We flew first class from Washington to DC and then from there to Dubai. Only nine planes feature these cabins, and they only fly a limited number of routes. I only reviewed the new first class on the short flight between the two destinations. I was looking forward to seeing how this product was holding up, but also testing it on a longer flight, since I rank it the best in the world. We had the cabin to ourselves, but there was also some service on this flight. I usually lock in award tickets last minute, because airlines tend to release lots of award seats as the departure date approaches. I was surprised by how few award flight options there were, as we had a date where we needed to be in theMaldives. One really awesome option popped up in first class a few days before departure. I booked both segments in first class. Washington leaves at 11:00AM and arrives at 8:10AM on the day. The male is departing at 4:20AM and arriving at 9:30AM.
BEN SAYS:
Emirates' new Boeing 777 first class is the best in the world, with a huge amount of personal space, privacy, and endless gadgets and amenities. What a treat to fly this on a 12+ hour flight, without any other passengers in the cabin.
How I booked our Emirates first class tickets
It was my birthday and the 4:20AM departure had me giggling.
The itinerary cost 160,000 Skywards miles and $817 in taxes. There are a few things to note.
The miles are very easy to come by. Skywards has transfer partners with all major points currencies.
We spent the night at the Hyatt Regency Dulles Airport after flying to the area the night before. I would have reviewed the hotel if our flight was delayed as much as it was. This is where we will start.
We arrived at Washington Dulles at around 9 am for our flight. The check-in hall was empty, but the check-in area was packed.
There were lots of people in the economy line. We were helped immediately, and we were given boarding passes for the next day. It's nice that there's no requirement for vaccine travelers to take a test, so we just had to show our vaccine cards.
I reviewed the Air France-KLM Lounge Washington Dulles in a separate post. Premium passengers boarded via gate A22, which leads to the same jet bridge, despite our flight leaving from gate A20.
I couldn't help but notice that the plane I was looking at was the one involved in the December incident.
Our flight was supposed to leave at 10:30AM but was delayed because the inbound aircraft was late. The whole boarding process was chaotic due to lack of communication from the ground staff.
Zone C was invited to board at 10:40AM, Zone D was invited to board at 10:55AM, and all premium passengers were invited to board at the same time. If you are going to board economy before business class, it would be nice to explain that.
After boarding through the second set of doors, we were greeted by a supervisor and taken to our seats in first class. We went to the far aisle after I assigned us seats 2F and 2K.
Two rows of business class are to the left of the second set of doors. The new business class on the new 777s isn't much better than the standard one.
The latest Boeing 777 first class is simply incredible. The cabin has six seats in a 1-1-1 configuration. The suites have a level of privacy beyond what you can find in a first class suite.
There are two window seats on each side of the configuration. The center seat in the first row opens up to the left aisle, while the center seat in the second row opens up to the right aisle. If you want to be close to your companion, I recommend selecting 1A or 1E. The suites in row two are a bit more spacious than the suites in row one.
The flight started on a strange note. The crew should have known that I assigned us seats 2F and 2K because crews can see seat assignments on their tablets. There was a lot of stuff already in the suite when I arrived at seat 2F.
I was looking for the flight attendant.
I think this is my seat, but you don't want to sit in a window seat? We want to sit close to each other.
Are you sure? Okay.
She decided to put her stuff in a different part of the suite after a few minutes. It reminded me of when I was accused of taking the supervisor's seat in Saudia first class, and I was assigned my seat.
After the flight attendant removed her stuff from the suite, she set it up mostly as it should be, and then forgot something.
She talked about all the amazing things in the catalog and the perfumes. She claimed that the biggest duty free sale ever was happening at the same time as everything was 20% off. It turns out that the prices listed already reflected all the savings, yet my flight a few days later had exactly the same pricing.
If we want to get good service, we need to buy something onboard. Back to the gorgeous first class cabin.
I sat in a window seat in the new first class of the airline, but Ford took that seat this time. It was the same as I remembered, though the leather is a bit more stretched out and worn than when it was first introduced. There are supposed to be binoculars at the seat, but the crew didn't put them out.
The center seat was assigned to me. It's rare that I'd choose a center seat, but I do in the new first class. Why? Because the center seats are a bit more spacious, and because of the ridiculously awesome virtual windows.
There is so much to love about this product, from the privacy to the endless gadgets. New first class is definitely a product where the wide angle camera is useful. The suites almost feel like an enclosed train compartment. Mercedes-Benz inspired the seat finishes.
The high definition TV in each seat is just as good as a personal entertainment screen on a plane.
A variety of drinks and snacks can be found on each side of the TV.
There is a mirror, writing kit, and some creams in front of the TV. This can be folded down if you aren't using it.
The tray table can be extended from underneath the TV.
There are outlets on the left side of the tray table.
To the left of the seat is a large device that can be used to control everything, from entertainment to room service to lighting in the suite.
You can use your tablets to call room service, as well as being able to video call the crew to place an order.
You can track your flight on that device while you watch a movie or TV show on the main screen.
The seat controls are underneath the table.
There is another controller in the left armrest. I'm not sure why this is needed, since the screen itself is touchscreen, and then there's also the tablet. It isn't often you see a triple redundant inflight entertainment feature.
There are basic seat controls on the right armrest.
There is a monitor on the right side of the seat. This allows you to change the temperature and lighting in the suite. It also allows you to see if the bathroom is occupied.
When it comes to the temperature controls, you can't turn on air conditioning, but you can turn the heat up or down. Thanks to the multiple air nozzles in the suite, the temperature and airflow are great, and I just turn it down all the way.
You can also choose your own mood lighting, which affects a lot of the lighting.
This is cool.
There is a good amount of storage in the first class suite. There is a huge compartment at the front of the seat that can hold a carry-on bag.
There is a closet in the back right of the seat.
I will talk more about the virtual windows in a bit, but you have to love how there are curtains in front of them.
There is an opening at the front of the seat that can be opened or closed, as well as the standard sliding door. The crew could serve drinks and food through that opening for passengers who want privacy.
The new first class is simply amazing. This is the best first class product in the world, as the space is so well utilized.
This product isn't ideal if you're traveling with someone, since you can't really sit or dine together. Ford and I were sitting across from each other, and with our doors open we could talk, though we had to raise our voices a bit.
The bathroom situation on the A380 is a first world problem, and it's one of the major drawbacks of the 777. While the A380s have shower suites, the 777 just has two first class bathrooms that are pretty standard. It is a decent size.
It's kind of funny to me that there are single-use soap bars.
There are also some perfumes.
The bathroom that crews are supposed to use is a bit smaller.
We were offered drinks before we left. Dom Perignon is only available in first class on flights out of the United States since Emirates doesn't want to pay taxes for serving it on the ground. Veuve Clicquot is on the ground. I had a glass and wanted to pace myself. There was a face mask on at each seat.
First class amenities were offered to us. This includes pajamas, slippers, and eyeshades.
There was a kit that had everything from a shaving kit to a comb, and it was very well stocked.
Our suite had noise canceling headphones in it.
Arabic coffee, dates, and warm towels were offered at the end of boarding. There was a choice between plain, almond, or orange for dates.
Even though the flight was full in business class and mostly full in economy class, we were thrilled that we had the first class cabin all to ourselves.
The captain made a welcome announcement. The pilots were from Canada, Greece, and South Africa. The flight time was 12 hours and 30 minutes, and the altitude was 35,000 feet. He apologized for the late departure, but said they would try to make up some time.
The safety video was screened after we started our pushback. It was my first time in a middle seat in a new first class and I was really impressed by the virtual windows.
There are two center first class suites on the new 777s that have virtual windows, and they are so cool. The cameras on the side of the plane show what you would see if you were sitting in a window seat.
It's unbelievable how realistic they are, and I preferred real windows.
My eyes were very close to the windows, which is saying something.
We were cleared to take off from runway 30 by 11:30AM. We had a long takeoff roll and a gradual climb out.
The seatbelt sign was turned off.
The ICE entertainment system is known for its information, communication, and entertainment. Whether you want to watch movies or TV shows, the entertainment selection is endless.
Tracking the progress of the flight is my favorite part of the entertainment system.
While not as cool as the tail camera on A380s, the nose camera on the 777s can be fun to watch.
OnAir powers the wi-fi on the Boeing 777s. The prices are as follows:
Skywards members who are also first class passengers can get free wi-fi. If you have your Skywards number on your reservation, you can get free wi-fi when you connect. I don't understand why the airline charges non-Skywards members in first class if they want to join the loyalty program.
The good news is that it is fast. Inflight wi-fi is slower than On Air. The good news is that the data isn't split between as many people as on the A380, so the wi-fi wasn't completely useless. If you're relying on data, I wouldn't plan on being all that productive.
The purser passed through the cabin to greet us and give us the menu. We had one interaction with her. Normally the purser greets passengers before takeoff and before landing, but that didn't happen here.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included on the dine on demand menu in first class on long haul flights. The menu can be found here.
You can find the juice, soft drink, cocktail, and mocktails here.
The wine list can be found below.
The first class glass of Dom Perignon was served with some warm nuts. It was good.
Dom Perignon chef Marco Fadiga was involved in the development of some canaps. This included buffalo mozzarella with pea cream and smoked olive oil. All were delicious.
We both had the food to start. We were asked if we wanted a double portion, as the cabin was full of six passengers. We figured we'd have some more later. In my opinion, the best service of any airline is the one offered by Emirates. We had some chilled vodka with us.
A bread basket with toast, garlic bread, rolls, and more was included with the meal.
I usually order the Arabic mezze after the caviar, but I decided to mix it up and order the lobster with the puree and tomato.
I ordered the pan-roasted Pacific rockfish for my main course. It was okay, but I can't say that the presentation was amazing or that the food was in line with what you'd get in a top international first class.
Ford ordered the chicken mandi, which was roasted chicken and served on rice with cashews and pine nuts. He said it was good, but the presentation wasn't great.
I had the apple pie with custard and mascarpone, which I liked.
We enjoyed the meal at a leisurely pace because we were not tired yet. The Dom Perignon was good, but the rest of the meal was mediocre, in terms of presentation and taste, even though it was still good for airplane food.
We asked to have our beds made so we could sleep after lunch. The lighting in the cabins is gorgeous. The stars are on the ceiling.
Since the other crew wasn't in the cabin anymore, I think the purser made our beds. On the other hand, I have never seen a service like this on the airline. How comfortable is this suite?
The new first class suite is spacious and has incredible padding. The space in the first class suite is used more efficiently than the A380 Suites.
The suite closes fully, so you won't find more privacy than this in any first class product, I suppose.
I enjoyed the full view from the virtual windows for a while.
Just like the window seats, you can lower the blinds while still allowing some light in.
You can draw the shades so that you have true darkness, since the windows are fake and you are facing a wall.
I woke up over Germany after sleeping for nearly four hours. The way I think of the flight is that it is similar to a daytime flight from Washington to London and then an overnight flight from London to Dubai. At this point we were halfway there.
It was already dark outside as we began the portion of the flight.
The first order of business was to drink a lot. I had at least a couple of liters of water.
I thought it was time for another snack and Ford was awake as well. We ordered more caviar and champagne, so we had to accompany that with more champagne. It was offered ahead of time.
I decided to order a vegetable burrito with a variety of ingredients.
Ford had a poke bowl.
We were over Iraq in just over two hours, after I spent a couple of hours working and watching TV. We made a sharp turn at this point, which is standard in this area.
I looked at the nose camera as the sun started to rise. There was an A380 behind us. That's cool!
Since the A380 flies a bit faster than the 777, it kept getting further away. The plane was bound for the Middle East as well.
I ordered a cappuccino with the Emirates logo stenciled on it. I was offered a couple of chocolates, a warm towel, and a couple of biscuits.
I ordered a cup of coffee and a couple of pastries.
I ordered a breakfast about 90 minutes before landing. I ordered oatmeal and chia in coconut milk and had some fresh fruit with it.
Ford had eggs with hollandaise, turkey, and spinach.
I mentioned some aspects of the inflight service above, but let me expand on that a bit. We talked to the purser and the two flight attendants. One first class flight attendant was excellent, he was by the book, responsive, and followed the standard service procedures.
The rest of the crew was different. The pursers have a lot of power and responsibility, and they set the tone for the flight, including the service onboard. The purser on this flight was not very hard-working.
She came by once after takeoff to give us the menus. She spent most of the flight in the jumpseat in first class or in the office, but not in business class.
If a purser is sitting in the jumpseat and you go to the bathroom, they will be the first to address you by name, ask if there is anything they can get you, etc. She sat there and came across as apathetic.
The other first class flight attendant was there. She was hilarious and a good time, but I think we were having fun. To put it mildly, she was not particularly professional. When we boarded the flight, she set up all her things in my suite and tried to get me to move, rather than apologizing.
It's pretty clear that she was primarily onboard to sell duty free items at any cost, and I suppose that's fair, because on each flight there is a dedicated duty free sales person. Making up promotions and pressuring people to buy is not something that should be done. I will just leave it at that.
The first officer on the PA told us that we would be landing in around 40 minutes and would start our descent within 10 minutes.
The cabin was prepared when the seatbelt sign was turned on. I was back to enjoying the virtual windows.
We made a smooth landing on runway 30L at DXB.
We arrived at the gate at 8:05AM after a 10 minute taxi ride.
There was no queue at immigration while it was quite a distance to get to the arrivals hall. When priority tags actually work, it's nice that our bags are the first two on the belt.
This flight was unforgettable. The new Boeing 777 first class is amazing, with an unbelievable amount of personal space, and endless amenities and gadgets. We had the cabin all to ourselves.
Was everything perfect? No. The food wasn't the best I've had on the airline, and the service wasn't as good. This was a really enjoyable flight. On a long haul flight, the new first class is very good.
I'm giving this flight five stars because I don't think the flight could have been better.
What was it like to fly in the new first class of Emirates?
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
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