Sometimes, the best flights are the ones you never planned to take! After attending Qantas’ Project Sunrise Airbus A350 reveal in Toulouse, I headed to London to return home on Air Mauritius using Air Canada Aeroplan points. But after Air Mauritius cancelled the flight from London, Air Canada rerouted me via Dubai on Emirates at no extra cost.
As Australia had just reclassified the UAE down from ‘Do No Travel’, I was able to accept the change and remain covered by travel insurance. It also meant I would now experience Emirates Business Class for the first time (I’ve previously flown them in First and Economy).
Spoiler alert: this is pretty much as good as it gets for a 7-hour, overnight flight – minus one tech snag.
Check-in, lounge and boarding
At Gatwick Airport, there are separate priority lanes for Premium Economy and Business Class (there’s no First Class on these A350s). After a quick check-in, it’s an easy path through security, thanks to my ticket providing access to ‘Fast Track’ lanes. Follow the signs through the winding duty-free maze to find the elevators that will take you down to the lounge.
Flying from London Gatwick offers one major advantage for Emirates Business Class passengers: access to the airline’s impressive lounge. It’s arguably the best lounge at Gatwick and laughably oversized for the relatively small number of passengers with access.
The highlight is undoubtedly the dining. Walking past the cold section, individually plated portions of caramel citrus prawns on salad look very inviting. Over at the hot counter, 10 hot dishes beckon, including prawn makhani curry, seared seabass, chicken and leek pie, roasted chicken breast and seared beef fillet.
The self-serve bar stocks Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, a wide range of spirits, soft drinks, and beer. If you wanted to, you could easily enjoy a full dinner here to maximise rest in the air.
Boarding commences on schedule, with Business Class passengers invited onboard first. While this lounge doesn’t have direct boarding, the gates that Emirates usually uses are only a few minutes’ walk away.
Boarding and seats
Stepping onto Emirates’ new Airbus A350 immediately feels different from the airline’s older Boeing 777 fleet. The cabin has a calmer, more contemporary feel, with softer lighting and elegant finishes throughout. Whereas I would have previously described the excessive faux-wood grain as ‘gaudy’, this version is tasteful by comparison.
Business Class is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, giving every passenger direct aisle access. The seat itself is a significant upgrade over Emirates’ older angled and staggered products. There’s ample personal storage, intuitive seat controls, wireless charging and a crisp high-definition entertainment screen.
Digging deeper into the details, the side panel houses several useful buttons. There are four that adjust the seat into different positions, two for ambient and overhead lighting, three for the entertainment system, and one to call the crew. Above the console, you’ll also find a button to raise or lower the window blind and shade.
Privacy is decent, though there are no sliding doors. The well-padded seat converts into a comfortable, fully flat bed. With a soft mattress pad and a reasonably-sized footwell, I managed to sleep well for most of the flight. A vibrant tablet also offers many of the same controls, while showing the moving map at a glance.
A significant chunk of space is taken up by the minibar (which isn’t chilled). It’s a bit of a novelty, and I end up stashing some of my stuff inside. Under this area is an AC power adapter, two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. All of them charge my devices rapidly. Finally, Emirates has integrated a wireless phone charger into the console, which is a neat touch.
The overall design feels modern without being particularly revolutionary. Still, I’d rate it among the better Business Class seats now flying between Europe and the Middle East (but behind the Qsuites).
Food and beverage
As we get ready for departure, the friendly crew come around with trays of Champagne (Veuve Clicquot), juice or water. Today’s juice is one of their refreshing Vitality Blends, with a tropical tang. Business Class passengers can pre-order their main course online, but since my re-booking was only hours before departure, I was ineligible.
Click through the carousel below for the full menu.
As a relatively short overnight flight, Emirates offers a ‘Late Night’ service after take-off. Designed specifically for passengers who would rather maximise sleep than stretch dinner over several courses, everything arrives together shortly after take-off. The crew ask for my preferences before departure, so service is swift once we’re in the air.
The menu is more or less the same as the daytime flights. For starters, I choose the seared tuna loin, followed by a tender seared beef fillet topped with tarragon butter. Seasonal fresh fruit (my favourite pick on any airline) rounds out the meal without feeling overly heavy before bed.
Served with still-soft baked bread, it’s a comprehensive and delicious meal. While the steak isn’t super tender, it’s still one of the best versions I’ve had in recent times.
If you’re peckish throughout the flight, the crew sets up a snack station towards the back of the cabin. There are finger sandwiches, cakes, fruits and packaged snacks to choose from. As a side note, it’s probably best to avoid choosing the back row if you don’t want to be disturbed by people at the snack bar.
As much as I enjoy the ritual of multi-course dining in the sky, I have to agree that a shorter service works in this case. By getting everything at once, I’m able to finish dinner more quickly and enjoy several uninterrupted hours of sleep before gradually waking as we approach Dubai.
Although I decide to skip breakfast to squeeze in every last minute of rest, the attentive crew still offer to bring a coffee and a warm pastry shortly before landing. I appreciate the thoughtful gesture, though the muffin and croissant has become quite hard at this stage. The iced latte is lovely, however!
Amenities
Emirates delivers a polished premium experience on the Airbus A350. I’m very impressed with the slippers and eyemask, both of which are made from an incredibly soft and comforting material.
The amenity kit is packed with useful goodies such as Bulgari lotions and eau de parfum, a Gillette shaving set (with foam) and Rexona roll-on deodorant. It’s the best I’ve seen in Business Class.
The latest generation of the ICE entertainment system remains one of the industry’s best, with an enormous library of movies, television shows and music presented on a responsive high-definition touchscreen. Live TV is a popular feature, especially during the World Cup season.
I’m delighted to see the seats have Bluetooth audio pairing. Although the supplied noise-cancelling headphones look solid, I still prefer my Bose QC Ultra Earbuds, which pair flawlessly to the system.
Combined with reliable charging options, ample storage, and attentive service throughout the flight, the Business Class seat is great for both work and rest. There’s one downside, though: the Wi-Fi. Powered by Viasat, it unfortunately does not work for the entire flight, which is disappointing.
Emirates is rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet. It happens to be on my connecting flight (a Boeing 777), and the difference is night and day. That’s probably the only major downside of EK’s Airbus A350s.
How to book this flight with points
A Business Class reward seat on Emirates from London to Dubai doesn’t come cheap. Not only do you have Emirates’ extraordinarily high carrier charges to deal with, but there’s also the UK APD tax, which is significantly higher in premium cabins. Here’s how much you can expect to pay with some programs:
- Qantas: 73,400 points + £576 (~A$1,113)
- Emirates: 59,000 miles + £576 (~A$1,113)
- Air Canada: 258,100 points + CA$559 (~A$570)
- Japan Airlines: 42,000 miles + ¥147,680 (~A$1,313)
Qantas, Air Canada and Japan Airlines are all transfer partners of Pay.com.au. Note that Air Canada prices Emirates Business Class somewhat dynamically with points, but doesn’t pass on the carrier charges. However, the high cost in points generally makes it a poor-value redemption.
Qantas American Express Ultimate
Offer ends: 28 Jul 2026
- Bonus points
- 50,000 bonus Qantas Points¹
- Annual fee
- $450 p.a.
- Earn
- 1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.
Qantas American Express Ultimate
Offer ends: 28 Jul 2026
- Bonus Points
- 50,000 bonus Qantas Points¹
- Annual Fee
- $450 p.a.
- Earn
- 1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.
Earn 50,000 bonus Qantas Points¹ with the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card when you apply online by 28 July 2026, are approved, and spend $5,000 in the first 3 months.
Having only paid 110,000 Aeroplan Points + CA$589 for my Business Class ticket from Milan to London to Perth (via Mauritius), I count myself exceedingly lucky to be rebooked onto Emirates Business Class at no extra cost due to the disruption.
Our verdict
Emirates’ Airbus A350 Business Class is a great step up for the airline. The new seats are a substantial improvement over many of Emirates’ existing cabins. I found myself wowed by the quality of the in-seat screen and quite satisfied with the dining and service onboard.
Unfortunately, the value in booking with points still isn’t quite there, due to Emirates’ industry-leading (not in a good way) carrier charges on Business and First Class flights. But if you’re happy to pony up the cash or have booked a cash fare outright, you’re in for a premium experience.
Disclaimer: Photography by Brandon Loo, who travelled at Point Hacks’ expense.
