Emirates celebrates Christmas with special menu
The Emirates Christmas spread
Emirates is inviting passengers to enjoy a “merry little Christmas” for the month of December through traditional treats and festive fare. The airline is providing these offerings across its international lounges and its inflight menus.
Festive fare in Emirates lounges
Christmas is coming to Emirates lounges early this year with festive feasts being served across its airport lounges in Dubai. Passengers in the First and Business Class lounges will be served roasted turkey breast covered in jus and cranberry sauce with glazed chestnuts, brussel sprouts and new potatoes.
First Class lounges will serve up a range of winter desserts including traditional stollen, mince pies dashed with vanilla sauce, red currant cheesecake and cinnamon profiteroles. Over in Business Class lounges, passengers will also dine at an early Christmas dinner all month long. In addition, there will be desserts like sour cherry confit, Christmas fruit cake, ginger-spiced pear and chocolate praline cake, spiced citrus mandarin confit cake and a tart and cranberry sorbet.
Apple pie and gingerbread ice cream along with gingerbread lattes and toffee nut mocha are also coming to Emirates lounges for the month of December. Passengers can relax with Dilmah’s Christmas iced tea, cocktails and mocktails, or Emirates' own mixology with Holly Jolly Christmas, Red Nosed Rudolph and Jack Frost.
The airline is also offering festive flavoured waters from Evian and Perrier for the holidays. Passengers can opt for sparkling beverages like Moet ice Imperial and Moet ice imperial Rose.
Inflight holiday menu offerings
Throughout December, passengers on Emirates will be served festive meals and snacks in all cabins on select routes. First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy Class passengers can dine on Christmas dishes including lemon and herb marinated king prawns in marie rose sauce or cured salmon gravadlax with ginger, candied orange and Sevruga caviar.
“A full festive main course with all the trimmings will be available in all four classes– roasted turkey with classic jus, glazed chestnuts, braised red cabbage, roasted pumpkin, steamed brussel sprouts and creamy potato gratin,” Emirates said in its press release.
Desserts available onboard include Christmas pudding with a dollop of crème anglaise, white chocolate cake with raspberry curd or a spiced cranberry cake in the shape of Santa’s belt.
Economy Class passengers will also have the chance to enjoy a roasted turkey or chicken roulade with chestnut stuffing, roasted potatoes with parsley and a medley of seasonal vegetables, followed by a fruit cake and orange sauce for dessert.
Festive drinks onboard
For the month of December, travellers in Emirates’ First Class or Business Class will be offered the Emirates spiced strawberry welcome drink. First Class passengers also get a miniature Santa Claus crafted from strawberries and white chocolate cream.
From December 17 to 25, passengers in all classes will be offered a festive hot chocolate with marshmallows. First Class passengers can also select mulled wine while onboard.
From December 24 to 26, Emirates will be offering mini gifts of pistachio and raspberry profiteroles, dark chocolate truffles and gingerbread cookies in all classes.
In the A380 onboard lounge, passengers departing from Dubai can sip on spiced mulled wine or hot chocolate and enjoy some mince pies, stollen, panettone, Christmas pastries, traditional mandarins and chestnuts, biscotti and candy canes.
Passengers in the onboard lounge can also enjoy a Christmas sandwich stuffed with turkey, roast beef, cheddar cheese, cranberry sauce and chili tomato relish.
Emirates marks Orthodox Christmas
Emirates is also celebrating Orthodox Christmas, with special offerings from December 20 to January 9. Select flights from Russia, Egypt and Ethiopia to Dubai and back will see First Class passengers enjoying salmon gravadlax with ginger and candied orange or King prawn cocktail, followed by roasted duck with orange thyme jus, fondant potatoes and steamed broccolini. For dessert, they’ll receive a Christmas pudding with crème anglaise or traditional bread and butter pudding.
Business Class passengers will also enjoy a roasted duck main course, with starters of Olivier salad and desserts of white chocolate and cranberry cake or spiced cranberry cheesecake.
Economy Class passengers will receive Russian potato salad followed by a turkey roulade or beef stroganoff and a moist fruit cake soaked in zesty orange sauce for dessert.
On January 1, passengers on Emirates will also be offered creamy hot chocolate or mulled wine, along with some festive treats.
Special inflight entertainment offerings
Over the holidays, Emirates passengers can choose from 39 holiday movies onboard the ice entertainment system. Options include How to Ruin the Holidays, Christmas with the Campbells and Mistletoe Ranch, alongside all-time favourites Last Christmas, The Holiday, Elf, The Polar Express and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from 1964.
There are 19 Christmas TV shows and holiday specials, including The Office Christmas Special, Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!, Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas and The Great Christmas Bake Off.
Music lovers can listen to 26 albums of Christmas music from artists like Ariana Grande, Andrew Bocelli, Micheal Bublé, Sia, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald and more.
Giving back this season
Emirates invites its passengers to give back this holiday season through the Emirates Airline Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children.
Travellers can donate in any currency on any flight by using the envelope in the seat pocket, or via credit card, cheque or bank transfer, either inflight or from home. The foundation also accepts Skywards Miles with 95 percent of donations going directly to assisting children in need.
