FLIGHT REVIEW: Emirates A380 First Class — Christchurch to Sydney — Part 2 —the shower

• TRIP REPORT: Introduction – my trip to Christchurch, New Zealand flying Emirates First Class on an A380
• LOUNGE REVIEW: Revisiting the Sydney Qantas First Lounge
• TRIP REPORT: Flight Review – Sydney to Christchurch on Qantas in Business – same, same but different
• HOTEL REVIEW: The George Hotel, Christchurch (Ōtautahi). Luxurious local comfort.
• TRIP REPORT: Christchurch Airport – small, spacious and efficient
• LOUNGE REVIEW: Manaia Lounge, Christchurch, New Zealand
• FLIGHT REVIEW: Emirates A380 First CLASS with showers, Christchurch to Sydney — Part 1
• FLIGHT REVIEW: Emirates A380 First Class — Christchurch to Sydney — Part 2 —the shower

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I travelled on an Emirates A380 between Christchurch and Sydney in First Class, so I could experience the onboard showers. To find out more about the start of the flight, head over to Part 1. If you want to read this Trip Report from the beginning, head to the first post.

If you are not interested in the shower experience, then hold out for the next instalment that will cover the meal and service, plus a little about the seat and cabin. Just to remind you, here are the details of the flight:

Flight Details

Flight: EK 413
Route: Christchurch (CHC) to Sydney (SYD)
Date: Thursday, 6 September 2023
Depart: 5:45 PM NZST
Arrive: 7:05 PM AEST
Duration: 3 hr 20 min
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Seat: 1K (First Class)

Introduction

On an Emirates A380, First Class passengers can enjoy the almost unique experience of showering at 40,000 feet. Etihad have the only other showers in the sky on A380s.

First Class Shower Suites debuted with the launch of Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft in August 2008.

Each First Class passenger is booked a 30-minute appointment in the shower suite. That includes five minutes of running water, generous considering we are all encouraged to spend a maximum of 3 minutes at home.

Thirty minutes is generous and allows plenty of time to undress, redress, shower, and even fix your hair and makeup. Advise recommends that you reserve your shower time with one of the cabin crew soon after boarding.

The 30-minute Shower suite ‘appointment’ may be flexible, depending on demand and how nice the crew is towards you. But the five-minute water limit is fixed.

The Shower

This was my reason for booking the flight. There are two showers on the upper deck of the Emirates A380, on either side of the central staircase back down to the lower deck. A shower attendant prepares the bathroom and advises you when it is ready.

I went to the left-hand shower.

On entry to the suite, the shower is to the left, then the hand basin, then a small amenity area, followed by the toilet with a curved seating area at the ‘end’ – actually the front of the plane that also has a tray of amenities. Following around the other mirrored wall is some hanging space for your clothes, cupboards for more amenities, including a hair dryer and a handrail, then more full-length mirror, and we are back at the entrance door and shower. I’ll take you on a visual tour following that order below.

Size queen

When you enter, the bathrooms and the showers seem impossibly huge. It’s an A380, so they are. But it is only the bathrooms that are big. The showers are small compared to the overall space of the bathroom. They are tiny, ovoid Tardis-like cylinders. They look minute from the outside but have enough room on the inside to move in most of the ways you need to complete your ablutions. That’s despite the curve of the wall that echos the shape of the fuselage.

You can achieve these maneuvers reasonably easily within the small shower space. What is more difficult to see in the shower picture is the small ledge on the right of the shower, within the curve of the aircraft hull. See another image below.

This allows you to sit awkwardly but more usefully place a foot for that attention to ablutionary detail. above is an even better close-up of the bench, emergency call button, and return to your seat sign.

Above and below are some more details within the shower. If you are observant, you will know that I took this image after my shower, as the shower timer is only showing red – warning me that my allocated water and time are about to run out.

That poor shower attendant is going to have to wipe down every wall so it looks pristine for the next passenger.

To the right of the shower is the basin, with mirror, and everything you need, including a stack of handtowels, lotions and scents.

After the basin comes the toilet, which has a padded cover. Another towel and more shower amenities are on the bench at the far end.

Amenities are Voya brand, whose slogan is ‘organic luxury from the sea’. We are talking about seaweed harvested in Ireland. Emirates and Voya partnered in 2018, and in 2024, Voya created its first scent for Emirates.

Moving around is hanging space for your clothes while you shower and then a column for amenity storage.

And even a little cupboard for the hair dryer.

Above the unit is even an indicator and control for the floor temperature!

After that is a huge mirror, which reflects most of the cabin and gives the bathroom a strangely other-dimensional feel.

You can just see the coat hanger and hanging space in the middle top of the picture above.

Above is a slightly fish-eye view of the shower suite. Note the shaped bathmat and my crumpled towel.

Other than the mirror-covered wall, which is a bit disorienting, the shower suites are incredibly well-designed. They are pleasant to be in and are organised logically for showering, getting undressed, and getting dressed. The lighting is excellent, and the experience is just an over-the-top fantasy treat!

I finished my shower and was back in my seat by 18:43. On this flight, I think I was the only person who took advantage of the shower. I certainly hadn’t taken a full 30 minutes or my full allocation of water.

Mohamed came past and asked if I was ready to dine. I enthusiastically said yes, with caviar service and Dom Perignon available!

2PAXfly Takeout

I remember the first time I had a shower (in the old Singapore Qantas Lounge on my way between Sydney and London. I couldn’t believe how refreshing it was. It made me feel human and ready to embrace another 12-plus hours on a plane.

The Emirates Shower Suite for First Class passengers just ups the ante. It is a spectacular indulgence that should not be missed. Every aircraft should have one!

A shower in the sky is just bonkers! But it’s a great, refreshing experience that you should experience if you can. On this three-hour-ish flight from Christchurch to Sydney, it’s not like I actually needed a shower. But hey, it was there, and I had just spent 5 hours in the airport.

If I were on a long-haul leg, I would definitely use the shower to freshen up before arrival.

I think I’m going to have to find a way to bag a points fare on Emirates long haul and take a shower on every leg!

Next up — Emirates food service in Part 3

Other Posts in the Series

<< FLIGHT REVIEW: Emirates A380 First CLASS with showers, Christchurch to Sydney — Part 1