I woke early to explore Milan during my layover. It was a
beautiful spring day, the type that lets you know the winter woes are drifting
away. The Duomo was packed with tourists, and I enjoyed strolling down the
promenade inside one of the world’s oldest malls, the Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele.
The time passed away quickly, and soon I headed back to the
Milan airport. A couple days before, while I was in Dubai, Emirates opened up
first award space for this flight. Since I was originally booked in business, I
quickly called Alaska and they upgraded my ticket to first, free of charge.
Milan airport was finishing up its last touches before it played host to the Milan Expo, which was due to launch in a couple months. The check-in counters was located on the opposite of where the departure gates were, and it took around 30 minutes to arrive at the Emirates lounge.
Minus its hub in Dubai, Emirates has one lounge for both
business and first class passengers. The Milan lounge was well decorated with
blue carpet flooring similar to the business class lounge in Dubai. There was a
buffet spread with your standard sort of hot entrees. Since the flight was due
to board at any moment, I helped myself to a bottle of water and soon enough it
was time to head to New York.
The lounge at Milan is set up like the one in Dubai where
you can directly board from the lounge, bypassing the typical lines that await
coach passengers. I walked in and was warmly greeted by a flight attendant from
Kenya and shown to my seat.
The first I noticed when I walked in was just how intimate
the cabin was compared to the A380. Instead of 14 seats, there were now just
eight. And since the 777 doesn’t have an upper floor, the cabin ceilings are
much higher, making the whole cabin much roomier. The cockpit is located in the
front, along with both lavatories.
Interestingly enough, lining the front of the cabin is a
mirror.
Lining the back of
the cabin was a beautiful piece of artwork that resembled a bunch of sand dunes
and a few more mirrors.
The flight attendant came by and offered a glass of Dom
Perrignon, which I gladly accepted. The suite on the 777 felt a tad more
spacious, but otherwise is pretty much the same as the one found on the A380. I
was offered the customary dates + Arabic coffee, along with a hot towel.
The plane left on time and we took off. Unlike the A380, the
takeoff on the 777 had a little bit more oomph. Since the windows on the 777 are
“single paned” instead of “double paned” like the ones found on the A380,
you’re able to have a wider range of view.
The takeoff from Milan was drop dead gorgeous, as we headed
straight above the Alps. Champagne in tow, I glued my head onto the window for
at least 20 minutes, until the mountains disappeared into the clouds.
Shortly afterwards, the flight attendant came over and
served hot & cold canapés. To mix things up, I decided to have a glass of Hennessey
Paradis.
It was then time to take my lunch order. I was starving and
decided to order two appetizers: caviar and seared herbed salmon.
Both
were excellent, the salmon was almost perfect, with very crispy crust but still
retaining its moisture inside.
The
main course was a lamb biryani. The dish came out piping hot, and killed my
hunger pains pretty quick. You can actually order this course in business
class, and I think it would be one of the better dishes out there.
Finally, I finished my meal with a slice of Tiramisu cake. Besides the caviar, this was the best dish of the flight, with each bite oozing with flavor, with the flavor just right blend of bitter and sweet.
Afterwards,
I had a glass of Hennessey Paradis and then settled into a food coma. I
promptly fell asleep and woke up a few hours later.
We were flying over the arctic and the view was absolutely stunning. There were Ice Rivers carving up the landscape, and I spent the next hour sipping on champagne and with my face glued to the window.
Feeling
even more gluttonous, I asked if could have a second serving of caviar. The
flight attendant quickly checked and came out with another plate of caviar.
Fun
fact: Since this plane is flying to the US, Emirates cannot serve Iranian
caviar, instead they serve caviar sourced in Europe. Not that I could tell the difference!
I
finished off my feast with a lamb machbous, which I wasn’t sure how would turn
out since almost all the beef I’ve had so far up in the air has been relatively
dry and hard to chew on. However, the lamb was very tender and far exceeded
expectations.
Afterwards
I decided to watch Get on Up, a biopic film featuring James brown. The
entertainment system can be controlled by both the iPad like controller, and
your fashioned remote.
The
sun began to set and the mood lighting was turned on, the brightness and hue of
the ceiling lights matching the sunset rays.
I
noticed the mirror was also lit with reflections from the starlight. The
Emirates design team really thought of everything!
We
landed in New York and I left paradise and headed back into reality. Since I
only had a carryon, I decided to take the subway. The contrast could not be any
greater.
But I’ll gladly take this view any day.
Overall, while the Emirates 777 doesn’t have an on board shower & bar, the first class product is pretty much identical to the A380. With only around half the first class seats of the A380, a beautiful starry ceiling, and stunning arctic scenery, this flight is one of my all time favorites.
