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First class on Emirates – an honest feedback

kidatheart2 Comments

So I tried the first class on Emirates on my recent flight to Dubai (unfortunately, the return flight for first class was at 3AM, so I took a mixed class for this flight, returning on business class).

How did it fare?

I was quite impressed with the luxury feel, but it’s an old plane (777-300) and my partner and I were the only ones seated in first class in this 1-2-1 configuration. They started out with pajamas and a leather amenity kit that had Bulgari products and some other toiletries. Then there were the other amenities and goodies you could find right on your table and side tables and the other tables. I took them home for souvenirs and the flight attendant passed by, saw the empty basket and asked – would you like more to refill? But of course, was the right answer!

Evian and Perrier water was available right beside your own suite. You needed to call them to serve you dinner, otherwise I wouldn’t have been served dinner at all. I was starving and waiting for food and saw that my partner was already done with dinner and wondered where mine was. But, they won’t ask until you do.

So here’s dinner, and that was quite a lot! From fresh caviar to arabic mezz and a lighter dessert, I was so filled that I skipped the final meal before landing. It was, after all, a short 9 hrs flight. And you had a smorgasbord of food at your beck and call, including popcorn, sandwiches, and more during the whole flight. Then there were the drinks. Let’s start off with Dom Perignon for champagne to go and a whole list of mocktails, cocktails, red and white wine to choose from.

We had the 2 toilets in First Class all to ourselves. No queue!!!

After dinner, I spent the last 5 hours in bed, after the purser had converted my bed into a bedroom.

Not bad for a first class, but I was hoping that the wifi actually worked. That would have been the icing to the cake. Unfortunately, the wifi, even on First Class was out of commission for this flight. Maybe next time.

And on the ground upon landing, we had car service to the hotel where we stayed (yes it was a BMW EV).

The first class experience was a far cry from their 2-3-2 business class on my return flight. It was a typical business class and the service wasn’t that bad, but wasn’t that fantastic. They picked us up as part of the Emirates business class service from our hotel. With a huge terminal 3, the walk to the gate for boarding to Manila, took all eternity. It’s good that they had a business class lounge near our gate.

The next time you’re flying, take the First Class on a very long haul. It’s worth the experience. You might even get to experience the shower!

On a scale of 1-10, I’d give Emirates First Class an 8 and their business class a 7.

The long haul on Cathay Pacific

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It was back to the United States this year for my annual hiatus (aka vacation). And Cathay Pacific was the plane of choice (this time), flying from Manila to JFK with a transit in Hong Kong. I wanted to try Cathay Pacific considering that it had excellent flight schedules.

Manila to Hong Kong to JFK

The flight was on an A330 and while the herringbone configuration was nice, the plane looked like it was about to retire. The screen was barely working as there was a huge delay in trying to figure out what movies to watch. As you touched the plastic screen – yes, plastic – it was literally unresponsive. Wifi was okay after 30,000 feet and worked well till we got to Hong Kong.

The lounge in Manila and the Pier in Hong Kong, was excellent. I should say that the lounges of Cathay Pacific served very good food and had amenities that were fit for the travel class. I liked the fact that it was a dedicated airline lounge for those flying on CX and there was no sharing of the lounge, especially out of Manila. In Hong Kong, you can find various business class lounges near your departure gates.

The A350 from Hong Kong to JFK (with the Herringbone configuration) was much better. It had slightly more room and the entertainment system was also much better (no more plastic). Food was fine, but the service needs improvement. They really don’t bother you at all, even when you’re awake, to ask you if you want anything to eat or drink. The crew just passes you by, unless you get up and ask them in the galley or ring for the crew to bring you food.

Departure and arrival was on time and although there was so much turbulence during the flight, I was able to get a comfortable sleep with their Bamford beddings.

The return flight

This was a nightmare.

Our flight out of JFK was scheduled at 250PM. And while the captain announced that all passengers were accounted for at 245PM, a seat problem (which was malfunctioning) needed to get resolved before we could take off. Because it was a full flight, this issue could not be resolved just by transferring the passenger to another seat. We departed at 430PM, which meant that I would miss my connecting flight.

This 777 configuration had first, business, premium economy and economy class. Another outdated plane, which probably accounted for the seat malfunction. Cathay Pacific should really retire these planes because they’re so dated that I even wonder how they can make the very long haul flight a comfortable one. They have their new Aria Suites which they fly to Sydney, London, Beijing (why?), and Toronto. They should use these new planes for the longer hauls. It’s a pity because we pay so much for mediocre service.

The meals out of the US flight was so-so. It wasn’t fantastic but neither was it bad. The fish ball noodles were very good. Stick to that. You won’t regret it. Otherwise, the meals were uhmmm….so-so. I had better meals on a plane.

Service was mediocre and an apologetic crew that could only say, they’re sorry for the delay and that someone on the ground would assist us.

The Wifi was not working at all during the return flight (except for a few minutes). So much for free Wifi.

The Hong Kong to Manila last flight was on a 777 with a 2-3-2 configuration. While it was not lie flat, it was spacious compared to the herringbone seats. I had to hold the plug for the audio on my seat because the headset was deaf – only one ear was functioning.

Conclusion

If Cathay Pacific wants to stay in the game and regain its stand in the travel industry, it has to make sure that it outpaces the competition.

CX has old planes. Very old. The pandemic had hit them hard and while they are trying to recuperate their lost glory, they need to really step up rapidly in this business.

Next time I’m flying long haul, I’ll stick to my favorite airlines – ANA and JAL. While their connection times are a bit off, they stand out far far from what Cathay Pacific offers when it comes to service.