Review - Emirates First Class A380 Dubai to Washington Dulles

EK231 DXB-IAD

January 20th, 2025

Check-in:

Y’all. The day has come. I have finally been initiated as a travel influencer, and by that I mean I finally flew Emirates first class on its A380. I’m not sure how it didn’t happen sooner, especially since I recently passed my first million miles. So I flew a million miles on other randos but never flew Emirates first class? I AM ASHAMED. Please disregard all of my previous reviews as my opinions were invalid.

To right my wrong, I yolo’d my entire bonus (not financial advice) on this flight from Dubai to DC. You heard that right. Unlike those shifty miles and points influencers teaching you tricks about transfer currencies, I paid the world’s reserve currency for this. The next time you see me at the club, don’t ask me why I’m crying.

Lounge:

I spent a couple hours at the Emirates First Class Lounge in Concourse A. While I’ve read many reviews suggesting this lounge was rather underwhelming, I actually enjoyed it immensely. It was, above all things, quiet. Another added feature of this lounge was direct lounge boarding. It was such a treat to skip the madness of boarding a fully loaded A380. You can read the lounge review here.

Boarding:

The show is on. Is there anything more exhilarating in commercial aviation than boarding an A380? I think not. The three-pronged jet bridge setup was just way too damn cool.

What was an equally invigorating feeling was turning left at the boarding door. Mashallah 🙏. I was greeted by the purser, who introduced me to one of the first class attendants Saf.

I feel like I’ve seen the cabin shots on so many blogs and in YouTube videos, I was not necessarily taken aback when I saw it in real life. It’s a nice cabin and all, but there were 14 seats cramped in here. For context, Singapore Airlines A380 only has 6 seats in the same space, not that I’d give Singapore Airlines any more credit than I have to…

The seats themselves were identical to the ones in Emirates B777 first class. Well, mostly. Emirates introduced a new (not so new anymore) first class product 7 years ago, and currently only 9 planes feature those seats. You know how old these previous generation seats are? They were in the first Sex and the City movie!

Awaiting at each seat were an amenity kit stocked with Bulgari products, as well as a Byredo inflight regimen.

Emirates has always been known for its, um, maximalist aesthetics? There were many gimmicks at the seat, ranging from a vanity mirror to a snack basket to a stationary set. The vanity mirror could use some windexing, though.

Emirates has also shown an unswerving commitment to the in-seat minibar, more than your boyfriend ever could. I loved how it can be opened and closed at the push of a button. It was a bummer that it did not have refrigeration capability.

Arguably the most underrated seat feature in the world is individual air nozzles. The ones in Emirates first class were akin to those on a pj, where you twist the nob as opposed to fingering the little fan thing on a commercial plane.

To get this show on the road, a pre-departure beverage was in order. Emirates was serving Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 for a limited time, and Saf proactively suggested that I have the P2 instead of the regular Dom P. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it ad nauseum on this blog that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Dom P - cUZ yOu AIn’t MeT a gIRL liKe ME BeFoRe🤪. While usually I’d gladly take a nv Bollinger over Dom P, the P2 was a different story.

Emirates First Class Pre-departure Beverage DXB-IAD

During boarding, I I enjoyed watching the low resolution tail camera.

I also had a moment to peruse the food and beverage offering on this flight. The wine list reads as follows:

The menu was presented in a leather binder and reads as follows:

The wine program in Emirates first class is liekly the most robust you’d find on any airline. It’s not uncommon to see bottles retailing for over $1,000. Atypically, there were more heavy-hitter whites than reds on this flight to DC. Is Emirates the best airline in the world? That depends. But if you like wine, then the answer is probably yes.

Last thing to do before pushback was the Arabic coffee and date service, a signature in first class cabins across various Middle Eastern airlines. While it doesn’t revolutionize anything, I should note that Qatar Airways recently started providing this in business class as well.

Emirates First Class Arabic Coffee and Date Service DXB-IAD

Even Emirates doesn’t get a pass for not serving hot towels on a towel dish.

Inflight:

Once we were in the air, the flight attendant came around to see if I wanted anything to eat. Given our flight time of over 14 hours, I elected to have a lighter meal right after takeoff, so I could space out the two meals as far apart as possible.

Emirates First Class Dinner Setup DXB-IAD

I was first offered amuse-bouche, which were some roast beef and shrimp with salsa. You could skip these. I find most airlines’ amuse-bouche to be disappointing, with the exception of Qatar, who usually serves some kind of scallops or lobster bites that were fresh and tasty.

Emirates First Class Dinner Amuse-bouche DXB-IAD

For appetizer, I went with the poached lobster tail and masala prawns with kachumber and coriander chili dressing. This was quite a powerful dish and was packed with flavors. I feel like Indian food on Middle Eastern airlines is always reliable.

For my main, I ordered the tuna poke bowl from the light bites menu. And instead of having caviar with the traditional accompaniments, I decided to order it as a topping to my poke. If you don’t know this already, caviar is unlimited in Emirates first class.

Emirates First Class Dinner Main Course DXB-IAD

What started out as a light dinner turned into a serious undertaking when I saw the various fromages on the menu. You could choose as many kinds as you’d like, so you can do what I did and ask to sample a small slice of each. Incroyable! The triple soft cream Montagnolo blue cheese was piquant and velvety, and the vega black truffle was just phenomenally extravagant. The only thing that could make it better was if they rolled a cheese trolley down the aisle, but I doubt the other resting passengers would be as pleased as me. Well, I guess the Dow’s 40 year tawny made it better too, lol.

Emirates First Class Dinner Cheese Course DXB-IAD

After consuming enough calories for a hibernating polar bear, I walked around the upper deck while the flight attendant made my bed. At the front of the first class cabin, a self-serve bar was set up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Stoli Elit or Sipsmith on a commercial plane…

But this was nothing compared to the legitimate bar located behind the business class cabin. I mean, look at this thing.

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

For many people, having a proper cocktail on Emirates is a highlight of the whole experience. I simply could not agree more. Chilled martini glass, drained from a shaker, poured in front of your eyes, all at 39,000 feet. While my intention was to take a few pictures and go to sleep, I met this friendly couple from Charlotte and got stuck chatting with them for a bit. Hence the cosmo.

Emirates A380 Upper Deck Bar Cocktail DXB-IAD

Upon my return, the leather seat was transformed into a lie-flat bed. I did find the bedding to be a little bland, you know, since it’s surrounded by gold and mahogany.

I managed to get some sleep, however, the cabin was kept pretty warm. The only window seat left when I purchased the flight was 4A, which was near the galley and a bunch of closets. Unless you consider plates clanking around and closets popping open white noises, I’d recommend avoiding this row.

A couple hours before landing, I had my second meal. Note that Emirates offered dine-on-demand in first class, so you could order whatever you want on your own schedule.

Emirates First Class Breakfast Setup DXB-IAD

Having tried a couple whites at dinner, I switched to a Napa cab. The flight attendant asked if I’d like it decanted. Okay, I have officially forgiven Emirates for not serving hot towel on a towel dish.

Emirates First Class Breakfast Beverage DXB-IAD

To eat, I went with the lobster salad with salmon roe and tobiko. It was served with a brioche roll. To jazz it up, I had a side of caviar. It was ironic to me that Emirates served caviar in the humblest way possible - just a glop on a plate. It was a beyond generous serving, but still.

My vision came to life - I have successfully recreated the Corner Store caviar lobster roll in Emirates first class.

With 90 minutes left in the flight, the dedicated spa attendant (yes that’s a thing) fetched me for my shower. The first class bar had been turned into a calming water feature. I did stick my finger in it, and I can attest it was real water. HOW TF DO THEY DO THAT???

What you’re about to see below is the highest level of ingenuity in commercial aviation. I present, the Emirates A380 first class shower suite. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you have seen this on social media. When I stepped inside this magical kingdom, I was, without a doubt, instantaneously, a different person. WHAT DO YOU MEAN you’ve never showered inside a 500-tonne flying metal tube traveling through air at the speed of 0.85 Mach per hour???

Now, a few notes about the shower. Each passenger was allotted 5 minutes of water. This was sufficient if you turned the water on and off. For the last two minutes I mostly just stood under the shower head and giggled. The water pressure was quite decent, and the shower itself was adequately spacious. The lavatory floor was, for some reason, heated.

What an indulgence. To conclude the shower experience, the flight attendant brought over a plate of fresh fruits, as well as a pot of herbal tea.

Emirates First Class Post-Shower Fruit Plate DXB-IAD

We’re at the point of this journey where we commiserate with Jennifer Aniston when she asked if they could keep this thing flying for a bit longer.

Unfortunately, the crew came around with the farewell chocolates, foreshadowing the inevitable convergence of fantasy and reality.

Emirates First Class Farewell Chocolates DXB-IAD

One last look at the grand staircase on the A380. It’s another world down there🤪.

On Arrival:

All too soon we arrived at Dulles International Airport. Life happens in serendipitous ways that the Air China B747 carrying the Chinese Vice Premier was parked next to the Trump B757.

Air China B747-400 and Trump B757 at IAD

It was the coldest day in DC that I could remember. Luckily, passengers who paid cash for first and business class tickets on Emirates received complimentary chauffeurs in select cities. After reclaiming my luggage, I was picked up in a Lincoln Navigator and headed to the Four Seasons.

Of all the airport designs in the US, Dulles holds the most special place in my heart.

Few things in life are perfect. I can dissect Emirates first class offering into different aspects and tell you, oh, Cathay first class has better service, Singapore has better seats or Air France has better food. But that’s all inconsequential. Emirates A380 is one of a kind - it has the bar, it has the shower, and it’s fucking fun as hell. I like to have fun, don’t you?

Review - Emirates First Class A380 Dubai to Washington Dulles

EK231 DXB-IAD

January 20th, 2025

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