Sadly I must admit I was underwhelmed by Emirates. I flew business class round trip to Dubai & on to Delhi and here are some of the highs and lows of my experience. (note- most of my account was from the flight to Dubai as I slept the majority of the return to the states)
Departing from DFW: Dallas, although massive, is a pretty easy to navigate – I’m not a big fan of American but when I fly them I do not mind connecting in DFW. The problem with it being their hub is some of the larger international carriers do not have a lounge…case in point Emirates. Terminal D houses The Club which is a bunch of mini lounges operated by Emirates, British Airways, Quantas ect. filled with bad coffee & finger sandwiches so next time I’ll skip it and sneak into the American Express Centurion Lounge. Boarding is a mess as they seem to line up the entire aircraft all and once which takes up the entire terminal. Not a great start.
Airbus A380 DFW-DXB: I choose this particular flight not only to experience the airline but to fly on this double decker behemoth. The top deck of the plane is for first & business class passengers with a pretty nifty bar in the back. The layout of the business class cabin is a 1-2-1 so everyone has direct isle access which is a nice feature. Storage on the other hand is non existent at your seat and limited in the overhead- cue disgruntled businessman with nowhere to place his Gucci briefcase
Arriving into DXB: Upon arrival First & Business class passengers receive a Fast Track pass for Immigration which allows a shorter line- once you pass through and collect your bag you have the wonderful option of turning right after exiting customs and catch your pre arranged car. A perk of flying premium is you have complimentary chauffeur service upon arrival and departure in most cities. Easy process at the terminal and very timely when picking you up at the hotel.
Departing from DXB: Terminal 3, with 2 concourses, are exclusively Emirates and First/Business has their own check in terminal- there was never more than 10 other passengers in sight so check in & security was a breeze. Both A & B have a lounge and while I experienced both A is the big boy-it takes up the entire level of the concourse. Both sides are identical and you can board the A380 straight from the lounge. They have tons of seating along with sleeping areas, bars, restaurants, bars haha and a spa and honestly just so overwhelming.
Business Class Seat: Features include lay flat bed w/ mattress (which you receive only after asking a handful of times) a mini bar of waters and soda (never replenished on a 14hr flight), kit that includes Bulgari toiletries (I’m obsessed with the face emulsion), seat controls and a large personal screen with tons of entertainment options + the coolest thing: cameras positions around the aircraft to watch takeoff, landing and mid flight sunsets. Wifi is available for $1 but after a few snapchats and an instagram update it failed the rest of the flight.
In Flight Service: As chic as the flight attendants looked with their perfect buns and flawless makeup…oh and that hat- it felt as there was not enough of them to go around. I say this because after glasses of Veuve and hot towels were collected we didn’t see them till the meal and waited about 30min after I was finished for the tray to be cleared- I’m sure I sound like a brat but after having incredible service on competing and not as awarded airlines I expected more. Also the food was good but not great but I guess it is served at 30,000 feet. PS I enjoy my wine so to have only a Riesling (ick), Chardonnay & two red options on board seemed a bit limited.
The Bar: Although their wine selection was not the best they seemed to have every other liquor you could think of and all could be found at the back bar. This was by far my favorite feature as it gave great opportunity to chat with the diverse crew and passengers from all over the world and to hear where they were going and where they have been!
*Fares can range between $6-8,000 for a round trip ticket and trust me I did NOT pay that but if I had I would have been even more disappointed with the overall experience. My favorite is still British Airways Club World but I guess I will have to fly Etihad, Qatar & Singapore in the name of research.
