Review – Emirates A380 First Class Brisbane – Auckland

by Zac George
a tv on a table in an airplane

Emirates operate their A380’s to Auckland from Brisbane, Melbourne and currently Sydney but that will be changing to a Qantas A330 very soon. Emirates sell First, Business and Economy on the Tasman routes and it’s a great way to trial their premium products on the shortish hop. An even better reason to take the Emirates flight is they price First and Business very well out of Auckland, to the point that First can be the same price as Air New Zealand or Qantas Business so why not take the more luxurious option?

After leaving the lounge, I made my way onboard. The crew member looking after me guided to my seat (3A) and I was welcomed onboard. They informed me I’d be the only passenger onboard in First and if I’d like a drink before takeoff.

a interior of an airplane with a desk and a tv

Emirates A380 First Class

I chose to have a water with a slice of lemon. Emirates have one of the best menus onboard and their usual champagne they offer before takeoff in First is Dom Perignon.

a glass of water with ice and a lemon wedge

Emirates A380 First Class

In the A380, there’s a total of 14 suites and they’re in a 1-2-1 configuration which is pretty standard for First Class.

a tv on a table in an airplane

Emirates A380 First Class

The suites are leather and are quite comfortable. I’d say not as comfortable as Cathay First but more than sufficient.

a seat in a plane

Emirates A380 First Class

Each suite features a mini bar which can be lowered and raised. It features a variety of water, soft drinks and juices. Also note that it’s not chilled which is disappointing.

a beverage in a cooler

Emirates A380 First Class

Before we pushed back from the gate, the crew came to offer me some Arabic coffee and some dates, both were lovely and it’s a nice way to start the rather cold morning.

a cup of liquid on a table

Emirates A380 First Class

Usually Emirates would offer an amenity kit on the service but for whatever reason, they also provided Pyjamas and slippers which was a very nice surprise.

a black bag and a grey pouch on a white surface

Emirates A380 First Class

We left the gate on time and started our taxi to runway 19. It was quite a dreary day but watching the tail cam is always entertaining no matter what the weather.

a screen on a desk

Emirates A380 First Class

Just after we reached our cruise altitude, the breakfast service started. I went with an Apple Juice and some mixed nuts.

a bowl of nuts and a glass of liquid

Emirates A380 First Class

Next was the fresh fruit plate and a yogurt.

a plate of fruit on a table

Emirates A380 First Class

It was also accompanied with some warm Banana bread.

a piece of cake on a plate

Emirates A380 First Class

It consisted of Orange, Blueberries, Kiwi fruit, Strawberries and Grapefruit.

a plate of fruit on a table

Emirates A380 First Class

For the main dish I had the Apple and Cinnamon Flapjacks which were lovely.

a plate of food with a white sauce

Emirates A380 First Class

After having some breakfast, I decided to have an hour or 2 of sleep as I hadn’t slept the night before (no surprise there).

a bed in a plane

Emirates A380 First Class

On this service, there’s no bedding offered but there is a duvet of course.

a bed in an airplane

Emirates A380 First Class

After having some pretty decent sleep, It was time for the most exciting part of flying Emirates First Class – the onboard shower.

a bathroom with a shower and sink

Emirates A380 First Class

Emirates feature 2 showers In the front of the cabin for First Class passengers. You have to book it in advance and you get to access it for 30 minutes which is very generous. Note that you only get 5 minutes of water.

a bathroom with a toilet and sink

Emirates A380 First Class

The amenities in the bathrooms are pretty nice it’s well stoked.

a group of bottles of liquid on a shelf

Emirates A380 First Class

They feature both Voya and Bvlgari products which I quite like.

a wooden box with small bottles of cosmetics

Emirates A380 First Class

 

a group of small bottles on a wooden shelf

Emirates A380 First Class

As you can see, the shower itself is not too tight. The bathroom is currently the biggest in the sky.

a shower head in a bathtub

Emirates A380 First Class

You have to have both the bathroom and shower door locked to turn on the water.

a close up of a shower knob

Emirates A380 First Class

There’s even a seat in the case of turbulence.

a wooden seat in a white room

Emirates A380 First Class

There’s a few other amenities and a hairdryer available if you need to use them.

a wooden cabinet with drawers

Emirates A380 First Class

There’s also a small monitor to show you your location and altitude.

a screen on an airplane

Emirates A380 First Class

And yes this is real, you can adjust the temperature of the floor!

a screen shot of a temperature control

Emirates A380 First Class

The pyjamas are some of the most comfortable I’ve come across and I’m a big fan of them.

a pair of slippers on a shirt

Emirates A380 First Class

The amenity kit is very well stocked and features Bvlgari products.

a group of toiletries and a bag

Emirates A380 First Class

After having the shower, we commenced our descent into Auckland. The seat features a nice writing kit with a pen, notes and envelopes.

a pen in a box

Emirates A380 First Class

There’s 2 forms of in-seat power with a 110v plug:

a close up of a power outlet

Emirates A380 First Class

And 2 USB outlets:

a usb ports on a wall

Emirates A380 First Class

There’s actually 2 controllers for the IFE and they’re found on the left of the seat. The main screen controller also adjusts lights and seating functions.

a rectangular electronic device with buttons and a screen

Emirates A380 First Class

On the right hand side of the seat, you’ll be able to choose seating positions and be able to close the suite doors.

a close up of a device

Emirates A380 First Class

This is the screen controller which has the most functionality:

a tablet in a holder

Emirates A380 First Class

There’s also a small vanity mirror with all types of creams and relaxing scents, these make for great presents 😉

a mirror with a small mirror with a small mirror and a small box with a small mirror

Emirates A380 First Class

We arrived in Auckland on time and after leaving the aircraft and walking to clear customs, there’s a brilliant view of the massive A380.

an airplane on the tarmac

Emirates A380 First Class

Overall, Emirates First Class is a brilliant product and it’s one I’ve flown a number of times and it’s always been great. I’m currently writing this in the Emirates lounge in Brisbane about to depart to Singapore on the 777 so I’ll report on that once I arrive back home.

 

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10 comments

Donald July 3, 2017 - 2:22 am

Congrats for jamming so much into your 3 1/2 hour flight! 😉

ghostrider5408 July 3, 2017 - 3:32 am

SO I have a question how many “reviews” of EK First Class must we all endure? I mean really we all see the “see me” in these blogs but enough is enough

jabba July 3, 2017 - 6:30 pm

Then its time you stop reading all of these blogs.

Alastair Majury July 3, 2017 - 4:13 am

Good review, thanks for Sharing.
Alastair Majury

Bernie Beston July 3, 2017 - 11:46 pm

Only fly Emirates when there is no practical alternative.
Bet the water was imported from Europe, not an Australian product.

Kitty Hayes September 5, 2018 - 1:53 pm

No.

Give the kid a chance, Bernie and Ghostrider; you come across as really sour examples of humanity.

Why on earth would a ME airline cart EU water all the way to BNE, just so it could be served elsewhere?

Lynda July 6, 2017 - 5:36 am

Where on your blog can I find info for traveling in New Zealand ? Drive, take a tour, suggestions? Want to go end of Jan. 3-4 weeks with additional week in Australia on the way home. Have lots of miles.

freshthoughts July 11, 2017 - 6:18 pm

so much for ” 4-5 posts a day” been over a week now without a post and even before that it was sporadic at 1-2 every couple of days. i appreciate that you might have engagements but its a stretch unless you’ve been in Antarctica for 8 days with no internet.
Still a heads up on no posts for the next week would be much appreciated.

Sam July 18, 2017 - 5:32 pm

Its now been over 2 weeks since the last post. What’s going on? Has this blog ended?!

Linda August 5, 2017 - 1:23 am

Nice review. How did you book this?

Comments are closed.