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Emirates Business Class Review – What is it like to fly Business Class?

by Lisa Stentvedt
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On a recent trip from Oslo to Bali I was lucky enough to hit the jackpot of travelling; I got a free Emirates upgrade to Business Class! Obviously, I had to write a complete Emirates business class review afterwards.

I only ever thought this happened in movies, and have never actually experienced it myself (unless you count a Delta upgrade to ‘Economy plus’ for a 1-hour flight).

I shared the whole experience on my Instagram stories and noticed that this was something people wanted to know more of. So I’ve decided to share the experience in this Emirates Business Class review!

Not only have I never experienced a Business Class Upgrade before, but I’d never actually flown Business or First Class at all at this point in my life. Add into consideration that Emirates is one of the best airlines in the world, you can probably guess that the experience was out of this world and that this Emirates Business Class Review is gonna be a good one.

From the great food to the signature Emirates noise cancelling headphones, it’s all covered below.

Want to read more about Business Class life? Head over to my reviews of SAS Business Class and the Qatar Airways Qsuite!

An emirates plane in the air, with blue skies and dotted clouds above. emirates business class review

First, allow me to apologise in advance for the low quality of my photos from the experience. The cabin was rather dark, and I didn’t dare get my camera out as I kept getting nasty stares from the people who actually paid to fly Business Class. So I’m afraid my iPhone photos and Instagram stories will have to do.

How did I get a Business Class Upgrade?

This is actually a story on its own, and an exciting one as well. Let’s just say that I had my ways of scoring this business class upgrade, and it does not involve bribing anyone or landing it because I’m a travel blogger.

Read about how I got upgraded to Business Class!

Alternatively, you can read all about how to get upgraded through bidding, which is how I have successfully been upgraded many, many times!

Now for the good stuff!

An emirates business class boarding pass sticking out of a maroon passport.

Emirates Business Class Review: The Welcome

Now, if you’ve never flown Emirates before, I highly suggest you start now. I flew Emirates for the first time when I travelled to the Maldives a few years ago, and it was a whole new experience.

The airline quickly shot to the top of my list of favourites, and I couldn’t wait to fly with them again. Put simply, their Economy class can be compared to another Airlines’ First Class, I’m sure!

First things first. Walking onto the plane and have the steward check your boarding pass and point you to the Business Class section was the best feeling in the world.

And stepping aside in the huge space in front of your seat to let other people past also felt great. I quickly glanced over my little area, threw my bag up on the shelf above my head and sat down.

Only to have to get back up and put my headphones away because in Emirates Business Class they give you noise cancelling headphones! Cue excitement.

The Emirates noise cancelling headphones were great, and I used them for the duration of the flight. Such a fun added luxury to the trip!

I then sat for a good 15 minutes while the plane finished boarding. And let me tell you something. You know that comment you jokily make to your friends/family as you walk through First/Business class as you board the plane, about how ‘I think this is where our seats are, haha!‘ or ‘Surely this is where we should be sitting, right?

Well, everyone makes those.

I swear upon this blog right now that I will never again make any of those comments because when every 3rd person walking through the cabin does it, it becomes quite annoying. No wonder rich people hate us. (I joke)

I silently told myself that I would mention that in my Emirates Business Review, and there you are.

Let me also mention that while people were boarding I was served Veuve Clicquot (which I now know how to pronounce) in an actual champagne flute of glass. Ah, the bliss. Getting an Emirates upgrade to business class was a dream come true.

As you can tell by now, the first few minutes after being seated were heavenly. Then, the Chief Steward (Cabin Service Director) came over, greeted me by my last name (Miss Stentvedt never sounded so good), and introduced himself as the person who would be taking care of me for the flight. He was so lovely, and I knew we would be getting along great.

Read later: Emirates vs Qatar Business Class: Which is better?

Emirates Business Class Review: The Food

A few minutes after I was seated, I was handed a menu and a wine menu. And boy, they don’t mess around in Business Class. The wine menu had a selection of wines, and I fancily chose my favourite red for dinner.

I also got to taste it before they poured me a full glass, which was very necessary because I was worried I would have to send it back..

The food menu had a list of cocktails, which got me really excited. I ordered an Old-Fashioned, not because I’m a huge whiskey drinker but because it felt appropriate. It came in a glass and I loved it.

On the 6 hour flight, we were served lunch in the form of a 3-course meal. Each course had several options, and I opted for the Grilled Chicken to start, the Pan-Seared Chicken as my main, and a Chocolate Fudge Cake for dessert. Each option was served with perfect timing, almost as if someone was watching me eat (I’m sure they were).

Not only was the food served on actual plates and with actual cutlery (no plastic in Business Class), but they also put a tablecloth on my tray table which sent me over the moon. I’ve grown up feeling tablecloths to determine the fancy-ness of a restaurant, so to have this at 30’000 feet was rather nice.

A dinner setup onboard an emirates business class flight.
Getting upgraded to Business Class by Emirates: Not bad at all.

Emirates Business Class Review: The Comfort

When I shared my excitement about the business class upgrade on my Instagram stories, one of the first questions I got was “will you get a seat that reclines all the way back?”

This seems to be the holy grail of travelling, and the ultimate sign of flying First or Business class.

And yes, the seat did recline the whole way. The flight from Oslo to Dubai was in the daytime, so I didn’t actually need to sleep at all, but I still spent a good 30 minutes lying down listening to podcasts, simply because I could. I also kept my seat quite reclined the whole flight, with a pillow at my back so I could still see the movie.

In general, the seat was extremely comfortable, and having space to literally stretch my legs out completely was so nice! Being a Norwegian woman of 180 cm, that doesn’t happen very often.

In addition to getting the above-mentioned noise-cancelling headphones, we were also given comfortable socks (which was ideal as I was feeling a little subconscious about mine, that had a hole in them) and an eyemask (which was also great as I left mine at home by mistake).

As on most flights, we were also given a blanket and a pillow to help us get comfortable during the flight. Now I kid you not, the blanket was so smooth I’m sure it must have a thread count of silk. It was definitely softer than my duvet at home, and I couldn’t have been more comfortable during the flight.

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Emirates Business Class Review: The Service

I’m sure you have realised by now that everything on this flight was impeccable. I felt like an actual queen for 6 whole hours and wished this was a 12-hour flight. The staff was incredibly nice and helpful and seemed genuinely interested in me and my comfort.

Since the flight was delayed initially, I was rebooked to another flight out of Dubai (I sadly missed my connection). I asked the steward about this, who proceeded to sit down next to me to help me figure out my next steps.

When I was worried about getting off the plane quickly and trying to catch the flight I was (most likely) missing, one of the stewards promptly walked me through the crowd of Business Class passengers in the aisle.

In Conclusion

Getting upgraded to Business Class with Emirates was a dream come true, but it also lived up to said dream. I was so well taken care of, the food was amazing, the wine even better, and the seats were out of this world.

I now see why people would pay insane amounts of cash to experience it again and again, and it made me want to work even harder to get on the level of those people.

Also; Emirates, if you’re reading this: do let me know if you need an Ambassador! 

Emirates Business Class FAQ

Below are the most frequently asked questions I have gotten about my upgrade to business class with Emirates, and flying business class in general.

Does Emirates have good business class?

Yes, they have one of the best in the world.

Is Emirates business class comfortable?

It sure is. With reclining, flat-lay seats, superb service and great food – you are as comfortable as you can be.

Is it worth upgrading to Emirates business class?

That really depends on the cost of the upgrade, but generally I would say that yes, it is worth it.

Does all Emirates business class have flat beds?

Yes.

Is Emirates business class worth the money?

I’m not sure if I’d say that the original ticket price is worth it, but the cost to upgrade sure is.

What are the services provided in Business class of Emirates Airlines?

They have a wine list, three-course meals, a turn down service and just about any other amenity you can imagine on a flight.

How does it feel to travel in business class in Emirates?

It feels very luxurious, just like heaven.

In Emirates business class, do the flight attendants address you by name?

Yes, they address you by your last name, with Ms., Mr. or Mrs.

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