When my partner and I booked a 24-hour journey from London to Sydney, we decided to upgrade our Emirates flights to business class to make things more comfortable.
Emirates’ business class has a reputation for being luxurious, so I was excited to take in all the company had to offer. Little did I know, however, the experience would start before I even entered the airport.
Shortly after booking the flight, I was prompted to book a private car service to pick us up from our house and take us to the airport. I was also able to book ground transportation to and from the airport in Sydney, as well as a car to take us home on the return trip.
I was particularly impressed that the chauffeur dropped us off at a dedicated Emirates entrance at London Gatwick airport, and we were escorted by an attendant to the priority check-in desk — we didn’t need to touch our bags from the moment we left home.
It truly set the tone for the rest of the trip, which exceeded my expectations.
We spent time in the Emirates lounge in London, which was stocked with a variety of cuisines and drinks.
Our business-class fare also gave us access to the Emirates lounge, which offered lots of warm and cold food options, vibrant salads and desserts, and attentive staff.
The lamb shoulder and roasted potatoes were incredible on a cold winter night, and I loved the goat cheese and beetroot salad so much that I went back for seconds.
Boarding the flight was so easy, and my seat came with some amazing amenities.
Our business-class seats gave us access to priority boarding, which gave us plenty of time to get settled.
I noticed the aircraft for the first leg of our journey seemed to be older, and at first glance, the upholstery looked a bit dated. However, the lie-flat seat was incredibly comfortable with plenty of legroom.
My pod also had a large touchscreen entertainment system with an accompanying tablet, headphones, slippers, an eye mask, snacks, and both mineral and sparkling water.
We were welcomed with drinks and amenity kits.
Once I sat down, the friendly flight crew offered me a choice of Champagne or juice, plus hot towels.
One of my favorite parts of the experience, however, was the beautiful amenity kit full of Bulgari products, including a moisturizer, lip balm, perfume, and body lotion.
The kit also had a few other useful items like a hair tie, deodorant, tissues, a dental kit, a comb, and ear plugs.
The in-flight cocktail lounge was the best part of the flight.
About an hour after takeoff, the cocktail lounge opened, which, in my opinion, was the best part of flying business class on Emirates.
The flight crew became mixologists and created classic cocktails and delicious mocktails in the air. It was an incredible experience to order a drink and sip a cosmopolitan while looking out the window, watching the clouds drift by.
The crew even snapped Polaroids of us enjoying the lounge to take home as a fun keepsake.
I couldn’t believe how much food I got during the flight.
The seven-hour flight from London to Dubai included three separate meals, served to my pod with a cloth placemat and silverware.
For one meal, I had a beef filet with gravy, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, which was great. However, my favorite was the traditional Arabic mezze plate with kibbeh, babaganoush, stuffed vine leaf, hummus, and pita.
The food was delicious and plentiful — with so much to eat and drink that I even ended up skipping the light meal served between dinner and breakfast.
During the flight, I also had access prepackaged snacks in my pod, and there was even more food available in the lounge.
During my layover, I explored the incredible Dubai Emirates lounge.
During a three-hour layover at the Dubai airport, we explored the Emirates lounge, and it was by far the most spectacular I’ve ever visited.
Sprawling an entire floor above the main terminal, it felt more like a hotel lobby than an airport lounge, offering three different food stations, each with its own cuisine.
During my visit, there was also an ice cream cart with an attendant, and a Costa Coffee stand with a barista. I had a frothy vanilla latte and a chocolate chip cookie while waiting for my flight.
The lounge even featured a Moët and Chandon Champagne-tasting mini-lounge, where we enjoyed a glass of Nectar Impérial paired with canapés.
The longer flight from Dubai to Sydney was even more incredible than the first.
The long 14-hour leg from Dubai to Sydney was on a more modern aircraft that really gave that wow factor. I gasped out loud as I was ushered on board and directed up a flight of stairs that opened up to the stunning first-class cabin.
I walked past the private suites to my pod in the business-class section, which was breathtaking as well, with chic seats that fully reclined into a horizontal bed.
As was the case on the first leg of my flight, the pod was clean, comfortable, and well-organized.
Unsurprisingly, I slept better than I ever have on a plane. On both legs of the flight, the flight crew added a mattress pad to my seat before bedtime, and handed out a loungewear set that was so soft and comfortable that I brought it home with me.
Overall, the entire Emirates experience was one I’ll never forget.
Although it was a splurge, flying business class on Emirates was an experience I’d happily recreate in the future. It really did transform the travel experience across two long-haul flights.
There were only a couple of things I think could’ve made the flight better, like a privacy screen for each pod and a more up-to-date selection of TV shows and movies.
Overall, though, my Emirates business-class experience was delightful, memorable, and seamless — and it made my long journey fly by.
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