Have you seen that commercial aired recently for Hulu? If you haven’t seen it, it’s a series of scenes with different people talking about how living your life a certain way (namely, doing things better) it can ruin things and it’s hard to go backwards. In one scene, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are sitting on a plane in first class and Joe says, “Never fly first class—It ruins flying in coach forever.” Then Sofia retorts: “Never date Joe Manganiello—it ruins men, forever.” Now, I obviously can’t speak to whether or not dating Joe Manganiello ruins men forever, but I can attest to the flying first class part.
I’ve always known that to be correct—once you fly first class, it makes “going backwards” and sitting in coach almost unbearable. That’s why everyone says once you fly first class you can never go back. But Emirates kicks it up a notch. Their business class—yes, I’m talking about business class and not even first class—makes flying first class on a domestic airline look like a Ford Focus trying to compete with a Maserati.
Put quite simply, flying business class on Emirates changes the dynamic of your trip completely. Rather than dreading those 16 hours of being cramped into a tiny seat, hoping and praying you don’t get an overweight and not-recently showered man next to you, you actually enjoy the flight and the time you spend getting to your destination is not simply a means to an end but is an actual experience in itself.
It’s not enough to say “flying business internationally changes your standards.” Those of you who have flown “business” or “first” on an airline like Norwegian know what I am talking about. There are varying levels of business and first class international flights, and Emirates business is in a league of its own. Emirates first is a whole other level.
Business Class seats on the A380-800 are Emirates’ are some of the few completely lie-flat business class seats out there right now. So not only are they comfortable, but the styling is impeccable. The pods have birch-like wood paneling (similar to a high end car), with gold accents and high-tech device you could ask for. You have your own drink cubby with two bottles of Evian water, a Pellegrino, a can of Pepsi and a can of 7-up—all with a proper glass to drink them in. You are provided socks, an eye mask, a down blanket, feather pillow with pillowcase, and Bose headphones to use throughout your journey.
And the complimentary Bulgari toiletry kit—oh my! With separate pouches handed out for men and women, guests will really enjoy all the comforts of home with these toiletry kits, making the journey that much more palatable. Women will receive body lotion, a compact mirror, toothbrush, toothpaste, packet of tissues, Bulgari scented eau Pafrumee towelette, Bulgari perfume and face cream. The men’s kit includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, deodorant, shaving cream, a razor, after shave, a hair brush, body lotion and Bulgari men’s cologne.
The standard of service is obviously impeccable. Everything at your seat can be controlled with the touch of a button—at various locations throughout your seat or by using the detachable touch-screen digital pad. Control everything from the lights to the incline of your seat at your fingertips.
The in-flight entertainment is out of this world. With a 23 inch touch-screen TV in front of you, you can browse and watch hundreds of movies and TV shows right from your seat, and all for free. You can even watch live TV, including major sporting events like European soccer and NBA basketball. If you’re into gaming, you can play interactive games using the detachable controller or challenge another passenger to a card game. Or if you just want to check in to see where you are, you can watch live video cameras from the tail, nose or sides of the plane. Watching the live feed from the nose during takeoff is pretty neat!
The on-flight lounge and bar is to die for. Not only can you get up and grab snacks and sweets at any time your heart desires, but you can socialize and clink glasses with fellow passengers in their lounge seating. And after four or five hours of flying, you will want to have the option to get up and get out of your seat.
Even the bathrooms are gold-laden and likely nicer than any on-board bathroom you’ve ever seen while flying. You will notice that you have more room, all the amenities you would want (face spritzer, cologne, lotion and extra full size toothbrushes and toothpaste), and they are always surprisingly clean. There’s even a window in the ladies bathroom, so you can peer out at the clouds while doing your business.
And the dining options were simply delightful. Guests choose from a three-course menu, with a full wine, cocktail and beverage list. For the appetizer course, one could choose from either yellow pepper and lemongrass soup served with red pepper and herb croutons, pan fried prawns served on a wakame salad with pepper chèvre and dressed with wasabi and nigella seeds, or smoked duck, sliced and served chilled with carrot and celery kimchi and raspberry truffle vinaigrette. For a main, choices were between a roasted beef filet served with thyme jus, gnocchi and grilled vegetables, miso-glazed cod with edamame beans and steamed kai-lan, or Bangalore chicken with mango, served with steamed basmati rice and green vegetable curry.
For dessert, passengers could delight either their sweet tooth or love of savory with a choice between the chocolate fudge brownie, topped with a salted caramel profiterole and served with caramel sauce, the mango and raspberry torte, consisting of vanilla mousse with a raspberry center, topped with mango cremeux and served with a raspberry compote, seasonal fruit, or a cheese board, which consisted of a carefully chosen assortment of fine boutique cheeses from around the world, served with crackers and accoutrements. Fine luxury chocolates topped off the meal. All meals are seasonal and changed each month.
As you can tell, flying business class on Emirates is an experience in itself. If you ever have an opportunity to upgrade to business or use points to avoid paying the high price for booking these seats outright, jump on it! I promise, you won’t regret it.
