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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Next was the fresh fruit plate and a yogurt.

It was also accompanied with some warm Banana bread.

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

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

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).

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

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

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.

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And 2 USB outlets:

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.

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

This is the screen controller which has the most functionality:

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

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.

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.