Emirates A380 business class

The business class cabin on the A380 takes up the majority of the upper deck and is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring that every seat has access to the aisle and you never need to step over a neighbour to visit the restroom.

The seats are all offset from each other, alternating from side to side, meaning that there is never anyone sitting directly in front or behind you. This means that on the window side, seats alternate from being closest to the window and closet to the aisle, and in the middle, the pairs of seats alternate from being closer and further from the aisle. The most suitable seats for you will depend on how much emphasis you place on privacy as opposed to ease of access.

The seats themselves are starting to show their age, however they are wide, comfortable and offer a range of adjustments via the easy to operate control panel. Each seat has its own mini bar containing an assortment of soft drinks and water as well as in seat power and an individual reading light.

As expected, the seat reclines to a fully flat bed. Prior to catching some shut eye, Emirates’ flight attendants will make up your bed with a small mattress, which combined with the soft pillows and blanket makes for a truly restful experience.

The Emirates Bulgari amenities kits are excellent and contain everything you need for a long haul flight - toothpaste, a toothbrush, hair brush, cologne, deodorant and for men, razors and shaving cream. Socks and eye shades are also provided separately. Unfortunately, no pyjamas are provided outside of First Class.

The TV screens are large, clear and can be controlled via a small remote or larger tablet device depending on your preference. The ICE entertainment system offers a large range of movies, TV shows and listening options.

Emirates clearly takes pride in offering a “fine dining in the sky” experience to its customers. On the numerous Emirates business class flights we have flown on, the food and beverage offerings have been very good, starting with champagne prior to departure and warm nuts and drinks shortly after to ease you into the main meal service. Depending on the length of your flight, there are either additional main meals or light meal services that follow. If you are peckish, you can also place orders from the small range of snacks on offer. In a nutshell, you will not go hungry on Emirates. Unfortunately Emirates does not offer “any time dining” so you will need to adjust your body clock to the allocated meal times, rather than the other way around.

Overall the quality of the dishes served by Emirates is good, but in our view do not rival the quality of dishes currently being served up in Qantas’ premium cabins, courtesy of their partnership with Neil Perry.

Emirates always offers a good selections of beers, wines and spirits, and their flight attendants are always generously looking to ensure your glass does not run dry. However, one of the really great features of the Emirates A380s is the bar at the rear of the upper deck where you can go to indulge in a drink, grab a snack and spend time with people you are traveling with.

Emirates has deservedly earned a reputation for offering some of the best premium cabin experiences in the sky and is highly recommended.