Emirates B777-300 First Class DXB-ORD
After a great day and tour of Dubai, it was time for another Emirates first class flight where the hope was for a better experience that lived up to their reputation. I will say this flight was far more enjoyable.
The limousine arrived at 6:30AM to whisk me off to Dubai International. There is a separate entry for premium class passengers where I was dropped off.
Passengers to the the United States have a specific checkin counter.
Through security in no time I made my way to the Emirates First Class Lounge. A full review of this lounge is under the Lounge section of RewardFlying.
After a 2nd security screen at the gate I was on board the newer Boeing 777 going to Chicago.
The cabin is much cozier that the A380 as it only seats 8 versus 14 in the A380.
Less bling too as the bulkheads are styled in natural tones.
As with the A380 there are no overhead bins in First Class which makes this 777 feel much larger.
1K had my name on it and as you can see I positioned my carryon so it wouldn’t get caught on the leg rest this trip.
In the front galley a self serve bar was set up including lots of Evian water which I never needed to retrieve because today’s FA, Ingrid from Brazil, was always delivering them to me in my seat.
This isn’t a great photo of the ceiling in flight, but it’s meant to show a starlet sky.
The biggest drawback on the 777 versus the A380 is the size of the lavatories for first class. Obviously there isn’t a shower, but the size is significantly smaller. Where you can you have plenty of room to change in an A380, it’s pretty tight on the triple 7.
A sneak peak into business class. I still don’t understand Emirates thinking behind 2x3x2 business class seating in the day of all aisle access.
Very comfortable seat with less bling.
The best first class monitor I have seen. Not only is it huge, the HD is superb.
Apparently the DXB flight to Chicago originates in the town of Eskisehir Turkey.
Electronic window shades that you don’t see much on Boeing jets.
My two main beverage selections.
And the rest.
Today’s Canapés. I guess Ingrid gets a top grade for at least serving them, unlike last flight. While they were ok, the presentation wasn’t visually appealing.
This flight I passed on the caviar and opted for the foie gras (I know, it’s one time). I parred this with a Sauternes and it was a delicious combination. The standout of the meal.
The dreaded decanter ;)
The veal chop was my main (I know, again it was one time).
The veal was inedible. The potato gratin was delicious and there are those canned green beans again.
A second pair of Emirates pjs for next winter.
Amenities galore on this flight. From kits to writing materials to lotions to snacks, they have it covered.
Breakfast was good. Emirates doesn’t cooks eggs to order like you might find on Lufthansa or Austrian among others, but the meal was tasty. I’m still not a fan of airplane omelets.
The 15 hour flight went by pretty quick and we were back in chilly Chicago. Pulling into the gate British Airways BOAC retro livery was parked down the way.
Redemption
Initially this was going to be an Alaska Airlines redemption at 180,000 points (ouch). But when I called, the AS agent couldn’t find the DXB to ORD leg in first. So I moved to plan B which worked out better as I ultimately changed the date avoiding the AS change fee. Emirates waives change fees on first class redemptions. Plus I received the limousine service which has now been discontinued on award tickets.
Emirates charged 178,000 points from HKG-DXB-ORD which included a stopover in Dubai. Taxes were minimum because the flight was out of Hong Kong, however recently Hong Kong repealed the statute that prohibits airlines from charging carrier imposed fees out of Hong Kong. The good news as of early 2019, Emirates YQ charges out of Hong Kong are $75.
Carrier: Emirates
Date: February, 2019
Route: Dubai - Chicago O’Hare
Flight #: 235
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300 A6-EQA
Configuration: F8/ J42 / Y306
Seat(s): 1K
On Time: Yes
Reward Flying Rating: 8.0 out of 10 ✈
Cabin:
✔︎I found this cabin nicer than the A380. It was quieter and decorated more to my tastes with the obvious drawbacks of no shower or on-board bar.
Cabin/Seats Rating: 8 out of 10 ✈
Food/Amenities:
✔︎The amenities were excellent, the food was not, although better than my previous flight. So far Emirates is 0-3 with food for me.
Amenity/Food rating: 6.5 out of 10 ✈
IFE:
✔︎ This was the new ICE system. While having plenty of choices the system is easier to navigate and the tablet is much lighter than the A380 system. The HD monitor was incredible.
IFE rating: 9 out of 10 ✈
Flight Attendants:
✔︎Ingrid, my primary flight attendant was great. A little language barrier as her native language was Spanish, but she delivered on everything.
Flight Attendant rating: 8.5 out of 10 ✈
Aircraft:
✔︎This 2 year old 777 was immaculate. I preferred it over the A380, probably because I failed to shower on the A380, again.
Aircraft rating: 8 out of 10 ✈
