Howard here: At around 03:50 my double-take response looks a bit staged, but I can assure viewers it wasn't. I thought Matt was joking when he said "smile", which is why I laughed: at that time I hadn't realised Matt had a cleverly camouflaged camera running on his backsack strap. It certainly wasn't prearranged, what you see is what you get! My biggest regret is that he caught me with a cup of tea, my excuse being that I knew I had a long day ahead! Thank you for keeping 1A warm for me, Matt: it was great on the way back!
Howard! Am I to understand that you got the flight to HK from Bangkok and back again on the same plane? But, surely you visited HK for a bit of tourism or something? Great to see you and Matt enjoying First class. You both clearly are enjoying the experience! How brilliant! I know, Mat, - regards the marble "effect" being slightly cheap feeling. I could probably cope with this ordeal! 😀
I'll tell you something. One of the reasons I love Matt's Planet is the vocals, the slight sense of irony and sarcasm. I used to love Trek Trendy; he was good speaking direct to camera. Then he started doing mainly v/o and every sentence had the same vocal music. It was rubbish. So that finished him for me.
Hey Matt, really enjoyed your video, definitely planning to do this run in the future, the same as you to Hong Kong and back through Thailand. Hopefully it will be as good an experience as yours and thanks for the information.
Thanks to all the RUclips reviews in the last couple of years the price of EK first tickets between BKK and Hong Kong have almost doubled as have EK business class. I had hoped to try it out in December but can't spend the time for a detour to Hong Kong. I figured caviar service and a couple glasses of Hennessy Paradis would help justify the ticket cost. You're the first reviewer I've seen who remembered to get the Paradis. Well done, sir.
As I say in the video, all RUclipsrs need to cover this flight and it would be unfortunate if all of the exposure has affected the price... The Paradis was yum!
We've flown so many airlines over the years, though curiously never EK. It is a bit bling, though wonderfully wry and entertaining review, as is your hallmark.
What a fantastic trip! Love the amenity kit. Great to watch whilst awake early from jet lag after a ‘premium’ economy BA flight on one of the worst planes ever experienced for 12 hours (staff excluded). One can but dream…😂
Good vid Matt! Looked up that fare on Emirates and the return from BKK to HK is coming in just over £1k, how did Harold get it for ~600 ish, or was that a very long time ago and they've increased prices since?
We did this back in April - Phil from Grey Gap Year released a very similar video a few days before I was planning to release this one so I held it back a few months to let Phil's video "breathe"... I believe fares have gone up a bit since.... Still good value but not as good as it was....
@@MattsPlanet Yep Saw Phil's Vid too and was thinking am I going mad, how did he get that fare! Ok they've up'd the price, but still good for an indulgent trip.
Another great video Matt, do you have any plans to fly first class on JAL (preferably their older product) I'm flying first SYD>HND on JAL and would love to hear your thoughts
@@MattsPlanet I was lucky enough to find a JAL first redemption flight from SYD > HND at the end of the Easter holidays next year for 102,000 avios for a flight just a smidge under 10 hours. Out of interest I had a look at Trans-Pacific flights, HND > JFK seems quite difficult to find, but there does seem to be a few first class redemptions to ORD. Finding the flight was a stroke of luck considering I couldn't find a business class flight out of Australia to Europe at the end of April so am now going SYD>HND>HEL>EDI. Thanks again Matt, always find your videos informative and entertaining.
Great stuff, Matt. You certainly seemed to maximise your time on board. Been lucky enough to do four trips in the EK posh seats (hopefully soon five if they accept my miles upgrade bid for next March) and had a fantastic experience each time. You were very lucky to get hold of a couple of amenity kits too, that Bulgari aftershave and perfume alone would recoup a hefty chunk of the ticket price, not to mention the quality of the wash bags. Good tip you mentioned re departing BKK - the passport queues can be horrendous at times so that fast track is extremely welcome. Any viewers who haven’t flown out of Suvarnabhumi before should allow themselves plenty of time if using the normal queue.
Yet another great video. 2hrs was pretty short but clearly very enjoyable. Emirates is excellent, but I declare an interest as I worked for the boss of EK for 7 years. It has come a long way since it started with 2 planes in 1985. I bet you could do great reviews and voice-overs for almost any product in retirement; a bit like Alan Wicker did!
I'd love to try this. I've flown Emirates Business class which was very enjoyable but BKK-HKG is just about the only way I could afford to experience First class. Seat is wonderful - but very blingy. Another top video.
I didn't think EK offered caviar on this short run. Good to know I was wrong. As a Hawaiian shirt aficionado myself, my compliments to Howard on his splendid threads which are very much in keeping with the similarly unrestrained Emirates cabin decor.
Great video - thank you Matt! A remarkable price for what if a product that must be experienced. Agree about the food - I feel it's been going that way for a while now. The drinks, as you point out, remain top notch though. Keep up the great work! 🙂
Thank you Matt. Do you know, and I can't quite put my finger on it, but I found this to be one of my favourite of your vlogs to date. I have flown on Emirates A380 a couple of times though not in an upper class but still remember them as memorable flights for the experience of the aircraft mainly but also for the cabin crew and F&B. I think that having seen your experience, I might just find that a 2 hour 8 minute flight would need to be extended somewhat, if possible. I know you said yours was the sweet spot and for £400 to experience just the drinks menu alone, not to mention the Bulgari freebies, is solid value but is there anything a couple of hours longer that isn't over a grand, or does that not exist or you would have been on it? 😉😜🍹 I would have to agree with you about the food offerings. I missed some of your commentary while pausing to look at the menu, but said to myself that it was uninspiring to me, especially as I don't do caviar or seafood. Great content as usual and I look forward to your next instalment.
Thanks Olly - This is possibly the only F flight of any length under thousands so I doubt you'll be able to find a longer flight that's only a bit more....
Great video Matt. Really fun. Looks like a great product however I agree with you on the decor. The gold fittings and the fake marble is awful. But looks like you get a lot of food and drink.
Yes, if you don't mind the bling, Emirates gets it right in First. And, I suppose, short flights make it affordable. BTW: On the shower, you forgot to mention the heated floor unless they've stopped doing it. Good review, Matt.
I might be in the minority, but i would watch you over TrekTrendy every day of the week. Same obnoxious accent (JK!) but you're actually funny! Thanks for the video and I actually do enjoy the accent 😅
Great video Matt! Very excited to do this in March next year...need to get from HKG to BKK in the first place though so trying to find an equally interesting route there.
I flew Emirates business from HK to BKK just a couple of weeks ago. It was a very pleasant experience indeed but the food was a bit of a let down. The cabin crew, Mohamed, was superb though. I felt very looked after. Great service. I liked the HK Emirates lounge but it would be great if it offered a bit more secluded/private/relaxing seating. I was looking at upgrading to first, but as nice as it would be, it was quite pricey for a short day flight so I didn't bother. Perhaps one day I will have a chance to try all those nice drinks Matt tried. As always, a very nice video, Matt.
Aw man, what a drinks list. Noticed Dalmore King Alexander III, smells like cognac and tastes like whisky. My favourite and would’ve forfeited shower to re acquaint myself with but then again I don’t have a RUclips channel. Thanks for sharing a fantastic experience I hope to be able to emulate.
Ooh Hennessy Paradis, that would do me! lol Another couple of large ones and that would outweigh the price of the seat. I remember when we lived in HK my Uncle was head of retail banking at Standard Chartered and many of his customers gave him lovely bottles of Hennessy XO and Paradis. I was 18 and too unworldly wise to realise what we were drinking or a regular basis. Will definitely be looking at this flight for a treat next year. Qatar unfortunately is a no go for obvious reasons.
Thanks Matt, and brought back happy memories of a 4 hr First flight on a 777. Just bonkers from start to finish and, like you, finished with the Hennessy....and then couldn't find my phone and delayed everyone trying to get off the plane... You have to try it once if you can, and would just love to do it again, Lottery ticket allowing.
Nice video, if you want to fly the EK B777 in Business on a good bit of value, you can fly between Cyprus and Malta for around £250-£300 one-way which is great if you also don't fancy parting with over £3K to Dubai!
When I was flying emirates first there, they ask me to sit down in that area where the wheelchairs where. There they placed also the First passengers and let them board first. But you have to show them your boarding pass.
I'm sure it varies from day to day but it wasn't great that day! Another commenter pointed out that Thai's avoid confrontation so tend not to offer too much guidance when boarding is a little delayed....
Last June I booked the same as round trip: BKK-HKG in business, HKG-BKK in first, for a total of £667, where I had opted for a bit more expensive fares with better cancellation and rebooking options, as I was doing this as a same day return. Superb experience in both seats, and a very smooth turnaround in HKG without immigration.
Yes Matt thanks for the detailed and accurate RUclips. For this route there are probably more fifth-freedom carriers than any other worldwide. I did wonder why EK operated BKK-HKG and it could be something to do with the ASAs (air services agreements) or else EK knows this short and reasonably priced flight will act as an ad for EK service (in any class) and its A380s.
@@MattsPlanet Pity from my perspective that Emirates is not part of a major alliance. My best bet using miles would probably be Lufthansa. Not many others in Star Alliance flies aircraft with First class cabins from SA. Well what we lose out on in the world of aviation we make up for in very affordable great wine, food and loads of sunshine🥂🇿🇦😎
This is on my bucket list! The other 3-hr 5th freedom option I had in mind was the Cyprus-Malta one, but I believe they use 777's for that. I wouldn't mind filming either one though, an Emirates flight is a goal regardless!
Always the same Matt at Suvarnabhumbi.........I've flown 29 different airlines leaving from Bangkok from Suvarnabhumbi and Don Maueng and its Thai issue with boarding areas...they shy away from "conflict" and as such its always chaos as they dont like telling people to effectively go and sit down....good video again
I've always assumed that a first class ticket would be a waste of time on such a short route - but your enjoyable video suggests that perhaps I'm very wrong. 😄🥂
I have used BKK for a TP run, but you have to backtrack to KUL, and HKG is too close, you need TPE . The flight looks seriously swish. I could forgo TPs (I know, EK), for this. It's a bargain. How did you get to Bangkok?
I'd love to try EK on a 5th freedom. Maybe LCA-MLA on a 777. Not sure what a380 route would work for me. Either way would be tricky for me since I live in the U.S.
Nice review. Sir Tim Clark gets the bonus-point for the orchid-action. Yes, I'd consider splurging on that product. I see that BA has been having serviceability problems with its 12-strong A380 fleet Or should that be 'squadron'? 4% of flights are being cancelled and up to four aircraft have been out of action at times. And if the airline can find a spare, idling long-hauler, it won't have the capacity of a 380.
Its a nice little treat if you're in that neck of the woods! And BA is struggling with those A380s - I saw the Singapore flight was cancelled a couple of days before the grand prix with a whole load of F1 luminaries aboard.... That would have been expensive to fix....
It’s been my go to for ultra long haul to NZ and Oz from the uk - the shower, pop up bar and vents ensure you are always fresh when you wake up. Singapore Suites next year may challenge the best in the world title..?
It would be a lovely way to get down under - not cheap but lovely! Emirates F videos can do quite well on RUclips so if this one takes off I'll use the ad revenue for another F experience and Singapore is really tempting!
Hi Matt, Can't believe you made a friend!!!! This video is so filled with sarcasm, it made me think that you are doing very well at the moment. 😂. As I am supporting run geordie run as a support runner through the rocky mountains next year on his quest to run from NY to LA in 100 days, I am looking for a crazy routing to get there, and this might now be part of it! BTW, I need to get to DEN,to connect with him next year, so any tips more them welcome,....think First! As always, thanks for the content, Top! Thomas.
My wife is not joining me, and as is it just me, nothing is too crazy.. last time I travelled back from CMB by myself it ended up as a CMB_DOH-OTP-IST-LHR-NCL! Did I mention I love flying!
I haven't looked for a while but I do believe the prices have gone up since I booked and flew, which was some months ago now.... Hopefully Phil and I haven't alerted Emirates that the pricing was too good....
@@MattsPlanet thanks for the reply I flown biz return from London I got put in the coral lounge in BKK what a crap lounge. What terminal is that lounge at? There is no Etihad lounge in Dublin. Thanks for the help Matt
Indeed - you need to be in Bangkok to do this.... Would be very expensive to fly there to do it, but a bit easier if you happen to be in the region anyway!
Yeah, don't worry about Trek Trendy ever, "guy" just oozes uber-narcissism. Enjoy many others including you. For me the OG is Luxury Travel Expert. Just showing products from around the world and spitting facts. No self glorification.
And the prize goes to @jefflad! Only noticed it in editing and it disappeared pretty quickly.... Certainly after the shower! No idea how it got there and wondered if anyone would spot it!
Lounge Index would be disappointed in you. In 2.5 hours he’d have had a glass of every wine, and every cocktail. And then be going for second dibs. Looking like a lovely experience, but I’d have rolled off that flight. £481 for 2.5 hours with the most expensive drinks known to man is a bargain.
Matt you know you were saying hotel prices were so expensive well Travelodge Newcastle airport on a Sat Night for 26 quid… in Jan, I think that’s an offer I could not refuse
I’m sure it’s a very comfortable ride and lord knows I wouldn’t say no to it if offered, but the garish tackiness of Emirates FC in my opinion really detracts from its desirability and makes it feel the opposite of premium to me.
@@MattsPlanet hey have u ever run an internet speed test on a virgin atlantic a350-1000 or a330-900neo i want to do online gaming there but idk if too slow tysm i can get u £20 to buy internet there next time if you ever going soon
Howard here:
At around 03:50 my double-take response looks a bit staged, but I can assure viewers it wasn't. I thought Matt was joking when he said "smile", which is why I laughed: at that time I hadn't realised Matt had a cleverly camouflaged camera running on his backsack strap. It certainly wasn't prearranged, what you see is what you get!
My biggest regret is that he caught me with a cup of tea, my excuse being that I knew I had a long day ahead!
Thank you for keeping 1A warm for me, Matt: it was great on the way back!
Fantastic! It was a classic double-take!!! You made the trip a lot more fun than it might otherwise have been so I'm really pleased we met!
Your usual well informed concise precise review with only a hint of doing one off the bucket list. Offers can be a bit too child in a sweet shop
Could do a around the world in 24 hours trying to catch you in a BA lounge :D
I like Howard. You kind of stole the show. Can you keep him?
Howard! Am I to understand that you got the flight to HK from Bangkok and back again on the same plane? But, surely you visited HK for a bit of tourism or something? Great to see you and Matt enjoying First class. You both clearly are enjoying the experience! How brilliant! I know, Mat, - regards the marble "effect" being slightly cheap feeling. I could probably cope with this ordeal! 😀
I'll tell you something. One of the reasons I love Matt's Planet is the vocals, the slight sense of irony and sarcasm. I used to love Trek Trendy; he was good speaking direct to camera. Then he started doing mainly v/o and every sentence had the same vocal music. It was rubbish. So that finished him for me.
And I love you too James!
Hey Matt, really enjoyed your video, definitely planning to do this run in the future, the same as you to Hong Kong and back through Thailand. Hopefully it will be as good an experience as yours and thanks for the information.
I think Emirates makes the experience pretty consistent, unlike some airlines! Have fun
Thanks to all the RUclips reviews in the last couple of years the price of EK first tickets between BKK and Hong Kong have almost doubled as have EK business class. I had hoped to try it out in December but can't spend the time for a detour to Hong Kong. I figured caviar service and a couple glasses of Hennessy Paradis would help justify the ticket cost. You're the first reviewer I've seen who remembered to get the Paradis. Well done, sir.
As I say in the video, all RUclipsrs need to cover this flight and it would be unfortunate if all of the exposure has affected the price... The Paradis was yum!
We've flown so many airlines over the years, though curiously never EK. It is a bit bling, though wonderfully wry and entertaining review, as is your hallmark.
Thanks! The styling certainly isn't for everyone, that's for sure!
Just wanted to let you know that each and every video I watch on your channel makes my day :)
Thanks for that!
Played havoc with my dromomania, this one!
What a great day out, Howard!
Definitely one for the dromomanics!
What a fantastic trip! Love the amenity kit. Great to watch whilst awake early from jet lag after a ‘premium’ economy BA flight on one of the worst planes ever experienced for 12 hours (staff excluded). One can but dream…😂
Good that the staff on BA were ok! That was a fun day for me!
Good vid Matt! Looked up that fare on Emirates and the return from BKK to HK is coming in just over £1k, how did Harold get it for ~600 ish, or was that a very long time ago and they've increased prices since?
We did this back in April - Phil from Grey Gap Year released a very similar video a few days before I was planning to release this one so I held it back a few months to let Phil's video "breathe"... I believe fares have gone up a bit since.... Still good value but not as good as it was....
@@MattsPlanet Yep Saw Phil's Vid too and was thinking am I going mad, how did he get that fare! Ok they've up'd the price, but still good for an indulgent trip.
Top video! Loved it. Paul in Oz
Thanks
Another great video Matt. Looks like a great option if I am ever in flying that route.
Keep it in mind!
Another great video Matt, do you have any plans to fly first class on JAL (preferably their older product) I'm flying first SYD>HND on JAL and would love to hear your thoughts
No plans sadly - I have looked at a redemption across the Pacific but seats are really hard to find... Looks like an amazing experience though!
@@MattsPlanet I was lucky enough to find a JAL first redemption flight from SYD > HND at the end of the Easter holidays next year for 102,000 avios for a flight just a smidge under 10 hours. Out of interest I had a look at Trans-Pacific flights, HND > JFK seems quite difficult to find, but there does seem to be a few first class redemptions to ORD. Finding the flight was a stroke of luck considering I couldn't find a business class flight out of Australia to Europe at the end of April so am now going SYD>HND>HEL>EDI. Thanks again Matt, always find your videos informative and entertaining.
Babe wake up. New Matts Planet video just dropped.
I'll get the chips....
Great stuff, Matt. You certainly seemed to maximise your time on board. Been lucky enough to do four trips in the EK posh seats (hopefully soon five if they accept my miles upgrade bid for next March) and had a fantastic experience each time. You were very lucky to get hold of a couple of amenity kits too, that Bulgari aftershave and perfume alone would recoup a hefty chunk of the ticket price, not to mention the quality of the wash bags. Good tip you mentioned re departing BKK - the passport queues can be horrendous at times so that fast track is extremely welcome. Any viewers who haven’t flown out of Suvarnabhumi before should allow themselves plenty of time if using the normal queue.
Cheers Nick. I do occasionally look at EK F fares on longer flights but I need a generous employer of a sugar mommy to afford it!
You can use the auto gates to exit Suvarnabhumi airport now, so no queuing now even if you use the normal exit and not the fast track.
That's good to know - great actually. Nothing booked to be able to test this, but perhaps I should book something!
What an amazing way to spend an afternoon!
One of the best I can remember!
Yet another great video. 2hrs was pretty short but clearly very enjoyable. Emirates is excellent, but I declare an interest as I worked for the boss of EK for 7 years. It has come a long way since it started with 2 planes in 1985.
I bet you could do great reviews and voice-overs for almost any product in retirement; a bit like Alan Wicker did!
Thanks mate - Emirates is an amazing story.... I'd listen to voice over offers!!!
I'd love to try this. I've flown Emirates Business class which was very enjoyable but BKK-HKG is just about the only way I could afford to experience First class. Seat is wonderful - but very blingy. Another top video.
Thanks - good summary!
I've just met anothe4 of your subscribers on a flight to Edinburgh, both if us doing a tier point run it is indeed a small world
There's nearly 18,000 subscribers out there now!
@@MattsPlanet It’s fantastic…
Been on that flight in coach years back......Enjoyed this thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Great video Matt. Might be the only way (short of winning the lotto) I will get to experience Emirates A380 First Class. One for my bucket list.
Its a bit more expensive these days but not wildly out of reach....
Looks great, but since post covid airfares in general have become so expensive I am not sure when I will be able to use it ... dream on!
I'm sensing that people have had their post you-know-what spurt of travel, prices are coming down a little.... Not on this route though sadly
I didn't think EK offered caviar on this short run. Good to know I was wrong. As a Hawaiian shirt aficionado myself, my compliments to Howard on his splendid threads which are very much in keeping with the similarly unrestrained Emirates cabin decor.
I did check that it was a full-service flight before booking it! And Howard will be thrilled with the compliment!
Did the flight back in November in F…glad you were able to indulge in the fantasy! Most cost-efficient way to experience it.
I think its gotten a wee bit more expensive since I did it but still a bargain!
What an amazing experience! Thanks for the info + video!
It was a good day!!!
Great video - thank you Matt! A remarkable price for what if a product that must be experienced. Agree about the food - I feel it's been going that way for a while now. The drinks, as you point out, remain top notch though. Keep up the great work! 🙂
A few people agree with the food point - sadly I don't fly Emirates enough to be able to detect a trend!
Great video Matt, flying Emirates first class is definitely on my bucket list
On that leg at least its within reach!
Thank you Matt. Do you know, and I can't quite put my finger on it, but I found this to be one of my favourite of your vlogs to date. I have flown on Emirates A380 a couple of times though not in an upper class but still remember them as memorable flights for the experience of the aircraft mainly but also for the cabin crew and F&B. I think that having seen your experience, I might just find that a 2 hour 8 minute flight would need to be extended somewhat, if possible. I know you said yours was the sweet spot and for £400 to experience just the drinks menu alone, not to mention the Bulgari freebies, is solid value but is there anything a couple of hours longer that isn't over a grand, or does that not exist or you would have been on it? 😉😜🍹
I would have to agree with you about the food offerings. I missed some of your commentary while pausing to look at the menu, but said to myself that it was uninspiring to me, especially as I don't do caviar or seafood. Great content as usual and I look forward to your next instalment.
Thanks Olly - This is possibly the only F flight of any length under thousands so I doubt you'll be able to find a longer flight that's only a bit more....
Great video Matt. Really fun. Looks like a great product however I agree with you on the decor. The gold fittings and the fake marble is awful. But looks like you get a lot of food and drink.
I can't complain about the catering but I wouldn't do my living room in that style!
Really enjoyed that Matt thanks for sharing it that’s on me bucket list that flight ✈️👍
If you get the chance its a great afternoon out!
Yes, if you don't mind the bling, Emirates gets it right in First. And, I suppose, short flights make it affordable. BTW: On the shower, you forgot to mention the heated floor unless they've stopped doing it. Good review, Matt.
Thanks - must confess that if the floor was heated, I didn't notice!
Great video - concise and fun but seriously describing it all!
Cheers mate - a great experience!
I might be in the minority, but i would watch you over TrekTrendy every day of the week. Same obnoxious accent (JK!) but you're actually funny! Thanks for the video and I actually do enjoy the accent 😅
Thanks for watching! Sadly don't have Will's travel budget so won't be making videos like this every week, but one day perhaps!!!
Excellent and very thorough review thanks Matt!
Thanks for watching!
Great video Matt! Very excited to do this in March next year...need to get from HKG to BKK in the first place though so trying to find an equally interesting route there.
There's a few low cost options but they don't make for interesting videos!
Great video Mat! It's an option I will definitely look at.
A wee bit more expensive now I believe but still great value for the experience you get
I flew Emirates business from HK to BKK just a couple of weeks ago. It was a very pleasant experience indeed but the food was a bit of a let down. The cabin crew, Mohamed, was superb though. I felt very looked after. Great service. I liked the HK Emirates lounge but it would be great if it offered a bit more secluded/private/relaxing seating. I was looking at upgrading to first, but as nice as it would be, it was quite pricey for a short day flight so I didn't bother. Perhaps one day I will have a chance to try all those nice drinks Matt tried. As always, a very nice video, Matt.
Thanks - next time I'll do the business cabin in one or other direction - would like to see what its like as I've heard mixed reports...
Great suggestion thank you.
Bucket list item for me
So jealous 😊
That was a good day!!!
Loved the shot out the window of the Qatar A380 at 10:25- another great review Matt!
Thanks - those shots don't often line up but when they do!
Aw man, what a drinks list. Noticed Dalmore King Alexander III, smells like cognac and tastes like whisky. My favourite and would’ve forfeited shower to re acquaint myself with but then again I don’t have a RUclips channel. Thanks for sharing a fantastic experience I hope to be able to emulate.
Cheers - the shower in the sky was pretty cool with or without a channel!!!
Ooh Hennessy Paradis, that would do me! lol Another couple of large ones and that would outweigh the price of the seat. I remember when we lived in HK my Uncle was head of retail banking at Standard Chartered and many of his customers gave him lovely bottles of Hennessy XO and Paradis. I was 18 and too unworldly wise to realise what we were drinking or a regular basis. Will definitely be looking at this flight for a treat next year. Qatar unfortunately is a no go for obvious reasons.
Next time I'll take an empty bottle with me....
Thanks Matt, and brought back happy memories of a 4 hr First flight on a 777. Just bonkers from start to finish and, like you, finished with the Hennessy....and then couldn't find my phone and delayed everyone trying to get off the plane... You have to try it once if you can, and would just love to do it again, Lottery ticket allowing.
I occasionally look at buying an F ticket over a longer distance and always scare myself....
Would love to fly Emirates first class one day, shame its harder to get alot of emirates skywards miles in the UK unless high spender
Indeed - if you fly a lot already on Emirates its going to be easier....
Nice video, if you want to fly the EK B777 in Business on a good bit of value, you can fly between Cyprus and Malta for around £250-£300 one-way which is great if you also don't fancy parting with over £3K to Dubai!
Cyprus and Malta are certainly easier to get to than Dubai!
Fantastic video. Would love to see you and Howard trying to buddy-dine as you both appear quite large 😃
This seat isn't actually set up for buddy dining even if we wanted to! Although that caviar setting was really large!
Great video Matt and this is definitely one for the 2025 bucket list! And lovely to see Howard too!!
Howard did make the experience even more special!!
When I was flying emirates first there, they ask me to sit down in that area where the wheelchairs where. There they placed also the First passengers and let them board first. But you have to show them your boarding pass.
I'm sure it varies from day to day but it wasn't great that day! Another commenter pointed out that Thai's avoid confrontation so tend not to offer too much guidance when boarding is a little delayed....
Last June I booked the same as round trip: BKK-HKG in business, HKG-BKK in first, for a total of £667, where I had opted for a bit more expensive fares with better cancellation and rebooking options, as I was doing this as a same day return. Superb experience in both seats, and a very smooth turnaround in HKG without immigration.
I think pricing quite that sharp may be a thing of the past but it makes for a great afternoon out!
Yes Matt thanks for the detailed and accurate RUclips. For this route there are probably more fifth-freedom carriers than any other worldwide. I did wonder why EK operated BKK-HKG and it could be something to do with the ASAs (air services agreements) or else EK knows this short and reasonably priced flight will act as an ad for EK service (in any class) and its A380s.
Its a popular route - if I recall relatively few people connected all the way through so it was capturing a market between those cities
Thanks Matt. Nice to see the front of an a 380. Only made it upstairs on Emirates but not the front😂👍🇿🇦.
It's lovely if your budget can swing it!!!
@@MattsPlanet Pity from my perspective that Emirates is not part of a major alliance. My best bet using miles would probably be Lufthansa. Not many others in Star Alliance flies aircraft with First class cabins from SA. Well what we lose out on in the world of aviation we make up for in very affordable great wine, food and loads of sunshine🥂🇿🇦😎
Excellent video and definitely a bucket-list trip, loved the disco light effect too 🤣
Party in F - you're invited!
@@MattsPlanet Looking at those prices and the drinks menu, I'd be more than tempted!!
This is on my bucket list! The other 3-hr 5th freedom option I had in mind was the Cyprus-Malta one, but I believe they use 777's for that. I wouldn't mind filming either one though, an Emirates flight is a goal regardless!
Cyprus to Malta isn't too expensive I believe but there's no First on that flight I believe....
Always the same Matt at Suvarnabhumbi.........I've flown 29 different airlines leaving from Bangkok from Suvarnabhumbi and Don Maueng and its Thai issue with boarding areas...they shy away from "conflict" and as such its always chaos as they dont like telling people to effectively go and sit down....good video again
Thanks - fortunately I wasn't kept from the premium booze for long!
as a former Bartender, I approve of Hennessy Paradis! That was a double shot!
It was quite delicious! At least a double!
Would love to fit this into an Asian tour next year!!
Its gotten a wee bit more expensive sadly but is still good value
Fantastic video Matt. Very insightful 💪
Thanks!
I've always assumed that a first class ticket would be a waste of time on such a short route - but your enjoyable video suggests that perhaps I'm very wrong. 😄🥂
You need a strategy and you need to stick to it, but you certainly can get your money's worth!!!
I have used BKK for a TP run, but you have to backtrack to KUL, and HKG is too close, you need TPE .
The flight looks seriously swish. I could forgo TPs (I know, EK), for this. It's a bargain.
How did you get to Bangkok?
Thanks. Bangkok was part of a larger redemption I made - all of the flights to BKK and onwards from HKG are reviewed on the channel
I'd love to try EK on a 5th freedom. Maybe LCA-MLA on a 777. Not sure what a380 route would work for me. Either way would be tricky for me since I live in the U.S.
They're great if you can make one work - the BKK-HKG is cheapest by a distance!
Incredible Matt . Hope you got picked up in an S class
Sadly not - that flight does not qualify for the chauffeur transfer at either end as its so short....
Nice review. Sir Tim Clark gets the bonus-point for the orchid-action. Yes, I'd consider splurging on that product.
I see that BA has been having serviceability problems with its 12-strong A380 fleet Or should that be 'squadron'? 4% of flights are being cancelled and up to four aircraft have been out of action at times. And if the airline can find a spare, idling long-hauler, it won't have the capacity of a 380.
Its a nice little treat if you're in that neck of the woods! And BA is struggling with those A380s - I saw the Singapore flight was cancelled a couple of days before the grand prix with a whole load of F1 luminaries aboard.... That would have been expensive to fix....
It’s been my go to for ultra long haul to NZ and Oz from the uk - the shower, pop up bar and vents ensure you are always fresh when you wake up. Singapore Suites next year may challenge the best in the world title..?
It would be a lovely way to get down under - not cheap but lovely! Emirates F videos can do quite well on RUclips so if this one takes off I'll use the ad revenue for another F experience and Singapore is really tempting!
Loved it, really did ✈️👍
Thanks!
Wow… totally Mesmerised 🤩
Thanks!
Hi Matt,
Can't believe you made a friend!!!! This video is so filled with sarcasm, it made me think that you are doing very well at the moment. 😂. As I am supporting run geordie run as a support runner through the rocky mountains next year on his quest to run from NY to LA in 100 days, I am looking for a crazy routing to get there, and this might now be part of it! BTW, I need to get to DEN,to connect with him next year, so any tips more them welcome,....think First!
As always, thanks for the content, Top!
Thomas.
Going via BKK and HKG would certainly be the long way round....
My wife is not joining me, and as is it just me, nothing is too crazy.. last time I travelled back from CMB by myself it ended up as a CMB_DOH-OTP-IST-LHR-NCL! Did I mention I love flying!
Thank You ✈️
Thanks for watching!
LCFC are actually owned by the family that owns King Power, not just sponsored by.
Thanks - I did know that annoyingly but thanks for making it clear! Back in the Premier league too - good luck for the season!
@@MattsPlanetwe will need it 😂
Great vid, great flight...
Thanks - happy day!
Looks good, wife not fan of going east though, would love too
She's not a fan of the East, even with vintage champagne on free pour?
Hi Matt, not sure where you and Phil (My Grey Gap Year) are finding these cheap flights? When I look, the cost from BKK-HKG is £730
I haven't looked for a while but I do believe the prices have gone up since I booked and flew, which was some months ago now.... Hopefully Phil and I haven't alerted Emirates that the pricing was too good....
Right of passage indeed!!!😂 ii had to pay £405 for a single CE flight CDG -LHR a number of years ago... only option to get m me home... 😮
That's so tragic as to be hilarious - but I understand your pain!
@MattsPlanet check out a similar fare flying tomorrow Matt !!
Is that lounge available to business class to or just first class
It is a business class lounge used also by First - quite nice for a business facility
@@MattsPlanet thanks for the reply I flown biz return from London I got put in the coral lounge in BKK what a crap lounge. What terminal is that lounge at? There is no Etihad lounge in Dublin. Thanks for the help Matt
@@Lee-wg4lz There's only one terminal at Bangkok - airside and landside although they split the landside part into two virtual terminals...
I have never flown with Emirates before
They may not be an easy option if you don't live in the Middle East or don't want to go to Dubai...
Love to do this - but need a reasonably priced business way to Bangkok return??
Indeed - you need to be in Bangkok to do this.... Would be very expensive to fly there to do it, but a bit easier if you happen to be in the region anyway!
@@MattsPlanet thanks Matt - maybe becoming a RUclips r 😂
I think the airline has noticed people are doing this a lot the cheapest now one way is over £700
You'd hope not but I fear yes....
Yeah, don't worry about Trek Trendy ever, "guy" just oozes uber-narcissism. Enjoy many others including you. For me the OG is Luxury Travel Expert. Just showing products from around the world and spitting facts. No self glorification.
Thanks David - I'll try to stay me!
Ahh David, thank god it's just not me who cannot stand that idiot!
Is that caviar on the side of your forehead when enjoying it? 😎
And the prize goes to @jefflad! Only noticed it in editing and it disappeared pretty quickly.... Certainly after the shower! No idea how it got there and wondered if anyone would spot it!
@@MattsPlanet hahaha… I’ll watch my letterbox in anticipation of the prize 😁
Lounge Index would be disappointed in you. In 2.5 hours he’d have had a glass of every wine, and every cocktail. And then be going for second dibs. Looking like a lovely experience, but I’d have rolled off that flight. £481 for 2.5 hours with the most expensive drinks known to man is a bargain.
Indeed- but it's making his hair stand on end, judging by a recent video.
He's another contributor who deserves far more subscribers than he has.
I'm getting old....
Matt you know you were saying hotel prices were so expensive well Travelodge Newcastle airport on a Sat Night for 26 quid… in Jan, I think that’s an offer I could not refuse
Bargain! Newcastle in January is delightful.....
Well it's a cheap as chips, I'll probably freeze... but need another 80 status points to secure my gold status until March 26....
Ahh, ostentatious Emirates.... to Finnair, what night is to day.; tacky bling vs understated Nordic design.
Finnair and Emirates definitely sit at opposite ends of the spectrum!!!
@@MattsPlanet Thanks for your comment Matt, and for doubling my viewing pleasure, recently, discovering you vlog ship trips too!!! ✈🚢
You seem to have some caviar stuck to your head.. 🤣
Indeed - its a look isn't it??? Only the second person who's noticed.... Or noticed and commented at least!
Looking very dated now. That gold and wood grain makes me a bit sick.
Still think thr Qatar Qsuite is very very hard to beat vs this first class
It's not for everyone is it? I think it has the edge on the Q-suite, based on space alone....
I’m sure it’s a very comfortable ride and lord knows I wouldn’t say no to it if offered, but the garish tackiness of Emirates FC in my opinion really detracts from its desirability and makes it feel the opposite of premium to me.
They're going for a very specific look, aren't they? Which won't work for everyone!
I'm not sure how they make money on this flight with the alcohol they're serving in first, let alone the extra staff, amenities, and food in F!
Perhaps they think everyone on this flight will be Muslim so won't touch it???
It's a fifth-freedom flight. Any additional passengers (for this flight) fill seats that would otherwise remain empty.
Another great video, apart from the mention of Trek Trendy.......the single worst airline vlogger I've ever set eyes on.
A few strong opinions on Will in the comments!
We need more Howard!
Howard is now one of my Patrons so its not impossible!
Had to stand for 15 minutes poor you.
I coped....
I don’t know if I’m a fan of this first class seat starting to look a bit dated
A bit of a contrarian view there! The blinginess may not be for everyone for sure....
I was very tempted to try that route and for the price it sure is tempting but the bling think puts me off a little
i wonder if any other you tubers get that warm welcome?
Ha! I didn't have my "I am a RUclipsr" t-shirt on either!
Never been a fan of Emirates aesthetics. Looks cheap and tacky.
Imagine a whole house decked out like that...
7:18 omfg thats sick
Happy memories!
@@MattsPlanet hey have u ever run an internet speed test on a virgin atlantic a350-1000 or a330-900neo i want to do online gaming there but idk if too slow tysm i can get u £20 to buy internet there next time if you ever going soon
This is how the service should be on UK domestic with BA. e.g. LHR-EDI
I cannot for a moment fathom why it isn't.
Ha ha! I wouldn't hold your breath!