Emirates holds the distinction of the airline carrying the most “true” First Class seats. (US domestic “First” doesn’t count.) The vast majority of the airline’s Airbus A380s and Boeing 777’s have a luxurious First Class cabin, allowing travellers to access most destinations in the Emirates network in the epitome of luxury. However, Emirates does not have First Class on its Airbus A350.

There are a few differences between First Class on Emirates’ various aircraft types. But regardless of which plane you’re on, an Emirates First Class seat becomes your own private space onboard. All seats come with privacy doors and a fully lie-flat bed, as well as Emirates’ signature service (including “unlimited” caviar) and a stocked amenity kit!

If you are originating or connecting in Dubai, you’ll also be able to access the dedicated Emirates First Class lounges and take advantage of Emirates’ Premium Connections Service.

Complimentary chauffeur pickups are also available in Emirates First Class, unless you’re booked on a Classic Reward ticket or Qantas codeshare.

Booking Emirates First Class

Through the Qantas-Emirates partnership, you can redeem Qantas Frequent Flyer points for Emirates flights.

Note that when you book an Emirates flight as a Qantas codeshare with a “QF” flight number, you can earn Qantas points and status credits. However, if you book directly with Emirates on an “EK” flight number, you’ll only earn Qantas points.

The Emirates Skywards loyalty program also partners with American Express Membership Rewards and CommBank Awards. As well as redeeming First Class Classic Reward flights through Skywards, you can use Skywards miles to upgrade from Business Class into Emirates First Class.

Emirates Boeing 777 First Class seats

Emirates has two different types of First Class products on its Boeing 777s.

Older Emirates Boeing 777 First Class

You’ll find Emirates’ traditional Boeing 777 First Class seats on the vast majority of the 777-200LR and 777-300ER fleets. This cabin uses a 1-2-1 seating configuration with eight seats across two rows. Each seat is 26 inches wide and converts to a 2-metre long bed.

You won’t find any overhead lockers in this cabin. Instead, there’s plenty of storage space at your seat, including under the TV! The crew can also store items for you if necessary. Every seat has a sliding privacy door, a minibar, a 24-inch entertainment screen and multiple USB-A/AC power outlets.

There are movable privacy screens between the centre two seats, allowing you to lower the divider if travelling with a companion.

Emirates Boeing 777 “Game Changer” First Class

The newest edition of Emirates First Class, dubbed “Game Changer”, is available on select Boeing 777-300ERs. In this layout, you’ll find six of these suites in a spacious 1-1-1 configuration.

All seats feature floor-to-ceiling privacy screens, with the middle seats even offering virtual windows. These windows connect to HD cameras outside, giving you a live feed of the view from outside.

The seat itself is two metres long when fully extended, and is 26 inches wide. You’ll find a wardrobe and other storage compartments at your seat, as well as a minibar. The entertainment screen is a massive 32 inches, with plenty of AC and USB outlets also available.

Row 2 is slightly more spacious than row 1 due to the curvature of the fuselage. Also, if you’re travelling with a companion, note that 1A and 1E use the same aisle, while 2F and 2K share the other aisle.

Emirates Airbus A380 First Class

Emirates offers 14 First Class seats on the upper deck of its Airbus A380s, in a 1-2-1 configuration. There are three pairs of seats in the centre, while there are four seats on each window side.

You’ll find a 22-inch wide seat that extends out to a 1.9 metre bed. There are sliding privacy doors, although they aren’t quite floor-to-ceiling.

The suite also contains a minibar, make-up mirrors and a 27-inch entertainment screen, as well as USB/AC power options. Storage is all at your seat, with a wardrobe and smaller storage areas able to hold your belongings in easy reach.

Unique features of First Class on the Emirates A380

The A380 First Class seat is very similar to the older Boeing 777 First Class seat. But there are two standout features of First Class on the Emirates A380 which aren’t available on the Boeing 777.

The first is the bar and lounge area at the back of the upper deck. This is also available to passengers in Business Class, but there are some extra drinks behind the counter (such as more expensive champagne) reserved for First Class passengers using the bar.

The Emirates A380 also has two shower suites at the front of the upper deck, exclusively for First Class passengers. You can book these shower suites for any time during the flight, allowing you five minutes of shower time at 40,000 feet!

Future changes to the Emirates First Class seats

The airline is in the process of refurbishing much of its A380 fleet, which includes refreshing First Class. While the bones of the seat remain the same, the refurbishment removes some of the “blingy” finishes, as well as making some small changes to the privacy doors.

This refreshed First Class is available on select A380s, including those that sport the new Emirates Premium Economy cabins.

Learn more about the Emirates First Class experience

Flying Emirates First Class soon? You can find lots of useful tips from frequent flyers to help you maximise the experience on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum:

Wilson McTaggart

Wilson's love of travel started from a young age, but his love for points developed after figuring out ways to travel on a gap year for less - leading naturally towards Australian Frequent Flyer! Wilson's hobbies include skiing, cricket and planning trips, both with and without points.

Wilson posts on the AFF forum as @WilsonM.