Takeoff to Touchdown: Review of Emirates’ Inaugural A350 Flight From Edinburgh to Dubai in Business Class

The author was an invited guest of Emirates. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither Emirates nor its parent company had input in any part of this review.

Airline: Emirates
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Flight Number: EK24
Route: Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Dubai International Airport (DXB)
Date: January 3, 2025
Cabin and Layout: Business class, 1-2-1
Seat: 8K

Emirates has started 2025 with the launch of its brand-new Airbus A350.

This is a significant event for the Dubai-based carrier, as for the last 17 years, the Dubai-based carrier’s fleet has been made up entirely of only Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. As such, the entry into service of its very own Airbus A350 is a significant event for the airline, its frequent flyers, and the aviation and AvGeek world as a whole.

I was among a lucky group of 6 media guests of Emirates who were welcomed aboard its inaugural service from Edinburgh (EDI) to Dubai (DXB).

Booking Flights With Emirates

Emirates’ expansive global network connects 14 U.S. airports with its hub at Dubai (DXB).

Owing to its excellent connectivity and famed premium cabin offerings, Emirates is often the airline of choice for North Americans traveling to the Middle East and beyond.

A round-trip cash fare between Edinburgh and Dubai in business class would set you back around $3,700. Thanks to the airline’s Skywards loyalty program, you get the most value when booking award travel with Emirates. The total for this round-trip award would be around 141,000 Skywards miles + $1,131 in taxes and fees. Even if you’ve never flown Emirates before, you can transfer your points from several travel rewards credit cards to Skywards to redeem on Emirates flights.

Edinburgh Airport

Emirates chose Edinburgh (EDI) — the Scottish capital city — as the launch route for the A350.

I hopped on a lunchtime British Airways flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to make sure I’d arrive in plenty of time for our scheduled 8:40 p.m. departure.

As a domestic arrival, I didn’t need to clear customs and immigration in Edinburgh. I’d also already checked in online via the Emirates app and had my boarding pass, so I didn’t go airside to the check-in desk.

Plaza Premium Lounge at Edinburgh Airport

With around 5 hours to go before boarding, I headed to the Plaza Premium Lounge, which is far and away my favorite lounge at Edinburgh Airport.

I could enter for free by showing my Priority Pass, which comes as a perk of my U.K. version of The Platinum Card^® from American Express. With lounge access for frequent flyers, elite status holders, and even some business class tickets becoming increasingly restrictive, I regard the Priority Pass membership as 1 of my top 3 perks of the Amex Platinum card.

The lounge is clean and modern and has sweeping views across the apron and runways — perfect for catching snaps of departing and arriving aircraft like this Pegasus Airlines Airbus A320 bound for Istanbul (SAW).

The modest selection of food was of great quality. Along with a few cold salads, hot dishes included 2 vegetarian dishes: vegetable Thai curry and jalfrezi vegetables.

Don’t be put off by the amount of beige … I thoroughly enjoyed my large portion of hearty chicken tagine and mash.

That stray piece of what you might mistake for some kind of pastry was actually a Yorkshire pudding. I realize this couldn’t look any less appetizing, but it’s a firm Brit favorite, usually eaten on Sundays with a roast dinner.

British Airways Lounge at Edinburgh Airport

Emirates passengers flying in premium cabins or those who have eligibility through status were directed to the British Airways lounge.

Similar to the airline’s flagship lounges in London, it had recently received a much-needed refresh.

The choices for food here were fewer, though I did have a meal here, too, as I had so long to wait at the airport. I cobbled together this plate of a chicken and leek dish with rice with side peas and a crusty meat pie. Why not?

Even with the recent refresh, the space was rather lackluster and looked out over the airport parking lot. My recommendation would be to spend your time at the Plaza Premium Lounge.

On Board Emirates First-Ever Airbus A350-900

Now on to the star of the show: Emirates’ Airbus A350-900.

The excitement was palpable in the jet bridge as I waited in anticipation to board with the other 5 Emirates invitees.

Emirates Airbus A350 Business Class Cabin

The business class cabin was made up of 32 lie-flat seats with direct aisle access. Its 1-2-1 configuration was the same as you’d find on Emirates’ Airbus A380s and retrofitted Boeing 777 jets.

The cabin felt large and airy, as there were no overhead bins in the center.

The cabin’s detail and design had a feel of modern luxury without being over the top.

The odd rows of staggered middle seats were best for passengers traveling with a companion, as these seats were closest together and farthest from the aisle for more privacy.

The single seats along the cabin walls were also staggered. This time, the most private seats were those in the even rows — like 2K below — which were flush with the window and farthest from the aisle.

Emirates’ Airbus A350 business class seats do not have privacy doors, just like its retrofitted Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. This decision was contrary to most other airlines, who these days more than likely include a closing door when designing a new business class seat.

However, as closing doors in business class tend to only go to shoulder or head height, I find this to be a gimmick. I feel doors should only really be called privacy doors when they close fully and are floor-to-ceiling, like those on Emirates Airbus A380s (as seen below).

Emirates Airbus A350 Premium Economy Cabin

Emirates’ industry-leading premium economy cabin is also found on its new A350s.

With just 21 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, the cabin had a very private and exclusive feel.

Love it or hate it, the faux-wood trim looked great around the windows here. This cabin’s off-white, cream, and brown palette made for a sophisticated and timeless look.

Emirates Airbus A350 Business Class Seat

I was very happy that I managed to get seat 8F, a window seat in the last row of the business class cabin.

The first thing I noticed was the absence of a 3-point seat belt in favor of the more traditional lap belt.

Emirates added a slightly padded cover over the adjustable headrest for extra comfort.

Even my short legs could reach the cavernous footwell from the upright position.

There was also a footrest. I stowed my shoes in the space between the footwell and footrest during the flight.

Over my left shoulder was a reading light.

This is also where I found the seat’s main storage space. Personally, I’d have preferred a closable compartment rather than an open shelf.

Underneath the storage shelf was Emirates’ famed business class minibar. Though it wasn’t chilled, it was nice to have still and sparkling water and snacks at your fingertips from the start to the end of the flight. If I’m not mistaken, Emirates is the only airline that offers this in business class.

The headphone ports and power outlets were within easy reach under the minibar. I found not 1 but 2 USB-C ports, a single USB-A port, and an international socket.

If that wasn’t enough, the large surface area was home to a wireless charging point.

Just above the armrest was a panel of buttons where you could change pretty much every controllable aspect of your seat, from lights to seat position. I loved that with the flick of a button, I could pause what I was watching rather than having to reach the screen.

The nearest button to me was the flight attendant call bell, which I only discovered after unintentionally catching it with my elbow a couple of times.

The tray table slid out easily from just under the top of the console.

The catch to release the table was easy to find in the corner of the table.

The large, 1-piece table slid out with ease. I’m not sure of the exact measurement, but my hand should give you a good indication.

The table retracted sideways a few inches into the console so I could skirt around it and leave my seat without stowing it. This would’ve been great for when nature called in the middle of meal service or while waiting for the tray to be cleared.

Perhaps my favorite design feature that Emirates introduced with its A350 was the ghaf tree detailing on the window sheer.

Behind the sheer was a regular window blind, both of which I could control with a touch of a button, either individually or together.

Amenities

Emirates outdid itself with the amenities on board, from the screens to the slippers.

Inflight Entertainment

The 4K high-dynamic-range screens and overhauled system are unique to the A350. The quality of both the screen and tablet was up there with the best I’d ever seen.

Rather than tune into one of the hundreds of films, I found myself feeling inspired listening to “The SuperPower Podcast,” hosted by the legendary Gian Power, recently made an officer of the Order of the British Empire.

You’d be hard-pressed to complete Emirates’ IFE even if you flew the airline every day for the rest of your life.

The “Trending on this flight” feature was a really nice touch.

You could also access subscription-based channels, such as Max, Discovery+, Disney+, and Paramount+, for free.

My favorite feature of the IFE screen was, without a doubt, the interactive moving map. It was almost instantly reactive, and you could zoom in incredibly close. It was almost as good as Google Maps.

And, of course, no new aircraft would’ve been complete without live cameras. This was us touching down at DXB.

Wi-Fi

Great news for those who like to be connected in the sk:, Emirates A350s are the only aircraft in the airline’s fleet to be equipped with Viasat Wi-Fi. Not only did I find it to be fast and reliable, it was complimentary for all passengers!

Though the speed test I ran showed speeds of 1.94 Mbps to download and 0.59 Mbps to upload, the speeds I mostly experienced while using the Wi-Fi seemed much faster.

Amenity Kit

As this was a night flight, crew handed out amenity kits before take off. Emirates doesn’t offer full amenity kits on day flights. I think this is a great idea, as it massively reduces waste.

The Bulgari-branded kits had different designs and contents for men and women, which was way more useful than the one-size-fits-all approach that most airlines take.

For example, the shaver, shaving foam, and men’s Bulgari products wouldn’t be in the women’s amenity kit.

I was greeted at my seat by an Emirates-branded headphone set and a pouch containing an eye mask and slippers.

Unlike the full amenity kits, slippers and eye masks are available on day flights, too.

As for the headphones, they featured a button that turned the noise-canceling function on or off, and it worked really well.

When I woke up before landing after a 3-hour sleep, I found this inaugural flight certificate, which is going straight into my aviation memories box.

Food and Beverages

The menu, in its special inaugural flight design, featured a distinctly Scottish-inspired theme as well as some of the usual Middle Eastern dishes you’d expect when flying Emirates.

The service started with a predeparture drink offering of water, juice, or Champagne. Thanks, Ashleigh.

Soon after the seatbelt signs went off, I was served a first drink and snack. Emirates usually offers nuts as a first-drink snack in business class, but this time, I was also given olives.

My taste buds have only recently matured enough to appreciate some white wines. I’m very fussy while I’m figuring out my likes and dislikes_, but this Les Arums de Lagrange, a white blend from Medoc, was a delight.

A short while later, Ashleigh came with a tablecloth in time for meal service.

There’s something about proper cutlery when flying that I absolutely love.

I had the poached lobster tail, which was served with ossetra caviar and Scottish Maris Peer potato salad.

This lobster tail was far better than the one I ate when flying Singapore Airlines Suites.

In honor of the Scottish theme, I went for the Balmoral chicken. It came stuffed with haggis under an onion cream sauce and a generous portion of very well-cooked vegetables. The pale-orange-colored veg you might not recognize is Scottish neeps and tatties. It’s basically potatoes and mashed rutabaga (otherwise known as swede) and is really tasty.

For those unfamiliar, haggis is Scotland’s national dish. It consists of ground sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oatmeal, onion, suet (fat), and spices.

I had a choice of 4 types of bread. I went for the garlic bread, which I only ever eat in the sky. It was flavorsome and not dry at all.

I must have been exhausted, as I never skip dessert, but at around 1:30 a.m. U.K. time, I called time on the meal and got some shut-eye instead. I heard the Scottish cranachan cheesecake was splendid.

With an arrival time of around 4 a.m. U.K. time, I asked not to be woken for breakfast so I could get as much sleep as possible.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Vladiro Niza, the culinary whiz in charge of this menu and regional catering manager for Emirates, who was sitting across from me. He confirmed that this was the regular menu that passengers flying this route in business class would get.

Similar to what you find on board Emirates retrofitted Boeing 777s, the A350 featured a social area where passengers could grab sweet and savory snacks throughout the flight.

For the best of Emirates’ onboard social experiences, you need to fly its A380. That behemoth jet features this magnificent bar, and I spent the majority of my return flight back to London getting to know the crew and other passengers in this superb social space.

Service

This was my third flight with Emirates in as many months and the third flight where the cabin crew was impeccable.

I agree that, as I was a guest of the airline, the crew were likely to have brought their A-game to work, but it would be a disservice to suggest that I wouldn’t have received the same service if I were a normal paying customer. That said, I like to think I’m a good judge of character, and having flown as much as I have, I can spot an A-list crew member a mile away.

On this flight, my dedicated crew member was Ashleigh, from Manchester in the U.K., and she was fantastic.

My experience on board this inaugural A350 flight was that extra bit special thanks to her charm, unrivaled Northern English humor, and willingness to go above and beyond for each passenger in her cabin.

Long-time Emirates employee and customer service queen Kim was also on board the inaugural flight. It’s always such a pleasure to meet people as passionate about their job and company as Kim.

An honorary mention must also go to each and every single one of the crew on board this flight. It was their first time working with passengers on this aircraft on a long-haul flight. What was likely to have been a slightly daunting task was completed without a hitch. At least to my knowledge, anyway.

Arrival at Dubai International Airport

I was treated to spectacular views of Dubai as we made our descent.

Our flight path then took us directly over DXB airport!

The wing tip of the A350 looked spectacular, adorned with Emirates’ unmistakable red, green, and black.

We touched down around 20 minutes behind schedule.

I was hoping to get a great picture of the aircraft in the daylight, but this is the best I was able to get!

I had no luggage to pick up, so I followed the signs to Emirates’ chauffeur service, which was offered to all business- and first-class passengers.

As there were so many business class arrivals, our ride from DXB wasn’t prebooked. Rather, you headed to the desk and showed your boarding pass in exchange for a ticket.

If you ended up having to wait for whatever reason, the space had a ton of seating.

Ticket in hand, I joined another small queue to wait for my ride.

Seconds later, I was shown to my luxurious BMW and welcomed by the driver.

Final Thoughts

The Airbus A350 is an excellent addition to Emirates’ fleet.

The passenger-centric technological advancements really set this aircraft apart, even without the trending closing doors.

After flying business class on Emirates’ retrofitted Boeing 777, the Airbus A380, and now the all-new Airbus 350, I can confirm this is by far my favorite product in terms of seat and cabin. I only wish Emirates had decided to add a bar rather than a social area.

It’s a shame that the opportunity to fly the Airbus A350 will be limited to a few routes as Emirates continues to receive more aircraft. However, if you can factor it into your next trip, I’d highly recommend giving it a go.