Over our many years of travel, one thing has always dangled, but never quite been a reality. And that’s travelling first class. Finding a leg with availability and that works for us has always proved a challenge despite having volumes of rewards points available. We finally got to taste the highest level of commercial airline travel on a recent flight from Dubai to Zurich. Read on for our Emirates First Class review.
In terms of cost, the flight cost 120,000 Qantas points and $AU470 in taxes per person for the following:
- Sydney to Dubai in Economy
- Dubai to Zurich in First Class
Effectively, the First Class leg cost 75,000 Qantas points and I’d estimate $200 in taxes. First Class doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There’s more tips at the end of our Emirates First Class review at at the end of this article.
So what’s all the fuss about? Read on for our Emirates First Class review.
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First Class chauffeur pick up
Upon departing Dubai, we were picked up by Emirates’ First Class chauffeur service direct from our door. The service is available in 79 cities, and they’ll drive you up to 90kms to and from the airport at either end of your flight.
Arriving at the airport
Arriving at Dubai Airport (DXB), there’s no need to rub shoulders with those in Economy. You get your very own terminal entry for First and Business which equates to very speedy security queues. Take a moment. Finish that bottle of water. Let that guy pass in front of you. There is no throng of people waiting to get through.
The First Class chauffeur pick up 
Rolling out the red carpet 
Enjoy everything the First Class lounge has to offer
Once you’ve whizzed through security and jumped on the train to your terminal, it’s time to hit the lounge. First Class has its own distinct lounge from Business. It feels more like a private terminal than a lounge.
There are duty free areas, stacks of business areas and quiet zones. We must have interacted with 15-20 staff before seeing another passenger. You definitely feel like you’re being looked after, but as a regular economy passenger, I could only think it could be shared around a bit more. But alas, we all need some aspiration.
Spacious lounge areas. Colour scheme needs some work! 
Need some chill time? This is a quiet zone where you can have a nap if you need it
Take your pick of some amazing food options
Eating is a real treat here. There are plenty of food options with a fine dining restaurant, Japanese and desserts.
We hit the fine dining restaurant. The buffet alone is impressive, but the a la carte is like a genuine fine dining experience. I went for the braised beef ribs with some Moët of course. Feel free to have a few glasses, it’s all included after all.
The beef ribs at the First Class lounge are as good as you’ll find in any fine dining restaurant
The sushi selection is extensive
Time to board
When it’s time to board, we head to our own elevator gate. There’s one Emirates staff member there ready to help us board. It’s just us at this point by the way, no other passengers to be seen. You’d be mistaken for thinking we were flying privately not commercial.
We board and are received by 4 Emirates staff which seems fitting. There are only 4 passengers in total in First Class today out of a maximum of 16. We feel like we’re getting the right royal treatment.
Taking our seats, if we don’t want to talk to anyone, we don’t have to. Just close the doors to the cabin and it’s like riding in a private capsule. I don’t need to come out of my cabin if I don’t want to. There’s a big screen for movies, a vanity and a desk with writing pad (that’s a souvenir). The staff offer up magazines including Conde Nast, Time, Nat Geographic and The Economist.
Your own private mini bar on board
Whilst dining is on demand, I could probably make it by on the plethora of free snacks and drinks in my mini bar.
The next level aviation experience – a shower at 40,000 feet
The staff are super warm and welcoming. Anything you need, just shout. ‘And by the way, when would you like to book your shower?’.
No Emirates First Class review is complete without mentioning the shower. That’s right, Emirates First Class has a shower on board. The bathroom is bigger than the en suite in our apartment (although admittedly we have higher ceilings at home). I book the shower for 2 hours pre-landing. That will give me enough time to get fresh, and still enjoy another movie before landing.
Having a shower at 40,000 feet is an odd experience. Even odder if the seatbelt sign comes on. Which it inevitably does. In the middle of my shower. What does a man in a shower on board an aircraft actually do when that light goes on? This is a situation in life I’m unprepared for. I wasn’t wearing my FitBit, being in the shower and all, but I’m guessing my resting heart rate nudged well into cardio range at this point. I feel like the attendant may have given me a run down pre-shower, but I was too distracted with the offer of a drink post shower.
Man injured after hitting head during turbulence reads the news article. It just feels like such a low percentage possibility in life to find yourself in. And during a flight which had been so smooth to date. But sure enough here I am confronted with this as my reality.
So I do what any male does and continue showering – she’ll be right. Elevated heart rate aside, there’s no turbulence that causes any alarm. I live to write this blog post. And exit the shower refreshed, recharged and never quite so clean at the end of a flight.
The impressive shower facilities on board
Tempted yet? Read our beginner’s class to Business Class here.
Food on board
Now, in addition to my non-First Classy experience of the turbulence during my shower, I also had an upset stomach, so I didn’t get to enjoy the full array of dining on demand. Kristen managed to enjoy some prawns which were like no other plane meal she’d had to date (including in Business Class). I wish I could provide a better insight on this, but that will need to be for a follow up blog post for First Class flight #2.
The bar onboard is shared between First and Business Class. There’s no real need to visit when everything comes direct to your seat on demand though
You can also enjoy the onboard bar. Although in First Class, you can be a sloth and have everything brought to you directly, so it may not be necessary. Still, it’s nice to have options!
All good things come to an end
After 6 hours of the plushest flying experience I’ve ever had, we descend into Zurich. The First Class flight is over, but the experience continues. Our First Class chauffeur awaits us in the Zurich terminal to take us away in his shiny black Merc. He drops us in a very non-First Class area, best described as edgy, but no doubt a little different to where he’s used to dropping FC passengers.
It goes without saying that First Class flying is the ultimate. Upset stomach aside, this was a flying class we could both get used to. With still a good volume of points to our name, we’ll be keeping an eye on our travel itinerary and what might be available for us to enjoy. For 75,000 Qantas points and ~$200, you too can get all of this!
First Class sounds awesome, how do I do it?
Did our Emirates First Class review instil some envy? Don’t worry, you can do it too! But how?
The most obvious tip is to not pay cash for it. If you’ve got the cash to splurge on FC regularly, good for you, but you’re still doing it wrong. Here’s my top tips to get you to the pointy end of the plane and maximising the experience.
Accrue those Frequent Flyer points
Accrue, accrue, accrue. This point can’t be emphasised enough. There are so many great ways to do this. If you become a points junkie like me, every purchase decision will be about maximising your points. You don’t need to go that hard though to get yourself enough points.
There are many ways to accrue. The wondrous website that is pointhacks.com.au can certainly help identify how to a true them fastest. There are lots of contributors in their community who know every single way to maximise their points earn. Read, learn and earn. There are no excuses for most employed individuals to not be able to maximise their ability to earn points.
Start searching early
The further you are from flying, the greater likelihood of you securing a First Class seat.
Look for less popular cities to travel to
We flew to Zurich purely because we could find the availability. We were happy to visit Switzerland, so that obviously made sense. There was availability on all flights in First Class the week we flew and obviously vacant seats on our flight. Looking for London, Paris or Rome? You’ll find availability harder to come by on these legs.
Some other tips once you nail your bucket list dream
If you want to really enjoy the experience, get to the airport early to enjoy everything on offer. Seek maximum value! That Moet is there waiting to be drunk you know.
Think about where you want to stay. We visited Lucerne after a night in Zurich. Lucerne is within the 90km zone for the chauffeur, so we could have stayed there instead. Worth considering if you don’t want to stay in the city centre.
Listen to the Flight Attendant before you take your shower. PS: You’re meant to turn off the shower and sit down in turbulence. Who knew?
This is the way to fly!
What did you think of our Emirates First Class review? Are you super keen or mega keen to experience it for yourself?