Ever wondered what it’s like to fly First Class on a 5 star airline? Curious how I booked 4 First class flights for just $1,100 USD? Fasten your seatbelt and read on:

Dining a la carte in the sky

08:00 AM – 30.000 feet – Qatar Airways A380  upper deck – First Class

Would you like to start your breakfast with Caviar and salmon sir?

Caviar?? Wow I am used to chicken or fish 😀 My bed just transformed into a comfy lounge seat after pressing one magic button. And now I can choose, yes choose from a menu like in a restaurant, what I want to eat and when. So whenever I feel hungry or thirsty I press a button and my personally assigned cabin crew member passes by with a big smile, she even knows my name! It’s like being in a fancy hotel with concierge service.

A video posted by GingerAroundTheWorld (@gingeraroundtheworld) on Jan 28, 2017 at 4:34am PST

There is a bar on this airplane!

Sir, I just want to inform you that shortly after take off you can also enjoy snacks and drinks in our lounge.

The royal experience starts from the moment I enter the plane. I am welcomed by a member of the cabin crew and guided to my seat, she introduces herself and asks if I would like to drink something.

A video posted by GingerAroundTheWorld (@gingeraroundtheworld) on Jan 28, 2017 at 3:38am PST

So while I am enjoying a glass of premium champagne, the people in economy (me most of the time 😛 ) are trying to find their seat and desperately looking for a free spot in the overhead bin. In the First class cabin my assigned cabin crew member comes by with another cool announcement: Sir, I just want to inform you that shortly after take off you can also enjoy snacks and drinks in our bar. Whooaa really, there is a like an actual bar in this airplane 😀

The $300,000* seat can transform into a bed!

My seat, actually it’s more like a crib, is a bit overwhelming at the beginning, buttons everywhere and 2 controllers hidden in the armrest. No shocker * it costs airlines  between $250,000 and $500,000 to build a single First class seat. I play around a little bit and after having transformed my chair into a bed and back a few times I discover 2 new buttons. Looks like these are to control a side panel that can slide up and down to create a more private capsule. Sweet I am getting the hang of all the controls, time to sit back relax and listen to some music with the noise canceling head phones (you cannot take these home unfortunately).

Before we take off I hear “plop” yet another bottle of premium bubbles for the few lucky people in First Class.

Besides drinks and towels I also get a box with amenities: an eye mask, socks and some fancy skin products (well I guess it’s fancy I don’t know much about this stuff but it looks expensive).

Shall I make your bed sir?

I partied all night in Bangkok and I am dozing off a bit. An attentive crew member passes by and asks: shall i make your bed sir?

Eeeeuhh, I am looking up, a bit shocked. Wait … so they even make your bed on the plane with a blanket and a pillow and everything? This is pretty cool 😀 It’s hard to reply without smiling too much: eeuhm yes that would be nice thank you very much.

3 windows, one of the perks of flying first 😊✈️

A video posted by GingerAroundTheWorld (@gingeraroundtheworld) on Jan 20, 2017 at 12:37am PST

Before trying the full flat bed I visit the washroom, not the most fun experience in economy. Well in First Class the washroom is like a ballroom compared to economy and I have a hard time figuring out where the toilet is. Oh there it is, hidden below a leather seat. Probably it’s not really allowed but you could perfectly sleep in the washroom, it’s massive. What else do we have here: towels, tooth brush, mouth wash, shaving tools, skin products and perfumes. Everything you need to leave the plane feeling refreshed.

A video posted by GingerAroundTheWorld (@gingeraroundtheworld) on Feb 1, 2017 at 1:04am PST

How did I book 4 of those flights for $ 1,100?

Flying First class ain’t cheap … normally 😉 Well there are only a few seats and a lot of flights even only offer Economy and Business. So don’t be surprised to see some one way tickets for $10.000. That’s not even the flight budget for 10 years for most people. So intrigued by this luxurious, out of reach expensive experience in the sky I set a goal last year: book yourself a cheap First class deal as a birthday gift.

So everyday I am reading FlyerTalk, god save the points, the points guy and other deal sites. Then last December everything came together, a promo fare from Qatar Airways and the Egyptian currency devaluation.

The Deal: First class from Cairo via Doha to Bangkok return for $1,100. Sounds expensive but it’s cheap, try searching for some first class flights and you will agree 😉 This deal is a double win.
First of all routing through Doha means that I will be able to try 2 different airplanes, one of which A380!.
Second win: I will get access to the super luxurious and exclusive First Class Lounge of Qatar airways in Doha (more about that experience in another post)

Cairo – Doha is around 2 hours and Doha – Bangkok is around 7 hours 30 minutes so you get enough time in First Class to dine a la carte, try the bed and enjoy drinks in the bar. And you get the same thing on the way back off course.

If you have any questions about First Class or how to book it, let me know in the comments 🙂