Experiencing Flying First Class on Emirates Air
When Emirates Airlines debuted its new first-class service on wide body Airbus 380 international flights in 2015, it created quite a sensation among business and luxury travelers. The airline publicized the new seats which feature private compartments and other amenities with a series of TV ads featuring film star Jennifer Aniston. The ads showed her taking a shower in the large first-class bathroom, enjoying cocktails and hors d'oeuvres airborne in a lounge, and then settling in to sleep on a comfortable lie flat bed. Booking a first-class seat on Emirates is very expensive, so like most people we viewed the seats as the type of thing you see on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" but never actually experience.
Several years ago, however, we decided to upgrade our tickets for a 19-hour round trip on Emirates from London to Singapore from economy class to business class. Much to our surprise, the boarding passes we were issued showed first class seat assignments for our return flights from Singapore to Dubai and from Dubai to London. When we entered the plane, we found out that not only had we been upgraded by the airline to first class, but we were also the only two passengers on that 14-seat section of the plane. This article summarizes the memorable experience of flying first class on Emirates.
Suite Description
Emirates describes its first-class suites as a "private hotel room in the sky" with "game changing technology including temperature controls, mood lighting, virtual windows, and soft leather seating reminiscent of a Mercedes-Benz S-class" automobile. This is only a slight overstatement. The first-class seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 arrangement and there is a 5 ft high privacy door separating each seat from the aisle and the other passengers. This can be left open or shut throughout the flight and includes a do not disturb feature for additional privacy. There is also a partition which can be raised to separate passengers selecting one of the two middle seats.
The seats are comfortable leather with a light tan color, a 23-inch width, and a 78-inch length. They can be adjusted from an upright position to a Barcalounger position to a lie flat bed. Each bed comes with a full pillow, mattress pad, and blanket. You can sleep or nap at any time during the flight in your clothes or use the free pajamas, sandals, and robe provided by the cabin crew. Although I did not sleep on either leg of our journey, my wife slept during the evening hours. I was content to relax in the seat and move about the cabin for breaks from time to time.
Suite Amenities
There are three notable flight amenities available in the first-class suites. First, the entertainment system includes a large screen which can be used for movies, tv, wi-fi, and other functions. The most convenient way to operate it is with a moveable tablet which allows you to scroll to the desired service without pushing the screen or moving your position. Emirates prides itself on the size and diversity of its flight entertainment system known as ICE. It includes 4500 channels of movies, TV shows, music, and games which are all available on demand in numerous languages. You can also keep current on news, weather, sports developments, and flight information. Second, each seat has its own mini bar which is recessed into the side panel and stocked with various waters and sodas. A small basket is also provided with chips, chocolates, nuts, and other snacks to enjoy between meals. Third, there are drawers filled with designer personal items such as lotions, writing instruments and vanity mirrors.
Dining
The dining and beverage options on Emirates are over the top. Passengers can eat or drink throughout the flight and place orders for dinner, breakfast, and appetizers at their own convenience. In addition to an extensive wine list and menu, you can request a glass of Dom Perignon, caviar, or specialty champagnes. The food items feature some Middle Eastern favorites, but the steak, lamb, seafood, and vegetarian options are ample and professionally prepared to satisfy all palettes. Given the numerous locations around the world served by Emirates and changing time zones, every long-haul flight will end up with either an early morning departure or a morning arrival. The coffee, fruits, and breakfast entrees are worth the wait and a refreshing way to prepare for the next part of your journey.
Plane Amenities
Despite the food options and comforts of Emirates first class seats, being stuck in one location for 8 to 18 hours is still quite limiting. The first thing Emirates did to overcome the boredom and physical restrictions of flying was to reintroduce a separate lounge for use by its first class and business class customers. Decades ago, Pan Am international flights included this amenity during the “golden age” of aviation. Emirates A380s include a large open space usually located at the rear of the upper deck behind the business class seats. It contains a full-service bar with drinks and snacks, a large screen TV, and seating area for up to fifteen people. Passengers can stretch their legs, talk with other passengers, and move around the cabin visiting this lounge.
As previously noted, the showers placed in the first-class restrooms embody the upscale reputation of Emirates’ first-class service. Passengers book a time slot with a flight attendant who then provide a brief instruction as to where to place your clothes, operate the shower unit, use the hair dryer and mirror, and secure yourself in the event of turbulence. Certainly, having the ability to freshen up with a 5-minute hot shower and change your clothes before completing your flight and moving on to your next destination is a luxury experience.
The focus on the "glamour" of the shower distracts, however, from the substantial improvements in passenger comfort made by Emirates with its first-class restrooms and the overall improvement made in the rest of its restrooms. For years now, airlines have forced hundreds of passengers to relieve themselves, wash up, and try to stay sanitary in micro restrooms no larger than a linen closet in most homes, or wait to use the bathroom when they arrive at the airport. In contrast, Amtrak train cars provide a toilet and sink with three times as much space so you can move around with some privacy and dignity. The first-class restrooms on Emirates 380s are fifteen times larger than most other planes, are comparable in size to a suite bathroom in a luxury hotel, and are cleaned after each use. Anyone who experiences the restroom options on Emirates will forever criticize the economic choice made by most airlines to stuff as many seats as possible into their planes not only for 2-hour domestic flights, but for overseas and cross-country extended journeys as well.
Service
Emirates has an excellent overall reputation for service by its flight attendants and airport personnel. Our experience confirmed this reputation but since we were the only first-class passengers on the first leg of our trip and there were only a handful of passengers on the second leg, the two flight attendants were able to respond immediately to our needs and had time to talk.
Other Airline Amenities
There are two other amenities that Emirates offers to first class and some types of business class passengers that provide further value to customers. First, the company has chauffeured cars on call at most cities around the world to drive its passengers to and from the airport for no charge. In Singapore, this meant that a chauffeur with a pristine Lincoln Continental picked us up at our hotel in downtown at a prearranged time two hours before our flight and dropped us off at the check in counter at the renowned Changi Airport. At other places such as Boston’s Logan Airport, transportation service is available within a 50-mile radius of the airport although customers can travel beyond the mileage limit by paying a fee. This service is quite helpful if you are leaving for an extended trip from home or traveling to an unfamiliar airport.
Once you arrive at the airport, there is usually a special check in line for premium customers and sometimes an expedited security inspection line. Once you are through these lines, there is usually an Emirates lounge in each international terminal which provides free services for first class and business customers. We did not use the lounge in Singapore but since we had a five-hour layover in Dubai before our connecting flight to London, we were able to use the Emirates lounge at Dubai International Airport. This popular lounge is like a huge version of the first-class suites on the planes. Passengers waiting for an Emirates flight with economy or premium economy tickets can purchase unlimited access to the lounge for a fee of about $300 per person.
To relax and refresh yourself, the Dubai lounge has private shower stalls, a small sleeping area with cots, and a massage area. The library includes computer terminals, printers, and small conference rooms for conducting business, along with high-speed internet and an extensive selection of international magazines and newspapers. The food and beverage selections include a sit-down dining area with table service, a cafeteria with items cooked to order, a complimentary wine and champagne lounge, a sushi bar, coffee and beverage service, and snacks. One of the most popular features of the Emirates lounge in Dubai and at some other airports is that passengers can board the plane directly from the lounge when called without proceeding to the boarding gate.
Summary
We were fortunate one day to receive an upgrade in our tickets from Emirates so that we could experience the luxury of traveling first class on two of their long-haul international flights. The amenities provided to passengers in the first-class suites on the A380 aircraft, combined with the extra services provided by the chauffeur and the lounge in Dubai, turned a long and tedious trip into a special experience.
While the cost of such first-class fares continues to be excessive, it is interesting to see some elements of Emirates’ first-class service being incorporated into their new business and economy seats. The airline recently announced a new and affordable premium economy service on some of its Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft which feature larger bathrooms, leg rests on seats, more separation between seats, and additional food and beverage offerings. At the same time other competitors are improving seating amenities for business class and first-class seats. For example, the new Q suites on Qatar Airways are reorganizing seat layouts to allow families and business travelers to turn their business class seats into a private group suite while adding taller doors and lie flat seats. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines is adding actual single and double beds to first-class seats for some 17-hour flights. We can all hope that the airline industry trend towards more crowded flights and declining service may yet be reversed by industry leaders in coming years to the benefit of all travelers.