We headed to the gate just before the official boarding time, in order to be the first passengers on board. Given the decidedly average Gatwick lounge experience, we decided that there was no sense hanging around. So safe to say these were some pretty lofty expectations. If all of this was truly correct, this was destined to be one of the greatest flights of my life. Better amenity kits than Singapore Suites? Check ✅.Better shower than Etihad Apartments? Check ✅.Better spirits than the Hibiki 23 on ANA First Class? Check ✅.Better champagne than the Cristal on Japan Airlines First Class? Check ✅.I was unbelievably excited for this flight.Įmirates First Class has a dedicated legion of followers and so many aspects of their product seem to be pitched at a level that truly destroys the competition. However, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t as giddy as a schoolchild for this one. It’s still great ANY time you get to fly in First Class but that childlike, sleepless excitement happens less and less these days. With each passing year there are less and less new experiences for me to try, as I work my way through all of the world’s First and Business Class cabins. Upon confirming the upgrade space on the phone with Emirates, I instantly transferred the points over from my UK Amex Platinum card to book the upgrade. I found the award space by setting an alert on Expertflyer ( which alerts you before the system). My suspicion was correct and I was able to easily upgrade LGW-DXB-JNB into First Class for a total of 65,000 Skywards Miles per person. I also suspected that First Class award space would be easier to find out of Gatwick since it is a far less popular airport than LHR. ![]() I deliberately picked Gatwick for the outbound because I’d already sampled the Emirates Heathrow lounge a few times when flying Qantas First Class and wanted to try something new. “It took years of experience, years to build my flying hours, lots of hard work and time, of staying fit and healthy as well as constant studying to upgrade myself to be where I am today in Emirates, the world’s largest airline.A beautiful thing to see appear on your credit card statement. “Being a pilot is something you must have a passion for and that is what keeps you going,” she said. Savic said it was a long journey to becoming a pilot and “passion and hard work” are imperative. ![]() “For long-haul flights it is important manage your rest according to the pairing you have for the flight,” she said. Savic said they receive their work rosters a month in advance and there is a lot of flexibility and downtime, especially as pilots need to “always be at their peak”.Īsked about sleeping in the air, the pilot said the Airbus A380 has a crew rest compartment and she manages to get plenty of sleep and loves long-haul flights the most. Savic has lived in Dubai for a decade and says she now calls it home. We also enjoy discounted travel benefits,” she said. “As pilots, we get annual leave tickets to travel in business/first class. The 37-year-old said the pilots are also chauffeur-driven to and from the airport and get 42 days of annual leave. Pilots with children get education allowance”. “We have excellent medical and dental cover. “We have company provided villas or we can opt for a housing allowance. ![]() “We have wonderful rosters, tax-free salaries, employees are eligible for the company profit share,” she said. Plus, there are tax-free salaries, and Savic said that is just one of the long list of benefits working as an Emirates pilot and living in Dubai. Savic has lived in Dubai for a decade and says she now calls it home, as much as she does Sydney, saying it is one of the “safest, most secure, vibrant and tech-savvy cities in the world”. ![]() “For example, one day I would be flying back home to Sydney and the next week, I’d be flying to San Francisco some other days I’d fly to Mauritius next and then to London on another.” Savic said it was a long journey to becoming a pilot and ‘passion and hard work’ are imperative. “Pilots in Emirates have the opportunity to fly to diverse destinations, to all the continents of the world. “Working for Emirates is an honour and my highest achievement in my career yet,” she said.
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