Emirates adds new offerings to first class as awards tickets face new restrictions
Emirates takes luxury seriously, and the Dubai-based airline is upping its game with a slate of first class amenities from unlimited caviar in specially-engraved bowls to white glove service and more.
Adding to an already-luxe experience, the carrier is now offering its caviar service in special brand-new Robert Welch-designed engraved bowls, Emirates said in a statement. That will complement what the airline calls its "enhanced" cheese board, now plated on a rustic slate plate with matching bowls and a wooden honey dipper.
All this will be served with a new gloved service for an extra flourish and detailed in new keepsake menus, which explain the airline's "wine selection and culinary inspiration."
"Emirates is the world's largest operator of international First Class travel… and [has] the largest inventory of international First Class seats in the industry, entirely comprised of private suites," the airline wrote in a statement, adding, "Emirates continues to refine its First Class 'Fly Better' experience, with an array of new enhancements for First Class customers."
The new amenities, which Emirates told TPG are currently available on flights, are in addition to the airline's signature first-class offerings, which include its beloved onboard showers, opulent Bulgari amenity kits, unlimited caviar and Dom Pérignon, and a special movie menu complete with Wagyu sliders, lobster rolls and popcorn.
In addition to upgrades to the in-flight experience, Emirates is renovating its first class check-in area in Terminal 3 at the Dubai International Airport (DXB) to include personalized check-in services and a lounge-like design. These improvements are expected to open in the coming weeks.
The upgrades come on the heels of Emirates restricting first-class award tickets to its Platinum, Gold and Silver status members. That policy went into effect on May 12.
It also comes just weeks ahead of plans for both American Express and Chase to temporarily suspend Skywards transfers and ahead of plans for Citi ThankYou Rewards to devalue point transfers to Emirates Skywards.
Related reading:
- Emirates Skywards loyalty program: How to earn and redeem miles, elite status and more
- Flying Emirates' first class from Miami to Bogota
- 9 amazing first-class seats you can book with points and miles
- The best luxury suites in the sky and how to fly them
- How to upgrade to first class without spending a ton of money
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
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- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
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- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month