crew to order room service. While crews generally won’t be huge fans of this (since they’re often caught off guard), it is a feature that’s there.

8. The purser has an onboard office

Speaking of the Emirates purser, they actually have an onboard office on the A380. Go to the lower deck and under the staircase you’ll see a door. That’s where the purser’s office is. This is where they can complete paperwork (some flights have multiple incident reports), monitor the cabin (like watching first class passengers on the camera!), or even just escape from people.

9. You can easily upgrade to first class

One of the best kept secrets to getting upgraded on Emirates using miles is to make the request at the airport or even onboard the flight. While there are capacity controls when upgrading in advance, in theory you can upgrade with last seat availability either at the airport, or onboard the flight.

Now, I say “in theory” because that’s how it’s supposed to work. However, not all airport staff or crews are correctly trained on this. It always pays to have some Skywards miles in your account, as you can even upgrade a business class award ticket to first class using miles.

Upgrades are available from one cabin down, and even award tickets qualify, as long as they’re issued by Emirates. So if you book a business class award, you could then upgrade it to first class (which is useful, since outright first class awards are restricted to Skywards elite members).

10. The capacity of the shower suite is two

At least that’s what the sign above the spa doors says. Apparently the crew handbook says a second passenger is only permitted as necessary to provide assistance. How they define “providing assistance” is up to your friendly crew. 😉

11. There’s an onboard Polaroid camera

All Emirates planes have an onboard Polaroid camera. This allows the crew to take pictures of passengers and then put them in a cute picture frame that you can take with you as a memory. You can always ask about this, though typically this will be volunteered if you’re celebrating a special occasion, or have a fun crew.

12. The caviar really is unlimited(ish)

Emirates isn’t the only airline to serve caviar in first class. However, while other airlines offer it in very limited quantities, Emirates officially promotes that it serves unlimited caviar.

Emirates has dine on demand in first class, and this really is as flexible as it sounds. Want a double portion of caviar? No problem! Want some caviar sprinkled on your omelet for breakfast? Sure!

You can expect that most flights will literally be catered with dozens of tins of caviar, to ensure that the airline can deliver on its promise (and don’t worry, unused caviar just returns to the catering facility, so it’s not wasted).

13. Drink the most expensive alcohol in the sky

I’m not saying you should drink just because something is expensive, but I’m also not saying you shouldn’t drink just because something is expensive. 😉

On a per-bottle basis, Emirates consistently serves the most expensive alcohol you’ll find on any airline. Specifically, I’m talking about Hennessy Paradis, a cognac that generally retails for around $1,500 per bottle. So if you’re a cognac fan, make sure you order some of this while flying with Emirates.

14. The wine list is always exceptional

Assuming you’re someone who enjoys drinking wine, it’s important to understand that Emirates is on a completely different level than any other airline in the world when it comes to the selection of wine it serves. Emirates has invested over a billion dollars in its wine program, and that largely includes buying and aging millions of bottles of wine, until it’s the ideal time for them to be enjoyed.

I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that Emirates operates in a completely different league than other airlines on this front. So if you’re into wine, I recommend looking up the wine list in advance, deciding which you want to try, etc. The crew will gladly give you a wine tasting, and they can even decant wines, if you want to enjoy them later in the flight.

15. Enjoy first class drinks at the business class bar

One of the awesome things about the Emirates A380 is the bar that you’ll find at the back of business class. I’d argue it’s the single amenity that has most given Emirates a “halo effect” for its entire brand. This is a shared space between first and business class, and it’s really nice to be able to go somewhere and stretch your legs, or just get a change of scenery.

The bar is generally just stocked with the standard business class drinks (which are great as well), and the bartender can prepare a variety of cocktails. However, if you’re in first class, note that you can also enjoy any first class drink back here.

Most attentive crews will pay attention to what you’re drinking, and will then follow you to the bar with a bottle of whatever you’re enjoying. But by all means ask proactively as well, as they’re happy to bring you anything from the first class menu (otherwise it may not proactively be offered, since the business class bartender may not realize you’re in first class).

Bottom line

Emirates has one of my favorite first class products in the world, and hopefully the above paints a small picture of why. There’s just not another airline in the world that’s more fun to fly.

While I’m sure many of you knew the basics of Emirates first class either from having flown it or from having read reviews, hopefully some of the above is new and interesting information.

Do any of the above Emirates facts surprise you?