StephanP37

Hello All!

So I have been top level with Alaska for several years now last year flew 81,000 miles on AS. I have quite frankly always been an idiot with my points and redeemed them here and there with no strategy to it and while I have been to 48 states I have only been to another country ONCE and that was Mexico.

After joining here and doing some research I realized I could redeemd a 1st class emirates flight in one of their enclosed suites normally goes for about $21,000 each leg of the trip for one hundred and fifty thousand Alaska miles. Like many of of flying first class on emirates and upper class on Virgin atlantic has always been a dream of mine. I really dont care much about Dubai or London to be honest but I have spent hundreds of hours watching youtube videos of these flights!

Today I booked my first class emirates flight leaving LAX on February 23rd, with a layover in Washington DC then first class from DC to Dubai. I was originally planning to fly coach on the way back but I realized I could use my 100,000 AMEX points for an upper class ticket on Virgin Atlantic! (Im honestly feeling pretty smart right now lol), so after taxes fees and a slight extra points purchase I am getting about $41K worth of flight cost for $800 bucks.

I am only on the ground in Dubai for 3 and a half hours before my flight on Virgin so I am literally only doing this for the flights and lounges although I do have a 21 hour overnight layover in London on the way back.

Any tips that you have on London, or Dubai lounges or anything else I should know or do on this trip I would be very thankful!