There are a lot of amazing first class products in the world. It's true whether you're flying the A380 or the new Boeing 777 and you can enjoy the inflight shower and bar.
Even if the crew and food aren't amazing, I have the most fun in first class. I've been fortunate to take dozens of first class flights with Emirates over the years, and figured I'd share some of the most interesting aspects of the experience, which you may or may not know. I'm guessing most people won't know any of the below.
There are 14 secrets to first class.
If you have a suite with a door in first class, don't get any ideas because it's very private. There is a camera at the back of the first class cabin on the A380.
This can be seen from the cockpit and the purser's office. Chances are that they aren't watching the camera, but you never know.
People are often curious if the airline crew knows if you redeemed your miles for your ticket or not. The crew can't tell if you paid cash or redeemed miles for your ticket. The crew can see if you upgraded in the system.
But for all practical purposes, an award ticket is treated as a “paid” ticket. So whether you paid $21,000 or redeemed 150,000 Emirates Skywards miles, it’s all the same to the crew…
Since the retirement of the A380s, the only airline with shower spas on commercial aircraft is Emirates. There are two showers and a dedicated shower attendant.
People are surprised to learn that these aren't flight attendants. They sit in passenger seats for takeoff and landing. You can tell them apart from the rest of the crew by the fact that they wear trousers.
shower attendants aren't treated well so be nice to them. The other crew members make a lot of money.
Dom Perignon is poured in first class. If you are anything like me, you have a limit on how many drinks you can have on a flight, and you don't want to waste it on a subpar champagne.
When you are in the United States, you can expect to only be served business class champagne, which may be Veuve Clicquot. The airline only offers a limited selection because it has to pay taxes on alcohol served on the ground in the US.
I recommend only having one glass of champagne on the ground, so that you can save your tolerance when you are airborne.
The purser is a flight attendant who gets paid an extra couple of dollars per hour to do the paperwork and coordinate the crew.
The purser's responsibilities are much greater on Emirates. They have to email the crew before the flight to introduce themselves and assign positions, they do a crew briefing before the flight, and they are also responsible for evaluating other flight attendants.
Let the purser know if you're not happy with the flight. I guarantee they will take it seriously if you are in first class. If there is a problem on the flight that they are not aware of, they will do everything they can to make it right, and will also write a report after the fact.
If you are unhappy with the flight, engage the purser. It is assumed that you have a good purser. Things are a bit more complicated if you end up with a not-great purser.
The airline has an exclusive beach bag on the A380 that is intended to be able to take stuff to the shower suite, which is one of my favorite first class amenities.
The crew won't necessarily offer these on daytime flights that aren't long hauls, like most destinations in Europe or Asia. It can be helpful to ask if they are available on demand.
Are you traveling around your birthday? You can request a cake for free. You don't have to travel on your birthday to take advantage of this, just phone up and ask.
It's one thing to have a dine on demand concept, but being able to order room service on a plane is next level, even if it's sort of a gimmick.
If you are on an older plane, you will see a button in the armrest that looks like a flight attendant is on the phone. Push it and the flight attendant will place your order.
People usually misuse it and assume it's the call button, so you may find that the crew shows up at your seat instead. The phone rings in the galley when you push that button.
You can video call the crew on a flight if you want to order room service. It is a feature that crews are often caught off guard by, so they won't be huge fans of it.
The A380 has an onboard office for the purser. You can see a door under the staircase on the lower deck. That is where the purser's office is. This is where they can complete paperwork, monitor the cabin, or just escape from people.
One of the best kept secrets is to request an upgrade at the airport or onboard the flight. In theory, you can upgrade with last seat availability at the airport or onboard the flight, even if there are capacity controls.
I say that because that is how it is supposed to work. Not all airport staff are trained on this. You can upgrade a business class award ticket to first class using Skywards miles, as long as you have some in your account.
The sign above the spa doors says that. The crew handbook states that a second passenger is necessary to provide assistance. It's up to your friendly crew how they define providing assistance.
There is a Polaroid camera on all of the planes. The crew can take pictures of passengers and put them in a cute picture frame that you can take with you. If you are having a fun crew or celebrating a special occasion, you can always ask about this.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't drink because it's expensive.
On a per-bottle basis, the most expensive alcohol you can find on any airline is served by Emirates. I'm talking about the price of a bottle of Hennessy Paradis. If you are a fan of cognac, make sure to order some while flying with us.
Hopefully the above paints a small picture of why I love the first class products of Emirates. There is not another airline in the world that is more fun to fly.
I'm sure many of you know the basics of first class from flying it or reading reviews, but hopefully some of the above is new and interesting.
Do any of the facts surprise you?
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