Come Fly With Me! What it's like to fly business class on Emirates new Airbus A350 to Dubai

Want to know what it’s like to be treated like royalty?

Then let me tell you about my experience on board Emirates’ A350 inaugural flight to Dubai, from getting chauffeured to the airport to be looked after by Emirates VIP staff in the airport and on the flight. There there was staying in an amazing hotel, spending 24 hours in Dubai and getting to fly home in business class AGAIN (when I was expecting to be in economy on the way back).

My journey of a lifetime started when my driver, David, who previously worked in insurance and now drives for Emirates, picked me up to take me to the airport in style.

When I arrived at the check-in desk, I was told to wait while they contacted a colleague. Alarms bells started ringing - oh no, what have I done?. But I was greeted by an Emirates VIP member of staff who escorted me from check-in, through security to the business lounge and then came back to collect me, taking me on a golf cart style buggy to the departure gate and escorting me to the plane.

Walking onto the new A350 Business Class, my first thought was ‘wow’. I was shown to my seat by the lovely Ashleigh who attended to my every need throughout the A350 inaugural flight. Ashleigh has been working for Emirates in Business Class for six years and loves every minute of it. She’s based out in Dubai with her partner, who is also part of the Emirates crew, but they are returning home next year to get married.

Lisa settles into Business Class seating on the A350 | Lisa Ferguson

Before take-off I was offered Veuve Clicquot yellow label champagne. I sat back in the comfort of the luxury chairs - designed by Mercedes, which also designed the new electronic blinds installed throughout the A350 - and watched from the window as I said goodbye to Edinburgh.

I was then handed a menu along with a wine list, offering any drink you could imagine. This included an amazing cocktails list with drinks such as a Bloody Mary, Espresso Martini or a Kir Royal.

For dinner we could choose from the following Scottish delicacies: starters of rich broccoli and cheese soup made from Lanark blue cheese produced in Ogcastle, Lanarkshire, or poached lobster tail served with Oscietra caviar. For mains there was seared Angus beef fillet from Aberdeen served with potato gratin, beurre noisette, beef jus and seasonal veg or Balmoral chicken served with traditional tatties and neeps. And then for dessert, Cranachan cheesecake topped with raspberry coulis, cheese board, or chocolate marquise served with cherry confit were on offer.

I opted for the soup along with the fillet of beef, and it did not disappoint. The beef was cooked to perfection and anyone who knows me knows I’m particular on how I like my steak cooked. I enjoyed a Kir Royal with my dinner and opted for the Cranachan cheesecake for dessert – again, all perfect, from the taste to how it was presented (I forgot to mention that all meals were silver service).

Complimentary drinks onboard | Lisa Ferguson

Everything was considered down to the finest detail - for example, the mood lighting that changes throughout your flight. Whilst enjoying my meal, I watched a film on the state-of-the-art 4K TV that Emirates has to offer. ICE is exclusive to Emirates and offers more content than any other airline inflight entertainment system. There is a suite of ground-breaking features designed to enhance the customer experience and provide the best picture quality on any aircraft, with stunning 4K and 4K HDR, ultra-responsive touchscreens for seamless navigation.

Before I settled in for the evening, Ashleigh came over to ask if I’d like a mattress and gave me a Bvlgari amenities bag which included everything you could need, from a toothbrush and toothpaste to face cream and hairbrush.

Marking a first in aviation history, the Emirates A350 features a high performance, new generation antennae to significantly improve inflight connectivity. And before it was time to get my head down, I wanted to try out the new faster broadband, so I FaceTimed my eight-year-old daughter Emily to say hi and that Mummy was 41,000ft in the air.

Speaking to my daughter was a massive highlight. To be honest she wasn’t happy not to be with me and wondered why I couldn’t have just snuck her on board as it was Business Class and there was plenty of room.

As I said goodnight to her, the last thing she said was “enjoy your trip mummy, but remember my present”. I love how her mind works.

Seeing the sights in Dubai | Lisa Ferguson

Then I pulled on my eye mask, popped in my ear plugs, pulled my blanket over me and pressed a magic button that transforms your seat into a bed. Again, it was one of those moments, when I was thinking to myself “this is out of this world, how the other half live, and how lucky I am to be experiencing this for my job”. Before I knew it, I drifted off.

I was awoken by a tap on my shoulder by Ashleigh who greeted me with a smile and asked “how did you sleep, Miss Ferguson”, to which I replied: “Like a baby. I never manage to sleep on planes but I had one of the best sleeps.”

She then told me we would be landing in 45 minutes and offered me a continental breakfast with tea or coffee.

As I came to and popped my seat back into sitting position, I noticed something lying on my side table - it was a certificate from Emirates stating I was part of the A350 inaugural flight from Edinburgh to Dubai, an amazing keepsake from this experience.

As we landed in Dubai, I watched the TV and another new feature, 3D maps powered by GeoFusion, where you can watch your journey and zoom into other countries. It’s almost like Google Maps in the sky – everything is so clear that you can make out houses and landmarks.

Le Meridien Hotel Dubai | Lisa Ferguson

When it was time to get off the A350, I got my things together, said my goodbyes and stepped into that moment you are hit by the heat.

I headed through passport control with Emirates VIP staff who took me to my car. Ten minutes later I arrived at my hotel, Le Meridian, to dump my stuff, have a quick freshen up and see what I could fit into my 24 hours in Dubai before heading back to the airport the following day to do Business Class all over again. It’s a hard life but someone’s got to do it.