I've travelled on Emirates twice, and this post contains information from two reviews of the airline that may appear to be poles apart.

Phuket Boeing 777 flight from Emirates

I've heard nothing but good things about Emirates, so I was eager to take a flight with them on my birthday. I took a Boeing 777-300ER (77W) from Dulles Airport to Phuket, Thailand, with a connection in Dubai. Since it was a Monday and many people were taking flights back to Dubai, there was a large queue. The counter staff acted in a rather robotic manner. I inquired about the cost of a first class upgrade and was informed that it was not an option as I had no miles. Two free checked bags up to 50 pounds each are permitted, but only one carry-on bag—a handbag or laptop bag—can weigh more than 15 pounds. I was unaware of this. I had to consolidate before because I thought I'd only need one carry-on and one personal item.

Seating:

Food on Emirates Flight

                              

Entertainment:

Connect with Dubai :

The only available return flight had a 23-hour layover, so Emirates offered a hotel, transport and meals. It must be asked for. See my complete review.

Service:

My impression of the gate agents was not great. The flight attendant's son and husband were travelling on a midnight flight, and the boy cried and kicked the entire flight, which caused a problem for me on my return flight. I protested after the trip about this, the inability to upgrade, and other passengers leaning up against the exit door. Three weeks later, Emirates responded:

"I took note of your displeasure with your request for a pricing upgrade as well.  All Emirates employees have received specialised training in providing excellent customer service because we want every passenger to have a wonderful trip.  Emirates does not accept any rudeness or carelessness on the part of its employees.

Additionally, you mention that there was a toddler on board one of the crew members' aircraft who was unruly. There is an internal inquiry into the situation, but the results of any measures taken internally are confidential and cannot be disclosed.

I want to reassure you that Emirates would never forgo the convenience and security of our travellers.  It is particularly concerning, though, that you felt sufficiently unsatisfied as a result of the dangerous behaviour of another passenger. Since the incident was not recorded in our in-flight log, may we kindly suggest that if it ever happens again, you ask the onboard purser for assistance. The Purser, who is in charge of all the flight's cabin staff, can help whenever feasible and will be better able to do so and/or document a complaint.

We appreciate you allowing us to remark on this. We are certain that this particular incident was an aberration. We sincerely appreciate your support in choosing to fly with Emirates, your tolerance during this procedure, and your permission to remark on this issue.

I suppose I should have anticipated more from such an expensive ticket, but considering how pricey Dubai is, perhaps my $1,600 (you can currently travel to Thailand for half that, perhaps even a fifth of that) was little to them. Or perhaps it was just because this was my first flight with Emirates. Perhaps it was connected to the airline's affiliation with JetBlue? Whatever it is, I have severe buyer's remorse over it.

Other Air Bus

Due to Emirates' periodic 2 for 1 sales, I went back to the airline a year later. From JFK to Milan, we were able to find 2 economy seats for less than $900. The plane is enormous. Legroom is still adequate. It is preferable to get an exit row seat at check-in or while booking. After my first encounter with Emirates, I was eager to see the opulent double-decker aircraft.

If there were Airbuses available and there wasn't a joint venture with another airline, I would only fly Emirates. When making a reservation, pay great attention. Not all aeroplanes resemble those in advertising, and even those only depict a first-class travel experience.