The three major Middle Eastern carriers have really shaken up the airline industry
lately with new routes, new planes, and some of the most over the top premium cabins.
Emirates first class has long been the gold standard for opulence at 4k feet
they set the bar high with private suites two inflight showers, and
an a la carte menu that rivals any other carrier in the world.
Luckily you don't need to be a billionaire to fly Emirates first-class
you just need to be smart about your miles and points.
I've flown Emirates first class numerous times, but for this flight I'm bringing you with me.
This is TPGtv
Because Emirates has several airline partners flyers have a few ways
to redeem points & miles for award flights on the airline to book my first class flight
from Dubai to New York JFK I redeem 90,000 Alaska Airlines miles and paid just $58 in taxes and fees.
However Alaska has since raised the redemption to 150,000 miles each way
so it's not nearly as good of an option. You can also transfer American
Express Membership Rewards points directly to Emirates skywards program
with this fight will cost $136,250 miles, and $463 in taxes & fees
the best option is transferring Starwood Preferred Guest
points to Japan Airlines they've got a distance-based onboard chart that is quite
frankly amazing an award from Dubai the New York requires a 100K JAL miles
which is 80K Starwood points since you get a 5K mile bonus
for 20K points transferred unlike most airports Dubai is buzzing at 5AM
the desert heat makes midday departures a challenge so the airport
schedules early in the morning or after midnight
First class Emirates passengers are granted access to the first class lounge.
If you're not flying first class you need be a Skyward platinum elite to gain access or flying Qantas first class.
A game room, an a la carte sushi restaurant, a spa, a wine store
as the saying goes I felt like a kid in a candy shop.
with sixty minutes to kill I booked a spa appointment.
What more could one need before enjoying fine caviar on a long flight home
But first a quick stop by the game room
ok, time's a' ticking and I'm hungry.
good news; there's 3 options here.
A sushi bar, a buffet and a sit down restaurant.
45 in the morning
And after a shoe shine I was ready for my first class flight
I only spent $58 out of pocket for a $7,900 flight
So what exactly do you get in first class on an Emirates A380
And the meal, was next level
Emirates allows you to order a la carte since so many passengers are criss crossing time zones
you can eat breakfast for dinner, and dinner for breakfast
ard for dinner with the airline signature Iranian caviar course along
with all the fixings and a choice of two vodkas Grey Goose and Russian Standard
from there I opted for the sweet potato and celeriac soup and a seasonal salad
with a nice glass of French sancerre. For my main I chose the seafood, lobster
prawns, and scallops in a creamy Britain's sauce with mustard mashed potatoes
paired with the delicious pino noir.
Of course I couldn't skip dessert. So I chose the lemon cheesecake.
one of my favorite things about Emirates first class are their amenity kits
The airline has partnered with luxury Italian Bulgari
and offers passengers beautiful leather kits. Packed with rose lotion after shave and
perfume it also contains all the essentials like shaving and dental kits
basically everything you need to keep you feeling fresh on a long flight.
In addition to the amenity kit the flight attendants also hand out swanky pajamas and slippers.
I mean there has to be some kind of club for taking a shower 7.5 miles in the sky
After I shut the door to my private suite I was able to enjoy a little
entertainment before going back to sleep.
But all good things must come to an end.
Before I knew it we were back in New York
On the next TPGtv I head to Costa Rica for some fun in the sun
And you might be surprised that I flew coach to get there.