After returning from an exciting first experience at NBTA in LA, I was eager to see the Emirates A380 make its first successful landing from Dubai to JFK. It was a part of history seeing this jumbo jet, filled with 489 passengers, land safely on US soil. From the Emirates First Class lounge at JFK, press, VIP guests and Emirates supporters enjoyed champagne and appetizers as we waited patiently for the A380 to appear out of the sky. At that moment, the dramatic music was cued and we all glued our faces to the window. With a wing span of 261 feet, the A380 resembled a friendly dinosaur. As it taxied its way to the gate, one of the pilots slid open his window and, like a teeny worm sticking out of an apple, stuck his head out and gave a thumbs up to the wide-eyed crowd of workers below. As it takes a full 2 hours to clean the jet after the passengers exit, a press conference took place before we were able to tour the upper deck of the A380, which is solely for business- and first-class passengers. While the president of Emirates, Tim Clark, answered many questions about the plane, the pilot who made the historical flight stole the show; many of the questions were directed towards him as attendees wanted to know what it was like to actually fly the thing. After the press conference, we viewed the 76 business seats, 14 first-class seats, lounges, showers and the bar on the upper deck. The technology and showers were most impressive, and the first-class suites, to me, resembled what I would imagine to be the ultimate luxury vanity table, complete with a 180-degree lie-flat bed. Everything needed and wanted for comfort is an arm’s length away in the suites. Business class is huge with 76 seats, but also is impressive and intimate with mood lighting. -Courtney Centeno, account executive