A Thai influencer flew Emirates’ Airbus A380 first class on the carrier’s most economical route, and somehow received public criticism from… an Emirates flight attendant?! This is an interesting story, and thanks to PYOK for flagging this.
In this post:
Thai influencer maximizes short Emirates first class flight
A Thai influencer with 1.5 million followers on TikTok recently posted a video about her experience flying Emirates’ famous A380 first class from Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG). The 1,049-mile flight typically takes just over two hours, and is Emirates’ best value first class flight, with tickets often retailing for under $1,000.
The video went viral, and has been viewed nearly nine million times, as of the time this post is published. This influencer really went all-out on this flight, and changed into pajamas, took a shower, enjoyed a full multi-course meal including caviar, and even curled her hair.
The feedback from people was mostly positive, with one exception. Someone who used their real name and was clearly tied to Emirates (as a flight attendant) left multiple comments on the video, which can be described as passive aggressive, at best:
- “All this… 2 hours. 14 Passengers.”
- “She’s good at making clips. It looks like a DXB-SFO (Dubai to San Francisco) flight that takes 15 hours.”
- “Two hours, shower, eat, sleep. When did you sleep? I don’t know. You even had time to curl your hair. Please.”
The flight attendant got a lot of criticism for her comments, as many people came to the influencer’s defense. Below is a video that basically sums up the controversy.
My take on this Emirates first class controversy
Is the flight attendant’s feedback inaccurate? I mean, no, for the most part, it isn’t. Yes, she probably tried to make the flight seem longer than it is. And yes, the extent to which she maximized it probably added a bit of workload for the crew. And yes, social media makes many people act a certain way.
That being said, that’s also the passenger’s right, and it’s completely inappropriate for a flight attendant to call out a passenger in this way:
- At the end of the day, I’m sure Emirates loves the publicity it gets from videos like this
- Emirates’ first class experience is very much designed to be photographed and maximized, and that’s why the airline has so many gimmicks in first class
- All the passenger did is take advantage of the various services that Emirates markets
- She seemed to be enjoying herself, and wasn’t harming anyone
- You mean to tell me that people only post the highlights of their life on social media, and try to make it look perfect? No way! 😉
So while the feedback would’ve been snarky from anyone, it was especially inappropriate (and stupid) for a flight attendant to comment like this, while using her real name and even posting pictures in uniform. Honestly, that has to be one of the dumbest trends we’ve seen in social media — people intentionally connecting themselves to their employer, and then acting unreasonably rude.
Bottom line
A Thai influencer flew Emirates first class on the short flight between Bangkok and Hong Kong, only to be criticized in the comments by an Emirates flight attendant. The flight attendant accused her of creating an unreasonable workload for the crew, and of trying to make the flight seem longer than it is.
Yes, those things are probably true, but that’s also her prerogative. And criticizing a customer while obviously connecting yourself to the same company is a very bad idea if you want to keep your job.
What do you make of this Thai influencer situation?
Emirates is actually not as good as its hype. I was flying on the same route BKK-HKG in economy. The crew definitely had some communication issues. The lunch service did not start until 2 hours into the flight. Last few rows of passengers only received their meal at the top of descant.
I sat near the galley and witnessed their mess and lack of organisation. Not only they mixed up the special meals, the crew...
Emirates is actually not as good as its hype. I was flying on the same route BKK-HKG in economy. The crew definitely had some communication issues. The lunch service did not start until 2 hours into the flight. Last few rows of passengers only received their meal at the top of descant.
I sat near the galley and witnessed their mess and lack of organisation. Not only they mixed up the special meals, the crew even left the cart next to me in the aisle and went back for replenish. I could even snatch a can of Pepsi within that duration.
There is something wrong with Emirates' recruitment and training.
Why are young women travelling alone in First Class
Still plumbing new depths of stupidity I see, “Hank”. Good job. You are one of the biggest clowns on this site, and that’s saying something.
A Penelope Cruz wannabe?
I had time to eat a three-course meal and polish off a bottle of champagne in the 45 minutes between Dubai and Bahrain, so imagine what you can do in two hours.
Then again, my flight was on a 777, so there weren't as many people and definitely no showers.
Slow news day eh?
It's ironic seeing the hate on influencers on a day when the traditional global economy was forced with a reckoning.
More broadly, for those who dislike 'influencers', there is hope! Already in 2025 I've seen adverts (by major corporations) parodying the trend playing on subscription TV and YT (and presumably on free-to-air TV). The death knell for every overdone trend always begins with ridicule and mockery. Always. No exceptions. Australian/NZ audiences will appreciate Kellog's 'anti-influencer' breakfast cereal advert now doing the rounds.
I think the FA was calling out the influencerʻs BS.
I took this flight.
No PJs and no shower available.
It's weird that the FA was so invested in this rando's account of their experience that the felt the need to "call out" their BS. Who cares?
At least the Emirates F/A should get credit for her very creative 'resignation' in video form ... lol
Fortunately we won't have this problem when this vaunted influencer tries the new "Untried" service next October !
Waste of time/energy........
Good for the influencer! I hate snobby rich people.
How are things back in economy class these days? I must say, it looks terrible.
I can take a dump, shower, change, eat, power nap, brush, floss, change back, and relieve myself once more in under two hours easy. FA having a bad day.
Cabin crews are probably as fed-up with this type as the rest of us are. The sooner "influencer" culture is dead and buried, the better.
Two things can be true at one time. Influencer culture can be terrible and this FA can be petty and whiney as well. Which is what happened.
@Influencers Culture is lame and so is this FA
This. Totally.
And people are forgetting the hidden context of this.
Ask how many followers she had before this Emiratesgate.
What is the "hidden context" here?
I cannot stand these “ influencers”. Most of them are shams by nobodies who prove money doesn’t bring class.
How do they prove that? Most of them are far from wealthy.
Is this Garys website?
No, it's not.
VFTW is built out of feces. If self-aggrandizement and arrogance had a baby, that's the foundation on which the site sits.
Ben posts what he likes, is much less click-baitey, and is overall a billion times better than that other guy's site. What Ben needs to improve is allowing readers to block commenters who say the same things over and over and over, or otherwise add no value.
Actually, it's Timmy's. It's amazing how much that guy has distorted the content and the comment discussions here. But I guess it generates clicks.
@Jack, TD ignores posts that don't involve DL or VS ... or United (big trigger). We're safe here.
Paging Tim Dunn.
Somebody thinks you're incapable of fluff when it isn't DL or VS or UA.
Show them some DOT data, stock market, and some earnings call and prove them wrong.
Even this is not A350-1000 or Boeing delivery delays maybe Tim can fluff it in.
I had no idea until recently that there was this whole complex subculture of travel sites with such a complex web of personalities, social strata, warring factions and long standing feuds. A sociologist really should study this.
Glad I could stir the pot. Its still sensationalism - AKA Gary. But at least not about poop or topless women....
Nothing special! Hundreds of people maximize this experience.
I myself took this segment and maximized it. Unfortunately, the F cabin was full and to get 3 courses took too much time. Not an really disappointed to skip one and take a shower instead.
But the crew really had some communication issues. I communicated that I like to have a shower before departure and when I asked about it other crew members were confused and the shower not prepared
Umm, did you say shower before departure?
Before departure you sit down and shut up. Asking for that during flight prep is classless.
Shower in the lounge if odor is a problem.
He meant before departure he asked about a shower during the flight. Could have been written more clearly.
Yes, I meant I asked before departure for a shower during the flight.
Thanks for your meaningful contribution not like the others here around who seem to enjoy attacking people.
The crew didn’t have communication issues, you have comprehension issues. Typical muppet.
You're wrong, Brad.
Hope that flight attendant enjoyed her tenure at Emirates. It's coming to an end, if it hasn't already.
This 100%
I see no evidence that she took a shower. Where is the proof?
Didn't know voyeurism is your thing derek.
derek expects proof!
Based on this, there is a strong likelihood that Derek is one of the self appointed shower monitors in the onsen