After taking a flight on Emirates, I never want to fly a domestic airline again

Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

I recently booked a flight from New York City to Milan for a quick getaway. Faced with the choice of flying Delta or Emirates, both of which had round-trip economy-class tickets for about $800, I quickly opted for the Middle Eastern airline.

Emirates, which is owned by Dubai's government, has exploded onto the US market in the past several years. It is regularly rated one of the top airlines in the world, and I was psyched to experience it on the eight-hour flight.

The trip did not disappoint. I ate salmon and saffron risotto, drank complimentary (and surprisingly decent) wine, and watched a bunch of movies, including the recent Oscar winners "Birdman" and "Whiplash."

Even before I boarded my flight from Milan to New York, I could tell this would be different from a flight on most domestic airlines. Any passenger — not just those in business class — could take a newspaper or magazine for the trip.

Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

Freshly poured mimosas were available upon boarding, but unfortunately for me, those were reserved for business-class travelers.

Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

The flowers hanging by the bathroom were a nice touch. They came down before takeoff.

Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

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