Since 2015 I’ve put in serious effort to collect Frequent Flyer Miles, mostly Qantas, so that I could fly more regularly in Business or First class. In the near future I’ll write another post or two with tips and tricks in collecting and spending Qantas Frequent Flyer points (QFF) but now I want to talk about what its like to fly Emirates A380 First Class.
As I’m a mad, keen skier I regularly head to the Northern Hemisphere to bask in the worlds best powder snow. In 2024 I headed to the slopes of Japan but this year I wanted to return to Europe. After many hours of searching on the Qantas website, I finally found an Emirates First Class flight from my native Melbourne to Dublin, in Ireland. Needless to say, an opportunity to fly First on an Emirates A380 is one you should grab with both hands, I certainly did.
Early morning
When the big day arrived I got to the airport at the ungodly our of 3am and, of course, check in and immigration was a breeze – there were few people at the airport at that hour.
One of the many perks of flying first is lounge access. Early on your only available option is the Emirates business lounge, probably the best lounge in Melbourne with the exception of the Qantas First Class lounge, which you can also access once it opens at 4:30am.
Boarding began soon enough and as a First Class passenger you are treated like royalty from the moment you step aboard the aircraft. A member of the cabin crew will introduce themselves and escort you to your suite. I had seat 1A.
There are no overhead lockers in First on an Emirates A380, all of your belongings are stored inside your suite, that’s OK, there’s plenty of room.
Lux from the begining
Your assigned cabin crew member, in my case, Mia from Serbia, will help you with your bags and get you settled before offering a drink, with a recommendation of the Champagne. On board was a 2015 Dom Perignon and an even rarer 2004 Dom Perignon Plenitude 2.
Champagne was on the way as I took a look around my suite. The TV entertainment screen must surely be the largest of any airline and either side of that was goodies which were mine to enjoy, the first being a basket full of snacks like mints, nuts, crisps and choc coated raisins.
On the other side of the TV was a hefty brown leather bag which contained my amenity kit. Emirates have partnered with the luxury Italian brand, Bulgari, and stuffed it with products including cologne, lip balm, aftershave balm and body moisturizer along with quality Gillette razor and shaving foam. Emirates spare no expense.
Mia soon arrives with my Dom P2 and also hands me a menu for the onboard meals. Emirates have no set meal times in First, it’s dine on demand. You can either tell them what time you want to eat of simply press the call button.
Getting comfortable
Shortly after another cabin crew member arrives and presents me with a pair of Emirates bag, PJ’s and slippers, as well as booking me a time slot for an onboard shower. I’ve been lucky enough to fly Emirates first a couple of times and I’ve got to say that taking a hot shower on board is the ultimate in luxury, especially on a 14 hour flight.
As we prepared for departure Mia returned to stow my personal bar on my left and gave a few quick tips on using the iPad sized screen near my left hand which controlled the big screen up front.
Emirates have a number of cameras on the outside of the plane which you can view at any time on your trip and I like to watch the pilots eye view as we first taxi, and then begin our take off roll. In my life I’ve probably flown hundreds of times yet I never cease to to amazed that something so big can get off the ground, particularly so gracefully..
Once the fasten seat belt light went off I went to the bathroom to change into my PJ’s. Emirates first have 2 bathrooms to service the 14 fist class suites but the bathrooms are like nothing you’ve ever seen on a plane before – they’re huge! At least a couple of meters long, with a shower at one end and more than enough room to get changed. The room is spotless and is cleaned/tidied after each use. Yes, after each use.
While I was changing I had a cabin crew member convert my seat to a bed, as they call it, a turn down service.
On board dining
A few champagnes and movies into the flight I decided it was time to eat. Emirates signiture offering is their caviar sevice, complete witht the usual accompaniments like finely chopped onion, chives & grated egg, this is the option I chose. Like everything Emirates does for it’s First Class passengers, it goes large, offering the finest of caviar with the suggestion of vodka shots as the traditional beverage to wash it down. It doesn’t disappoint. Top notch Belgian chocolates from Neuhaus were offer afterward
Laying down for a well earned break I found my bed to be generous in proportions. My roughly 180cm frame had no problems in length or width and found the bedding super comfortable. I’m not sure why anyone would use the supplied duvet – I always fell that cabin temperatures are too hot for any more that a sheet on top of me.
Some sleep and another couple of movies later I called for another meal. This meal began with a super tasty beef soup, followed bt an Arabic Mezze platter as an appitizer. The platter was great and my final meal was Patagonian Toothfish. While I liked the fish, I loved all of my other meals.
It should also be mentioned that Emirates has an unbeatable wine list. On my flight there were wines from top notch producers like the local Mount Mary or a Penfolds RWT along with outstanding European wines. I indulged in quite a few.
A shower at 38,000ft
Toward the end of the flight my time slot had arrived for a shower. Before you jump in you must be inducted to inform you of the safety procedures if we hit turbulence, or if you needed urgent assistance. I was told that Mia would open the bathroom door and come rescue me if I hit one of the call buttons located in the bathroom. A not terrible prospect.
For the most part, the onboard shower is the same as any other except for one detail – each First Class passenger is given 5 minutes of hot water and you can visually see how much time you have left via an LED gauge contained in she shower. The advice was to turn the water on for a minute to totally soak you body, then turn the water off as you apply soap and shampoo. When all that is done simply turn the hot water back on to wash the suds away and bask in your final few minutes. The water pressure is quite good.
Arriving in Dubai
By the time I got back to my suite my bed had become a seat and landing time was not to far off. I ordered one final P2 before we landed in Dubai slightly earlier than planned. Mia suggedted I should scoop all of the snack Emirates gave into my carry on, which I promptly did , and after saying my goodbyes I was one of the first 2 off the plane.
Walking up the aerobridge to the gate I found there was a well dressed Emirates representative there holding a sign with my name on it. Identifying myself I was whisked onto a motorized golf cart and taken on my own through the airport , then through a terminal change and into the Emirates First Class lounge. The first leg of my journey was complete.