I’d argue that the Emirates Airbus A380 is the most iconic plane in the skies, in terms of instant global recognition. Emirates has really done an unbelievable job creating a halo effect with this plane, which has propelled the airline to what it is today.
In addition to an awesome first class product and comfortable business class cabin, the plane has some particularly well known amenities. For first class passengers, there’s the A380 shower spa, which is probably the most jaw-dropping amenity in commercial aviation. Meanwhile for both first and business class, there’s a bar and lounge at the back of the upper deck.
Just as I’ve written a guide to the Emirates A380 shower spa, in this post I’d like to write a guide to the Emirates A380 bar and lounge, given the amount of intrigue surrounding this amenity. While Emirates isn’t the only airline in the world to have an onboard bar and lounge, I do think the airline is in a league of its own when it comes to how well it’s executed, and certainly in terms of how many planes are flying with this product.
In this post:
The history of the Emirates A380 onboard bar & lounge
To start, I think it’s interesting to discuss the backstory of the Emirates bar and lounge. Emirates began flying the Airbus A380 in 2008, and it’s (by far) the world’s largest operator of the A380. When you think of the A380, you probably think of Emirates, and when you think of Emirates, you probably think of the A380.
When Emirates decided to go all-in on the A380, the airline wanted to make the plane something special. While the first class shower suites are located in an area where there couldn’t otherwise be seats (since it’s to the side of the staircase, without windows), the bar is in a location where there could be seats, and there’s a direct opportunity cost.
Emirates President Tim Clark had the idea for the bar, but at the time, he wasn’t sure it would prove a hit. So at first, Emirates installed overhead bins in the area of the bar, in case the airline decided to change its mind, and rip out the bar. As Clark explained at the time, “I designed the bar at the back of the aircraft on the upper deck, on the understanding that if it didn’t work, we could remove it in 96 hours and put eight more business class seats in.”
Suffice it to say that this proved to be a massive success, and the airline never looked back.
Guide to the Emirates A380 onboard bar & lounge
With the above out of the way, let’s talk about all the details of the Emirates Airbus A380 bar and lounge. Where is it located, who has access to it, what food and drinks are available there, how busy does it get, etc.?
Who can use the onboard bar & lounge?
The Emirates onboard bar and lounge is available exclusively to first and business class passengers. It’s located at the very back of the upper deck of the Airbus A380, and it’s available on all A380s (including those without a first class cabin).
As you might have guessed, this is exclusively available on the A380, and not on Emirates’ other aircraft, like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 777 (which might have a small walk-up bar where you can grab a snack, but nothing more).
So to get to the bar, just walk through both of the business class cabins (the A380 has a large cabin, and then a small cabin), and then you’ll see it in the very back. All of the business class lavatories, as well as the business class galleys, are also located at the back of the upper deck, so there’s a ton of foot traffic there, from both the crew and passengers.
What is the bar layout & design like?
Emirates has progressively been updating and modernizing its Airbus A380 cabins over the years, so you’ll notice subtle differences between the various bars and lounges. As pictured above, all the onboard lounges have a “U” shaped bar, which is where the bartender stands.
The bar also always has a huge TV against the rear bulkhead, which is typically showing the map feature, though sometimes also has other programming on.
What differs is what the seating is like. The older style lounge concept has a curved bench on each side, with each bench being able to accommodate roughly three guests. You’ll notice slightly different upholstery, depending on which “generation” of interiors are featured.
In terms of comfort and functionality, I far prefer the new style lounge seating, as I find it’s much more practical. With this, you’ll find that one side of the lounge has two booths facing one another, with a table in the middle. That seating arrangement can accommodate four people.
Meanwhile the other side of the lounge has a booth plus another seat, also with a table. The new style bar is definitely more conducive to conversation, and also more practical, since there’s actually somewhere you can place drinks.
For what it’s worth, while the seating capacity is for six to seven guests, the bar can accommodate up to 26 passengers total, including standing. That limit is based on the need for there to be sufficient oxygen masks for everyone, in the event of an emergency.
Also keep in mind that you don’t actually have to hang out at the bar. You can also just come back to order a drink or to stretch your legs, rather than hanging out there for a long time.
Does the bar & lounge have a bartender?
The Emirates Airbus A380 bar and lounge does indeed have a full-time bartender. Specifically, one of the business class flight attendants will be assigned the position of bartender, so they’ll be there even during the meal service (and of course on long haul flights with crew rests, there’s also a replacement person put in that role).
It tends to be a controversial role. Some flight attendants who are super social and love talking to people are happy when they get assigned this position, while others dread it, since it’s hard to escape into the galley, and you may get cornered by a very annoying passenger.
What food & drinks are available at the bar & lounge?
You should never go hungry in an Emirates premium cabin, given the amount of food served. That being said, if you’re feeling peckish or simply sleep through the meal service (Emirates doesn’t have dine on demand in business class), you can grab a snack at the bar.
Typically, you can expect to find a large, delicious cake there (you can just grab a slice), as well as sandwiches, packaged snacks, and more.
The selection will vary, but just as an example, below is the bar and lounge sandwich selection for current flights.
Of course most people come to bars for drinks and not food, so there’s good news there as well. You can be served all the same drinks at the bar that you could be served at your seat. Fortunately Emirates has one of the best and most expansive alcohol selections in the sky.
Not only does the airline have great wine, but the bartender can also prepare you just about any traditional cocktail imaginable (these can also be ordered to your seat, for the record). For example, below is the current cocktail and mocktail selection.
Even beyond the published menu, they’ll be happy to make you any cocktail within reason. For example, a dirty martini is not a problem!
Now, you’ll want to be careful with crew recommendations. I’m still recovering from that one time the bartender recommended her favorite cocktail to me, and proposed mixing Opus One and Coke… umm…
Do first class passengers get any special perks?
As mentioned above, the bar and lounge is a shared space between first and business class. The one thing worth mentioning is that first class passengers can enjoy the elevated first class drink selection at the bar as well. So whether you want to enjoy Emirates’ amazing first class wines or other great spirits, you can absolutely enjoy those at the bar.
More often than not, if you let the crew know that you’re going to the bar, they’ll automatically bring a bottle of your favorite drink back there, to enjoy. Otherwise, just outright ask them to do so, or ask the bartender for a drink from first class. It’s not an issue, and that’s how the service is supposed to work.
How busy does the bar & lounge get?
There’s massive variability in terms of how busy the Emirates A380 bar and lounge gets. As you’d expect, it depends mostly on the length of flight, the time of day, and the route.
An afternoon Emirates flight from Glasgow or Manchester to Dubai, with a late night arrival? The place is going to be more packed than a pub on a Friday night. An overnight New York to Milan flight, arriving in the morning? It’s likely to be pretty quiet, as everyone tries to sleep.
Simply put, crowding generally comes down to the time of day, and how much people at the origin or destination airport like to drink. By the way, I recommend being strategic when picking your Emirates A380 business class seat, and generally avoiding seats at the very back close to the bar, especially on some of the rowdier routes.
Here’s one other strategy I take. Personally, I love the bar, but I’m not necessarily a huge extrovert. Keep in mind that Emirates doesn’t have dine on demand in business class, so you’ll generally find that the bar is empty during the business class meal services.
When I’m traveling in first class (which does have dine on demand), my strategy is generally to visit the bar when the meal service is going on in business class, since it’s a way to enjoy the space without it being overcrowded.
Bottom line
Emirates’ Airbus A380 bar and lounge is one of the most talked about amenities in the sky. It was a big investment and gamble from Emirates when it was first introduced back in 2008, though in the meantime, it has made Emirates the globally recognized airline it is today.
Given Emirates’ huge fleet of 100+ Airbus A380s, this is the largest inflight “bar” network you’ll find on any airline. Between this and the shower spa, the Emirates A380 sure is a special plane.
If you’ve experienced the Emirates A380 bar & lounge, what did you make of it?
We absolutely loved it, we chatted with other passengers and the bar staff, it broke up the long flight Perth and was lovely to be able to stand for a while. In fact we lived the whole experience so much we are doing it ALL again with Emirates very soon. Well done Emirates
The original Emirates 380 had a separate first class bar area but it was small and sterile and everyone used the business class one.
Just flown to SA on a BA 380 in business, what a poor offering considering what else is on offer.
Bling is not always the best!
One finds it extremely easy to disagree with Ben’s statement that Emirates has an “Awesome First Class product”
In fairness and in truth, our numerous EK A380, F cabin experiences have been very pleasant. However, the very big BUT here is that a 14 seat cabin could never be described as “Awesome”.
Now our SQ and EY A380 Suites experiences, in our opinion, leave EK standing. For a...
Bling is not always the best!
One finds it extremely easy to disagree with Ben’s statement that Emirates has an “Awesome First Class product”
In fairness and in truth, our numerous EK A380, F cabin experiences have been very pleasant. However, the very big BUT here is that a 14 seat cabin could never be described as “Awesome”.
Now our SQ and EY A380 Suites experiences, in our opinion, leave EK standing. For a couple who travel from England to Singapore and onto Sydney regularly, they are simply the best we have experienced so far.
Next month our opinions might well change dramatically when we take our first AF La Premiere flight to Singapore …. we are hoping that the experience will be truly “Awesome”, Ben.
The big advantage of EK First Class is how widely it is offered and on how many routes. If you have ONE specific route you travel regularly - it is easy to find an alternative that may be superior (cannot disagree with SQ on any sector in and out of SIN) but....if NYC to BOM or CPT or BKK or HGK or TYO or etc etc - you will get a consistent F class experience...
The big advantage of EK First Class is how widely it is offered and on how many routes. If you have ONE specific route you travel regularly - it is easy to find an alternative that may be superior (cannot disagree with SQ on any sector in and out of SIN) but....if NYC to BOM or CPT or BKK or HGK or TYO or etc etc - you will get a consistent F class experience on EK albeit in a 14 seat cabin. Can't beat that.
As someone who has been flying a variety of schedules world wide for 40+ years one has seen the decline of F offerings on LH, AF, BA and the like. Everyone offers it in and out of NYC or TYO but if going to BOM or BKK or MLE or IST...to name but a few.. F has gradually disappeared.
Given the consistency of the product (at a superior level) and the diversity of routes it is offered on - I have to concur with Ben: it IS indeed an AWESOME product.
I love the Emirates A380 bar. I have flown First class a lot of times. It is always a special experience. Love it when my champagne bottle from 1st gets delivered. I have also got wise to the meal service for business class passengers so go there when they are having their food service
The few times I’ve flown Business on Emirates a380, I’ve enjoyed going back to the lounge, but it’s not really that special. The best thing is 1-2-1 configuration lie-flat, which is superior to most 2-3-2 older EK 777s.
Opus One is pretty bad wine, even by Napa Valley’s pitiful standards. Watering it down with coke is the only way to make it drinkable.
"mixing Opus One and Coke"
I don't think that's the right coke you're mixing.
I've met really interesting people at the EK bar, including making business contacts. This has been on the flights from IAD and YYZ, both which depart mid-morning so people are awake for much of the flight. It's also interesting to talk to the bartender/FAs and often other FAs will join if it's a quiet part of service.
What I don't like is when the bartender puts all kind of stuff on the bartop, so there's...
I've met really interesting people at the EK bar, including making business contacts. This has been on the flights from IAD and YYZ, both which depart mid-morning so people are awake for much of the flight. It's also interesting to talk to the bartender/FAs and often other FAs will join if it's a quiet part of service.
What I don't like is when the bartender puts all kind of stuff on the bartop, so there's no place to put your drink and it discourages people from standing at the bar.
I was on one such flight during the last World Cup, and they put the USA-England live game on the big screen in the bar area. It seemed like half the plane was there watching it.
Nope. The halcyon days of airborne cocktailing was on a TWA 747 or perhaps a Continental DC-10 in the 1970s.
I find after years of spectating at the EK bar that it is more of a novelty in the sense of people trying to live what they perceive as that Golden Age of Travel. When lounges and bars were a thing on planes.
The reality is that society has vastly changed. People are less inclined to put themselves in social situations, let alone on a metal tube at 38K feet. Most come in, stand...
I find after years of spectating at the EK bar that it is more of a novelty in the sense of people trying to live what they perceive as that Golden Age of Travel. When lounges and bars were a thing on planes.
The reality is that society has vastly changed. People are less inclined to put themselves in social situations, let alone on a metal tube at 38K feet. Most come in, stand around, have one drink, and go back to their cocoon.
Yes, EK's approach serves a purpose in romanticizing air travel in a certain way. But the reality is that most really just want privacy and to feel insulated from others. AKA, doors at J seats.
It's sad, for sure. But it is reality today. Perhaps one day it will switch again to a time when people crave interaction and seek it out in places like this. As our social atrophy grows though I begin to doubt it.
I think one of the issues is that the stakes are higher due to the internet.
If I mention my occupation and where I’m from, some Google searches and clicking through a few links will reveal my full name. That can then be used to find my home address, phone number, etc.
If I say something mildly politically incorrect 3 drinks in at a bar setting, that could easily get back to my...
I think one of the issues is that the stakes are higher due to the internet.
If I mention my occupation and where I’m from, some Google searches and clicking through a few links will reveal my full name. That can then be used to find my home address, phone number, etc.
If I say something mildly politically incorrect 3 drinks in at a bar setting, that could easily get back to my employer, start off an online cancellation campaign, etc.
I think this is why people crave privacy and anonymity. And if engaging in small talk with strangers, speak in bland polite platitudes and are careful to not reveal anything that’s googleable to their identity.
And then people wonder how Trump got elected when nobody they know would dare admit to voting for him.
Not specific to Emirates but it’s amazing to me that airline catering anywhere works at all. All the items that have to be sourced, ordered, cleaned, prepared, somehow delivered to the right aircraft at the right time, it really is something else.
I know right? I understand catering from Dubai, but all the out stations? Sure, some offer certain advantages, but do they fly around with vast amounts of French wine and caviar?
I actually am curious how extensive the bar/cocktail selection is. Like if you ordered a Last Word or an Aviation, could they make it? Both are drinks that virtually any nice cocktail bar could make you -- and if you want to be proud of your cocktail program, you should be able to do it -- but require bottles that I have never seen on an airplane menu (Maraschino, Chartreuse, creme de violette).
It would be a shame if they couldn’t make an Aviation…
The proper answer is that is very extensive for an airplane.
Roll up to the bar in my pajamas ? I was too busy enjoying the first class experience. I mean should I have just put on some jeans and cologne ? Hey guys we’re going out tonight maybe there will be some ladies at the bar. Lol
The Emirates bar is pretty cool but it’s a novelty. I’ve taken jt several times from Dubai-LAX or vice versa and it’s a nice thing to have. But again, it’s a novelty and a photo opportunity.
It’s really just a place to go to stretch your legs after 10 hours into a 16 hour flight. But a nice touch that’s fun to go to. Better than hanging out in galley stretching and doing legs squats. Far more fun with a gin and tonic in your hand !
Speaking as someone who has flown Emirates and always visit the bar, on the many, many flights I have taken with them, I have never been impressed by it.
“I’ll take “Things That Never Happened” for $500, Alex.”
Piss off with your inconsequential driver, Julia! Nobody cares, nobody's listening!
My driver? Lol
If you say so, dear.
I obviously meant "drivel", merely a spelling mistake, though it is not relevant regardless as I doubt your brain could handle such proper and elegant English!
Hell is other passengers. This particular bar scene is not for me.
I love the concept and makes their A380 product feel really special. But I recently flew First Class from BKK on an afternoon flight and the bar was jam packed. The fact that the business class galley and lavatories are right behind makes it even more chaotic. The FA attending the bar was overwhelmed especially with people asking to take a photo behind the bar which slowed her down. I definitely feel like this would...
I love the concept and makes their A380 product feel really special. But I recently flew First Class from BKK on an afternoon flight and the bar was jam packed. The fact that the business class galley and lavatories are right behind makes it even more chaotic. The FA attending the bar was overwhelmed especially with people asking to take a photo behind the bar which slowed her down. I definitely feel like this would be a better experience on a late-night flight if you’re not trying to sleep. It feels like going from a busy dive bar with loud music and drunk people screaming vs a lowkey wine bar with jazz playing in the background
Ben you’re becoming a real journalist
One trip and 20 different angles to it
Good job
…and not one of them is an actual review. He really is getting good at this.
"six to seven guests"
You just had to do that, right? :D
The last time I flew on the A380 the lounge was empty and the bartender had to look up how to make an old fashion. He was very friendly, but the drink was as good as you’d expect
That bar is useless. It's also between the seating area and washrooms. It's really awkward walking through the var in pajamas heading to use the facilities half asleep.
I wonder if the big screen has audio. Maybe from watching a significant game, to a global crisis unfolding on live TV, it can certainly be useful.