My First Time Flying Emirates – Review

Have you flown Emirates before? I had heard about the luxury airline for years but hadn’t made it on their planes yet… until December. I was super excited about my first trip on the airline while headed to #Afrochella in Ghana.

Before The Flights

Let’s get to before we head out. Firstly, I love their app. Anytime I’m on an airline, I prefer to use the apps for updates and to select my seats. Their app was more thorough than any airline I have been on. I picked my seats (and prayed no one would be sitting next to me lol). As a plus, I noticed they had the menus for each flight. Since I had a layover, I had four meals I needed to select. I noticed on the Dubai- Accra flight, they had no non-meat options so in the app I selected an Indian Vegetarian option which was one of maybe 7 or so options. Literally, whatever your diet is, they can accommodate.

Okay now let’s get to JFK. As I walked up to the gate, no one scanned my phone or ticket. They had an automated kiosk that scanned my face and KNEW WHO I WAS. It was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I swear technology is evolving so much. Emirates technology is just above and beyond.

On Board Entertainment

On the plane, I was super excited about their I.C.E. system. Firstly, the screens were HUGE on the back of the seats. (I just went to Paris the month before on another airline and struggled to see their smaller screens ‍♀️) This system allows you to select from thousands of movies. I watched no less than 12 movies throughout my flights including my favorites like Mean Girls and Pretty Woman.

Another cool feature on their entertainment system is you can see the pilots’ view and the view from the top of the plane. I actually have anxiety while flying and this actually helped ease my anxiety. I could watch a movie on the larger screen and on a smaller remote, I can see exactly what the pilots see.

Complimentary Hotel & Meals

The cool thing about traveling on Emirates is you have a layover in Dubai. If you have a long layover, they give you a complimentary hotel at an airport hotel about 5 minute away. This also includes meals. I stayed at the Copthorne Airport Hotel.

This was a really nice surprise because I got to see a little bit of Dubai. Going, I ended up sleeping the whole time so I didn’t get to explore. On my way back home, I got a chance to do a 4 hour city tour that I was able to schedule in the hotel lobby.

Buffet at hotel

I had an excellent time on the luxury airliner, especially when I got randomly bumped up to business class on my flight from Dubai to Accra. The seats laid back flat and they added a small mattress to the seat. I was beyond comfortable on this flight. In fact, I’ve never been more comfortable.

Thank you Emirates for the amazing experience. I don’t know what took me so long to try the airline but I will definitely be flying them again! I just need my next destination. Check out some pics from my sightseeing in Dubai: