(very quiet, subdued plane engine roaring)
(plane engine roaring)
(upbeat music)
- Thank you so much, sir.
You're first class, you can go to Emirates lounge;
will be on the sixth floor after security.
Today gate is 150 and you're sitting in a window side, okay?
- [Sam] Thank you
- Have a wonderful flight. - [Sam] Lounge open again?
- [Sam] Okay, thank you. - Lounge's open, yeah
(speaking in Mandarin)
- [Sam] Okay, bye-bye.
Another super busy day, LAX.
Today, flying home to Dubai, it felt like finally,
international travellers get going now.
There's crowd checking, crowd security.
(upbeat music plays)
- [Offscreen] Thank you very much.
- [Sam] Got Duty Free done, thank you.
Thank you very much, bye-bye.
- Thank you, have a good trip.
So this place is so changed compared to my last time.
Last year, here was dead and now the whole Duty Free's open.
I've got the shoppings done.
So yeah, my advice is come early now.
(upbeat soul music)
- [Sam] Hey, how you doing?
- Good afternoon, welcome.
- [Sam] It's nice to be back, lounge is open again.
- Oh, truly, yes.
- [Sam] Yeah, you got busy now.
- Yeah, we're getting busy, we're getting there.
(upbeat retro music plays)
- So, how difficult or how challenging it was
to bring back the staff, to reopen this lounge?
- It was a little bit difficult, but not too difficult.
We kept in touch with our staff,
reaching out to them every now and then,
to make sure that they were still available to come back,
or if they still wanted to come back.
- [Sam] So most of them came back?
- [Airport Worker] Most of them, yeah.
- [Sam] So they love this job, well done.
- They do.
- And how many lounge in LAX has reopened?
- So far, we are the only lounge that's open
that's on (indistinct).
- Really?
That'd make me feel very special, because honestly,
the Star Alliance, they are not open.
And it's disappointing when you don't have a lounge.
When you call it an international flight
cause you might want to eat before
you go to sleep on the plane.
- That's true, yes. - Yeah.
Keep up the good work, Fabio.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Cheerio, bye. - Bye.
- [Sam] Take care, bye.
What a difference it make.
A year ago, I was here flying LA LAX.
It was dead, no shops open,
but now it seems like everything's back to normal.
I think the numbers still down, though.
All the numbers are in domestic flight.
There's still very little international
compared to the good old days.
There's a long way to go still.
The West Bradley, the extension terminal has opened.
So before I board a flight,
I want to go down here to check out the new gates.
(soft, ethereal music plays)
I am wondering, is this still LAX?
This is so nice; it's unreal, almost,
but look at how busy outside LAX, the construction
and inside here feels so tranquil.
Especially with this blue ceiling on top,
it feels like very oceanic, right?
We're heading to the west, which is right out to the ocean.
The terminal is to the west
(upbeat music plays)
Very interesting, I saw a Legion,
some country frontier using the Bradley terminal.
So, I always thought Bradley was international terminal,
but that's no longer the case.
These gates can be used by any airlines.
And then you can bus back to the original airline terminal.
(upbeat music plays)
So when I first got here,
I got attracted to this window here
cause it's perfect for plane spotting.
Can see all the international gates
and the Emirates flight is there.
Looks like today's Emirates flight
is operated by the Dubai expo 2020, the green colour one.
It's four o'clock and my flight is paging me to boarding
and I have to go back to the original side.
So all I can see here is on either end of this terminal
there's opportunity for plane spotting;
there's windows on each side, it's pretty bright.
(upbeat music plays)
- [Airport Worker] Remove your mask and stand-
- Oh, this is the biometrics.
(indistinct murmuring)
This is really easy.
Good to go, thank you.
This gate agent checked me in with one minute.
Her name is Nasalie.
She just told me her, actually,
her husband, Amin, also watch my video and here,
say hello to your husband.
You're going to be in the video.
- Hello.
Don't be jealous (laughs)
- Oh, so cool, I love it.
- Hello.
- [Sam] Hello, how are you?
You guys are busy.
I caught you guys in a good time, right?
- Oh, did you?
Welcome back.
- [Sam] Nice to see you guys.
Hello, how are you?
Yeah, I'm coming to Dubai, coming home.
- Sam, nice to see you.
- [Sam] Oh, thank you.
Thank you so much.
See you in the video, bye bye.
(upbeat music plays)
- Hi, my name is Tando,
it's a pleasure to have you on board this flight.
- [Sam] Where are you from?
- I'm from South Africa.
- [Sam] Of course, it's beautiful.
Yeah, I love it.
This is Emirates, everything is a surprise.
- Yes it is.
- [Sam] I love it.
Are you going to be first class today?
- I am; and I have the pleasure
of looking after you today.
- [Sam] Oh, it's my pleasure, thank you.
Nice to meet you.
Oh, thank you, it's been mimosa for 20 years.
- [Tando] Sorry?
- [Sam] It's my favourite drink for 20 years.
- [Tando] Oh, really?
This is size large, pyjamas inside.
- [Sam] This is pyjamas, thank you.
Thank you so much.
This is the longest 8380 flight in the world right now.
8,659 miles Los Angeles, Dubai, let's go.
(upbeat music plays)
(plane engine roaring)
That was a really, really low takeoff.
He took off on 24 Left,
which is the shortest runway, LAX.
Really, just felt really low over the ocean.
When we climb out, it was probably really, really heavy.
(tinkling music plays)
- Ooh, you're doing a show here, yeah.
- [Sam] Could you give me some coffee, please?
- Certainly.
- Would you like to have some dates?
- [Sam] Oh, I'm good today, thank you.
- Thank you for-enjoyed it?
- [Sam] Thank you, sir.
- Hi, my name is Layla.
So we have like something new with Emirates airline
that I would like to introduce today.
So it's a new first class carry traveller kit.
Let me show you what's inside.
And I think this perfume, which smells like (indistinct).
- [Sam] Oh, is it cologne, yeah?
Oh, let me see.
It's a Vlgari cologne.
Can I try it?
- [Layla] Yeah, of course.
- [Sam] Okay.
Oh, wow.
- [Layla] How do you like it?
- It smells really nice.
- We have something for the ladies as well.
This nice bag.
- [Sam] Oh, cute, it's like a makeup pouch.
- Exactly - [Sam] Yeah.
So you will have a perfume inside for the ladies too, right?
- Yes.
Ta-da.
It's Bvlgari for the ladies.
- [Sam] Oh my gosh.
Yeah, but it looks like there's a diamond on top.
Yeah, red diamond, look at that, wow.
Yeah.
- And we have like mini mirrors for the ladies.
- [Sam] Yeah, of course.
Yeah, not without a mirror.
Yeah, very nice; well, thanks for showing me this.
- So, my name is Layla.
- Layla?
Layla's a Arabic name. - I know.
- Are you from Arabia?
- No, I'm not; obviously, I don't look like.
- You never know.
- True.
- So say something, maybe I can guess where you're from.
- Like I can say something in my own language
so you can guess?
- (speaks foreign language)
- (repeats) I think I heard this word before, yeah.
(upbeat music plays)
So the biggest catch first-class has over business class
is the privacy; look at this.
You're in your private suites, private enclosure;
you're going to have dreams;
you're going to remove your mask; private dining.
That's the biggest advantage
you don't share it with many people, right?
So today's game plan is
to maximise that first-class experience,
to see what makes the first class more unique
and special over all the premium business class.
(gentle music plays)
I'm all smiles because the caviar is my favour starter
in first class and served with a pearl spoon,
with really beautiful condiment presentations, fantastic.
(gentle music plays)
Beautiful red wine.
They always said Emirates has good red wine.
- (laughs) This is
- [Sam] Yeah, this is a good one, right?
I clearly had a lot of junk food in the States,
so it's pretty nice to have a fine dining
on board a A380.
LA Station surprised me.
I never expect LA to have good catering,
but this one's pretty good.
Still, I think the best catering on the Emirates first class
is probably out of Europe, but European continental cuisine.
But the steak, the gnocchi I had, the salmon carpaccio,
the caviar, they're all really good.
- I am Mohammad and I am a muslim from Egypt.
- [Sam] Oh, the Muslim from Egypt, high five.
You know how to drink in Egypt?
- No, no. - [Sam] (laughs)
We drink mocktails only.
- [Sam] Mocktails, mocktails? - Yeah.
- [Sam] Make a mocktail for me today.
Make a good mocktail.
- Yeah, sure.
Oh, Emirates launch of a new hotels,
which is called the Strawberry Hills.
And I'm definitely sure you're going to love it.
- [Sam] Oh, yeah?
Where is it?
- [Bartender] Please enjoy
- [Sam] what's inside this thing?
It's green and red.
- [Mohammad] So there's strawberry and a basil leaf
and a little bit of 7-Up with some ice.
- It's a pretty drink, man
But it tastes like a 7-Up.
(laughter)
- [Sam] It feels like there's not many people
drinking anymore on this flight.
- True, yeah, now it's becoming lighter
because we only allow four people in the whole lounge.
- [Sam] Only four people here, in the lounge?
- Yeah.
- [Sam] Wow, it's really quiet, man.
Good for you; you have less to do.
(laughs)
(gentle music plays)
- So this is only on the Emirates A380.
The shower and spa; there's also a huge bathroom.
After a heavy meal,
I came here to change into my comfort clothes
and then I'm ready to go for the nap.
(upbeat music plays)
- Enjoy your rest.
- [Sam] Okay, the door's closed;
the bed's set up, ready for bed.
I still have 11 hours to go.
And this looks like it's going to be a complete day's flight
heading towards the Arctic circle, it's filling up north
and there's going to be no sunsets.
And I don't know how many hours I can sleep.
Will try; see you later.
(gentle music plays)
So good morning, just having my morning snack here
after about six hours sleep.
And you may ask, "What on Earth is this?"
This is not on the Emirates airline menu.
This is actually made by my mother.
And this is a Chinese bao
(chewing)
Can't go wrong with your mom's cooking.
Mom's cooking always stays good.
My mother made this bao.
I want to give this to you.
- So amazing, this is my hometown taste.
- [Sam] Yeah, this is really good, like
- Wow, impressive.
(speaking Chinese)
- Please, after you.
Have you ever had a shower with us before?
- [Sam] Yeah.
- And I just remind you that the water,
every time you have five minutes;
the emergency equipment, in case you have a decompression
or anything that's unexpected,
oxygen mask will drop from here.
But please stay seated and secure yourself
before you don the mask.
That's all I need.
And in case you need any emergency assistance,
please press this bell, all right?
Enjoy your shower spa.
- [Sam] Thank you, see you later.
- See you.
(plane engine roaring) (shower running)
(plane engine roaring)
(hairdryer)
- In my opinion, that first class shower
did make a difference for a very long flight.
And now I just wake up, feel more refresh,
after that shower.
I used up all the water in all five minutes.
Just had my breakfast; of course, it's on demand.
That's another perk.
First-class over business class.
You have to eat with everybody
and just flew over the Arctic and coming down over Russia,
flying south down to Dubai.
I remember on the same track a year ago,
I saw the 8380 a thousand feet above us.
It was an impressive sight.
It was probably the most impressive air to air size
I ever filmed, it was incredible.
(upbeat music plays)
Today, I'm going to share with you a few tips.
How to fly in the Emirates.
First class are a little bit more affordable
than paying a full fare, right?
The only airlines you can redeem Emirates first class is,
of course, Emirates Skywards and Qantas Frequent Flyer.
So it is becoming more restrictive to redeem
using miles to travelling first class.
A lot of times, at the checking,
Emirates offer a fixed price upgrade.
So just look out for that offer on online checking,
or inquire at a checking desk.
(upbeat music plays)
Before landing, I just want to thank you for all the crew.
15 hours of love and beautiful.
Always a surprise on Emirates.
Thank you so much for looking after me.
All right, bye-bye.
- [Tando] Bye! - [Layla] See you again.
(gentle music plays)
(plane engine roaring)
- [Pilot] Welcome to International Airport.
The local time is 7.15 in the evening.
Those who (indistinct)
(gentle music plays)
(triumphant music plays)