Bars on Planes? I Can Work With That

I’ve always revered Emirates as THE luxury airline of the industry, and I finally got the chance to experience it for myself. I had high expectations going in, and Emirates fully met them. Here are my takeaways from the 15 hour flight we took from San Francisco to Dubai on the Emirates A380 (hint: thriving is inherintly easy).

Pre-Boarding

We flew out of San Francisco because it was the only way to use miles on that day, which did not allow us to use the complimentary chauffeur service offered for business and first class passengers. Emirates only operates one flight daily to Dubai, but nevertheless, leave it to Emirates to find that one flight important enough to designate 40,000 square feet in the international terminal exclusively for passengers flying that one route. The lounge doesn’t feel that big mostly because the buffet occupies a large area on one end of the lounge and the other end has a lot more small rooms for kids, computers, etc. The lounge oozes Arabic opulence, with gold finishes, top of the line food and world class service. BUT, while all of that may be true, I did feel like this lounge was about 10 years outdated. Honestly, I went to the Air India lounge in Bangalore and it was much more modern and comfortable even though it was maybe half the size. For an airline with the prestige of Emirates, you expect a certain standard to be met. Or maybe I’m just spoiled probably a bit of both. The lounge was still a great precursor to the flight, and we filled ourselves with fantastic food during the three hours we had.

The lounge is only open from 12-4 everyday, and gives you everything you need (just slightly outdated)

To the point of the chauffeur service though, we did use it upon landing in Dubai to take us to our resort. Once you get your bags, you walk through to the exit and turn right where there is a lounge and several agents ready to set you up with a card to take outside and find your driver with. We were delayed on arrival, and I was worried that my pick up time I had set would become an issue but in Dubai, these guys have so many drivers on tap that you don't have to worry in the slightest.

Cabin

I can’t even begin to describe the excitement I had when entering this behemoth of an airplane for the first time. To think this was my first time flying the A380 is bizarre, but better late than never I guess!

The plane is huge, but frankly, up on the second deck, it felt small. The ceiling wasn't all that high, the aisles and seat entrances were rather narrow. Maybe my expectations were a bit too lofty (pun intended), but I don't know, something about the cabin size just did not live up to what I had anticipated.

What this cabin lacked in size and grandeur, it made up for in beautiful details and, well, a f*cking bar. The details came in the form of small lights to mimic stars in the ceiling, mood lighting, and electronic window shades. Small touches made such a large aircraft and advanced operation feel that much more intimate and personal.

When it comes to what seat or area on the Emirates A380 was the best, I would go with 23 A/K as your top option. You're close to the bar, but not too close and it feels a lot more private thanks to the bulkhead in front.

Seat

Laid out in a 1x2x1 format on this massive plane, Emirates really does take advantage of the amount of space allocated to their seats. There's a huge table where I was charging my phone, Apple Watch and computer all at once, (all the outlets are there as you'd expect). Behind the table is a mini-bar stocked with a few drinks. As if a bar on board wasn't enough, these guys decided to give you a mini one at your own seat-just without any alcohol. Because why not? The seat itself is quite comfortable and transforms into a full length bed that I found oddly short for my 6'0" body, but I still slept comfortably. The seat has beautiful finishing touches that are symbolic of the Emirates brand and really add to the luxurious vibe of the experience.

Food

I had always heard about how the food on Emirates business class was incredible, but the Ciopinno I had was straight up no good. I usually don't complain about food on planes, and I realize that the fact I was having a ciopinno on a plane was absurd in it of itself, but this was just not what I had expected.

Breakfast on board-this was a solid meal, unlike the Ciopinno I had for dinner.

Emirates made up for that with a great breakfast, along with solid snacks throughout the flight. If you're ever hungry, the bar in the back is always stocked with sandwiches, sweets, chocolates and fruits. I just wrote that. A "bar". On a plane. Even writing this a week after flying it, I find it hard to believe that there's a bar. Sorry. Anywho.

Entertainment

The screen, man. That's the first thing I noticed when I got to my seat was just how big the screen was. It was truly a joy watching the four movies I did on board. Everything from Persian movies to Chinese to Bollywood to all the Marvel movies to all the Fast and Furious, Emirates ICE system had something for everyone.

Service

Loved it. Love those flight attendants. I was avoiding jet lag so I tried to stay up as much as possible on the flight so I found myself hanging out at the bar, drinking and solving riddles with them (I didn't actually solve any riddles because I'm terrible at it, but at least it kept me awake!). At first, the service seemed robotic and impersonal, but I think that was just during boarding and making sure everything was fit for take off. After all, flying an A380 is one seriously complicated operation.

All in all, the flight was amazing, and I felt connected to Jennifer Anniston because I really wouldn't have minded another few hours on board, mainly because of the bar. Dubai is in a geographically pristine location, and you really can fly anywhere from here, so Emirates becomes an obvious option.

Bars on Planes? I Can Work With That

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