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  3. After Taking a Flight on Emirates, I Never Want to Fly a Domestic Airline Again

After Taking a Flight on Emirates, I Never Want to Fly a Domestic Airline Again

By Julie Zeveloff / Thisisinsider.com
October 25, 2016
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Credit: Getty Images/arabianEye
This story originally appeared on Thisisinsider.com. 

Related: The best brewery in every state, according to Foursquare

I recently booked a flight from New York City to Milan for a quick getaway. Faced with the choice of flying Delta or Emirates, both of which had round-trip economy-class tickets for about $800, I quickly opted for the Middle Eastern airline.

Related: The 50 most popular Halloween costumes this year

Emirates, which is owned by Dubai's government, has exploded onto the US market in the past several years. It is regularly rated one of the top airlines in the world, and I was psyched to experience it on the eight-hour flight.

Related: We finally know who was killed in the season 6 'Walking Dead' cliffhanger, and it was a big shocker

The trip did not disappoint. I ate salmon and saffron risotto, drank complimentary (and surprisingly decent) wine, and watched a bunch of movies, including the recent Oscar winners "Birdman" and "Whiplash."
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1 of 17

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Even before I boarded my flight from Milan to New York, I could tell this would be different from a flight on most domestic airlines. Any passenger — not just those in business class — could take a newspaper or magazine for the trip.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

1 of 17

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Freshly poured mimosas were available upon boarding, but unfortunately for me, those were reserved for business-class travelers.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

2 of 17

3 of 17

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The flowers hanging by the bathroom were a nice touch. They came down before takeoff.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

3 of 17

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Business class looked pretty cushy, with reclining seats, reading lamps, and big TV screens.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

4 of 17

5 of 17

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But I wasn't prepared to pony up several thousand dollars for an eight-hour flight, so I kept heading toward the back of the plane.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

5 of 17

6 of 17

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At least the overhead bins were spacious, even in the rear.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

6 of 17

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My seat, 27K, was a window seat, and my row was full. Even so, I had plenty of room to wiggle my knees around. I'd hoped to fly on one of Emirates' impressive new A380 planes, which have two decks and slightly larger economy seats. But it was hard to complain.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

7 of 17

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And one thing's for sure ... I lucked out with the view. That's one very large airplane wing, with the Swiss Alps in the background!

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

8 of 17

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Each seat came with a wrapped blanket and pillow ...

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

9 of 17

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And a set of headphones and some brightly colored stickers.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

10 of 17

11 of 17

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The stickers had a cool purpose: Passengers were instructed to put them on their seatbacks to let flight attendants know if they wanted to be woken up for food or shopping.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

11 of 17

12 of 17

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I made sure I would be awoken for dinner. I had heard good things about Emirates' cuisine (Saveur's experts have named its business-class in-flight fare the best two years in a row) and didn't want to miss it.

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

12 of 17

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13 of 17

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Before we took off, a flight attendant came around with hot towels. In economy class!

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

13 of 17

14 of 17

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She also handed each passenger a printed menu. In economy!

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

14 of 17

15 of 17

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After takeoff, I started browsing the complimentary issue of Italian fashion glossy Grazia, which I'd picked up at the newsstand. It almost immediately put me to sleep ...

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

15 of 17

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But I was awoken soon after when the drink cart rolled up. Unlike on most domestic airlines (even those that fly internationally; the booze was free. The white wine wasn't half bad, and the flight attendant passed me a second bottle before I even had to ask for one. My seat neighbor collected mini bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label as if it were going out of production.For more, click here. 

Credit: Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

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1 of 17 Even before I boarded my flight from Milan to New York, I could tell this would be different from a flight on most domestic airlines. Any passenger — not just those in business class — could take a newspaper or magazine for the trip.
2 of 17 Freshly poured mimosas were available upon boarding, but unfortunately for me, those were reserved for business-class travelers.
3 of 17 The flowers hanging by the bathroom were a nice touch. They came down before takeoff.
4 of 17 Business class looked pretty cushy, with reclining seats, reading lamps, and big TV screens.
5 of 17 But I wasn't prepared to pony up several thousand dollars for an eight-hour flight, so I kept heading toward the back of the plane.
6 of 17 At least the overhead bins were spacious, even in the rear.
7 of 17 My seat, 27K, was a window seat, and my row was full. Even so, I had plenty of room to wiggle my knees around. I'd hoped to fly on one of Emirates' impressive new A380 planes, which have two decks and slightly larger economy seats. But it was hard to complain.
8 of 17 And one thing's for sure ... I lucked out with the view. That's one very large airplane wing, with the Swiss Alps in the background!
9 of 17 Each seat came with a wrapped blanket and pillow ...
10 of 17 And a set of headphones and some brightly colored stickers.
11 of 17 The stickers had a cool purpose: Passengers were instructed to put them on their seatbacks to let flight attendants know if they wanted to be woken up for food or shopping.
12 of 17 I made sure I would be awoken for dinner. I had heard good things about Emirates' cuisine (Saveur's experts have named its business-class in-flight fare the best two years in a row) and didn't want to miss it.
13 of 17 Before we took off, a flight attendant came around with hot towels. In economy class!
14 of 17 She also handed each passenger a printed menu. In economy!
15 of 17 After takeoff, I started browsing the complimentary issue of Italian fashion glossy Grazia, which I'd picked up at the newsstand. It almost immediately put me to sleep ...
16 of 17 But I was awoken soon after when the drink cart rolled up. Unlike on most domestic airlines (even those that fly internationally; the booze was free. The white wine wasn't half bad, and the flight attendant passed me a second bottle before I even had to ask for one. My seat neighbor collected mini bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label as if it were going out of production.For more, click here. 
17 of 17

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After Taking a Flight on Emirates, I Never Want to Fly a Domestic Airline Again
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