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Emirates' New 777 First Class Begins Flying to the US
Ethan Steinberg
Contributor
Ethan's been a frequent flier for as long as he can remember, from studying abroad in Paris to moving to Shanghai after graduating college, where he served as TPG's eyes and ears for all things travel in the Asia-Pacific region. If you asked him where he wants to travel next he'd quote Anthony Bourdain and tell you "anytime I'm eating spicy noodles in a bowl, I'm happy."
May 20, 2019
•
4 min read
Emirates' New 777 First Class Begins Flying to the US
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Emirates' new 777 first class suite has been turning heads since it was introduced in late 2017. While the Gulf carrier has always had a reputation as an innovator thanks to the gold-studded suites and onboard showers on its flagship A380 aircraft, this new product has won rave reviews.
The cabin, designed with help from Mercedes-Benz, features floor to ceiling doors and complete control over the temperature, lighting and even suite color.
For some "stuck" in a middle seat, Emirates even installed virtual windows, which offer a crisp picture of the scenery outside.
Unfortunately, Emirates only has 9 777-300ERs in its fleet with the new suites, and it will be a long time before all of Emirates' 130-plus 777-300ERs feature this updated cabin. In the meantime, Emirates has primarily been using these planes to fly shorter routes between Dubai (DXB) and Europe. You can check out a list of the current routes here.
Emirates Begins Flying New 777 Seats to the US
One Mile At A Time is reporting that Emirates has begun unofficially flying its new 777 first class to the US on a number of routes. In the last week, planes sporting the new seats have been spotted flying to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Seattle (SEA) and Houston (IAH).
These changes do not appear to be permanent, as all of these routes still feature the old 777 first class configuration more often than not (or in the case of Houston, the route reverts to A380 service later this week). Before booking this flight, you'll want to double check that ExpertFlyer is showing the correct six-seat configuration to make sure you're booking the new suites.
At the time of writing, the following US routes are showing Emirates' new 777 first class for service this week:
- Seattle (SEA) to Dubai (DXB) EK 230: 5/21, 5/23, 5/25, 5/26, 5/27
- Houston (IAH) to Dubai (DXB) EK 212: 5/21 (A380 service resumes from 5/22 onward)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Dubai (DXB) EK 222: 5/20, 5/23
Emirates has generally been stingy with award space for these new cabins, which makes sense as there are only six first class seats as opposed to eight on the older 777 configuration, or 14 on the A380. However, Emirates has been releasing close-in award space within 24-48 hours of departure. If you hurry, it's even possible to book a seat on Monday's flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Dubai featuring the new suites.
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150,000 Alaska miles is a lot to pay for a single one-way award (TPG values that at $2,700), but if there's any product worth splurging on this is it. You could also book this award for 135,000 JAL Mileage Bank miles, but you'll pay about $900 in taxes and fuel surcharges.
While you're waiting for award space to open up and for more routes to feature these new suites, here are a few TPG reviews of Emirates first class to help pique your excitement:
- The Ultimate Guide to Emirates First Class
- Emirates' New 777 First-Class Suite From Dubai to Brussels
Pursuing Perfection: Emirates First Class on the A380 From New York to Dubai
For the latest travel news, deals and points and miles tips please subscribe to The Points Guy daily email newsletter.
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.