Ultimate Guide: Flying First Class on a Budget – Unveiling Secrets Under $700

Flying First Class on a Budget: Insider Tips to Score Flights Under $700

I have lived in Thailand for many years and my life is based here,

so I link all my credit card points to Thai Airways mileage.

Even during the coronavirus pandemic,

I was still using my credit card and so I accumulated miles and ended up with 740,000 miles.

In the past, it was possible to exchange

airmiles for hotel accommodation tickets in addition to the airline tickets,

but after the coronavirus, I could only exchange them for airline tickets,

so I thought about how to use the large amount of miles that I had.

At the beginning, I used them for traveling within Thailand

but the round trip within Thailand is 15,000 miles.

And I came to the idea that to use up 740,000 miles by the end of December 2024,

it would be better to fly first class on an international flight.

Originally, I wanted to fly first class on Thai Airways,

and I had already booked the Bangkok-Narita and Narita-Bangkok flights.

My hubby and I, we were planning a trip.

He says,

He started all this…

So, I did a lot of research to make all his wishes come true.

Then I found out that Emirates Airlines is flying from Bangkok to Hong Kong!

Emirates is not a member of Star Alliance or One World,

so we cannot use miles for this flight.

However, it was 20,000 baht (approximately 560 USD) one way per person,

so I’ve booked the flight simply because we wanted to the fly first class in the daytime.

I said to my husband who has stayed in Hong Kong many times for his work,

For our return flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok,

I booked us business class using Thai Airways miles.

Already a t this point and time,

we totally forgot about our main purpose of using a lot of miles

but just wanted to fly first class on A380!

Our purpose has changed…

that’s right.

The way to fly first class for less than US$700 was

to fly one-way on Emirates Airlines between Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Emirates First Class: Unveiling Luxury Features and Services

Emirates Airlines (EK) is the largest airline in the Middle East,

headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),

and is highly rated for its luxurious on-board facilities and high-quality service.

Economy class is also highly rated with its wide seats

and delicious in-flight meals, receiving high praise.

Economy class is not bad at all but I can’t help but imaging

how it would be to be traveling in first class, the highest class.

The first thing that strikes you when you enter the plane is

how luxurious it is with its gold and brown tones!

Luxurious yet, it has a calm interior.

Yep, it’s a Middle Eastern airline.

The flight we boarded was a such an international flight

with a crew made up of 20 nationalities.

First-Class Seat Comfort and Perks: A Detailed Analysis

The A380 has two floors and first class is located in the front of the second floor.

There are 14 seats in total.

Seats A and K face the window, and seats E and F is in the middle.

Seats A and K are designed to be completely private rooms,

and seats E and K have a partition in the middle that opens,

so if you have someone traveling with you,

you can chat with the person, which I think is good.

We reserved the middle seats, 1E and 1F.

It’s a completely private room, so privacy is maintained,

making it a private room in the air.

There’s a 23-inch screen and tablet at your seat,

as well as a remote control, so you can enjoy in-flight entertainment any way you like.

Wi-Fi is free in first class, so you can work or enjoy social media.

The headphones were made by British luxury manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins.

The manufacturer is famous for its wireless headphones.

I was able to enjoy them stress-free without hurting my ears

even after wearing them for long periods of time.

Mineral water, Evian and Perrier water are always available, as well as snacks.

It was luxurious and it was like “Your wish is our command”.

Gourmet In-flight Dining: A Culinary Journey in First Class

It was a short-haul flight with a flight time of 3 hours,

but of course there is a in-flight meal.

I was looking forward to this in-flight meal.

Yep, it’s a first class.

Everything is top notch.

I forgot to take a photo, but when you got to your seat,

you will be served Arabian coffee and dried fruit.

If you don’t like coffee, you can also ask for Dilmah black tea or herbal tea.

Emirates Airlines wants passengers to experience the rich culture of Arabia on board,

so coffee is served in Arabic tea utensils in accordance with Arabian etiquette.

This coffee was very aromatic and had a good balance of bitterness and acidity.

While we were enjoying our coffee and champagne,

they handed us the wine list and menu.

They carry a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including champagne,

4 types of white wine, 4 types of red wine, port wine, and dessert wine.

I don’t usually drink alcohol, but I took the opportunity to have just one drink.

In addition, non-alcoholic cocktails and other various cocktails are also available.

If you like alcohol, you’ll probably feel high just by drinking alcohol.

And, what I was looking forward to the most was the in-flight meal.

Although it was an in-flight meal, the table was set up properly,

making it look like a high-end restaurant.

Caviar seemed to be highly recommended, and everyone was having them.

Naturally, I had it too.

They’ve also set up a pearl oyster spoon for caviar.

The salty taste of the caviar and the champagne matched very well,

and even though it was quite large portion, I finished them all.

Appetizers and main courses are optional.

There were four kinds of appetizers, and I had the “Salmon Tataki”.

There was a Traditional Arabic mezze (traditional Arabic appetizer),

but since I had already enjoyed it in the lounge,

I opted for the seared salmon.

It’s seared salmon with taste of soy sauce,

which is familiar to Japanese people and made me felt at home.

You can choose main course from 4 choice.

There were options for Thai, Chinese, Arabic, and vegetarian,

but since I had the chance, I chose the Arabic dish Prawn Machbous.

It had a hint of spice and a complex deep aroma and flavor.

The recipe for this menu is published on the Emirates website.

There are other recipes for in-flight meals posted

and I thought I’d try preparing them by myself.

And finally, finish off with dessert.

Desserts include eclairs, caramel cheesecake, and seasonal fruits.

I’ve finished all the dishes so far, so I’m already full.

When I was trying to decide which one to have,

CA told me that all the desserts are so delicious that

it’s hard to beat and suggested to try them all?

Thus I’ve shared them all with my hubby with grateful appreciation.

Of them all, I liked the caramel cheesecake the most.

And finally, finish off with chocolate.

As we were eating and drinking,

we arrived in Hong Kong in no time.

Luxury Amenities: The Complete Guide to First-Class Comfort

When you first take your seat,

you’ll see care products from Swedish luxury brand BYREDO.

There is a makeup mirror at your seat and you can wash your skin

or apply makeup right on your seat without having to go to the restroom.

The set includes lotion, eye cream, wet tissue, sleep oil, and pillow mist.

Airplane cabins tend to be dry, but the eye cream was very moisturizing and very good.

I used it in the hotel during my stay in Hong Kong,

and the lotion was moisturizing without being sticky and was easy to use.

And, for some reason we get tired even just sitting on a plane,

but when I applied sleep oil to my neck and massaged there,

I was surrounded by a nice scent and felt very relaxed.

I applied pillow mist to bedding and gowns while staying at the hotel.

It’s a different scent from at home,

and it reminded me of the special feeling of traveling

and my experience on board with Emirates,

and it made me feel happy.

There were also writing utensils in the drawer at the seat.

It’s simple, highly functional, and easy to use,

so I’ve been using it since I returned to Thailand.

The ballpoint pen was especially easy to hold and write with.

I had a chance to chat with CA about various things,

and since this was our first time flying on Emirates Airlines and my first time in Hong Kong,

I received two types of pouches that were not available on short-haul flights.

The pouch was made by Bvlgari,

and inside contained Bvlgari basic cosmetics, perfume, and a shaving kit.

The perfume is a not-for-sale product used by Emirates Airlines,

and it has a nice scent to my liking,

so I put it on myself before going into bed.

I am falling asleep surrounded by a sweet scent.

Conclusion: Mastering First-Class Travel Under $700

In this blog, I wrote about how to fly first class for less than US$700.

Although it was a short 3-hour flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong,

it was a really great experience to fly Emirates Airlines,

which is said to be the best airline in the world.

Airfares vary depending on the time of year and day of the week,

but in our case, the trip cost 21,800 baht (approximately 560 USD) per person.

I left the plane vowing to fly on a long-haul route next time.