Have you ever caught yourself feeling a little inadequate as you entered the front of a plane and walked past those beautiful, spacious, luxurious seats in first or business class on your way to the back of the plane? I have. So, when it came time to celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary this past May with another trip to the Maldives, we decided to splurge and live a little – courtesy of an Emirates promotional upgrade email. Boy, am I glad we did! This was definitely a first for both of my wife and I and has effectively ruined economy class flying even on the best airlines for us. This is the flight report and review of our journey on Emirates MIA DXB in International Business Class.
Getting There
Being that we reside in Tampa, Florida, there were two main ways to get to Miami International Airport for this flight.
The first was driving through the very boring parts of South Florida (very straight and flat – especially in the Everglades). This would take about four and a half hours, cost a bunch in gas and parking fees and just overall be more stressful.
The second option, and the method that we picked for this trip and will most likely use for future trips to Europe and beyond, was buying a separate round-trip ticket from Tampa International Airport to Miami International Airport (in our case via American Airlines). The cost for two such tickets was almost on par with the first option, but with considerably less stress, chances of having car trouble, encountering traffic, etc.
We made sure to pick flights that gave us a lot of time to get from the domestic airside to outside the secure area of the airport and then back into the international terminals at MIA.
After making a quick one-hour jaunt from TPA to MIA we got to our Emirates Airlines terminal and began the wait.
The Plane
Emirates is known as one of the premiere airlines in the world, so my expectations were quite high prior to boarding. As we were stepping onto the plane, an Emirates flight attendant told me I had to turn off my GoPro and I presume this is because they want their first and business class passengers to feel that the privacy they are paying for in the premium classes is actually achieved. I can appreciate that.
First Impressions
First impressions are important, and this time was no different. The seating areas in business class are very welcoming and there is a huge amount of walking room between the seats in their upright positions. Within two or three minutes of me sitting down in my seat, a wonderful flight attendant offered me a glass of champagne. As I don’t drink champagne, I instead opted for some apple juice.
This trip is off to a great start! We didn’t even manage to buckle our seatbelts and we were already being dotted on! Impressive!
The Food
On flights as long as this one (14.5 hours), having good food is quite important as it can make or break the experience. Typically, on a flight like this in Economy class, you get to pick from two choices. However, in business class, you get a full menu with multiple selections.
Emirates flight crew service is world renown for a reason. Their dinner service was no exception. It was white glove service complete with them setting up your table for you and putting out your utensils for you.
Lie Flat Seating
One of the biggest perks of flying premium class on a long-haul international flight is the ability to stretch out and sleep comfortably, uninterrupted, in the lie flat seating. Business class on this Emirates flight did not disappoint and definitely lived up to the expectations I had prior to boarding.
After dinner service was over, the flight crew came around with mattress toppers to add to the already soft seating and, similarly to the dinner service, the affair was very much white glove. They set everything up for you.
Amenities
The last thing that blew my mind on this flight was the personal hygiene kit that Emirates provided to us shortly after we boarded. Now, typically, you may get a blanket, a small pillow and maybe some socks or eye covers but these kits took it up to a whole other level! Not only do you get a myriad of products in the kit, but the bags and most of the contents are BVLGARI which are a luxury good brand that many of you may be familiar with.
Overall Thoughts
We had a great trip with Emirates Airlines, and everything added up to earning a customer for life. Next time we will be flying to the Maldives or Dubai, we will be sure to use Emirates! Hope you enjoyed this flight report and Emirates MIA DXB review. See you on our next flight!
Video Highlight
Below is a quick highlight video of our Emirates MIA DXB trip!