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In the points and miles world, there are a few bucket-list items that we all strive to mark off our lists. Business class on Emirates' A380 has been hovering at the top of my list for so long, and this summer I finally got to experience it for myself. But perhaps my expectations were too high…
I flew the fifth-freedom route with Emirates from Milan, Italy (MXP) to New York (JFK) aboard the massive Airbus A380. This flight clocks in at 8:45 hours. That's a whole 1:35 hours longer than the opposite direction coming from New York, and I definitely factored this in to maximize my in-flight time.
At this point, I've flown in business class with almost every other major top-tier airline. Based on those experiences and Emirates' advertising, I was truly expecting to be blown away like I was when flying Qatar Airways or Etihad Airways. While I can't say Emirates isn't great, there was just something missing that started to make me question its ranking.
What Makes Emirates' Business Class Special
As someone who has flown in a lot of different business class cabins, you start to judge them based on certain criteria. The biggest factors: Food, entertainment, service, seat, amenities, and overall aesthetic.
My Emirates business class experience was a mixed bag when it came to these factors. However, for the parts that Emirates got right, it really, truly nailed it.
The amenities
Most amenity kits nowadays are essentially the same, with very slight variations. But this was the first time the amenities actually blew me away. First, you're provided with the classic amenity kit, which is all Bvlgari-branded products (definitely the nicest on any airline). Even the quality of the bag far exceeds that of other airlines.
Then, a flight attendant comes around and asks if you'd like a set of pajamas for the flight. Definitely, 100% say yes. Take two if you can. These are by far the nicest pajama set provided by any airline, and if you can't tell, I've quickly become obsessed with them (and may or may not have worn them while getting off the plane).
The plane (and bar)
If you're not familiar with the Emirates Airbus A380, it is definitely the most spectacular aircraft. One major reason is the onboard bar available to both business and first-class travelers. This is one of those features that you see in movies or TV shows, and assume that it's not actually a real thing. Even seeing it in person, I couldn't believe I was still on a plane, 40,000 feet in the air.
I also thought it would be empty most of the time, as passengers would just go back there for a quick drink or a snack — but I was wrong! People hung out back there during the whole flight, even chatting with other people, making small talk like they were actually at a local bar.
The entertainment
This is definitely a big pro for Emirates, as the movie and TV show selection on board was amazing. There were at least 5 or 6 movies I wanted to watch, which is difficult to find when you fly so often!
What Emirates Could Do Better On
The seat
With so many advancements in the past decade, it's surprising that Emirates seems to have fallen behind. They continue to fly their outdated aircraft when other competitors are constantly refreshing their fleets. While the seat itself is not bad — compared to many other airlines, it's actually quite nice — it's just not the quality you expect from a top-tier airline. The finishings are outdated, there are no privacy doors, and you can just tell that it's a bit…old.
There are some unique features that I did quite like: The minibar on the side and the extra-large storage compartments under the windows.
Then again, the caveat to those was that they were great when they actually worked, as mine kept getting stuck shut, and the flight attendant would have to come over and hit it a few times to get it to open! It's the little things like that which make you feel like you're staying in a Holiday Inn Express rather than the Four Seasons, right?
The service
Middle Eastern airlines are typically known for their world-class service. I do have to hand it to Emirates: their service was great, especially considering how hard these flight attendants are working, as the business class cabin itself is huge. But was the service as good as Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines, though? Honestly…not even close.
The food
I personally believe food and drinks might be the number one most important feature on a business or first class flight. I've had plenty of flights where the service was terrible, the seat was uncomfortable and had no privacy, the movie selection was crap…but the food was amazing. I've ended up leaving that flight happy solely because I had some really good food. So the point is, food is important. And Emirates really should be doing better when it comes to food.
A staple appetizer on almost every Middle Eastern airline is the Arabic Mezze. It's not hard to mess up, but somehow this was the worst one I've ever had on a plane. It fell well short of my favorite: Qatar, with Oman Air and Etihad as close seconds.
Then, the dinner entree could only be described as unmemorable. A simple roasted chicken dish that could have still been excellent, but in reality was bland, dry, and disappointing.
I can't say all the food was terrible, since many of the desserts stocked at the bar were great. But in my opinion, there is no excuse for dry chicken and a bad Arabic Mezze on a Middle Eastern airline.
The Wi-Fi
Emirates really needs to improve its Wi-Fi. While I was able to connect to it, I got it to work just enough to send maybe two or three text messages, and then would spend another 15 minutes trying to reconnect. In this day and age, there should really be high-speed Wi-Fi provided on every flight. Especially with the availability of Starlink on many planes, there should be no reason for Emirates not to be on top of this.
The cost
It's hard to complain about cost when you get to use points and miles to pay for a flight that would otherwise be $5,000+. But it's an important consideration when you're someone like me who prioritizes using their points for the best value possible.
For this flight, I paid 87,500 Ultimate Rewards points from Chase, plus about $145 in taxes and fees. When you compare a lot of other business class seats on other airlines, this is actually quite expensive (you can usually get a flight from the US to Europe for 60,000-70,000 points, or less with transfer bonuses). The reasoning to spend more is because it's on Emirates — which is supposed to be this amazing luxury experience. However, unfortunately, that falls flat.
Related: The 8 Best Business Class Sweet Spots for Award Flights to Europe
Bottom Line
Emirates A380 business class is on many travelers' bucket lists, but should it be? After my experience, I realized I would have much rather spent those 87,500 points on another experience.
Now, is Emirates really all that bad? No, definitely not. In fact, if this were my first time flying in business, I would have most likely thought it was a great experience. That being said, Emirates' hard product is still nothing impressive, even though many features do stand out like the amenities and on-board bar.
Overall, my recommendation would be to save your points and use them to book Qatar Qsuite or Etihad Airways business class for a much better experience.
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I think the aritcle would be better with more actual pictures from the flight instead of the publicity pictures from the airline. The seat and the food ones are the ones that I would trust. In a review I don’t want to be sold, I want to see if it is worth buying (using points)
Fair point. This article idea came about from a discussion after the flight, so the writer didn’t have as many photos as we would if she knew it was going to be a review before the flight 🙂
I have flown Emirates Business from ORD, numerous times. The route is a B777. Our food has always been excellent. Our only gripe is the lack of all aisle access. The seat on your flight, the A380, is roomier than most business classes. And, the main reason for flying business is all about the seat and space. If having a door on your seat was that important, then fly Delta. But I still think Emirates is far better than Delta.
Agree Emirates is in need of a refresh on seats (which is planned) as they have let their legacy product go too long while others have upgraded. Also, the food, while decent for airline food, isn’t on par with their ME rivals or airlines like SQ. It will be interesting to see with Riyadh Air starting if all 3 ME main carriers will feel urgency to up their game.
I flew the A380 JFK-Milan and also enjoyed the bar. IMHO that (and the shower in first) are differentiators and hopefully the rest of the product gets some attention. BTW, if you weren’t thrilled with the A380 J you should try the 5th Freedom flight from Athens to EWR on a 777. It is 2-3-2 seat in J! My wife and I flew back from Athens last year and it was fine for us in the 2 seats on the side but for travelers alone (or even couples if they want more seclusion to sleep) it is a huge step down. Also, and for me this isn’t a problem as I’m probably one of the few that sleeps better on a plane sitting up than laying down on their bed, the “lay flat” seats on the 777 are angled so you are on a slight slant when you lay down.