The Points Guy UK waged a four-time Emirates A380 cabin fight
Emirates’ premium cabins are among the flashiest in the world, but do the high standards extend back to the economy?
Four travel experts from The Points Guy UK (TPG UK) decided to find out by boarding a London-Heathrow-bound Emirates A380 in Dubai with their video cameras to capture experiences in all four classes simultaneously – economy, the brand new premium economy cabin, business class and first class.
The standards turned out to be impressive everywhere but like the site’s fascinating video shows, there is a huge difference between the back of the plane and the front, which was a world of caviar, Dom Perignon Champagne and even hot showers. Scroll down for the full statements…
FIRST CLASS
Nicky Kelvin, head of TPG UK, had the enviable job of putting Emirates’ first-class cabin to the test
Nicky’s luxurious hideaway is one of 14 on the top deck of the A380
Has Nicky reviewed the experience? A bright smile rarely leaves his face during the footage
Nicky Kelvin, head of TPG UK, had the enviable task of putting Emirates’ first-class cabin to the test, with the venue paying £2,144 as a cash fare from Tel Aviv to London, via Dubai.
Did he rate the experience? To put it this way, a radiant smile rarely leaves his face during the footage.
He was taken from his hotel in Dubai to the airport by a private limousine service and then climbed to the top deck of the A380 to one of the 14 luxury berths.
Nicky told MailOnline Travel that the dining was one of its many pluses: ‘The food and drink on board was spectacular.’
Nicky told MailOnline Travel the food on board was ‘spectacular’
Nicky reveals in the video that his chair came with a lot of storage space
Nicky tests the lies of his first class seat
“Having access to a shower 35,000 feet in the air is a truly unique and luxurious experience,” said Nicky
Christmas came early: Nicky marvels at all the freebies he’s given
In addition to caviar and Dom Perignon, there were £1,000 bottles of brandy and delicious Arabic mezzes. “This was fine dining at its finest,” Nicky said.
The shower was also a winner.
Nicky continued, “Having access to a shower 35,000 feet in the air is truly a unique and luxurious experience.”
Were there any downsides? A couple apparently.
Nicky said, “With 14 seats in the cabin, it’s less exclusive than some other airline’s first-class cabins. And the seat isn’t quite as impressive as the game changer 777 First Class suite I flew in a few years ago.”
BUSINESS CLASS
Liam put the Emirates A380 business class cabin to the test. He described his chair as ‘one of the most comfortable business class seats ever’
The food was “excellent,” said Liam
The Points Guy UK paid 72,500 Skywards Miles plus £385 in fees, taxes and fees for a one-way business class redemption ticket from Dubai to London.
Liam stretched out in this almost first-class cabin, saying the seat was “one of the most comfortable and beautiful” business-class berths he’d ever sat in.
He continued: “The cushioned headrest coupled with plenty of personal space meant I could sit back and relax throughout the journey. I also liked the color scheme of cream and laminated wood.’
The onboard bar was a treat too – ‘it took my experience to a new level of luxury’.
Liam said, “There’s nothing quite like serving a freshly made mojito at 35,000 feet and this element definitely gave my flight a ‘wow’ factor.”
The cabin crew is also praised.
Liam said: “The Emirates staff went above and beyond to ensure I was looked after every step of my journey. From a super-fast check-in to the serving of champagne in the business-class lounge, there wasn’t one part of the trip that felt stressful.’
The onboard bar was liked by Liam – ‘it took my experience to a new level of luxury’
Any setbacks? The lack of a privacy door in the suite was one.
Liam said, “Because my business class seat didn’t have any sliding doors, it means this seat is still lower than Qatar’s Qsuite or British Airways’ Club Suite in terms of privacy.”
The frequent flyer was also not charmed by his starter.
Liam added: ‘The food was generally excellent, but I was slightly disappointed with my starter. Some of the bread was quite cold and hard and didn’t look too much like what you might be served in economy.’
PREMIUM ECONOMY
Ben took a critical look at the new premium economy cabin. The Points Guy UK paid £1,622 for its return ticket from London to Dubai, with the outward journey in economy
Ben was generally very enthusiastic about his berth. He said: ‘The seat and cab finishes were very high-end without feeling too ‘blingy’”
Ben, who took a critical look at the new premium economy cabin, was with The Points Guy UK paying £1,622 for his round-trip ticket from London to Dubai, with the outward fare in economy.
Ben was generally very enthusiastic about his berth.
He said: “The seat and cab finishes were very high-end without feeling too “blingy”. Service was at a business class level from start to finish, especially with the way the wines were described, presented and poured. And the food was the best I’ve had in premium economy in terms of taste, presentation and quantity.’
He also rated the in-flight entertainment – “one of the best in the business and the new screens are large, high quality and packed with shows and movies.”
There were some problems.
“The tray tables were a little too small and not centered over the seat,” Ben said. “And the headphones and blanket felt cheap and were the same as those offered in the economy class.”
‘The food was the best I’ve had in premium economy [above] in terms of taste, presentation and quantity’, says Ben
Ben was also a bit shocked by the tea and coffee served in plastic takeaway cups, ‘instead of the real china used for the rest of the meal’.
The lack of a package of facilities was the last ‘minus’.
ECONOMY
Maren turned right and drove for quite some time – all the way to seat 84K
Maren said there were several advantages to the economy cabin
In the back in seat 84K was Maren, and her return from London cost The Points Guy UK £1,138.
She revealed that there were multiple benefits to the Emirates economy experience.
She said: ‘The tray table was large with a stylish wood grain finish, the entertainment screen in the seat back was huge with plenty of entertainment options and the butter chicken curry main course and lemon milk cake dessert were both tasty and well presented, and alcohol was free.
She added, “You definitely feel like there’s a little bit of luxury, even though you’re in the economy.”
Maren said her butter chicken curry and lemon milk cake dessert main course was ‘both tasty and well presented’
Maren is trying to sleep
Any setbacks? A handful of minor issues.
Maren said: ‘It took quite some time for the crew to answer the bell’ [59 seconds]boarding was quite chaotic with so many passengers squeezing into the world’s largest passenger plane – and the headphones weren’t great quality, or that comfortable.’
For more information on travel tips and tricks, sign up at The Points Guy UK. To see the full Emirates A380 four-way cabin battle review video, click here.
Ready, stable… Liam, Maren, Ben and Nicky at the start of their journey in Dubai
The post Travel experts from Points Guy UK review all four Emirates A380 cabins on Dubai to Heathrow flight appeared first on WhatsNew2Day.