After flying Emirates A380 First Class from New York City to Milan, and Emirates B777 First Class from Milan to Dubai, we were able to compare the A380 vs 777. Flying Emirates Airbus A380 First Class has been the flight experience we’ve measured all others against. Once you fly First Class on the Emirates Airbus A380, nothing else can quite compare. It’s difficult to beat with ultra-luxurious first class suites, a spa shower in a gigantic bathroom with heated floors, and an onboard lounge and bar where you can mingle with other guests! We were excited to use our Japan Airline miles (a partner alliance with Emirates) to book another Emirates First Class flight from Washington DC to Dubai. We were curious to see if anything had changed in the 2 years since we’d flown with them. Read our A380 Emirates First Class review for what to expect when flying with the 2018 Air Transport “Airline of the Year” winner.

Emirates First Class Review A380-800

**Our WTA score represents our own views based on our personal experience with the entity being reviewed.

Emirates A380 First Class

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – Emirates A380 First Class

How we booked our Emirates First Class flights for $38

While looking for cost/miles efficient ways to book our flights, we wanted to go with a program that would allow for a stopover along the way. Our intent was to stop in Dubai and then head to Oman before continuing on to the Maldives. Sometimes it is more cost effective to book award tickets through a partner alliance rather than directly through the airline.

Alaska Airlines MileagePlan, which we had previously used to redeem our Emirates First Class tickets from NYC to Maldives, went through a massive devaluation although the taxes and surcharges remained low. Currently you would need 150,000 MileagePlan points/pp and $29 – $31 per person for an Emirates First Class ticket to the Maldives departing out of Washington DC. When we booked this way 2 years ago, we only needed 90,000 points per person, so this isn’t the best option anymore. Alaska Airlines MileagePlan is a transfer partner of Marriott Rewards/Starwood Preferred Guest.

This time we made our Emirates First Class booking using our Japan Airlines Mileage Bank. We placed a call to JAL and used 100,000 JAL Mileage Bank miles and only $38.30 in taxes and fees per person. We made sure to book using our Starwood points ahead of the Marriott/Starwood merger and took advantage of the generous Starwood bonus of 5,000 points for every 20,000 transferred into a transfer partner. This meant that our Emirates First Class tickets only took 80,000 SPG points/pp. Please note that this was a one-way ticket, since we redeemed points to fly back on Singapore Airlines Business Class.

For a ticket as expensive as First Class Emirates, we were happy with our redemption. Emirates First Class price from Washington D.C. to Dubai typically ranges anywhere from $15,000 to $21,000 one-way. This was an excellent value for an award ticket redemption and worth every dollar and mile to experience that spa shower and lounge again!

Please note that since early 2018, Emirates redemptions made through JAL Mileage Bank are subject to steep taxes and surcharges, although the number of miles required to do the booking remains the same. Furthermore, as of 6/12/2018, JAL Mileage Bank members can make their own booking of Emirates redemptions and wave the $20 fee. However, we’ve had issues with the website while attempting to do so ourselves and needed to make the reservation over the phone.

Emirates Airlines First Class Check-in at Dulles Airport

We made sure to get to the airport well ahead of our departing flight in order to check out the lounge and avoid stressing about the awful Northern Virginia traffic. Emirates First Class and Business Class passengers who pay for the tickets receive a complimentary chauffeur ride to and from the airport in 70 cities around the world, including Washington D.C. However, since we were flying on an award ticket, we were not eligible for the free ride.

As expected, Emirates First Class check-in had no lines and was a breeze. We spent no more than 5 minutes at the check-in counter and off we went to the security lines. Emirates First Class passengers enjoy a FastPass through security, which combined with our CLEAR membership and  TSA pre-check, made getting through security quick and easy.

Emirates Lounge at Dulles for AirFrance, KLM, & SkyTeam

Unfortunately Emirates does not have its own lounge at the Dulles Airport, but it does share one with Airfrance, KLM and SkyTeam. Emirates Business Class and First Class passengers get access to the lounge prior to boarding the flight. Unlike our Emirates lounge experience at JFK, we didn’t expect extensive food and drink options or the ability to board directly from the lounge. We have to admit that after the incredibly impressive Emirates lounges we’ve visited in NYC and Dubai, the partner lounge at Dulles was somewhat disappointing.

The AirFrance lounge is fairly small with a different enclosed section reserved for First Class passengers with a bar. There was an adequate but not extensive selection of beverages, and we decided to enjoy a glass of champagne to kick off our adventure. We weren’t hungry and wanted to save our appetites for the fantastic food on the flight, but appreciated that there was a small selection of snacks for those who wanted to nibble on something pre-flight. We used the free wifi in the lounge to take care of some business before taking off.

Emirates A380 First Class Cabin

The Emirates First Class cabin on the A380-800 is on the top floor with 14 well-appointed first class suites. The predominant decor theme is gold and light wood, which felt luxurious and rich. The Airbus A380 first class suites are semi-enclosed and provide ample privacy for those wishing to sleep during the entire flight. However, we never do much sleeping in Emirates First Class suites. There’s too much to enjoy! 😉

At the front of the A380 plane in the first class cabin, there are two spa shower bathrooms and a fully stocked bar. There are steps leading down into the lower level deck for the economy class. Behind First Class is a large Business Class cabin, and then the famous onboard lounge and bar at the back of the Airbus A380. This is our favorite part of the Emirates Airbus. More on that later, but for now check out our 360 degree image of the Emirates A380 First Class Cabin!

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – Emirates A380 First Class

Emirates 1st Class Welcome Drinks

As is customary with the welcoming Emirates flight crew, we were offered refreshing towels, Arabic coffee and dates as soon as we were settled in our suites. Though we are not big coffee drinkers, we couldn’t pass up on the welcoming gesture and sipped down some cardamom-flavored Arabic coffee served in a small porcelain cup. The dates however, we could eat the whole box of those sweet treats! They are so delicious!

Soon after, the purser offered us welcome champagne and nuts. Bertaut opted for a sweet champagne cocktail while I (Alexis) stuck with a glass of pure unadulterated premium champagne. They serve the best on Emirates First Class, including Dom Perignon. The service from the moment we boarded was attentive, warm, and impressive.

Emirates First Class Suite A380

The Emirates First Class Suite A380 is the most comfortable seat we’ve experienced in any premium cabin. For comparison, we’ve flown premium with Singapore Airlines Airlines, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, Saudia, Turkish Airlines, and Air France. At 6’6, there was ample room for Bertaut to stretch his long legs to his content. Had we been traveling with our kids (they stayed home with family and friends so they wouldn’t miss school and so we could enjoy some time to recharge as a couple), there would have been plenty of room for them to get cozy and watch movies.

Since we were traveling as a couple, we opted for suite 3E & 3F in the middle of the aisle. With a spacious 1-2-1 configuration on the Emirates Airbus, each A380 first class suite has direct aisle access. Emirates A380 seating allows for complete privacy with doors that shut off the suite from the rest of the cabin. When it’s time to sleep, the seats fully recline into beds, but we’ll talk more about that later in our Emirates First Class review.

The seats have a very large, in fact the largest we’ve seen on an airplane, TV display powered by Emirates’ industry leading inflight entertainment system ICE.

Every suite comes with a fully stocked mini-bar that hides itself with the push of a button. The mini bar was stocked with juice, bottled water, and soda. Next to the mini bar is a large tablet providing all the entertainment and seat control functions you desire.

There is a snack basket in each First Class suite loaded with chocolate, crackers, cookies, dried fruit, and even Uppy energizer dissolving tablets. We appreciated having goodies available at any time without having to ask anyone.

The seats are well laid out with ample storage, plenty of legroom, a writing area for those needing to get some work done, and as mentioned a mini-bar that descends into the seat when you don’t need it. The suites have ambient lighting including table lamps, a lighted mirror hidden inside the desk, and more lights behind the seats. Fresh orchids making the suite extra inviting.

Emirates First Class Amenities

Emirates provides an extensive set of amenities to its First Class passengers, allowing those who prefer to travel light to bring literally nothing on the plane and yet still have everything they need. We received slippers, an eye mask, and comfortable moisturizing pajamas that kept our skin hydrated while we slept. The pajamas and night-time amenities were distributed in a grey Emirates bag that allowed us to keep all our in-flight goodies together.

Emirates also provides its First Class passengers noise-canceling headphones. Although we usually bring our own Bose headphones, it’s nice to have a pair in case we decide to travel light.

We received amenity kits by Bulgari with toiletry products that varied for men and women. The women’s kit included lotion, perfume, lip balm, compact mirror, dental kit with toothbrush and toothpaste, hair brush, tissues, and refreshing wipes. The men’s kit included lotion, after shave balm, cologne, lip balm, shaving foam and razor, deodorant, comb, tissues an dental set. Each suite also has a vanity mirror with additional beauty products hidden below including aromatherapy beads to calm or energize, foot balm, and face creams. We thought the ameniies provided by Emirates First Class are the best we’ve received, with everything you could need during your flight from pajamas to perfume!

Inflight Entertainment

We found the Emirates inflight WiFi straightforward and easy to use. Emirates provides 20MB free which would be enough for emails, but not so much for social media. For heavy data users, up to 500 MB for $15.99 seemed very reasonable.

Emirates inflight entertainment system is the best we’ve experienced to date. It features an extensive collection of movies from Hollywood and around the world. There are 3,500 channels of entertainment including movies, news, TV shows, video games, music, and sports. We spent hours watching hit movies from Wolf Warrior II, to War of the Planet of the Apes, to Baahubali 2. There was encough selection to keep even the pickiest movie critique happy.

Emirates A380 Bar in First Class Cabin

At the front of the Emirates First Class cabin, there is a well-stocked self serve bar with miniatures, wine, champagne, soda, top shelf liquor, and snacks like fruit, sandwiches, candy, and nuts. The drink selection was very impressive including the coveted Krug.

While the first class bar is convenient, we prefered to hang out in the Emirates A380 bar in the onboard lounge.

Emirates Onboard Lounge

Passengers in First Class and Business Class can take a break from movies by heading to the back of the business class cabin to enjoy the onboard lounge. The lounge is only available on the A380 and one of the reasons we enjoy flying on the Emirates Airbus planes so much! It is truly unlike any other airplane we’ve been on. We managed to enjoy the lounge when no other passengers were back there to snap some fun photos behind the bar. The flight attendants even let us try on their stylish hats! We have also enjoyed mingling with other passengers in the lounge, which is a great spot for socializing.

Passengers can order drinks from the bar and enjoy a nice selection of finger foods and dessert. You don’t want to be on a diet when flying Emirates A380 Business Class or First Class! The temptations will get you. 😉

There are also several informational displays with news, TV shows, and flight status. Guests can even enjoy live sporting events on the 55-inch LCD TV screen with surround sound. The bench seating arrangements make it easy for passengers to socialize and kick back.

Emirates First Class Shower

How heavenly does it sound to have a spa shower 40,000 feet up in the air? The Emirates A380 plane is equipped with 2 spa showers at the front of the First Class cabin. The spa showers can be reserved in blocks of 30 minutes, with 5 minutes of running water. I happened to have conditioner still in my hair when my water ran out, so I called the flight attendant and she gave me a few more minutes of running water. The bathrooms are fully stocked with everything needed to feel refreshed upon arrival after long intercontinental flights. We certainly arrived in Dubai refreshed and ready for our roadtrip to Oman.

The spacious and luxurious bathrooms feature heated floors, a large informational display, an area to hang up your clothing, and a nice selection of organic seaweed toiletries by VOYA. The toiletries included shampoo, conditioner, body wash, cleanser, soap and moisturizer. There were also cotton pads, shower caps, dental kits, combs, sanitary products, nail grooming kits, and loofahs. The toiletries came in different scents and smelled wonderful.

Emirates First Class menu

Emirates Airlines distinguishes itself with its extensive first class menu including top shelf liquor, an extensive wine list, and delicious cuisine from around the world. First Class passengers can dine whenever they desire.

We ordered several fantastic dishes from the menu, starting with canapés before the traditional Arabic mezze appetizer. We love Middle Eastern food and found each dish flavorful and delicious. It was also a lot of food for the first course and came with a bread basket for dipping in the spreads.

I had the Seafood Duo of seared scallops and king prawn with papaya salsa and ginger soy dressing, which was fresh and light. I opted for the Atlantic striped bass for my main course, which was healthy and well-seasoned. Bertaut had the grilled chicken with seasonal vegetables and potato gratin, which he thought was good. Our flight attendants paired wine for each course, so we felt like we were dining in a 5-star restaurant.

For dessert, I enjoyed the decadent smoked chocolate fondant which was melt in your mouth good! The flight attendant poured me a glass of dessert wine which paired perfectly with the chocolate.

At some point during the flight Bertaut ordered a light bite of Sweet and Sour Seafood. It included prawns, fried rice, snow peas and sea bass. They also brought fresh fruit and nuts with the light meal.

We also enjoyed a bountiful breakfast before landing. We had scrambled eggs with chives, veal sausages, rosti, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and baked beans. We tried the fresh juice detox drink of beetroot, ginger, and carrot to get our day started.

Emirates First Class Beds

After a copious dining experience, we decided to get some sleep. We requested the flight attendants to make our beds while we changed into our pajamas. The seats fully recline into comfortable beds and the flight crew provides additional pillows and blankets. We have noted that Emirates tends to keep their cabin on the hotter side, which made it slightly more difficult to sleep since we prefer cool sleeping environments. The cabin temperatuire is the only critique we have from our Emirates First Class experience. However, we were so cozy in the fully enclosed seats after shutting the doors that we drifted off to sleep in no time.

At our request, the crew woke us up to use the spa showers and prepared our seats for breakfast by the time we were done.

Emirates Customer Service

There is no question that Emirates stands out among other airlines in terms of customer service.  We were fortunate to be served by quick-witted, fun and engaging flight attendants who went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed before we even had to ask for it. They always served us with a smile and truly seemed to enjoy their job, which makes a big difference for the passenger experience. We enjoyed chatting with them about our families, vacation plans, and even our blog. They kept us laughing and made our flight exceptional.

Last words on our Emirates First Class Review

In summary, Emirates A380 First Class provides the best flight experience we’ve enjoyed to date. From exceptional service, delicious food and Dom Perignon champagne to spa showers and onboard lounges at 40,000 feet, Emirates A380 First Class is the flight experience to beat. We’ve flown twice now on Emirates A380 First Class and both times it has been amazing. Although flying first class on the Boeing 777 was also fantastic, we recommend getting on one of the emirates A380 routes because the Airbus offers the ultimate first class experience. Thanks to our travel hacking savvy, we paid just $38 per person for our first class flight to Dubai. While in town, check out these tours and activities in Dubai.

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