To wrap up our journey across Asia, we flew Emirates Business Class from Dubai to Dallas. This was an unexpected flight as we were initially supposed to fly home from Istanbul on the Air France A350-900 but, a last minute cancellation caused us to end up on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER instead.
Booking Our Emirates Boeing 777-300ER Business Class Flight
We were rebooked onto FlyDubai and Emirates after Air France cancelled the IST-CDG leg of our trip. This caused us to miss our onward flight to DFW which triggered the rebooking.
We didn’t have any say in booking this routing but the avgeek and travel blogger in me was excited as FlyDubai and Emirates were two new carriers for me. Since Air France paid the bill I have no clue what the actual cost of the flight was but a similar one way itinerary from Istanbul to Dallas via Dubai runs approximately $9000 for a last minute booking.
Lounge
After arriving in Dubai on our FlyDubai flight from Istanbul, we took the transfer shuttle over to Terminal 3. Our flight to Dallas was departing from the A Gates so we hopped on the tram for the ride over to Concourse A.
Emirates Business Class passengers in Dubai have access to the Emirates Business Class Lounges in Terminal 3. These lounges are unique in the fact that they run the length of the terminal which allows for direct boarding from the lounge at each gate. While we didn’t have a ton of time in the lounge, it was nice getting to explore it. You can read the full review here.
Boarding Our Emirates Boeing 777-300ER Business Class Flight
Since we boarded directly from the lounge, we didn’t start boarding until 20 minutes before our scheduled departure time. We had to gate check ATX Jr.’s stroller but soon we were headed down the elevator to the concourse level to board our Emirates Business Class flight to Dallas.
Emirates Airline
EK 221
DXB-DFW (Dubai International – Dallas-Ft. Worth International)
Seat: 6F (Business)
B777-300ER (A6-EQG)
Scheduled: 2:40a-9:40a
Actual: 2:45a-9:59a
At the bottom of the elevator, Economy class boarding was well underway. As we approached, agents stopped boarding to allow us to pass. Dual jet bridge boarding was in use with First and Business Class passengers boarding through Door 1L.
Once onboard, we made our way through the gorgeous First Class cabin and the Business Class mini-cabin. Our seats were located in the bulkhead of the primary Business Class cabin, located just behind the second set of doors. While Economy passengers were boarding through 2L, they were held to allow us to take our seats.
Emirates Boeing 777-300ER Business Class Seat
I hadn’t traveled with Emirates prior to this flight but, thanks to all of the travel bloggers and influencers, I was familiar with the cabin before stepping onboard. Our flight was operated by an aircraft that featured Emirates’ new Business Class, which is similar to what you’ll find on the airline’s Airbus A380s.
Seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration on this aircraft and alternated between seats closer to the aisle in odd numbered rows, and more private seats in even numbered rows. We were assigned seats 6E and 6F, the center pair in the bulkhead row. Since we were traveling with ATX Jr. and our departure time was at roughly 3:00a, you may see some of his items scattered around in these photos.
While the new Emirates cabins don’t have as much “bling” as the old ones, I much prefer this look. The cabin is light and airy. Unfortunately, for a new business class seat, it is disappointing that Emirates elected not to install privacy doors on these seats as it felt very open to the aisle, even with our couples seats.
The lights were dimmed as soon as boarding was completed so my apologies for some of these photos being dark. Since we has the couples seats, the main console and storage area was located to my right. This also included the carrier’s classic “mini-bar” which was stocked with some snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.
A plastic divider could be raised and lowered in order to get snacks out, while also holding everything in place for taxi, take-off, and landing.
Above the mini bar was a small shelf that was great for storing things during the flight. A reading light was also located here.
At the base of the mini-bar you’ll find USB-A, USB-C, and 110V power outlets along with the headphone jack.
To the left of the mini-bar are controls to raise and lower the seat long with a tablet that controlled the in-flight entertainment system, known as ICE (Information, Communication, and Entertainment).
Below this were the controls for the seat which I found to be easy to use.
The tray table was stowed under the side table and slid out with the push of a button. It was all one piece but could slide back and forth to be adjusted as needed.
The footwell in the bulkhead seats was spacious and I was able to store the provided bedding here until I was ready to sleep.
Above the footwell was a literature pocket which held the safety card and the inflight magazine.
Above this was a large, crisp IFE screen. Emirates has thousands of movies and TV shows available so you shouldn’t have any issues finding something to watch.
Individual air nozzles were located above each seat along with additional, overhead, reading lights.
Finally, since we were seated in the bulkhead, there were a few unique features of our seats. The first was the large side table on the side of the IFE screen. This is where the bassinet goes should it be needed. Also, there was a shelf with a couple of storage compartments which helped us store all of ATX Jr.’s gear.
Emirates Business Class Menu & Amenity Kit
Towards the end of the boarding process, amenity kits were distributed. Emirates partners with Bvlgari for its Business Class kits and the contents were impressive. A comb, dental kit, earplugs, tissues, a razor, shaving cream, and deodorant were included along with a selection of Bvlgari branded creams, lotions, and cologne.
Menus for our flight were also distributed prior to pushback. Apologies for the blue tint in these photos, the cabin lights had been dimmed prior to pushback. The offerings onboard were as follows:
Departure
As boarding was wrapping up, flight attendants came through the cabin offering pre-departure beverages. Orange juice, grapefruit juice, and champagne were offered. Even though this was happening at 2:30 in the morning, our body clocks were all screwed up and this was the final leg of a great vacation, we both chose the champagne.
Roughly five minutes after our scheduled departure time, we pushed back from the gate to begin our long journey over to Dallas. After a 25 minute taxi, we lumbered down Runway 30R and flew out over the Persian Gulf to make our way towards DFW.
In-Flight
As we climbed towards our cruising altitude, pajamas were distributed by the crew. Two sizes were available, a Small/Medium and a Large/X-Large. Mrs. ATX got the Small/Medium while I chose the Large/X-Large. At 6’2″ 185 pounds, I’m not a tiny guy but these things swallowed me whole. They were very comfortable however and I still wear them around the house from time to time.
After the seatbelt sign was turned off, I headed to the lavatory to change into my pajamas and get ready for some sleep. While it wasn’t terribly spacious, I found the lavatories to be well appointed and they were kept sparkling clean throughout our flight.
Emirates stocks its Business Class lavatories with multiple items including perfume, dental kits, combs, and lotions. These were also restocked throughout the flight.
For those of you traveling with small children, there is a decent sized changing table located above the toilet.
After changing into my pajamas it was roughly 3:40a, an hour after departure, and I put the seat into bed mode and managed to get six hours of solid sleep. Thankfully, ATX Jr. slept that entire time as well.
I woke up as we were overflying the Barents Sea near Murmansk, Russia. Shortly after we awoke, the crew came by to take our breakfast orders (it was roughly 10:00a in Dubai at this time). I had the cheese omelette while Mrs. ATX had the chebab, an Emirati style pancake. Drink orders were also taken and we both ordered coffee.
Our meals arrived roughly ten minutes after we ordered and were served with a croissant, bowl of fruit, butter and jam. While these meals were both fairly plain, they were well executed. Unfortunately I didn’t think to get a picture of Mrs. ATX’s as our son was already attempting to devour the pancakes.
After breakfast, I decided to enjoy the final few hours of vacation and I ordered a glass of champagne. Emirates serves Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label in Business Class. While a good champagne, it’s better known for its label rather than the contents of the bottle.
With my tray table cleared I decided to try and get some work done while Mrs. ATX and ATX Jr. passed the time playing, sleeping, and watching movies. Emirates charges $20 for a full flight Wi-Fi pass and, after some initial connectivity issues, I was able to get online. It wasn’t lightning fast but did allow me to get a decent amount of work done.
For the vast majority of the flight, the cabin lights remained dimmed. At one point I took a break from work to watch a movie and, with Mrs. ATX and ATX Jr. sleeping, I turned the belly camera on which gave me a great look at the frozen landscape of northern Canada.
Around three and a half hours before landing, the lights were brought up a bit and, with three hours until arrival, lunch orders were taken. Our drinks were served first along with a choice of mixed nuts or olives. I chose the nuts.
Fourty five minutes after orders were taken, our appetizers were served. I had the mezze platter while Mrs. ATX ordered the mushroom soup. Both of these were very good and were served with a small side salad and some bread.
Twenty-five minutes later, our appetizers were cleared and the main course was served. I had the grilled beef tenderloin and Mrs. ATX had the prawn matfi.
Dessert was served 15 minutes after our main course. I’m not a bog fan of sweets so I went with the cheese plate, which I paired with a whiskey. Mrs. ATX chose the chocolate pistachio kunafe with raspberries.
Dessert was served with two small boxes of sweets. The first was a celebratory snack for Eid al-Fitr, celebrating the end of Ramadan. The second had a couple of cream filled chocolate candies.
The crew let us linger with our desserts and sweets but everything was cleared 45 minutes prior to our arrival in Dallas. It is worth noting that the service flow for lunch may have seemed a little odd. This is because we were wrangling a 9 month old who had just learned to stand, and turned our seats into his personal jungle gym, so this should not be a reflection of the crew.
Arrival
We approached DFW Airport from the north and had a straight in arrival onto Runway 18R. Thankfully, with the cameras on the aircraft, I was able to watch our approach from the comfort of my seat.
We had a quick taxi over to our arrival gate, D12, and parked between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Korean Air Boeing 787. A Qatar Airways Boeing 777 was also at a nearby gate along with a couple of American widebodies. This all but guaranteed that passport control would be a mess.
We deplaned through door 2L and started the long walk to passport control. Along the way I managed to get my first real look at the aircraft that flew us on the 16 hour journey from Dubai.
Wait times at passport control were indeed crazy with U.S. passport holders averaging a 25 minute wait and foreign passport holders upwards of 45 minutes. Mrs. ATX has Global Entry and I encouraged her to go ahead and we would meet at baggage claim but she stayed with me.
It ultimately took us 35 minutes before making our way to an agent and we were stamped back into the states quickly and headed for baggage claim. Unfortunately, bags still weren’t out so we had to wait a few more minutes before we could collect those.
Summary
All-in-all we had a great flight in Emirates Business Class. While an unexpected adventure, I’m glad that I was finally able to experience the airline and its new Business Class seat. The service from the crew was absolutely fantastic but I found the seat to be somewhat disappointing.
Given the fact that this is a brand new product on the airline’s Boeing 777s, I would have liked to have seen them add a privacy door, something that is becoming common in most long-haul Business Class cabins.
I will absolutely fly with the carrier again as I still need to try out the A380, Emirates First Class, and the infamous onboard bar, but I wouldn’t mind another flight on the refreshed Boeing 777s.