Trying to organize all of my thoughts (and photos) from our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Dubai has been challenging, to say the least. I had originally planned to do a recap of each day on the blog, but we ended up doing so much everyday that it couldn’t possibly be covered in that format. Overwhelmed, I decided that perhaps it was best to start at the beginning and go from there…
My family’s journey to Dubai actually began four years ago in 2012 when my dad retired from American Airlines and started a new job with Emirates. Both he and my mom have traveled to Dubai a few times for business, but it was always their wish to take us there to experience the city together as a family. To commemorate their respective 60th birthdays, they made that wish come true and surprised us with the Spring Break vacation of the century.
In October of 2014, Emirates brought an Airbus A380 to Dallas/Fort Worth for it’s Dubai route. The A380 is the flagship of Emirates’ fleet, made famous by this Jennifer Aniston “shower” commercial, and was the first of its kind at DFW Airport. So much had gone into bringing this plane to DFW, that stepping onto the A380 felt like meeting my dad’s other child. I was so proud of all his work marketing this amazing aircraft and in awe of its wonders. Sidenote: we actually ended up driving to/flying out of Houston, because the DFW A380 has been temporaily moved to Washington D.C. for a few months.
It had been a year since our last family cruise vacation, and I was excited to spend quality time with my parents, husband, brother, and sister-in-law. Mom and Dad spoiled us with round-trip business class seats, and one of the perks of business/first on Emirates is getting to enjoy the airport executive lounge while you wait for your flight. The lounge in Houston is shared with Lufthansa and gave us a chance to grab a quick bite to eat and relax before boarding.
We watched our beautiful A380 pull into the gate at sunset, and it was such a majestic sight to behold. Comparing the mighty two-story Airbus next to a regularly-sized aircraft shows how gargantuan it really is. I couldn’t wait to board.
For our flight to Dubai, my dad booked us each in business class window seats which, to put in perspective, was even more luxurious than my first class seat on the American Airlines 777 when I flew to Korea.
Everything I needed for the 14-hour flight was within an arm’s reach of my private flatbed seat.
The mini-bar was conveniently stocked with water (still/sparkling) and soda, so I didn’t have to wait for the cabin crew to offer me a beverage. They also provide Emirates Indulgence by Bvlgari amenity kits including signature Bvlgari fragrances and lotions, along with all the pampering essentials necessary to help you arrive refreshed.
The Emirates ice inflight entertainment provides up to 2,200 channels of movies and TV shows on demand. During the flights there and back, I caught up on so many movies I had been wanting to see including The Big Short, Room, and Brooklyn. You can also check out the views from one of the cameras attached to the plane. So cool!
After takeoff, we all met for a drink in the A380 Onboard Lounge, which is exclusive to First Class and Business Class customers.
The lounge features a selection of canapés and premium spirits, exclusive wines, champagne, cocktails, and beers served by a dedicated bartender. It’s a great place to stretch your legs during the long flight and spend some more quality time with your flight companions (or make new friends).
Between movies, sleeping, and eating, the flight flew by too quickly! (pun intended) It’s the first time I’ve ever experienced sadness or disappointment when hearing that we were starting our descent and preparing for landing.
Our return flight to Houston was during the day, so I took the chance to snap a few pictures of everyone with better lighting.
It might sound strange for me to say that one of the highlights of our Dubai vacation was the flight itself, but that’s just how amazing the Emirates A380 is. The level of world-class service, luxury, and comfort on Emirates is unparalleled. It was the perfect beginning (and end) to the magical trip.