MY FIRST CLASS TRIP....WITH JUST A TOUCH OF WHIMSY!!!!
I have just returned from my first first class experience....BKK-HGK by Emirates, HKK-SFO by Cathay, return SFO-DBX and DBX-KUL both by Emirates.
The trip was made using 389 000 QF points and around $2300 in taxes. A once in a lifetime absolute dream experience.
On the brief BKK-HGK leg, I propped up at the Business class bar and the 1st class flight attendant brought me my personal bottle of DOM whilst the rest of the J class passengers had to make do with Moet! Lucky the aircraft door was sealed or I would have been thrown out by a seething hoard of jealous reprobates.
I had 6 hours in HGK so spent a couple of hours snoozing in one of the new CX cabanas before, stupidly, tucking into a delicious meal in the fine dining room.
the flight to SFO left at 0030 and I was the only passenger in 1st class. Krug champagne (much nicer than DOM I have decided), good quality, fashionable blue coloured jarmies, a little like a Mao uniform, and a huge dinner menu. I couldn't cope with 6 courses so asked only for caviar and soup. The charming young lady was somewhat askance at my lack of appetite so I relented and had 2...I tell a lie, 3 helpings of Calvisius caviar, which I guess was the same price as a Y class ticket!
Having been satiated, I took my flute and did a pre-sleep turn of the aircraft, with more seething from the plastic glass set up the back, and when I returned, a second pod had already been made up for sleeping was awaiting. The quality of the mattress and sheets was incredible, the lights were all switched off, aircon in the cabin turned down and I experienced a marvellous sleep.
Arriving in SFO, immigration was painless and I stayed in the Mark Hopkins for 3 nights, on IHG points, so once again no money. I was on my way to Seattle (using 30 000 QF points) to join the Celebrity Solstice for a one week Alaskan cruise (alas, real money had to be used for the cruise!).
Seattle to Vancouver, using Amtrack points from a previous visit, and I booked into the Crowne Plaza for a week, again with IHG points.
Vancouver is a favourite city for me and I met up with friends made on various trips and whom I had met in BKK and KUL.
Back to SFO (points) and 2 nights in Intercontinental (weekend certificate and points!) and finally my Emirates limo awaited to whisk me away to the A380 16 hour journey to Dubai.
Only 4 passengers were in F (14 seats) and they slept most of the way. I of course was like a jack in the box and had my first shower and slipped into a very nice Emirates sleeper suit before again making my way to the business class bar, followed by minions with my DOM and blue label whisky.
This flight I was hungry and the wild Iranian caviar was so good, I had to ask for seconds (not thirds!), a mezze plate and lasagne. All good. Sleep not so much. The cabin was not very dark, even with the suite doors closed and was a tad too hot. So I had to have another spa to refresh before landing in Dubai.
Never having been to UAE and probably never going again, I decided to go for broke, with REAL money, and book into the Burj al Arab for two nights. The room per night was $1700 (today I see it is $2800 per night!) but I booked on a special and received 35 000 points for my troubles. Welllll......you only live once.
There is a good documentary on the Burj hosted by a rather camp chief concierge. One of his memorable statements was to describe arriving guests by their clothes. They were classified as either Armani or H&M. When he surveyed me, I think it was more Coles bargain basement.
But I digress. The Burj is over the top in every conceivable way possible. My "standard" suite was 1820 sq ft, the size of a medium apartment, with curved marble staircase, and so much more. The view was to die for, the restaurants and bars with gulpable prices.... bottle of beer costs $40 in the bar. There is heaven, and then there is the Burj!
Two nights almost bankrupted me so it was time to return to reality and my limo deposited me at Emirates for the final leg to KL. I must say I was disappointed with the Emirates flagship first class lounge...a massive cavernous place with little atmosphere. The filipino bar attendant (I never saw a working Emirati) told me their busiest time was between 2 and 4 in the morning. Luckily my flight left at 8 pm.
Like the Cathay flight, I was the only passenger in first and I was ready to go home. More caviar, more DOM, another sleep suit, time for bed.
Unfortunately there was a live telecast of some English football match and the flight manager kept a TV on all night for his personal viewing. Combined with the fact that the temperature was warm and the cabin was not dark, sleep was not the easiest. I was glad to arrive, and was brought back to reality at KLIA where an Emirates limo was a thing of the past, and I had to go home by train!!!!!
I have just returned from my first first class experience....BKK-HGK by Emirates, HKK-SFO by Cathay, return SFO-DBX and DBX-KUL both by Emirates.
The trip was made using 389 000 QF points and around $2300 in taxes. A once in a lifetime absolute dream experience.
On the brief BKK-HGK leg, I propped up at the Business class bar and the 1st class flight attendant brought me my personal bottle of DOM whilst the rest of the J class passengers had to make do with Moet! Lucky the aircraft door was sealed or I would have been thrown out by a seething hoard of jealous reprobates.
I had 6 hours in HGK so spent a couple of hours snoozing in one of the new CX cabanas before, stupidly, tucking into a delicious meal in the fine dining room.
the flight to SFO left at 0030 and I was the only passenger in 1st class. Krug champagne (much nicer than DOM I have decided), good quality, fashionable blue coloured jarmies, a little like a Mao uniform, and a huge dinner menu. I couldn't cope with 6 courses so asked only for caviar and soup. The charming young lady was somewhat askance at my lack of appetite so I relented and had 2...I tell a lie, 3 helpings of Calvisius caviar, which I guess was the same price as a Y class ticket!
Having been satiated, I took my flute and did a pre-sleep turn of the aircraft, with more seething from the plastic glass set up the back, and when I returned, a second pod had already been made up for sleeping was awaiting. The quality of the mattress and sheets was incredible, the lights were all switched off, aircon in the cabin turned down and I experienced a marvellous sleep.
Arriving in SFO, immigration was painless and I stayed in the Mark Hopkins for 3 nights, on IHG points, so once again no money. I was on my way to Seattle (using 30 000 QF points) to join the Celebrity Solstice for a one week Alaskan cruise (alas, real money had to be used for the cruise!).
Seattle to Vancouver, using Amtrack points from a previous visit, and I booked into the Crowne Plaza for a week, again with IHG points.
Vancouver is a favourite city for me and I met up with friends made on various trips and whom I had met in BKK and KUL.
Back to SFO (points) and 2 nights in Intercontinental (weekend certificate and points!) and finally my Emirates limo awaited to whisk me away to the A380 16 hour journey to Dubai.
Only 4 passengers were in F (14 seats) and they slept most of the way. I of course was like a jack in the box and had my first shower and slipped into a very nice Emirates sleeper suit before again making my way to the business class bar, followed by minions with my DOM and blue label whisky.
This flight I was hungry and the wild Iranian caviar was so good, I had to ask for seconds (not thirds!), a mezze plate and lasagne. All good. Sleep not so much. The cabin was not very dark, even with the suite doors closed and was a tad too hot. So I had to have another spa to refresh before landing in Dubai.
Never having been to UAE and probably never going again, I decided to go for broke, with REAL money, and book into the Burj al Arab for two nights. The room per night was $1700 (today I see it is $2800 per night!) but I booked on a special and received 35 000 points for my troubles. Welllll......you only live once.
There is a good documentary on the Burj hosted by a rather camp chief concierge. One of his memorable statements was to describe arriving guests by their clothes. They were classified as either Armani or H&M. When he surveyed me, I think it was more Coles bargain basement.
But I digress. The Burj is over the top in every conceivable way possible. My "standard" suite was 1820 sq ft, the size of a medium apartment, with curved marble staircase, and so much more. The view was to die for, the restaurants and bars with gulpable prices.... bottle of beer costs $40 in the bar. There is heaven, and then there is the Burj!
Two nights almost bankrupted me so it was time to return to reality and my limo deposited me at Emirates for the final leg to KL. I must say I was disappointed with the Emirates flagship first class lounge...a massive cavernous place with little atmosphere. The filipino bar attendant (I never saw a working Emirati) told me their busiest time was between 2 and 4 in the morning. Luckily my flight left at 8 pm.
Like the Cathay flight, I was the only passenger in first and I was ready to go home. More caviar, more DOM, another sleep suit, time for bed.
Unfortunately there was a live telecast of some English football match and the flight manager kept a TV on all night for his personal viewing. Combined with the fact that the temperature was warm and the cabin was not dark, sleep was not the easiest. I was glad to arrive, and was brought back to reality at KLIA where an Emirates limo was a thing of the past, and I had to go home by train!!!!!
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On our recent RTW where we got married, I was soooooooooooooooo tempted to spend three nights at the Burj Al Arab - we found a great rate, $1600 per night with half board, but after lots of ooooooooooooooooohing and ahhhhhhhhhhhing and trying to persuade ourselves that YOLO - we chickened out. Maybe next time, if you can give us some favourable review of the resort? 
