Hawaiian Airlines First Class on Boeing 767-300

Macadamia Nut Pistachio Pate, Braised Spicy Chicken and Asian
Mixed Greens.

Tiramisu (above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Hawaiian Airlines has updated their fleet of wide-body long-haul jets with Airbus A330-200 jets and has place them in service on a few routes including select flights between Honolulu and Las Vegas. These jets are replacing the airlines aging fleet of Boeing 767s. This evening flight HA 5 to Honolulu has been assigned the airlines 767 jet. It'll be interesting to compare it to the A330 which was used on my flight three nights ago to Vegas.

There are 18 seats in first class and the remainder of the cabin devoted to coach class. The modern elements of the A330 are obviously missing like the spacious overhead bins and lighting. In lieu of the on-demand systems stored in the armrest for first class passengers, entertainment is via portable Digeplayers that are pre-loaded with movies, television programs, music videos and music and distributed by flight attendants. Coach passengers can rent the players for $15.

FLEET COMPARISON:

A330 Planes			767 Wide-Body Planes
Hawaiian's new wide-body A330s carry more passengers, fly farther, and are more fuel-efficient than our existing wide-body fleet of B767s. Specifics Seating Capacity: 294 Seats First Class Pitch: 45" to 46" Seat Configuration: 2-2-2 Coach Class Pitch: 31 to 32" Seat Configuration: 2-4-2 » A330 Seat Configuration » Learn More About A330 Planes			The twin-jet B-767 has earned an industry-wide reputation for being comfortable, fuel efficient, easy to maintain and environmentally friendly. Specifics Seating Capacity: 264 Seats First Class Pitch: 42" Seat Configuration: 2-2-2 Coach Class Pitch: 32" Seat Configuration: 2-3-2 » 767 Seat Configuration » Learn More About 767 Planes

The first class seats on either jets do not recline flat.

Hawaiian's first class meal service is comprised of the "Your Way" menu created by Chef Chai Chaowasaree. It's different compared to other airlines and it would be a success if it weren't for the time it takes for each passenger to be served made obvious by the duration between the first passenger served and the last. The fault has to be in the six selections of which passengers choose three. It appears its a time challenge for the flight attendants to prepare the trays for each passenger.

I pick the Macadamia Nut Pistachio Pate, Asian Mixed Greens and Braised Spicy Chicken. Flavor profile wise this is the best prepared combination of plates between the four Hawaiian Airlines flights I've taken in the past two months. Though each are mini-entrees, it was a nice progression from the appetizer-like lightness of the pate to refreshing tones of the salad to the heartiness of the chicken. I just wished the chicken had a bit more sauce. As common with these tiny plates, neatness is complicated when cutting the chicken on the bed or rice.

Thank goodness no rock-hard frozen dessert. If old-fashioned but still satisfying, the Tiramisu closes out the meal. But where's the coffee. For first class service, there shouldn't be a wait or the need to order a cup of coffee. I finally get some java and watch a movie on my iPad before resting my head for the remainder of the flight.

Hawaiian Airlines is well-known for their in-flight hospitality of the flight crew and that politeness was evident even if the crew on this flight seemed a bit more harried than on previous flights I've taken.

I've learned that American Airlines have again allowed the earning of miles in their reward program on Hawaiian Flights. Back in the mid 1990s American had nixed any mile earnings on Hawaiian other than on inter-island flights. The rule is still in place that you can't earn Aadvantage miles on Hawaiian's West Coast flights. However Aadvantage members can now earn flight on Hawaiian to destinations elsewhere including to the East Coast. This summer Hawaiian is flying non-stop to New York's JFK.

Hawaiian's "Your Way" menu. First class passengers choose three
of the six selections.

One of Hawaiian's 767 jets sits at the gate at McCarran. Strip hotels
can be seen in the distance.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Interior of Hawaiian's 767 first class cabin.
(photo: Rick Schmitz/flickr)

Hawaiian Airlines First Class on the A330-200 Part 3

Here I am back on Hawaiian Airlines flight HA18 from Honolulu to Las Vegas taking the same flight I flew in April. And like that previous flight, I have the opportunity to fly in the first class cabin. Last month I upgraded by redeeming HawaiianMiles. Today I purchased a standby upgrade. As I reach the Ewa terminal at Honolulu International, one of Hawaiian's new Airbus A330-200 jets is parked at the terminal.

This will the third time I will fly the A330-200 on Hawaiian (Click HERE to read about the flight on 4/17/12; Click HERE to read about the flight on 4/21/12). This one sitting at Gate 26 is the plane for flight HA18. Hawaiian has named each of their A330s after a star or constellation used by Polynesian voyagers for celestial navigation. This jet is named

Hokupa'a which is the Hawaiian language name for Polaris, or the North Star. This particular A330-200 was the fifth to join Hawaiian's fleet in October 2011.

I love flying wide-body jets. Of course I can say that more often now then when I first started traveling.  As an elite member in American and Hawaiian's mileage programs, better seat choices are within my grasp then back in the 1990s and before the internet where it was more of an effort to purchase a ticket and shop for the best price.

Though the seats do not lie flat like on other carriers, the design of the cabin and seats do make the cabin feel roomy. Unlike the two flights last month, I am sitting in a window seat. Actually when I purchased the standby upgrade, there were only two seats left and both were by the windows so my choice was limited. The other was in the first row where there is no storage in front of you.

The beauty of flying in daylight over the Hawaiian Islands. In this photo, the jet cruises above the island of Molokai in the foreground. In the distance on the right is the island of Lanai. Beyond on the left is the island of Maui. The clouds all hover each island's mountains.

The menu choices are still the same from last month so I attempt to try something different. Unlike other airlines the meal service in Hawaiian's first class starts out with the usual bowl of warm nuts and drinks but there is no salad course. Instead each passenger picks three of the mini entrees from the list and they are served at one time with taro bread.

My three choices off the menu are the Hawaiian-Style Chicken, Crispy Wonton Tacos and the Spinach Gnocchi. I like eating Gnocchi so when I had it last month I was disappointed it was cold and tough. It was served hot today and it tasted much better. The big disappointment is the tacos with shrimp and crab salad filling. The filling needs more season and the gritty flour texture of the tacos is like eating paper. The chicken is best thing on the tray and the glaze and mango salsa is excellent. But have you ever tried to slice a piece of chicken over a bed of rice on such a tiny plate. It's quite a challenge to perform while keeping the entire dish including every grain of rice within the plate. Click HERE to view Hawaiian's in-flight dining menus.

The dubious Grand Mariner Ice Cream Truffle with Orange Creme Anglaise make an appearance for dessert. I say dubious because on the flight last month to Vegas, these were served frozen like a hockey puck. It was almost funny to watch the other passengers try to break the shell. It's less a challenge today as I guess the flight attendants had them defrost a little before serving. Now I like to put my own cream and sugar in my coffee but when I requested for a cup, the flight attendant serves the coffee with the cream and sugar already mixed in.  I had to request for a bit more sugar.

My JBL noise-cancelling headphones are likely nearing the end of their lifespan. So I used the noise-cancelling headsets offered by the airline. I brought my iPad with me loaded with a couple of movies. I see a lot of movies so the popular films usually offered on the plane are ones I have usually seen.

Looking at the choices of movies and television programs, I don't find anything I want to see. The monitor's touch screen is almost the size of my iPad and color and resolution not bad. The monitor is stored in the armrest between seats. Lift the armrest cover, push on the monitor and it slides out.

One of my favorite board games is incarnated in a touch-screen version. The entertainment options includes several video games. My game choice is Battleship. After a few rounds of the game and watching a movie on my iPad, I attempt to try and rest. I can't sleep so the quiet hum offered by the noise-cancelling headphones helps me to at least relax for remainder of the flight.

Upgrading on Hawaiian Airlines: Hawaii to/from the Continental U.S.

Upgrading on Hawaiian Airlines is relatively easy compared to the methods followed on the larger U.S. carriers. The most common way is to redeem miles for an upgrade (click HERE to view Hawaiian's redemption chart).

HAWAIIANMILES REDEMPTION
Since I'm flying to Las Vegas, let's look at the Hawaii to/from the U.S. mainland redemption offers. The choices are under two categories:

• First/Business Saver - the lowest mileage First/Business Class flight award. This award does not have to be purchased online.
• First/Business Flex - can be redeemed for travel on Hawaiian Airlines with twice the miles of a First/Business Saveraward when a First/Business Saver award is not available.
• Upgrades - must be processed through Hawaiian Airlines Reservations. All award upgrades must be ticketed 26 hours prior to the flight departure.

For a first class ticket, the mileage options are:
40,000 First Class Saver
80,000 First Class Flex

To upgrade from coach ticket, the mileage options are:
25,000 First Class Saver
50,000 First Class Flex

So depending on the miles you have in your account, you have your choice of using miles to upgrade or to redeem them for a first class seat. Hawaiian keeps it simple by allowing you to call HawaiianMiles customer service for redemption. The agent will confirm your available miles and which reward is available for redemption.

Naturally the closer you book to your departure and the availability of first class seats will be the factors on whether a "first class saver" or "first class flex" reward is necessary. The scarcer the number of first class seats, the option using more points is then required. Keep in mind that the upgrade must be ticketed 26 hours prior to departure.

STANDBY FIRST CLASS UPGRADE
This option is available on the day of departure and available to all coach passengers. First class upgrades on the day of departure are completed through online or airport check-in within 24 hours prior to departure.

The catch is the fee for standby upgrade varies by season and route for International and North American flights. The fee also varies depending if the passenger is a Puulani Platinum or Puulani Gold holder in the HawaiianMiles program or Hawaiian Airlines Visa Card Holder.

Click HERE to view Hawaiian Airlines fee chart. According to this chart, standby upgrades cost $349 to $449 each way on flights to/from North America.

MY EXPERIENCE USING BOTH METHODS
Last month when I flew from Honolulu to Las Vegas I upgraded using miles. It cost me 25,000 miles each way and I redeemed the miles by calling the HawaiianMiles Service Center (Toll-Free 1-877-426-4537; Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm HST). I called a week before to book the upgrade to Las Vegas and two days before to book the upgrade to return to Honolulu. The customer service rep handled the transaction, advised me which first class seats were available and sent an email to confirm the details.

Today I had the opportunity to use the "standby first class upgrade" option for my flight from Honolulu to Las Vegas. Since I am a Puulani Gold member in the HawaiianMiles program, the cost to upgrade is $270 including all taxes. This is much less than what is shown on Hawaiian's fee chart. I booked this upgrade at the self check-in kiosk at the airport. I confirmed a seat in the first class cabin and a receipt for the transaction is printed at the kiosk.

Using either option is easy on Hawaiian Airlines and I would use either method again. Of course upgrades are always debated based on the comfort, amenities and service that is provided. But that's a different article.

Virgin Atlantic's New Upper Class Suites

(photos: Virgin Atlantic)

Sometimes a product seems so hip and now that it can't be ignored in the marketplace. It appears Virgin Atlantic Airways has found that product for its new Upper Class Suites that may be unrivaled in its design and look. Upper Class is the airline's premium business class product on their two-class Airbus A330 jets.

Introduced last weekend and currently flying exclusively between London Heathrow to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, the airline claims "We've re-engineered and reinvented our Upper Class Suite, creating a fabulous onboard experience with great new features":

• Recline increased up to 50% in the lounger configuration and 1.5 inches greater in width than the previous version.
• In lie-flat mode, the seats provide an 87-inch bed surface (at 7 feet 2 inches, it is longer than other airline's business class bed)
• New espresso color leather seats.
• A 12.1-inch touchscreen monitor with touchscreen remote.
• Adjustable reading light.
• A flip-down cocktail table and push panel armrest.
• Additional storage compartments featuring a new literature pocket and two ottoman storage areas.
• USB and other power port connections compatible with most international type plugs.
• Lumbar support functionality with "firm touch" buttons to prevent accidental activation.
• An "Aeromobile" system giving passengers the ability to make and receive phone calls and texts from their own mobile phones.
• In a herringbone pattern, four-seats across, all seats have direct aisle access.
• Each window seat has an one more window built into the wall that provides more light but opaque enough to allow privacy from passengers seated in adjacent rows.

The futuristic onboard bar is now separate from the cabin giving passengers not wishing to socialize more privacy. The bar has new mood lighting but still have the Virgin Atlantic accents of red and Swarovski crystal.

Estimated roundtrip airfares from the carrier's website for a weeklong trip in May varies from a low of $3,988.20 for a restrictive ticket to a high of $10,470.20 for a fully flexible and refundable reservation for flight VS003 (Heathrow to JFK) and VS004 (JFK to Heathrow) that are offered six days a week. As the airline takes possession of more Airbus A330 planes in 2012, additional destinations will be added offering the Upper Class Suites. The seats will be added to their order of Boeing 787s in 2014.

Click HERE for an interactive tour. Visit virgin-atlantic.com for more information. Virgin-Atlantic Airways is owned by Richard Branson's the Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines and operates between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Hawaiian Airlines First Class on the A330-200 Part 2

Vegetable chips and lemongrass coconut soup.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

Hawaiian operates at least three departures daily from McCarran International Airport. This flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu HA17 departs at 1:55am. Despite the unusual time, the gate agents announce its a full flight and would appreciate if passengers remain seated until their row number is called.

The business organization paid for the ticket but that doesn't mean I couldn't take advantage of situation and with a call a couple of days earlier to the airline, I upgraded again from a coach to a first class seat by redeeming 25,000 miles from my Hawaiian Miles account.

It should be noted that the call center for Hawaiian Airlines operates from the Philippines but the service is thorough and polite. Anybody expecting no waiting has never ever called a call center. But once I got a service agent, the request was expedited.

So unlike the first class meal service on HA18 that I flew to Vegas, the return trip had a different service. What do you serve at 2am in the morning? The flight attendants still distributed a menu but there was only one selection which reads as follows:

Moemoe menu
Light, quick and delicious, this snack features the tastes of Hawai'i and is perfectly proportioned to enjoy just before a restful sleep.

- CRISPY VEGETABLE CHIPS
  Featuring carrots and taro

- CREAMY LEMONGRASS COCONUT SOUP
  With chicken, mushrooms, green onions and brown rice.

There was something comforting about this snack. It's warmth and light flavors was satisfying for the remainder of this six hour flight. There is no dessert or salad course but drinks still are poured freely.

Adding to the comfort is the mood lighting in blues and purples. No harsh fluorescents. I attempted to watch a movie "The Descendants" in an attempt to pass the time. The Airbus A330 is Hawaiian's newest jet and every seat has a personal monitor. In coach they are located on the seat backs. In first class they are in the arm rest and pop out with a gentle push.

Soothing mood lighting fills the entire cabin.

The personal entertainment center in first class.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Hawaiian Airlines First Class on the A330-200 Part 1

Row 3 in the first class cabin.
(photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

When the opportunity presents itself, go for it. My Hawaiian Miles account has been accruing miles for over seven years and I've only made a withdrawal once to augment my Hilton HHonors points for a hotel stay in New York City two years ago which still left almost a 100,000 miles left to spare. So a quick telephone call to the Hawaiian Miles service center a couple of days before the flight I was able to upgrade my coach ticket for a first class seat on one of Hawaiian's new Airbus A330-200 jets.

One nice thing about this flight HA18 and this aircraft departing from a gate at the international terminal is separate jetways are put into use, one that leads to the first class cabin and a second to economy. Since Hawaiian really makes their money on the coach seats, the airline is reputed to pack in as many coach seats as possible when choosing an airplane interior design. The coach cabin seats 276 in a 36 row 2-4-2 configuration on this wide-body jet. First class seats 18 in a 2-2-2 configuration in three rows. Only one restroom located behind the cockpit is designated for the first class passengers. If this one is occupied, two additional restrooms are located after the first three rows of the coach cabin.

Though the seats do not lie anywhere near flat, the seat do recline and come with a footrest. The seats feel roomy especially with the extra armrest space between seats. As usual for a first class cabin on a wide-body (and one filled with light packers), there is ample room to stow carry-on bags. I'm sure in the coach cabin the story is not the same.

A view of the cabin from my seat.

Each seat comes with a personal entertainment monitor with  a touch screen that is hidden in the armrest. A selection of movies, television shows, music and video games is offered.

There is something about Hawaiian's meal service with dishes by acclaimed Hawaii Chef Chai Chaowasaree. The flight attendants has the entire cabin withdraw their tray tables to lay the requisite cloth placemat/table cloth. I was seated in row 3H which is an the aisle seat in the last row. Flight attendants began serving to passengers in 3A and thus began a long upside-down "U" meal service working from the last row along one aisle of the cabin then to the first row then crossing over to the other aisle to serve passengers starting with row one and serving the seats in the third row along this aisle last. I sort of felt immobile beneath my tray table since it felt rather long before my meal was served.

I really shouldn't complain about this service since it's a first class meal rather than the smaller version served in the coach cabin. But is it a first class meal? This is where the meal service takes on a unusual method and design. After boarding the flight attendants pass out a menu that lists five entree and which each first class passenger picks three. This may explain why the service feels slow. Depending on which three each passenger orders the flight attendants prepares the three choices first for those passengers being served first.

My three mini-entrees: fish, cheese & crackers and spinach gnocchi.
The prosciutto-wrapped asparagus is hidden beneath the crackers.

My choices were the assorted cheese, grilled fresh catch and spinach gnocchi. There is no salad course. It's these three mini-entrees and then dessert. The cheeses with crackers with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and fish with lemon butter sauce and mashed potatoes were fine. But the spinach gnocchi weren't the tender pillows I was expecting and it was cold. The other choices were crispy wonton tacos and Hawaiian-style chicken.

Dessert almost became a comedy: an ice cream dessert covered in a hard white chocolate shell, I'm guessing it's frozen and supposed to be defrosted a bit before serving which obviously it wasn't. I observed that the passengers could scarcely crack the candy shell with a spoon without some elbow grease. When I got my dessert I realized it was a challenge. How do you break the frozen exterior without letting the dessert or your spoon fly into the air. I dipped my spoon in my coffee and that helped to melt the white chocolate shell. The slight bitterness of the orange flavored interior indicates a liqueur is an ingredient in the dish.

The infamous hard white chocolate shell covered orange ice cream.

Since I already saw most of the films offered, I skipped the personal entertainment and watched a movie on my iPad instead. Once the cabin lights were dimmed I immediately noticed the colored mood lighting that is now characteristic of new jets.

The trademark of Hawaiian flight service is the hospitality of the airline's flight attendants and I really can't complain about their pleasant demeanor that began with serving a pre-flight Hawaiian Sunrise cocktail (guava and champagne). This flight number HA18 departed from Honolulu International (HNL) at 2:55pm and arrived at Las Vegas McCarran (LAS) at 11:35pm. It's my thing that I can't sleep on planes, even in first class so I was looking forward to checking into my hotel, unpacking, taking a shower and getting a good rest before the first day of at a business conference that I had to attend.

At this point I can say I'm going to call the airline tomorrow to see if I can get upgraded to the first class for the return trip. There's enough miles earned to spare. It's a 1:55am departure on Saturday morning so you can see why.

Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet by Heather Poole

Author Heather Poole offers an insightful look at the career of a flight attendant and many any who will pick up this book will learn something new about the world of flying the friendly skies. Poole offers many amusing experiences starting from chapter one where she wonders who will be the "crazy" passenger on the flight. In her words, there is always one and the one she describes is quite a doozy.

As she describes flight attendant training, she gives up how strict rules had to be followed and how classmates would start disappearing once these rules were not observed. But it's what happens after graduation that is the most surprising: the life of a flight attendant is nowhere as glamourous as many of us would think. She describes how on many flights the food on board was only for passengers and crew would hope that there would be extra trays of food for them. She minces no words about the very low starting wages and how it was nearly impossible for them to enjoy a good meal and their free time without worrying about money.

One amusing observation she makes is about the difference between first class and business class. She mentions flight attendants like working first class because most of these passengers just sleep during the flight. She adds that business class has the most demanding passengers. This is exemplified by a story about how a flight attendant offers spoons to business class passengers which each one takes only for the same flight attendant to just collect the spoons afterwards without offering anything else or any use for the spoon.

Poole doesn't mention the airline for which she worked for during most of her career (I've come to learn it's likely American Airlines) but it's probably best she didn't so we can identity her as possibly the flight attendant we may have met once. Reading the book I'm recalling the many flight attendants who have worked the planes I've flown over the many years. I can only appreciate the smiling face they offer knowing now what kinds of things can happen behind the scenes.

The book does get bogged down in the later chapters when she talks about working with her mother who also became a flight attendant. But for the most part the book is a fun read. Pick it up and see if you don't start saying thank you more often to a flight crew.

"Cruising Attitude" by Heather Poole is available in softcover. Click the adds below to purchase a copy or Kindle version from Amazon. Click HERE to purchase eBook from iTunes.

American Airlines First to Take Delivery of New Boeing 777-300ER

American Airlines 777-300ER will feature mood lighting, archway
ceiling treatments and a walk-up bar offering snacks and drinks.
(images credit: American Airlines)

I always compare the introduction of a new wide-body passenger jet into service to the opening of a new house or condo. Especially on long-haul flights, and I'm talking about the ones that have flying times of eight to ten hours, the plane is your home away from home albeit up in the sky.

After experiencing all three cabins of service over the years to London, I have to admit it was definitely worth it to squander so many miles two years ago for a Flagship Suite on a round-trip flight between Los Angeles International and London Heathrow. I'm earning and saving my miles again to repeat the experience.

Last month American Airlines announced it will be the first air carrier to take delivery of the new Boeing 777-300ER beginning in 2012 and will continue throughout 2013. Customers in Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow, New York's John F. Kennedy and Sao Paulo will be among the first passengers to experience the new aircraft. Additional markets are being planned.

Among the jet's new features are unique mood lighting and ceilings with archways to create a spacious feeling and, the first for any U.S. carrier, a walk-up bar in the premium cabin stocked with snacks and refreshments. Entertainment options will offer up to 120 movies, over 150 TV programs and 350 audio selections. Each seat will feature international Wi-Fi capability, a universal AC power outlet and a USB jack.

According to American Airlines these are the features of each cabin on their 700-300ER:

Updated First Class Flagship Suite

• Swivel seats that transform into a fully lie-flat 80-inch bed.
• Drop down armrests that allow for easier access and more sleeping space.
• Aisle access from every seat
• Privacy dividers
• Two universal AC power outlets
• One USB outlet
• Two large tray tables
• Water bottle holder and headset stowage
• Boise Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Canceling headset
• 17-inch TV screen and touchscreen video handset that also serves as remote

Business Class Cabin

• Fully-lie flat seats
• Aisle access from every seat
• Large tray table in addition to a work surface
• Water bottle holder and headset stowage
• Boise Quiet Comfort 15 Acoustic Noise Canceling headset
• 14.5-inch touch screen monitor

Economy Class Cabin

• American is expecting to designate some economy rows with extra legroom (part of new seating product announcement)
• Seats will have a higher recline pivot providing increased knee room
• Seat bottom articulates producing a cradling motion increasing the recline angle of the setback while protection personal space for passengers seated in the row behind
• 9-inch touchscreen monitor

Emirates A380: First Class

This post is one in a series about the Emirates A380.

The original post that inspired this series was about the shower spa in the Emirates A380 first class cabin. This brings the posts full circle by revisiting the first class cabin again. These articles are just wishful thinking about viewing the luxury jumbo jet from afar. It's possible one day as this jet becomes increasingly common at airports around the world that more passengers will experience flying in this jet albeit if only in the coach cabin.

The first class cabin holds 14 or 16 spacious suites (Emirates flies two versions of the A380), each with an electronic operated sliding door for privacy. The seat has a width of 23" and a pitch of 86". The airline advertises the following additional amenities: personal mini-bar, vanity table, mirror, wardrobe, 23" television screen and built-in massage system.

The first class lounge (or social area as the airline calls it) is located at the front of the upper deck and in front of it, the shower spa. Visit emirates.com for more info about the features of their A380 jumbo jet. From all appearances these first class sanctuaries are like ranches compared to coach cabin seats on any jet.

(all images: emirates.com)

Emirates A380: Business Class

(all images: emirates.com)

This post is one in a series about the Emirates A380.

The unusual thing about the Emirates A380 business class configuration is every seat has personal aisle access in a 1-2-1 configuration. Most airlines operate a 2-2-2 business class configuration where those seated by the window must step over or around the passenger seated along the aisle.

Every seat extends to a flat bed up up to 79" long and includes a built-in mini bar. Depending on the seat position along the window, some seats are situated closer to the window and other closer to the aisle (see photo above).

Like first class, business class also has its own onboard lounge but located in the rear of the upper deck. The airlines advertises that a lounge attendant is available at all times to assist with food and drink requests. Depending on the configuration, there are either 76 or 80 business class seats all located on the upper deck.

Although unlikely, if a U.S. airline picks up a A380 and includes just the Emirates business class amenities as a first class section, it will be a game changer for flying domestic.