While writing up my review of SWISS First Class, I realized that I made a serious omission. Back in late 2023, I flew Emirates First Class, and never wrote about it. Somehow, the review never got written and published, which I didn’t realize until trying to link back to it. Thus, the time is now to write about Emirates B777-300ER First Class. Back in late 2022, before the significant Skywards devaluation, I booked the old “Blogger Special” from Milan for 85,000 miles and EUR 131.01 in taxes. Although my original booking on the A380 got “downgraded”, I still viewed it as quite the experience for the cost.
One other thing to keep in mind – Emirates no longer allows First Class awards except to Skywards elite members. It’s easy enough to obtain with a credit card, but still, the days of the “Blogger Special” are largely over.
Emirates (EK) Flight 205
- Tuesday, November 7, 2023
- Depart: Milan – Malpensa International Airport (MXP), Terminal 1, Gate B53, 15:39, 1m early
- Arrive: New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Terminal 4, 18:48, 7m early
- Duration: 9 hours 9 minutes
- Seat: 2K
- Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER
Check-In and Boarding
Before I start the review, I’ll get the unpleasantries out of the way first. Yes, when I originally booked this award, this route operated with an Airbus A380. And yes, I considered it a real bummer when I got the notification of an equipment change to the 777. But I also just didn’t have the time or desire to reroute via Dubai. So I kept what I had, because after all, 85,000 miles for 9 hours in First still struck me as a big bargain.
Anyway, Emirates offers bupkis for First Class passengers at Milan. You get a separate First Class check-in line, but otherwise, nothing differentiates the experience. I ended up arriving at the airport too early, and had to wait until check-in opened at 11:40. The process only took a couple of minutes, and I made my way to the lounge. All passengers with lounge access may board directly from the lounge, which I took advantage of. And got a sneak peek at the 77W as we headed down the jet bridge.
Boarding began surprisingly late, just 35 minutes prior to departure. Soon enough, though, I headed over to the right-hand side to settle into my suite.
Emirates B777-300ER First Class – Seating and Interior
One thing to remember is that Emirates offers two different First Class products. A very limited number of 77Ws (9 to be exact) feature the new F product, with 6 fully-enclosed suites. Most 777s still have the “old” first class, with 8 First Class seats. This route still operates the old configuration, which is the subject of this review.
Those who dislike Emirates often focus on the excessive “bling” of the product. And indeed, the whole thing does give off an overly ostentatious and fake ambience. Almost like a parody of how some imagine the oil sheikhs live. But it definitely does leave an impression, positive or negative, right from the start.
On these older planes, First Class consists of 8 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats fold into a 79″ bed, and measure a very generous 26″ wide. One nice thing about older seat designs is the generous padding. These seats don’t disappoint in that regard, and feel like a comfy home recliner in upright/reclined mode.
The First Class cabin has no overhead bins, either in the middle or along the aisles. That does provide a spacious, airy look to the cabin, as it allows natural light to flow throughout.
At the front of the cabin is the signature Emirates logo.
As far as the suites go, it’s not a cutting-edge product, but is adequate. The suite partitions and dividers more closely resemble the “half walls” of SWISS or ANA First Class. Compare that to the higher dividers of Korean Air’s Kosmo 2.0 Suites or Singapore Suites.
At seat level, the suite walls certainly do appear higher than they actually are.
It’s something you notice even more when lying down in bed. Though remember, anyone walking by can, in fact, see in to your suite. Also, while I still largely view doors as an unnecessary gimmick, they actually do sort of work here. The double door design actually does provide the illusion of closing the doors to a bedroom.
In addition, the starry sky effect is pretty cool, I think.
Speaking of bed, as mentioned earlier, the bed measures 79″ long in flat bed mode. When you’re ready, the FA will add the mattress pad and bring a duvet. While perhaps a bit plain, I found the setup perfectly comfortable. I slept soundly for about 3 hours. I actually would have slept longer, but with the relatively late start from Milan, I didn’t want to sleep in too late when considering Eastern time.
You may remember I mentioned the lack of overhead bins in First Class. So where do you store your carry-ons? Why, underneath the TV table, of course. There’s actually sufficient room under the table to fit both a backpack and a roller bag.
As far as additional seat storage, it’s kind of surprisingly minimal for a First Class suite. The window side does include a spacious shelf above the minibar (more on that later). However, the setup is a little awkward for laptops due to the raised island in the middle.
Next to the armrest is another storage cubby. It’s deep enough to hold a phone, wallet, or passport.
Finally, the aisle-side armrest flips open to reveal a small storage cubby. And yes, more bling inside.
As far as seat controls go, you’ll find two separate sets on the seat. The main seat controls are a series of buttons underneath the secondary IFE tablet. You can also adjust the seat from the tablet itself by pushing the seat button.
Meanwhile, the aisle-side armrest includes basic seat controls, including upright and flat bed mode. This also includes controls to move the tray table, and open and close the sliding doors.
The suite also provides plenty of additional lighting sources. In addition to the desk lamp on the table, another is on the side wall, along with a real orchid.
And there’s yet another spotlight on the suite door. This is also an example of where I think the bling is a bit much. The faux gold finishes on the light come off as pretentious.
Amenities
The First Class suite does excel when it comes to amenities, so I’ll devote a separate section to these. Waiting on the table was a small, refillable snack basket, and a BVLGARI amenity kit.
Meanwhile, pull out the drawer to reveal a notepad and pen.
On the window side is perhaps the suite’s most unique feature – a stocked minibar. The refrigerated storage area contains complimentary still and sparking water and soft drinks. If you don’t like the pre-selected items, the FA can replace them with whatever you’d like instead.
As mentioned earlier, there is also a complimentary snack basket on the suite table. The basket contains various sweet and salty snacks, and like Doritos from the 90s, you can crunch all you want, because they’ll make more.
In addition to the amenity kit, all First Class passengers receive an eye mask, slippers, and pajamas. I’ll cover the amenity kit in more detail in a second.
Circling back to the amenity kit – I’m not usually one to get excited by these. But this one is worth your attention. The BVLGARI kit comes in a stylish, sturdy bag, though perhaps a bit on the large side.
As far as contents, the kit is quite well-provisioned, beginning with a shaving and dental kit. Props for providing a decent quality razor and full travel-size can of shaving cream.
The kit also includes a comb, stick of deodorant, and moist towelette.
Finally, the kit includes a collection of BVLGARI toiletries, including a 30 ml bottle of La Gemme Gyan perfume. This is the part that should grab your attention. A 100 ml bottle of Gyan easily runs $300-400 at retail, so this is quite a nice inclusion. It’s also nice that the toiletries come in a separate reusable bag.
One last amenity to highlight – unlike the A380, there’s no onboard bar on the 777. However, there is a small self-service area set up where you can help yourself to snacks and drinks.
Overall, despite the outdated layout, the seats are comfortable, and Emirates provides plenty of amenities. There’s just too much bling for my tastes.
In-Flight Entertainment
On older 777s like this one, IFE is delivered through 24″ high-definition touchscreens (though in practice, it’s not exactly practical to reach the screen while seated). Newer aircraft feature upgraded 32″ screens, but I found even these older ones pretty good. The centerpiece of Emirates’ IFE is the “ICE” entertainment system. Giving credit where credit is due, it’s arguably the most comprehensive commercial IFE system available. Whether you want movies, TV, podcasts, games, music – you’re sure to find something that strikes your fancy.
There’s also a couple of channels of live TV available, along with some UAE-centric programming to choose from.
The movie selection includes a particularly large selection of Bollywood and regional Indian genres. Apart from the large Indian population in the UAE and passengers who connect on to India, I’m told Bollywood is rather popular generally throughout the Middle East.
There’s also a remarkably large selection of programming in other languages. While you’ll usually see some foreign language programming, usually in the home language of the carrier, it’s unusual to see this much variety.
Not interested in TV, movies, or music? You can always peruse the moving map. Emirates’ version of the map is a good one, with some unique features (more on that in a second).
Among the unique features? A cockpit-style instrument panel that gives you more than just the usual altitude.
There’s also a clock that presents not just the current time at the plane’s position, but also a selection of current times in other major cities.
There are also a couple of cool flight cams available. Sorry for the blurry photo, but I did get a cool shot of the runway as we touched down at JFK.
I also enjoyed this view of the outside around sunset a little earlier in the flight.
In addition, you can display different programs on both the big screen and the tablet. Useful if you want to watch a movie, but also want to keep an eye on the moving map or a flight cam.
To enjoy the IFE system, Emirates provides a pair of excellent Bowers & Wilkins headphones. These retail for $300+, and provide excellent sound quality and noise cancellation.
Still can’t find something you want to watch? Emirates also offers OnAir WiFi on its B777-300ER fleet. First Class passengers receive free full-flight WiFi. Other passengers can purchase access, with prices ranging from $5.99 for a messaging pass, to $19.99 for a full flight pass. While the prices aren’t terrible, I found the WiFi barely passable in terms of speed. It’s ok for basic browsing or email, but think twice about trying to stream videos or run high-bandwidth work applications.
If you need in-seat power, the 110V power port is on the bottom right side of the TV screen. You can see it in the photo of the storage area below the TV. There is also a pair of USB ports at the end of the window-side armrest. Unfortunately, I found both inoperable on this flight. The 110v port did work, though.
Emirates B777-300ER First Class – Food, Beverage, & Service
Service began immediately after boarding with a pre-departure beverage. Unlike the typical PDB on a tray, you can ask for anything you want. As per custom, I selected the champagne. Emirates serves Dom Perignon in First Class, the 2015 vintage on this flight.
My dad didn’t drink, but came to enjoy the finer things later in life. He always got excited when he’d see or hear of Dom Perignon. He didn’t make it long enough for me to tell him I’d had it, but I think he’d have appreciated it. So here’s to you, dad.
The pre-departure service also came with Arabic coffee and packaged dates.
Shortly thereafter, FAs distributed menus for the flight. It certainly comes in some fancy packaging.
Emirates’ First Class menu works in reverse order, with drinks listed first. I appreciate that Emirates provides a substantial selection of mocktails for those who don’t (or don’t want to) drink.
On the spirits menu, there’s some pretty high-end stuff, especially the two cognacs. Hennessy Paradis retails for about $1,300 a bottle, and the Tesseron is about $750.
Finally, the food menu appears, including quite the extensive cheese board.
Meanwhile, the wine list comes in a separate menu. The selection here runs the gamut from moderately priced mainstream wines to some absurdly priced rare vintages. Both the Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2013 and Fattorie de Dolfi Imeneus 2010 retail for $1,250+ a bottle.
Approximately 30 hours after takeoff, meal service officially began with mixed nuts and a beverage. Note that Emirates offers “dine on demand” service in First, so you can take your meal as you see fit. However, I decided to go ahead and have mine right away. I went with an old fashioned to get things started.
About 25 minutes later, the FAs delivered appetizers. You can mix and match whatever you want here. I ordered the Arabic mezze, cream of cauliflower soup, and cured salmon. In hindsight, this was WAY too much, especially after a sizeable meal in the lounge.
This certainly is an…interesting…take on cauliflower soup. The taste was fine, though I’ve never seen soup served in a wine glass. I also found the mezze quite good, especially the hummus and babaghanoush, though the portion size was more main course than starter.
The main course arrived roughly 30 minutes later. For the main course, I went against my better judgment and ordered the beef filet.
I said “against my better judgment”, because my in-flight meals are littered with terrible beef experiences. But in this instance, I actually found the steak quite tasty and flavorful. It still came out a tad overcooked, but not the absolute hammering I usually get. For the wine, I chose the red Bordeaux. Aside – if I knew there were $1,000+/bottle options, I’d have picked one, just to say I drank a $1,000 bottle of wine. Oh well. Anyway, the Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot is no slouch. It rates pretty highly among wine snobs, and comes in at $80-100/bottle. I found it a medium-bodied, dark fruity wine that paired well with the beef.
Feeling completely stuffed after the main course, I passed on both the cheese and dessert. With that, meal service concluded a little over 2 hours after takeoff. I found that pace fine for a daytime westbound flight.
About an hour and 45 minutes before landing, I requested a cup of black tea. Emirates provides quite the fancy setup, with shortbread cookies included as a snack.
About 30 minutes later, I ordered the beef sliders off the “Movie Snacks” menu.
Not sure I’d classify sliders as movie snacks, though I guess it does at Studio Movie Grill. I found the sliders – fine. The beef was fairly well seared, and the bun not soggy. The chips, though, were excessively oily and not crispy. It’s as if they tried to make their own, but couldn’t pull it off.
Overall, I give the meal service fairly high marks. The food was well-presented and fairly tasty, with a good mix of Western and Middle Eastern options. It wasn’t the most fabulous first class meal I’ve ever had – that honor goes to the 10-course Japanese feast on ANA – but it’s still pretty good.
Service overall scored pretty close to flawless. Some complain that service on the ME3 can feel fake or forced. I didn’t feel that at all on this flight. The First Class FAs struck the right balance, with the FAs proactive without being overbearing.
Flightseeing
With a mid-afternoon departure from MXP, we enjoyed a little bit of planeporn heading to the runway. These first two pictures didn’t come out great, but I think they’re still worth highlighting. The first was an Alba Star 737-800 at a remote stand. Alba Star is a charter airline based in Palma de Mallorca that operates a fleet of five 738s.
The second was an ASL Airlines Ireland B737-800 cargo plane. ASL’s French subsidiary operates a unique flight from Paris to the territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Newfoundland.
Then, as we headed to the runway, a pair of A350s, one from Qatar Airways, and the other from Ethiopian.
After takeoff, the real show began, with some absolutely spectacular views of the Alps as we headed west and then northwest over western Italy and Switzerland.
Finally, flying west means an endless sunset, and we certainly had one to enjoy as we started our long trek over the Atlantic.
By the time we reached New York, night had already fallen, so unfortunately no planespotting at JFK. Fortunately, unlike my experience on the A380 with Singapore Suites, we headed straight to the gate with no delay. After arriving about 10 minutes to 7, I made my way over to LaGuardia for my flight home. Frontier had a late flight to Dallas that allowed me to get home, instead of needing to spend the night in New York. Yes, Emirates First to Frontier is quite the difference. And yes, it was worth it to get home, even at a late hour.
Emirates B777-300ER First Class – Final Thoughts
Setting aside the excessive bling, Emirates does provide a high-level experience in First Class. The seat, food, entertainment, and service were all executed very well. Emirates’ lack of ground service is a notable negative, though, which puts it behind Lufthansa and Air France in that regard. (Of course, if paying for a Business or First Class ticket, you get complimentary chauffeur service, which is nice.) Also, unlike the A380, you don’t have onboard gimmicks like the bar and shower, which takes away some of the allure.
The other thing that kind of bugs me, though? Emirates’ new First Class on the 777s earns rave reviews. But you’re probably waiting years to experience it, as Emirates has just 9 777s (out of more than 250 long-haul aircraft) equipped with it. As Rush once said, with Emirates, there’s always so much style without substance, and the painfully slow rollout of the enhanced First Class is a perfect example of why.
Nevertheless, this was one heck of a redemption for 86,000 miles.