After my flight in the A380 with Emirates in First Class and a transfer in Dubai in the First Class lounge, it’s time for my flight on the Boeing 777: Gamechanger.
Can Emirates live up to the name? Is this cabin really a gamechanger?
Emirates unveiled the Gamechanger cabin at the Dubai Airshow in 2017 and added several unique elements to First Class flying.
For instance, it was the first product to be completely closed from floor to ceiling. You actually sit in your own suite. Which features climate control that you can adjust yourself, mood lighting that you have control over and if you’re seated in one of the middle suites your cabin has virtual windows, which show actual live footage.
In this review, I will tell you more about my flight from Dubai to Brussels in the Gamechanger. I am seated in Suite 2F in the middle, so I can look out through the virtual windows. I am curious!
Emirates First Class Boarding Dubai
My flight departs from Gate C2, which seems to be a gate that is fairly tucked away. It is at the end of Pier C and about a 15-20-minute walk from the First Class lounge in Concourse B.
When I arrive, boarding has already started and I notice that there is no separate First Class section. So I had to join the (short) line of Business Class passengers boarding at that time.
Personally, I expected more exclusivity here. Partly, because I was taken to the lounge by golf cart (so why not to the plane) and partly, because boarding in Hong Kong did have a separate First Class row.
Emirates First Class Gamechanger
After many business class flights and a handful of First Class flights, I expected to be unimpressed any time soon, but nothing could be further from the truth. The suite is immense. It is hard to describe or capture in pictures how big the cabin is.
You can walk around in your suite, between the chair and the desk, above which hangs a 32 inch television. Next to your chair you have a small wardrobe and under your desk you have a small cabinet for your hand luggage.
As in the A380, you also have your own minibar. This is located on either side of the desk and includes bottles of water, Perrier, nut mixes and snacks from Bennet’s.
You also have a small make-up mirror in your desk containing a kit from Byredo.
The suite features a small window that you can open and close yourself and a door that allows you to completely close your cabin. Both work – thankfully – manually and not via the tablet.
Next to the comfortable chair is another small screen that allows you to control the temperature in your suite and mood settings, such as the colour of the lighting, turning on and off various reading and desk lights and controlling the starry sky and lights in the floor
It also immediately makes you think about the state of your neighbour, at least that happened to me with these colours.
Emirates First Class Tablet
As if the tablet in the A380 wasn’t big enough, the tablet in the Gamechanger is even bigger. You can also detach it from the docking station.
You control the chair’s various functions with it. This can be done individually, but also with hotkeys to adjust the chair to the optimal position for dinner, lounge or bed.
On the tablet, you will also find flight information, games and the option to order room service. You can initiate an audio or video call with the crew if, for example, you are hungry or fancy a glass of bubbly.
Besides the tablet, you have another small remote control for the television. This is not a wired console like before, but more of a Chromecast-like remote that charges wirelessly in your chair. Nice.
Emirates First Class Bed
The bed in the cabin is what you would expect. Lovely. Even during my flight in the Gamechanger, I was able to sleep well for a few hours. It’s perfect that you can control your own temperature, as I often find it too hot to really get a good night’s sleep.
Before I crawl under the blankets – blankets, as you get two – I set the temperature a few degrees colder and lie very comfortably. You can move freely because there are no obstacles to the left and right of the chair.
The bed is just over 2 metres long and wide enough to turn around in.
Emirates Gamechanger: virtual windows
As indicated, I am in suite 2F, which is a center suite. As a result, my suite has virtual windows and I am not necessarily impressed by that.
Yes, it’s a nice gimmick, but it just doesn’t work well for me. For instance, I have three windows with colour differences, but the windows are also just barely aligned. As you can see in the picture below, you can see different shades of green and the lines are anything but smooth.
Of course, this is not a disaster and it is nice that you can look out the window during take-off and landing, but when you do something like this, I feel it should be right down to the last detail and that is just not the case.
Emirates First Class: food & drink
As I was still full from my first flight and the pastries in the lounge, I put together a light meal of my own. I opted for a tofu and pumpkin salad with two small Wagyu burgers and a chocolate cake.
At breakfast, I am still pretty full and go for a small snack of Edamame beans and a plate of caviar with Dom Perignon. Of course, that could not be missed.
Drink
There is no shortage of drinks. As you can see from the menu below, there are a variety of white and red wines, spirits, rum, cocktails and mocktails.
I choose to try the Château Pape Clément at dinner, and with dessert I have a nice, sweet dessert wine: the 2013 Château Suduiraut.
Snacks
The snacks are mainly lined up in your own minibar and while that is more than sufficient, I miss the snacks on the bulkhead. Whereas I could refill snacks myself in the A380, I cannot in the 777. No doubt I can get new snacks on request, but I do miss the luxury of a richly stocked bulkhead in this case.
Emirates First Class menu
The menu is broadly similar to that of my previous flight. In particular, the wines and spirits are identical. The menu itself did change slightly.
You can find the full First Class menu below.
Amenity Kit Emirates First Class
During my flight, an amenity kit is not provided as standard., but upon request, I still get one. This one is again in collaboration with Bulgari and consists of a case with perfume, a face cream, lotion and lip balm. There is also a shaving kit, toothbrush, shaving cream, earplugs, deodorant and tissues.
Emirates First Class pyjamas
During boarding, the stewardess asks if I would like pyjamas for this flight too, and of course I don’t say no to that.
Toilet
The toilet in the Boeing 777 is on the small side and somewhat feels like a disappointment. Once you’ve walked around the A380’s Shower Spa, you don’t really want anything else. Also, the toilet does not seem to be thoroughly cleaned during the flight.
Once, for instance, I see a cloth on the floor that which can be placed over the toilet seat, and there is another guest towel next to the tap. Not very tidy.
Internet Emirates First Class
Emirates is happily working on getting Starlink internet on board its planes and it is much needed. Whereas Qatar offers lightning-fast internet in business class with Starlink, on my First Class flight in Gamechanger I have to look at loading icons when sending or receiving photos.
The internet speed did not exceed 500 kbps and also frequently drops to no connection.
Emirates First Class ticket price
The price of a one-way flight from Hong Kong to Brussels in First Class with Emirates costs around €5,800. You then have the same route I flew, with an A380 and the Gamechanger.
In March this year, I was still able to book the flight on points. I used just over 140,000 Membership Rewards for that and paid about 750 euros extra.
Advantages Emirates First Class
- The Gamechanger is a unique experience
- Good-quality food and drink
- Very nice bed
Disadvantages Emirates First Class
- Internet not worthy of First Class
- No spa and bar
- Empty bulkheads
Emirates First Class Gamechanger Impression
Below is a small impression of the 777 Gamechanger First Class cabin.
Conclusion
Overwhelmed. When I entered the Gamechanger suite, I was hugely impressed. The suite is incredibly large and offers enormous privacy and being able to set your own temperature is perfect.
Still, I miss the exclusive feeling of a shower and an incredibly large toilet, richly stocked bulkheads and a visit to the bar. Indeed, that makes the whole experience a little richer.
The fact that the crew has a big influence on your flight also contributes to this. On my flight from Hong Kong to Dubai, the crew was slightly more attentive than on my flight in Gamechanger.
Still, the overall experience of Emirates in First Class is great and significantly better than my recent Singapore Airlines First Class experience earlier this year. Both flights were unique and I hope to fly to my destination this way more often.
