Flying Emirates Business Class from Bangkok to London should be a relaxing experience. There's the chauffeur service to the airport, premium lounges, comfortable seats and, if you choose the right aircraft, some of the best facilities you'll find in the sky.
But my latest journey had one complication: a one-hour connection at Dubai International Airport.
What was originally a connection of around one hour and 45 minutes had been shortened after Emirates changed the flight schedule. By the time my Airbus A380 left Bangkok behind schedule, the connection was looking even tighter.
I made it—but after experiencing the reality of getting from one flight to another at Dubai Airport in such a short space of time, I won't be deliberately booking a one-hour connection again.
Here's what happened.
One of my favourite Emirates Business Class perks is the complimentary chauffeur service available with eligible fares.
My journey started at work in Bangkok, where an Emirates chauffeur collected me in a new black BMW with brown leather seats and complimentary bottled water.
It was heavily raining outside, which made the service particularly welcome. Instead of finding a taxi and dragging my luggage through the rain, I could get straight into the car and begin the journey to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.
It's one of those benefits that makes the Business Class experience feel as though it begins at your home, hotel or office rather than at the airport check-in desk.
With a potentially stressful connection waiting for me in Dubai, it was also nice to have such a smooth start to the journey.
After checking in, I headed to the Emirates Lounge in the satellite terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The lounge is modern, clean and spacious, with plenty of different seating areas. There are convenient features such as wireless phone charging and a good selection of international power sockets.
I found a quieter seat towards the end of the lounge, away from the busier dining areas. Elsewhere, there are larger seating spaces, televisions and plenty of tables for passengers who want to eat.
The staff were excellent during my visit—friendly, helpful and attentive. Coffee was brought directly to my seat, while used cups and plates were quickly cleared away.
There's also an extensive selection of food and drinks, including starters, main courses and desserts, alongside alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and coffee.
Normally, when connecting through Dubai in Business Class, I would also look forward to visiting an Emirates lounge there. On this occasion, however, I already knew there wouldn't be time.
The connection was simply too short.
The first flight of the journey was approximately six hours from Bangkok to Dubai aboard an Emirates Airbus A380.
The A380 remains one of my favourite aircraft to fly on, particularly in Business Class.
On the configuration I flew, the upper deck accommodates 14 First Class suites and 76 Business Class passengers. The main deck below carries hundreds of Economy Class passengers, which gives you some idea of the enormous scale of the aircraft.
The Business Class experience upstairs feels considerably more private. The seats have an enclosed design that feels almost like having a small personal suite, particularly compared with the more traditional rows found on some of Emirates' older Boeing 777 Business Class cabins.
Of course, one of the highlights of flying Business Class on the Emirates A380 is the famous onboard lounge at the back of the upper deck, where passengers can enjoy drinks and snacks and spend some time away from their seats.
There's also Emirates' extensive inflight entertainment system, including live television and sports on selected flights.
It should have been a very relaxing journey.
Unfortunately, I was increasingly watching the clock.
My original itinerary had given me approximately one hour and 45 minutes to connect in Dubai, but Emirates subsequently changed the flight schedule and reduced the connection to around one hour.
Then our departure from Bangkok was delayed.
At one point, the expected arrival time in Dubai was approximately 1:50am, while my London flight was scheduled to depart at 2:35am.
Suddenly, what had already been a tight connection appeared to have been reduced to just 45 minutes.
Dubai International Airport is enormous, and I've made enough connections there to know that getting from one flight to another isn't always as simple as walking to the gate next door.
Depending on where your aircraft arrives and where your next flight departs, the journey can involve long walks, escalators, lifts, security checks, trains and sometimes shuttle buses.
There was nothing I could do except hope we arrived in time.
We eventually landed in Dubai at around 1:30am.
By the time the aircraft reached its parking position and I was actually inside the terminal, it was approximately 1:40am.
My next flight departed at 2:35am—but the gate was due to close at around 2:15am.
That effectively left me with approximately 35 minutes.
The final call process for my London flight was already beginning as I left the first aircraft.
What followed was a frantic journey through Dubai Airport involving security, a shuttle bus, elevators and lifts before finally reaching the departure gate.
Being seated in Business Class helped because I was able to leave the arriving aircraft relatively quickly. I was also travelling alone and able to move through the airport at a fairly fast pace.
But not everyone will be in the same situation.
If you're sitting towards the back of an Economy cabin, travelling with young children, have reduced mobility or simply need to stop to use the toilet, those extra minutes can make a significant difference.
I eventually reached the gate and made the flight.
But it wasn't an experience I particularly want to repeat.
Technically, it can be.
I did it.
But based on my experience, I wouldn't deliberately book such a short connection again.
The problem isn't simply whether you can physically get from one aircraft to another in time. It's also about the experience you're paying for.
If I'm travelling in Business Class, I want the journey to feel relaxing and premium. I don't particularly want to spend part of it running through an airport worrying that the gate will close before I arrive.
You're also paying for benefits such as lounge access. With a one-hour connection, there's virtually no possibility of using the Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai.
My personal preference would be to have at least two hours between flights at Dubai Airport.
Even better, I think somewhere around three hours gives you a much more comfortable experience.
That gives you time to leave the aircraft without rushing, make your way through the airport, visit the lounge for a meal, coffee or shower, and then walk to your departure gate without constantly checking the time.
Based on my experiences connecting through Dubai, this would be my rough guide:
Around one hour: Too short for my liking. It may be achievable, but there's little margin for delays.
Around two hours: My minimum preferred connection. Enough time to make the transfer without the extreme rush I experienced.
Around three hours: Probably the sweet spot, particularly for Business Class passengers who want to use the lounge.
Around seven hours: An awkward middle ground. I've done a connection of this length before, and even with lounge access, it can feel very long.
A long overnight stopover: Potentially a completely different experience. Depending on your ticket, connection and eligibility, Emirates may offer its Dubai Connect service, which can include accommodation, meals and transfers. This should always be checked against the current eligibility requirements when booking.
I've previously had a long Emirates connection that included a hotel stay, giving me enough time to leave the airport and visit Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa. At that point, the connection effectively becomes part of the trip rather than simply time spent waiting for another aircraft.
Thankfully, I made my connection and boarded the Emirates Airbus A350 for the approximately seven-hour-and-45-minute flight to London Gatwick.
The A350 is a much newer addition to the Emirates fleet, and I was looking forward to experiencing it.
The aircraft was impressively quiet and smooth, with a modern Business Class cabin. While it doesn't offer the enormous onboard lounge found on the A380, it does have a smaller social area at the rear of the Business Class cabin.
I slept for most of the flight and woke for breakfast with around two hours remaining before our arrival at Gatwick.
The newer inflight Wi-Fi was also useful, allowing me to open my laptop, check emails and catch up on some work before landing.
After arriving at Gatwick, another Emirates chauffeur was waiting to complete the final part of the journey into central London.
After the frantic connection in Dubai, it was a very welcome return to the more relaxing side of the Emirates Business Class experience.
One important consideration when booking Emirates Business Class is that not every fare includes exactly the same benefits.
Emirates offers several Business Class fare types, and the cheapest option may not include benefits you might automatically associate with flying Business Class, such as complimentary chauffeur service or lounge access.
This is something I think passengers should check very carefully before paying.
When I book, I prefer to book directly through Emirates because the website makes it easier to compare the available fare options, connection times and aircraft.
Third-party booking platforms may sometimes advertise an attractive Business Class price, but it's important to look beyond the word "Business" and check exactly what the fare includes.
If lounge access, chauffeur service and advance seat selection matter to you, check that they're included in your specific fare before booking.
The difference between fare levels can sometimes be relatively small compared with the overall cost of a long-haul Business Class ticket, while the value of the additional benefits can be considerable.
A chauffeur transfer between Gatwick and central London alone can represent a significant saving compared with arranging a private car independently.
Another advantage of checking your itinerary carefully is seeing which aircraft will operate each flight.
For aviation enthusiasts, this can make a significant difference to the journey.
Depending on the route and schedule, you may encounter the Boeing 777, Airbus A380 or the newer Airbus A350.
Some older Boeing 777 configurations offer a noticeably different Business Class experience from the more private seating found on newer aircraft.
The Airbus A380 remains the standout Emirates experience for me. The enormous double-deck aircraft and onboard lounge make it a genuinely distinctive way to travel.
The Airbus A350, meanwhile, offers a quieter and more modern experience, making it another aircraft worth seeking out when the schedule allows.
My Business Class itinerary from Bangkok to London Gatwick, returning from London Stansted to Bangkok, cost 113,715 Thai baht—approximately £2,600 at the time.
I booked the ticket a couple of months in advance and thought the price represented reasonable value for a long-haul return journey in Business Class, particularly when factoring in the chauffeur transfers and lounge access included with my fare.
The journey also earned a useful number of Emirates Skywards miles.
For the Bangkok to London journey, I received 9,000 Tier Miles, including a bonus, which helped me reach Emirates Skywards Gold status.
I also received 8,760 Skywards Miles, comprising the flight miles and my Silver tier bonus. Additional miles were then earned on the return journey.
Skywards Miles can be redeemed in several ways, although I generally find them particularly interesting when considering future flight upgrades.
No. Not through choice.
I made the connection, but having only around 35 minutes to physically get from one aircraft to the closing gate made this the least enjoyable Dubai connection I've experienced.
My biggest takeaway from this journey is that the shortest itinerary isn't necessarily the best itinerary.
If you're spending thousands of pounds on Business Class, I'd rather add an hour or two to the journey and actually enjoy the experience I'm paying for.
My advice would be simple:
The journey itself was excellent. I enjoyed the Emirates A380, was impressed by the newer Airbus A350, appreciated the chauffeur service at both ends and found the new Emirates Lounge in Bangkok a comfortable place to start the trip.
And, most importantly, I made it to London.
But next time, I'll be giving myself a little more time in Dubai.
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