re: Just booked Emirates business class JFK to Milan

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Booked this flight for next summer few weeks ago. They switched to the triple 7 starting in October. This is now the 3rd time I’ve had plans to fly a380 and it’s fallen through.

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Be careful. Most EK 777’s have their “old” business class. It’s terrible. Check the seat map. If it’s 2-3-2, you don’t want it.

Emirates 1st or Business class is no joke. Some day I'd love to be on it

So. I can put into Emirates for a first class upgrade using miles. 78000 pp each way. The problem is that I’d have to convert Amex points to Emirates miles and have them sitting in the bucket. If I do that and don’t get the upgrade I’m sitting on 156k Emirates miles with no trip booked.

I’d only do it for one leg. Probably coming back as it’s almost a 9 hour flight and during the daytime.

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Be first in line at the counter day of flying. Ask Emirates rep for upgrade opportunity. Amex transfers are instant, they know the routine and are willing to wait until you transfer……profit.

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This is exactly how it works. What you do is look at Seatguru a day before to see how many seats in 1st are actually open. You can also look at something like Google Flights to see how many first-class seats are available for sale. If there's an open seat when the check-in counter opens up some 3-4 hours before the flight, then the person at the desk can put you in that seat right then with your points.

In theory, if the plane boards with an empty seat in 1st, a flight attendant can even help you with the points transfer to move up to 1st.

And, yes, the transfer is instant and you can do it from the Amex app.

I did exactly this on that exact MXP-JFK flight last summer for me and my daughter, and it was awesome (though I had actually transferred the points the night before, because I was sure that there were going to be seats available). But I also know a guy who tried to do this on the ATH-EWR flight, and he unfortunately got a desk agent who didn't know the process and had to go get her supervisor, and someone else at the next counter over got the last 1st-class seats in the meantime.

So, yeah, going this route means that you have to get to the airport a little early, but the Emirates lounge at MXP is really nice, with great food, so it's not a bad wait at all.

Aren’t they upgrading the 777 fleet? I was really looking forward to the lounge. C’est La vie. Great info all around on this thread

Damn son. That’s a lot of points. I must be doing something wrong!

Related question: my boy has a 14 hr flight to Qatar. Upgrade is $1800 cash one way. I’ve never been on a flight that long. Price tab worth it if you’re not a baller?

They upgraded the First cabin on some of their 777’s but aside from refreshing the seats the layout is still in the terrible 2-3-2 configuration. There isn’t a single seat on that plane in biz where you don’t have to either climb over someone/have someone climb over you. I’d love to fly their new A380 business class in the 1-2-1 setup though

My daughter and son-in-law are flying ATH-EWR in an Emirates 777 in biz on Thursday (on my points). I'll get them to take some pics.

I’ll be in an A380-800.

Watch the seat map leading up to departure. If it has a Premium Economy cabin it is a retrofitted A380, if it doesn't, it still has the old Business Class seats. Though that product is still great.