Down_the_back
Jun 25, 09, 4:37 am
OK, THIS IS A BIT LONG, I WILL ALSO PUT IT IN THE ITINERARIES WITH PERMISSION! CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO DOWNLOADS PICTURES???? IT MAKES FOR A MUCH MORE INTERESTING READ!
DXB-BKG EK372
A380 FIRST CLASS – SEAT IK (and 4K)
I was collected, as usual by Emirates Limo service, surprisingly enough NOT in a Volvo station wagon. Emirates, rather Avis have introduced some new Chevrolets in their fleet now.
Arrival into the First & Business Class terminal, with the porters outside ready to carry your bags on hotel style carts – a nice touch, a tip for the driver and a tip for the porter – I always give away in tips what the taxi fare would have cost, on the smaller runs, so EK actually have 3 happy people due to the limo service.
Check was as easy as ever, I have checked in on line, but not managed to print off my boarding pass so the check in girl gave me a pass and I was off to the lounge. I had arranged to meet a fellow FT’er in the lounge who had arrived from London. The First Class lounge similar in layout to the Business Lounge in T3, vast, open with many separate areas, including a spa, a fine dinning area, a specialist wine shop, smoking area, showers, quiet areas – enclosed with comfy sofa’s and best of all partitioned off with glass away from the noise. The only bad part of the lounge area is the noise from the main terminal below.http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000002
I found David, who was already on the Espresso Martini’s prepared by one of the bar staff in the main bar area. A few more of those, a few champagnes, a few vodka’s and it was time for boarding.
Boarding from the lounge (either the J or F lounge) to J or F class on the 380 is great, as there is no need to go back into the main terminal; there are gates with direct access upstairs. No queues, no waiting, no hoards of –passengers. http://http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000003
Straight onto the aircraft – I have flown the 380 before in J but this was the first time in F for us both. I was in 1K, one of the suites, wireless seat and TV remote for the ICE entertainment system. A basket of chocolate, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000019Mars, Alpen, Pringles and mints, flowers, and mini bar controlled by the touch of a button. You have a door separating you from the main cabin which even when closed does not make you feel as claustrophobic as one does on CX of VS J class with the herringbone seats. IK was not a great suite as there is only a curtain separating you, the showers, the social area and the stair case. There were many J class passengers entering the cabin from downstairs and using the front staircase to walk through to go to the back of the upstairs cabin which is J class. There was also an abundance of J class passengers walking through the cabin prior to take off taking photos and looking in the shower etc. I asked to move and was assigned 4K, which felt much more secluded. The suites are set up so you never look into your fellow passenger’s suite. However, the center suites http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000006have a huge vanity wall which you can have up if traveling alone or down if you are traveling together. http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000010
I, along with all the F class passengers were presented with a Hessian Emirates Bag, containing, Slippers, Blanket, Hand Towel, Eye Shades and a booklet explaining the suite. http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000017 I have flown in the F class suites before from SYD, so I was used to them. We were also given Dom too, I love it! I think I was on my third glass as we started to back off from the gate.
For take off you have to secure your bag in front of you with two convenient straps, apparently this is the give-away that tells the crew you have NOT done the suites before. It was commented upon by the fantastic crew, that I had done the suites before as I knew what to do.
Lunch was superb, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000029offering a choice of 2 entrées, a salad made with a selection of goodies, and 4 main course choices, the beef was incredible! Now, to the deserts, WOW WOW WOW, you could either opt for a chocolate brownies, (unlike other brownies no doubt) or go for a selection of mini deserts – http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000034been the gluten I am I opted for this – amazing, polished off with more Dom and the freshest Sauvignon Blanc you ever did have!
It was time for my drinking buddy and I to sample more Dom! There is a very small “social area” at the top of the stairs but with no seats it is more like a large mini bar, despite having your own “none alcoholic mini bar in the suite, containing, orange juice, waters, coke etc - we walked through the vast J Class Cabin to the lounge area at the back, complete with two 3 seater couches along either side, there sat another F class passenger sipping his Amstel Light and 2 J class passengers. Neither Dom here, nor any of the Sav Blanc my pallet had soon become accustomed too. We asked if it were possible, to bring some up, and within minutes we had our own ice Buckets on the bar top. The crewhttp://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000028 was a delight and did not mind handing over glasses of Dom to the J passengers either. I am not sure how many F class they get thus far, that are solely on the flight for the sheer enjoyment of it all but they made sure we enjoyed every minute of it.
As we were an hour and a half before landing, we were called for our showers (there are 2) and we headed back to the front. The showers are much bigger than you would suspect, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000008cleaned after each use and re-stocked amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, soaps, gels, razors, creams etc, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000039none of which I have any clue what the use is other than the shower gel and shampoo of course. You are allotted 30 minutes in the roomhttp://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000040 and the water runs for 5 minutes with a timer on the inside of the cubicle. The water pressure is good as is the temperature controls etc. It’s such a shame there is no window in the room as this would truly make it a great experience.
After the best freshen up you can possible expect ever to have above the clouds, it was time for one last trip to the bar, where our new best friends were still stood (albeit only just). One last drink we had all agreed it was too early to finish our new found friendships, and arranged to meet in some real seedy bar in down town Bangkok. We did meet later, for about another 4 hours! I somehow managed to find my way back to the Conrad for my nights stay before heading on EK again to Hong Kong the following day.
Unlike any other aircraft I have flown on the 380 really is a sociable aircraft, as there are different areas, you have people walking around the cabins and it is almost expected rather than frowned upon. The hours while away and I must say, the suites and the showers make it for a great ride! It certainly spoils you and I did, see next articles, find it hard to go back to 777’s again, I have many flights on the cards, but this one was certainly one of the best I had done .
BKK-KHG EK384
777-200 FIRST CLASS SEAT 2A
I realized in the morning that I had left my camera on board the day before on the DXB-BKK sector. I called the airline and was told that it was waiting for me at check in as they knew I was flying to HKG later that day! That’ll teach me to drink so much!
Check in was easy, no queue and it was over within 2 minutes. I was presented with the fast track card but more importantly, my camera. The airport was fairly empty at this time (12:30) for a 13:45 departure.
I headed straight for the lounge, which was also fairly quiet. An array of international and local foods, included, Sushi, Chicken Pies, Pasta Dishes, Thai curries and entrees and of course the well stocked bar, feeling very delicate from the night before I had to opt for water as well as wine. Ample seating and shower facilities. The view unfortunately for fellow plane geeks is of the internal courtyard so not a plane to be seen in sight. At approx 13;15 a passenger announcement was made explaining that boarding would be 10 – 15 minutes delayed due to the late arrival of the aircraft – that ole chestnut again I thought. As soon as this announcement was over, one of the very polite reception desk girls came up to myself and another gentleman in the lounge to make sure we had heard the announcement and that she was sorry we would be delayed a little but we would probably make up time during the flight and was there anyone she wanted to call on our behalf informing them of our delay – now that’s service for a 15 minute delay.
I used the opportunity to have one last cigarette and then headed to the gate. As I arrived at the gate, boarding had just commenced and I went straight to the front, with the premium and frequent travelers, and entered the aircraft via the First Class entrance.
The 777 in First had the 2-2-2 configuration, with grey leather flat bed seats and the big Mini-bar separators. There were only 4 out of a potential 12 passengers in total, the guy that the girl had spoken to in the lounge and 2 others that had been on the flight since DXB. Slippers, Towel and Eye mask was given, along with the menu and a glass of apple juice!
Went for the chicken option, the menu was not dissimilar to that of the 380. The FA’s were all great and must have got the hint that I was hung over as anything, as they pretty much left me to the odd glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a movie from the wonderful ICE. It’s just under 3 hours to HKK from BKK and the time flew by.
I was met at the airport by the Limo-Service and taken to the Hotel – ahead of my 2 mental crazy nights out in Hong Kong.
HKG-DXB EK381
333-200 FIRST CLASS SEAT 1K
Limo pick up bang on time, and the driver was more of a chauffer than of a driver! He informed me how long the journey would take, if I needed to stop en-route for anything, he even told me 10 mins before reaching the airport that we would be there in 10 mins. He received a very large tip!
At the first class check in there was a gentleman in front of me who was trying to upgrade one of his colleagues from J to F with him, but he insisted he should not pay as the flight was empty, the girl handled him very well and needless to say, his mate was in J – although he spent a lot of time during the flight talking to him in F. My check in was a breeze, I enquired if the seat next to me was empty, I was informed that at this stage it was, but to check at the desk, the f cabin was very light but the J was full.
I had checked in on line, so no boarding pass required, I was not handed a priority pass, but then when we landed in HKK I was not either, and noticed no express channel. Immigration was 5 mins and then I was straight to the lounge, which is quite a walk when you were that hung over. I noticed JAL buggies with drivers with signs for first class – now that is a nice touch. You have to take escalators down and onto the transit train to the other terminal, which once you arrive in late in the evening is rather nice.
There was another flight leaving HKG-BKK-DXB leaving 2 hours prior to ours, so I made sure I would arrive in the lounge after that one had left. I got into the lounge and luckily it had. The EK lounge in HKG is similar to the one at T3 in DXB, about the concourse, with no enclosure, so you do find it a little noisy, saying that the airport was fairly quiet, and as these are the only 2 flights a day that EK have I guess it does not matter too much. A poor selection, compared with other EK lounges, of food but good choice of beverages as usual. We waited about an hour before it was time to board. I had my usual one last cigarette on the way to the gate where there was a separate lane for F & J passengers.
There had been a lot of confusion over this flight as to what the seats would be like, if they were the old style F seats, similar to those on an old Eastern European Airline, or if they would be the reupholstered gray leather seats. I was delighted that this fligh5t has the newly reupholstered ones. The seat 1J was indeed empty. I was handed a glass of champagne, papers, slippers, eye mask, an amenity bag (incidentally has the same contents as J class, but in an all leather bag, rather than half leather half canvas in J), a blanket and pajamas! I was also given a menu but told the FA I needed to sleep as I was attending an all day conference the day we arrived into DXB. I forgot to mention that it felt like I had been drinking all week and just needed sleep!
The guy in the middle of the first row, who I had encountered at check in, had 3 visits from his pal in J class before take off!
Once we were in the air, albeit only just, my seat went down, as far as it could, not flat, but certainly not impossible to sleep in either – and I was out for the count. I usually request an extra pillow on a night flight, but as the seat next to me was empty, I just took that one.
I woke, I think for the first time during the whole flight, to the smell of coffee, and had a few cups and a pastry. By the time I had changed out of my pajamas it was time to land. We landed 10 mins early at 4:15 and bar the flight just in from KIX the airport was a ghost town. We landed at the gate almost opposite the lifts to immigration, where there was no one to be seen, other than the odd over nighter who had been waiting on a visa all night bless them.
I was in the car by 04:45 and better still home just after 5am - 50 minutes after landing. It used to take that before to walk from the aircraft to the long lines in immigration. EK/DXB Airport – hats off to you – you have come along in leaps and bounds.
Overall – I have and always will think very highly of Emirates. They have the most amazing triple miles offer at the moment, on this trip alone I have earned enough for an ugrade on my next flight to London.
DXB-BKG EK372
A380 FIRST CLASS – SEAT IK (and 4K)
I was collected, as usual by Emirates Limo service, surprisingly enough NOT in a Volvo station wagon. Emirates, rather Avis have introduced some new Chevrolets in their fleet now.
Arrival into the First & Business Class terminal, with the porters outside ready to carry your bags on hotel style carts – a nice touch, a tip for the driver and a tip for the porter – I always give away in tips what the taxi fare would have cost, on the smaller runs, so EK actually have 3 happy people due to the limo service.
Check was as easy as ever, I have checked in on line, but not managed to print off my boarding pass so the check in girl gave me a pass and I was off to the lounge. I had arranged to meet a fellow FT’er in the lounge who had arrived from London. The First Class lounge similar in layout to the Business Lounge in T3, vast, open with many separate areas, including a spa, a fine dinning area, a specialist wine shop, smoking area, showers, quiet areas – enclosed with comfy sofa’s and best of all partitioned off with glass away from the noise. The only bad part of the lounge area is the noise from the main terminal below.http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000002
I found David, who was already on the Espresso Martini’s prepared by one of the bar staff in the main bar area. A few more of those, a few champagnes, a few vodka’s and it was time for boarding.
Boarding from the lounge (either the J or F lounge) to J or F class on the 380 is great, as there is no need to go back into the main terminal; there are gates with direct access upstairs. No queues, no waiting, no hoards of –passengers. http://http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000003
Straight onto the aircraft – I have flown the 380 before in J but this was the first time in F for us both. I was in 1K, one of the suites, wireless seat and TV remote for the ICE entertainment system. A basket of chocolate, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000019Mars, Alpen, Pringles and mints, flowers, and mini bar controlled by the touch of a button. You have a door separating you from the main cabin which even when closed does not make you feel as claustrophobic as one does on CX of VS J class with the herringbone seats. IK was not a great suite as there is only a curtain separating you, the showers, the social area and the stair case. There were many J class passengers entering the cabin from downstairs and using the front staircase to walk through to go to the back of the upstairs cabin which is J class. There was also an abundance of J class passengers walking through the cabin prior to take off taking photos and looking in the shower etc. I asked to move and was assigned 4K, which felt much more secluded. The suites are set up so you never look into your fellow passenger’s suite. However, the center suites http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000006have a huge vanity wall which you can have up if traveling alone or down if you are traveling together. http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000010
I, along with all the F class passengers were presented with a Hessian Emirates Bag, containing, Slippers, Blanket, Hand Towel, Eye Shades and a booklet explaining the suite. http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000017 I have flown in the F class suites before from SYD, so I was used to them. We were also given Dom too, I love it! I think I was on my third glass as we started to back off from the gate.
For take off you have to secure your bag in front of you with two convenient straps, apparently this is the give-away that tells the crew you have NOT done the suites before. It was commented upon by the fantastic crew, that I had done the suites before as I knew what to do.
Lunch was superb, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000029offering a choice of 2 entrées, a salad made with a selection of goodies, and 4 main course choices, the beef was incredible! Now, to the deserts, WOW WOW WOW, you could either opt for a chocolate brownies, (unlike other brownies no doubt) or go for a selection of mini deserts – http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000034been the gluten I am I opted for this – amazing, polished off with more Dom and the freshest Sauvignon Blanc you ever did have!
It was time for my drinking buddy and I to sample more Dom! There is a very small “social area” at the top of the stairs but with no seats it is more like a large mini bar, despite having your own “none alcoholic mini bar in the suite, containing, orange juice, waters, coke etc - we walked through the vast J Class Cabin to the lounge area at the back, complete with two 3 seater couches along either side, there sat another F class passenger sipping his Amstel Light and 2 J class passengers. Neither Dom here, nor any of the Sav Blanc my pallet had soon become accustomed too. We asked if it were possible, to bring some up, and within minutes we had our own ice Buckets on the bar top. The crewhttp://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000028 was a delight and did not mind handing over glasses of Dom to the J passengers either. I am not sure how many F class they get thus far, that are solely on the flight for the sheer enjoyment of it all but they made sure we enjoyed every minute of it.
As we were an hour and a half before landing, we were called for our showers (there are 2) and we headed back to the front. The showers are much bigger than you would suspect, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000008cleaned after each use and re-stocked amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, soaps, gels, razors, creams etc, http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000039none of which I have any clue what the use is other than the shower gel and shampoo of course. You are allotted 30 minutes in the roomhttp://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...class/P1000040 and the water runs for 5 minutes with a timer on the inside of the cubicle. The water pressure is good as is the temperature controls etc. It’s such a shame there is no window in the room as this would truly make it a great experience.
After the best freshen up you can possible expect ever to have above the clouds, it was time for one last trip to the bar, where our new best friends were still stood (albeit only just). One last drink we had all agreed it was too early to finish our new found friendships, and arranged to meet in some real seedy bar in down town Bangkok. We did meet later, for about another 4 hours! I somehow managed to find my way back to the Conrad for my nights stay before heading on EK again to Hong Kong the following day.
Unlike any other aircraft I have flown on the 380 really is a sociable aircraft, as there are different areas, you have people walking around the cabins and it is almost expected rather than frowned upon. The hours while away and I must say, the suites and the showers make it for a great ride! It certainly spoils you and I did, see next articles, find it hard to go back to 777’s again, I have many flights on the cards, but this one was certainly one of the best I had done .
BKK-KHG EK384
777-200 FIRST CLASS SEAT 2A
I realized in the morning that I had left my camera on board the day before on the DXB-BKK sector. I called the airline and was told that it was waiting for me at check in as they knew I was flying to HKG later that day! That’ll teach me to drink so much!
Check in was easy, no queue and it was over within 2 minutes. I was presented with the fast track card but more importantly, my camera. The airport was fairly empty at this time (12:30) for a 13:45 departure.
I headed straight for the lounge, which was also fairly quiet. An array of international and local foods, included, Sushi, Chicken Pies, Pasta Dishes, Thai curries and entrees and of course the well stocked bar, feeling very delicate from the night before I had to opt for water as well as wine. Ample seating and shower facilities. The view unfortunately for fellow plane geeks is of the internal courtyard so not a plane to be seen in sight. At approx 13;15 a passenger announcement was made explaining that boarding would be 10 – 15 minutes delayed due to the late arrival of the aircraft – that ole chestnut again I thought. As soon as this announcement was over, one of the very polite reception desk girls came up to myself and another gentleman in the lounge to make sure we had heard the announcement and that she was sorry we would be delayed a little but we would probably make up time during the flight and was there anyone she wanted to call on our behalf informing them of our delay – now that’s service for a 15 minute delay.
I used the opportunity to have one last cigarette and then headed to the gate. As I arrived at the gate, boarding had just commenced and I went straight to the front, with the premium and frequent travelers, and entered the aircraft via the First Class entrance.
The 777 in First had the 2-2-2 configuration, with grey leather flat bed seats and the big Mini-bar separators. There were only 4 out of a potential 12 passengers in total, the guy that the girl had spoken to in the lounge and 2 others that had been on the flight since DXB. Slippers, Towel and Eye mask was given, along with the menu and a glass of apple juice!
Went for the chicken option, the menu was not dissimilar to that of the 380. The FA’s were all great and must have got the hint that I was hung over as anything, as they pretty much left me to the odd glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a movie from the wonderful ICE. It’s just under 3 hours to HKK from BKK and the time flew by.
I was met at the airport by the Limo-Service and taken to the Hotel – ahead of my 2 mental crazy nights out in Hong Kong.
HKG-DXB EK381
333-200 FIRST CLASS SEAT 1K
Limo pick up bang on time, and the driver was more of a chauffer than of a driver! He informed me how long the journey would take, if I needed to stop en-route for anything, he even told me 10 mins before reaching the airport that we would be there in 10 mins. He received a very large tip!
At the first class check in there was a gentleman in front of me who was trying to upgrade one of his colleagues from J to F with him, but he insisted he should not pay as the flight was empty, the girl handled him very well and needless to say, his mate was in J – although he spent a lot of time during the flight talking to him in F. My check in was a breeze, I enquired if the seat next to me was empty, I was informed that at this stage it was, but to check at the desk, the f cabin was very light but the J was full.
I had checked in on line, so no boarding pass required, I was not handed a priority pass, but then when we landed in HKK I was not either, and noticed no express channel. Immigration was 5 mins and then I was straight to the lounge, which is quite a walk when you were that hung over. I noticed JAL buggies with drivers with signs for first class – now that is a nice touch. You have to take escalators down and onto the transit train to the other terminal, which once you arrive in late in the evening is rather nice.
There was another flight leaving HKG-BKK-DXB leaving 2 hours prior to ours, so I made sure I would arrive in the lounge after that one had left. I got into the lounge and luckily it had. The EK lounge in HKG is similar to the one at T3 in DXB, about the concourse, with no enclosure, so you do find it a little noisy, saying that the airport was fairly quiet, and as these are the only 2 flights a day that EK have I guess it does not matter too much. A poor selection, compared with other EK lounges, of food but good choice of beverages as usual. We waited about an hour before it was time to board. I had my usual one last cigarette on the way to the gate where there was a separate lane for F & J passengers.
There had been a lot of confusion over this flight as to what the seats would be like, if they were the old style F seats, similar to those on an old Eastern European Airline, or if they would be the reupholstered gray leather seats. I was delighted that this fligh5t has the newly reupholstered ones. The seat 1J was indeed empty. I was handed a glass of champagne, papers, slippers, eye mask, an amenity bag (incidentally has the same contents as J class, but in an all leather bag, rather than half leather half canvas in J), a blanket and pajamas! I was also given a menu but told the FA I needed to sleep as I was attending an all day conference the day we arrived into DXB. I forgot to mention that it felt like I had been drinking all week and just needed sleep!
The guy in the middle of the first row, who I had encountered at check in, had 3 visits from his pal in J class before take off!
Once we were in the air, albeit only just, my seat went down, as far as it could, not flat, but certainly not impossible to sleep in either – and I was out for the count. I usually request an extra pillow on a night flight, but as the seat next to me was empty, I just took that one.
I woke, I think for the first time during the whole flight, to the smell of coffee, and had a few cups and a pastry. By the time I had changed out of my pajamas it was time to land. We landed 10 mins early at 4:15 and bar the flight just in from KIX the airport was a ghost town. We landed at the gate almost opposite the lifts to immigration, where there was no one to be seen, other than the odd over nighter who had been waiting on a visa all night bless them.
I was in the car by 04:45 and better still home just after 5am - 50 minutes after landing. It used to take that before to walk from the aircraft to the long lines in immigration. EK/DXB Airport – hats off to you – you have come along in leaps and bounds.
Overall – I have and always will think very highly of Emirates. They have the most amazing triple miles offer at the moment, on this trip alone I have earned enough for an ugrade on my next flight to London.