Yesterday I wrote about how I typically don’t take inaugural flights. However, I decided to make an exception…
In this post:
I’m taking Emirates’ Miami to Bogota inaugural flight
In the coming days, Emirates will launch a new daily flight between my home airport of Miami (MIA) and Bogota (BOG). As a fan of Emirates, suffice it to say that having such a fifth freedom flight close to home is incredibly exciting.
This new Emirates flight is kind of a big deal for Miami, even among non-aviation geeks. For that matter, I feel like I’ve seen an ad on every street corner for this flight in recent weeks.
I knew I wanted to take this flight at some point in the future. Yesterday I was just browsing award availability on this route for fun (as one does!), and was pleasantly surprised to find just how readily available first class awards were. For example, there’s first class award availability for two passengers almost every day over the coming weeks, with the cost being 60,000 Skywards miles per person one-way (plus around $100 in taxes and fees).
When I searched for award availability and saw first class award space on the inaugural, I couldn’t help myself, and decided I’d take the flight. I’ve reviewed Emirates first class a countless number of times over the years, so I’m coming at this from a different angle than my usual review trips:
- I’d love to get a first look at the experience, given that this will unarguably be the most luxurious flight from the United States that’s not a long haul (this is a flight that’s blocked at under four hours in each direction)
- I’m very curious to see what inaugural festivities will be like, given that this route is a huge deal for Colombia, as it’s the first of this type of service that Bogota is getting
If anyone else is on the inaugural, please say hello (though ideally before the flight and not after, for reasons I’ll get into below). 😉
My poor stomach & liver!
I was curious to see what the soft product would be like on this flight, given that we’re talking about a flight that’s only around 1,500 miles. Was Emirates going to match the soft product of its competitors in this market, American and avianca? 😉
Emirates usually publishes menus and drink lists in advance, but for the new route, I wasn’t able to pull it up prior to booking. Now that I’ve booked, the menu and drink list showed up in my reservation, so I can report back. All I can say is… wow! Emirates has its full first class service on this route.
That includes unlimited caviar…
…a variety of appetizers…
…several main courses…
…and of course dessert.
Perhaps more impressive is the drink selection. No airline invests as much money in wine as Emirates, and the wine list on this flight is leaving me speechless. Look, I don’t really drink alcohol at home, but I’ll make exceptions on planes and when traveling.
And I don’t want to suggest that wine being expensive means that it’s also exceptional, but there’s also generally a correlation between the investment an airline makes in wine, and the quality. Seriously, take a look at the below wine list, and the number of outrageously expensive wine options.
Of course as always, you have Dom Perignon 2013 (~$250/bottle), a staple of Emirates first class. But that’s not even the most expensive wine on the list, as that title goes to Opus One 2012 (~$500/bottle). Heck, the Dom Perignon isn’t even the second most expensive, as that would be the Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2014 Louis Latour (~$375/bottle).
But those aren’t the only standout options. Then you have Château Valandraud 2008 (~$180/bottle), as well as Château Pape Clément Blanc 2016 (~$150/bottle).
So here’s a challenge for our resident OMAAT wine connoisseurs. Can anyone recommend how I can best try all those wines, and which dishes to pair them with? And I guess I should also have a glass of Hennessy Paradis…
On that topic, allow me to apologize in advance if there’s not a whole lot of blog content on Wednesday afternoon, and/or if I start just publishing random combinations of letters. If that happens, it’s Emirates’ fault.
While 60,000 Skywards miles for a one-way flight in first class might sound steep, when you look at the food and drink selection, it almost seems like a bargain. Heck, if you’re looking for a blingy Miami evening, this is cheaper than going to Papi Steak, or something.
Bottom line
Emirates is launching a new route between Miami and Bogota shortly. This will without a doubt be the most luxurious non-long haul flight departing the United States, so I’m thrilled that this is being operated from my home airport.
While I had at first intended to take this flight at some point in the future, I couldn’t help but book the inaugural when I saw that there was first class award space. Having now seen the menu and wine list for the flight, I’m even more excited about what awaits me onboard…
Anyone else plan on flying Emirates from Miami to Bogota?
Return flight EK214 (BOG-MIA) shows up as cancelled for today :( I hope there weren't many passengers looking to do a same-day turn (including @Ben).
Upon boarding ask them to put a bottle of Grey Goose vodka on chill/frost it pairs excellent with the Caviar.
And another Emirates review… imagine if a restaurant critic only reviewed their favourite meal in their favourite restaurant every few weeks…
Didn’t you fancy trying their business class for a change?
Must be time for another top ten of your favourite first class products soon!
How are people so disgusting?! What on earth is it with these recommendations? Anyway, obviously you should take the Tuscan wine.
The Pesquera with a non seafood dish
The Chevalier Montrachet with a sea food dish. The Suidirat for dessert.
You should fly Boliviana back to Miami!
What is it with points people being so classless? They are always gorging and making the experience less classy. No thanks!
Comrade James, the self-appointed, self-righteous, depressed Class Czar, is very cross with Ben for wanting to enjoy his flights and life as he sees fit. Comrade James demands that everyone live in his communist, joyless, tedious misery. Hey Mister Class Czar, Comrade James: how does Ben enjoying his flight make "the experience less classy"??? Are you going to be on the flight, in First? Will this make the flight insufferable for you, personally? How so?...
Comrade James, the self-appointed, self-righteous, depressed Class Czar, is very cross with Ben for wanting to enjoy his flights and life as he sees fit. Comrade James demands that everyone live in his communist, joyless, tedious misery. Hey Mister Class Czar, Comrade James: how does Ben enjoying his flight make "the experience less classy"??? Are you going to be on the flight, in First? Will this make the flight insufferable for you, personally? How so? Will the flight attendants serving Ben drive you to despair? Why? What on earth does it have to do with you? But of course, you are not going to be on the flight. So what are you moaning about? Who are the so-called aggrieved persons you are attempting to protect and defend? Or is this more of a generalized Bolshevik commentary, that no one should enjoy anything, because we should all be good communist nobodies and nothings, taking orders from our superiors, namely Czars like you, the self-appointed, arrogant, self-righteous, depressed Class Czar? Guess what, Comrade James. You're the one who's classless, and "No thanks" to your Bolshevik commands about how we all should live our lives. Why are you even reading Ben's posts? They are all about enjoying life, and Bolsheviks like you hate that. There's no communist misery in Emirates First Class, and that must be very, very difficult for you.
Jason, points people have made the experience in First Class, for those of us who pay with cash, a complete circus.
It’s repulsive seeing posts like this along with points people take videos and photos of every second. I’ve had to tell one blogger to stop filming as it was disturbing others.
Sounds like you’re a point person, Jason who can’t pay cash. Thankful for Air France restricting access to LP.
I HATE Emirates!!! Every time I fly them them they spoil every other other airline. Here in PHX we are stuck with BA (Bloody Awful). If anyone from Emirates management happens to read this PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE add PHX to your routing - ideally PHX - LHR so that we can continue with you to Dubai and on.
I think they used to fly to Phoenix 20 years or so ago. Maybe when Phil Gordon was mayor. I may be mistaken as I was not living in Phoenix then
Expensive alcohol doesn’t give any protection from the health downsides compared to cheap stuff. Perhaps less is more with your drink selections.
I'm also contemplating taking the inaugural (in economy though). I want to do a same day turn in Bogota, and fly back to MIA on the return EK flight (I have work the next day). It seems that for the inaugural only, the BOG-MIA flight departs at 6:55pm (its normally earlier). That gives me 4 hours in BOG.
Will I need to enter the country and go through passport control, or is there a...
I'm also contemplating taking the inaugural (in economy though). I want to do a same day turn in Bogota, and fly back to MIA on the return EK flight (I have work the next day). It seems that for the inaugural only, the BOG-MIA flight departs at 6:55pm (its normally earlier). That gives me 4 hours in BOG.
Will I need to enter the country and go through passport control, or is there a sterile transit at BOG? It's my first time in Colombia, and I'm a US passport holder. Will immigration be suspicious of me for doing a same day turn? If I need to enter the country, is 4 hours enough at BOG to enter the country, go through passport control, and then go through security again and get to the gate in time? I'd appreciate any help.
4 hours is probably enough to go through passport control and security. Just keep in mind that BOG has passport checkpoints for immigration AND emigration.
International transit is sterile, but I don't have any personal experience doing same day turns. Not sure if EK will let you get both boarding passes in advance, or ask you to visit a check-in desk at BOG though, or give you a SSSS.
I don't think immigration...
4 hours is probably enough to go through passport control and security. Just keep in mind that BOG has passport checkpoints for immigration AND emigration.
International transit is sterile, but I don't have any personal experience doing same day turns. Not sure if EK will let you get both boarding passes in advance, or ask you to visit a check-in desk at BOG though, or give you a SSSS.
I don't think immigration staff will be suspicious as Emirates' arrival to Colombia has been very widely publicized and it's considered quite a big deal for the country. In case you have to see a passport officer, just say exactly that.
I knew you would be on this LOL !
Enjoy !
Maybe just focus on one wine only during the flight and do not mix with two or three wines, like the Bordeaux one, and even maybe do not take the champagne at the beginning, take the bordeaux, all one bottle for you from start to finish.
Rinse and repeat the next week with another wine ... :-)
So your liver will thanks you ;-)
With the amount of binge drinking you do on flights you don't need to drink at home
Maybe get yourself listed on the organ transplant queue prior to flight just to be safe?...lol
its an airbus, not a boeing
Nope 777-300ER
Wishing you a very nice experience, Ben.
How are you seeing the award availability? When I search on Emirates website and app, Bogota doesn’t appear as an option when “classic rewards” box is clicked. Miami to Bogota only is an option as a paid flight. Any suggestions on how to get the reward flights to appear? I’ve been checking on this for weeks waiting for award flights to show up. I assumed Emirates hadn’t opened awards flights yet for the route, so...
How are you seeing the award availability? When I search on Emirates website and app, Bogota doesn’t appear as an option when “classic rewards” box is clicked. Miami to Bogota only is an option as a paid flight. Any suggestions on how to get the reward flights to appear? I’ve been checking on this for weeks waiting for award flights to show up. I assumed Emirates hadn’t opened awards flights yet for the route, so I’m very surprised by this article and hope to get some help here. Thanks!
@ Jeff -- Click on "Advanced search: multi-city, promo codes, partner airlines" on the homepage of the website. Then availability will show. :-)
Got it! Thank you Ben.
So when I flew on Emirates first from Milan to JFK this year, I told the stewardess how I knew little about wine but would love try some for my meal. So after the caviar, she came back with little pours in small cups and listed them for me.
She said once I made my choice she would begin heating the meal so that the wine would have time to breath. Perhaps you can...
So when I flew on Emirates first from Milan to JFK this year, I told the stewardess how I knew little about wine but would love try some for my meal. So after the caviar, she came back with little pours in small cups and listed them for me.
She said once I made my choice she would begin heating the meal so that the wine would have time to breath. Perhaps you can do something like that?
Now mind you she also poured the rest of Dom Perigion into a coffee cup for me to drink as I left the plane. Amazing flight
Maybe you can ask them to pour a tasting flight into espresso shot glasses? That way you're not incoherent haha.
Love the idea of Ben showing up in Colombia regaling the immigration officer about flight patterns of Mongolian freight-configured 747s or something.
Agreed about the Opus One. Got to try that in the 90s and it was so good I remember it all those years later.
The burgundy with the fish.
Caviar with a light beer.
Lolololol
@UncleRonnie How on Earth are you sometimes Gold and sometimes Guest like right now?
Logged in on my laptop all the time, I’m Gold. On IPhone (like now) my complicated password keeps going missing, so I’m a Guest. :(
Also on my Ferraris voice to OMAT comment system it shows me as Guest... :)
The wines they serve are almost always top notch. My recommendation: Don Perignon with the caviar; Opus One by itself (it’s a great wine that really does need good); Chevalier-Montrachet by itself (one of the very best Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy, although Latour is far from one of the best producers); Valandraud with beef.
@Mike
Opus One but Ben never orders the beef. The grand cru burgundy is more suitable.
I don’t see avocado toast on the flight. Nevertheless, it looks like fun and should make for a good trip report.
@Ben, I'm so happy you're flying to BOG! Almost all my few and closest friends live there. I hope you get to try some real regional food in Bogotá. I think you've been to the Caribbean part of Colombia, but that's a whole different cuisine. Emirates' pollo a la brasa seems to have nothing Colombian about it, haha. Can't wait to read everything about your trip. Don't spare any details!
He is probably taking the return flight. Rarely does he spend the night and explore.
Emirates' Fifth Freedom flights are a fantastic way to fly First Class without breaking the (money or points) budget. I flew Singapore to Melbourne last month -- an all-daytime seven-hour flight with full first-class service. It was a lot of fun, the carrier charges were tiny compared with what Emirates usually charges (about SGD 85), there was only one other First Class passenger in the 777 cabin (never had a lavatory on a flight all...
Emirates' Fifth Freedom flights are a fantastic way to fly First Class without breaking the (money or points) budget. I flew Singapore to Melbourne last month -- an all-daytime seven-hour flight with full first-class service. It was a lot of fun, the carrier charges were tiny compared with what Emirates usually charges (about SGD 85), there was only one other First Class passenger in the 777 cabin (never had a lavatory on a flight all to myself before!) and yes, I couldn't resist a class of the Hennessy Paradis!
Of course the Dom with the caviar and if you choose the quinoa cakes, go with the Pinot Noir which is a lighter & fruitier red (not sweet but fruity).
See you on the flight!