Trip Reports - A380 First Class, Emirates DXB to LHR

Check out my new trip report with pics

http://www.luxurytravelblog.net/The_Silver_Lining/Home/Entries/2008/12/29_Emirates_A380_First_Class.html

Great report. Is that rain on the windows at DXB? It was raining a lot when I was there recently.

Cheers,
Rick

Thanks for your comments Rick

It was raining right up until we were about to turn onto the runway for take-off. Sun came out then. Shame, as I was hoping for some better pictures of the aircraft from the boarding gate.

Great report, thanks for taking the time to post it.

Great to have a shower before landing. ^

Great to have a shower before landing. ^

Yes it was. Told by the cabin crew on my flight that the showers are particuarly popular on the longer DXB - JFK sector.

Great report - thanks for sharing. Finally somebody really used the shower on board. I´m curious if any other 380-airline will copy this feature or if the on-board-shower is going to become an USP for Emirates.

Thanks for taking the time to post the report and stating about how the initial flight wasn't so great but the A380 cabin crew really made you feel welcome and you enjoyed yourself. Emirates is looking at partnering with Alaska, and if so, I would like to try they're A380 F suite.

How was F for people traveling together? Can the suites open at all like SQ's to allow you to see your wife, etc?

How was F for people traveling together? Can the suites open at all like SQ's to allow you to see your wife, etc?

The central pairs of suites have a dividing partition which can be moved up / down - probably the best suites for couples travelling together. Not quite the 'double beds' of SQ's product though.

Nice job ! Even though, few more pics concerning for ex. the onboard catering would have been nice...but still, well done !

Excellent report! Thanks so much!!

Excellent report! Thanks so much!!

I trust agree with you. I think this is great trip reports details. I think he is enjoyable where he is flown on EK from DXB-LHR on operated A380. I'm surely if I am expect to try fly on A380. Perhaps I will fly on SQ or KE when they will received more A380 is delivery in 2010.

I didn’t notice many other passengers using the shower facilities on this flight

According to Flight International (Volume 174, #5165):

"The amount of water being consumed by the showers on board Emirates' Airbus A380s is much lower than expected, allowing the airline to examine a significant reduction in the uplift for each flight. The savings may also allow the auxilliary water tanks specified for the aircraft to be removed."

Sounds to me as if the showers are proving a lot less popular than expected.

Johan

Only 5 minutes allowed in the shower? Yikes! :D

Sounds to me as if the showers are proving a lot less popular than expected.
Johan

Not necessarily. 5 minutes of non-stop water is really quite a long shower, if you think about it.

... I´m curious if any other 380-airline will copy this feature or if the on-board-shower is going to become an USP for Emirates.QF considered showers for their A380s and decided not to. They spent the money that the showers would have cost to build several new F lounges complete with dining room and spa; a bigger benefit in their estimation. Interesting that the shower cost runs into so many millions per year (lot of fuel cost for that onboard shower).

Great trip report!
Thanks for sharing.

Not necessarily. 5 minutes of non-stop water is really quite a long shower, if you think about it.

Not sure about that. I tend to think most people take more than 5 minute showers each day. I think the concept of an onboard shower sounds interesting, but in reality, it really IMHO it is a silly perk.

How can you be sure it's "silly" if you haven't tried it ? If some people remain under non-stop flow of water during 20 min., that's their problem. Most of us don't. Many have tried this feature and found it really good, when the A380 was unveiled. And the reason why it consumns less than expected is realated to the conception of the shower, not to its use.

And the reason why it consumns less than expected is realated to the conception of the shower, not to its use.

If the concept you're talking about is the 5 min. limit and design of shower head then that should have been easily predicted. I guess the average use of the shower must be what's causing the discrepancy between the estimates and actual use.

Anyway, it must be really nice to grab a shower before landing on a long flight. I like the idea of the onboard shower over an arrivals lounge with a shower because I wouldn't really want to 'waste' any extra time upon arriving. Showering on the flight is using time that would probably have been pretty unproductive anyway.

What happens if you hit turbulence? :p
These are probably really nice now but if they're not replaced/renovated every 3 or 4 years I could see them getting pretty 'icky'.

What happens if you hit turbulence? :p
'.

There is something like a small seat inside the shower, and you can grab a metal bar to hold yourself. I do like these showers too, it's very well designed. But in my opinion it makes sense almost only on ultra long haul...

Not sure about that. I tend to think most people take more than 5 minute showers each day.
Yes, they do. However, I wrote that "5 minutes of non-stop water is really quite a long shower". At home you may leave the water running whilst soaping yourself, but then you are not really using the water. I would think that 5 minutes of non-stop water would translate into about a 10 minute shower. That seem quite reasonable.

such a luxury report....enjoy reading it...:-)

Great trip report, enjoyed reading it.