Emirates F JNB-DBX-LHR-DBX-JNB Long Part 1
Oct 27, 2003, 5:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cape Town, South Africa.
Posts: 84
Emirates F JNB-DBX-LHR-DBX-JNB Long Part 1
WELCOME ABOARD!
This trip was a whirlwind business trip to London and apart from being my first trip report, it was also the first time I have ever flown on the 777. Nearly all my long haul flying has been on the Boeing 747, 767, and various config Airbus Aircraft. However, on this trip I wanted to take advantage of Emirates's double miles sign up offer for Skywards with an additional 50% bonus for First Class travel.
Emirates operates the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A330-200into South Africa.
I also find the CPT-LHR and JNB-LHR flights quite longish so as a MARLBORO MAN I wasn't adverse to a little stopover in Dubai for some Nicotine Therapy and a little of the famous duty free shopping and to check out the award winning lounges!!
I left my home at 6 am in the beautiful and peaceful, Cape Town seaside suburb of Camps Bay early on a Sunday morning in order to catch the first shuttle to Johannesburg at 7am. The shuttle was a KULULA.com Boeing 737-400 with an all economy class configuration.
For such a short flight (2 hours or less) it really doesn't bother me as to what service I can expect, just so long as I am not wedged into my seat with a shoehorn and the airline gets me to where I'm going to on time, with a minimum of fuss. I usually find that if I have no expectations, I am usually not surprised. There's nothing memorable about these short hops.
On the JNB-CPT shuttle route there are several choices of airlines with precious little difference between them in both Y and J classes (Although Kululu is the low cost one class carrier with a comic book superheros marketing theme. What for? Maybe the superheros actually do the maintenence on these old planes inflight). These are Nationwide, Kulula, British Airways/Comair,South African Airways and South African Express.
Check-in with two bags was exactly 30 seconds and I was issued with my boarding pass.
I don't remember anything about this flight because I promptly fell asleep until we were 20 mins out of JNB when we hit bad weather and had a very rough and bouncy ride in.
My first stop of the morning was a breakfast meeting at the swish upscale INTERCONTINENTAL a hotel conveniently located between the Domestic and International terminals at JNB. I had a two hour meeting, a nice English Breakfast and my required countless coffees until it was time to check-in for Dubai and London.
During breakfast, the bad weather finally closed in and the grey African sky chose to open up as I raced a rickety wobbly wheeled luggage trolley from the Hotel Lobby to the International departures terminal. In that short but seemingly endless sprint I was drenched from head to toe. Moral? Allow the doorman of the Intercontiental Hotel to escort you to the terminal with an opened umbrella next time!
Oct 19, 2003
JNB-DBX / EK 763
Sched: 14:15-00:25
Actual: 14:30-00:15
Boeing 777-300
Seat 2A
Class F
Emirates has two daily flights from JNB to Dubai and it operates a code share with South African Airways, so todays flight was full. Check-in is done by South African Staff and is monitored by Emirates employees- strikingly dressed, like all Emirates Aircrew in Tan colored uniforms with distinctive red pillbox hats draped with white veils which flow down the shoulders on one side. The faces are not covered.
First Class has its own dedicated check-in counter complete with the red carpet and flowers. Business Class too has its own counter, and Economy Class has several. There was a huge and patient line in Economy with the end of that line somewhere out of sight in the nether regions of the airport.
Check-in was pleasant and efficient and I was given an invitation to the South African Airways First Class CYCAD LOUNGE
Security screening and immigration was a breeze.
I took some Photos of the Lounge and will upload these when I find some time to master the complexity of doing so.
Nonetheless, the Lounge, as beautiful as it is was deserted at this time of day as most flights leave for Europe in the late afternoon and evenings. It is one of the most beautiful if not one of the best lounges in the world, but on this occasion the kitchen was only serving toasted sandwiches and petit fours. I had about an hour to kill until boarding so I ventured to the Duty Free Area to buy some excellent wines to serve as business gifts.
The bad weather didn't delay boarding and today there were only 4 passengers travelling in First. This 777-300 is configured for 18 First with 2 abreast seating in the old style airline seats. But, Hey, these seats are ENORMOUS. They stand out like the inviting, tasteful,pastel colored overstuffed armchairs they are. One could throw a party in the space between the seats on this new 777-300. A look back at the full J class makes for interesting comparison. The J seats are also old fashioned types but they are configured in an unacceptable 2-3-2.
(More on this later- I lived through that horror!)and compared to F seats they look really tiny. The meal service in J looks like a collection of minatures while everything in F is larger than life...
But enough of J class. That's for later.
The F class crew this flight were 5 people- 4 female FA's and one male Purser. They were a mixture of Korean, Australian, Arabic and British. One of the problems with Emirates F service is that you are not greeted by name- something that is easy to do when there are only 4 passengers-but perhaps not when there are 18. This flight was no exception.
A Hot towel service is immediately offered along with a glass of Dom, or the beverage of your choice. This is soon followed by a platter of stuffed arabic dates and a thimble of freshly poured arabic coffee from an ornate gold pot.
The menus are distributed in big leather folders and the wine list is passed out.
Noise reduction headphones, elegantly packaged in black and gold bags are already tucked into you seatrests but no amenity kits are given out- except for slippers, socks and eyeshades. Apparantly this is normal for a daylight flight going into night. Only night flights get the kits but in the FC toilets there is an ample supply of razor blades, shaving foams, toothbrushes, toothpaste (Colgate) Aftershaves and Colognes (Paco Rabanne)(Bvlgari)
Push back was a little late and the taxi out was in torrential rain. The nosewheel camera was displayed on the main cabin screen and it makes the wait for take-off that much easier to bear as one can see the aircraft in the queue.
The most thrilling moment for me in many, many years of flying was the take-off roll in the 777-300. The aircraft taking off just before us departed in such a cyclonic wall of water that for a few seconds I wondered if it would aquaplane right off the runway.
Another thing I notice sitting cocooned in the behemoth 777 is that the A-340 and the 747-400 look like TOYS
The take-off roll was quite extraordinary. As the engines howled up to maximum, the whole aircraft juddered and shook. The overhead bins rattled and visibly moved. The whole fuselage seemed to bend for a split second and the massive engine roar was Loud. Then the brakes came off and for an instant there was no traction until the tyres bit into the lake that was the runway and became claws...whee...hee...we were off and our backwash probably made rain in several African countries that day!
We climbed to our cruising altitude of 37,000 feet and hot towel service was offered again, followed by bar service.
We cruised Northeast of South Africa over Northern Mozambique and Southern Tanzania.
Just before Dar-ES-Salaam we were served some nibbles with our cocktails.
Canapes
Lamb kebabs on bamboo skewers
Chicken kebabs on bamboo skewers
Meatballs
Calamata olives
Then our tables were set for LUNCH
Place settings were in full size Royal Doulton China with stainless steel cutlery
by Arthur Price.
REAL steel knives were used. And BIG ones. TWO each.
LUNCH
Appetisers
Seafood Medley
smoked butter fish, grilled Kingklip fillet and gravlax served with a dill mustard and honey mayonnaise dressing
Smoked Springbok
slices of smoked springbok and grilled duck, served with melon fan accompanied with sweet chili sauce
Soup and Salad
Cream of Mushroom Soup
creamy mushroom soup, garnished with sauteed parsley mushrooms
Freshly Prepared Salad
salad prepared by your crew to your liking with a choice of accompaniments offered with
chive yoghurt or tomato and basil vinaigrette
Main Courses
Grilled Fillet of Beef
grilled fillet of beef served with wholegrain mustard butter, garnished with rosemary sprig and cherry tomatoes
King Prawns
sauteed king prawns Szechuan style, garnished with sliced spring onion
Baked Chicken Breast
chicken breast marinated with spices, topped with olive and served with lemon sauce
Farfalle Pasta
pasta in cream sauce topped with chopped asparagus,mushrooms, sun dried tomatoe and sliced olives
Vegetables
turned carrots, broccoli florets, cauliflower, roasted pumpkin with cinnamon,
sauteed marrows topped with red pepper julienne, baby jacket potatoes and egg fried rice
Desserts
Pancake
sesame pancake filled with mango, deep fried and served with custard sauce
Apricot Yoghurt Mousse
A refreshing apricot and yoghurt mousse, topped with chocolate ganache
Cheese
International Cheeseboard
a selection of international cheeses which include, smoked Andean cheese, brie,
simonzola,cheddar, and chevin pepper cheese, served with crackers, grapes and crudites.
Fruits
Selection of Seasonal Fruits
Beverages and Chocolates
Tea
Ceylon, Green tea, Earl Gray, Camomile
Coffee
Cappuccino, expresso, freshly brewed, decaffeinated
Chocolates
Godiva Belgian Chocolates
The Lunch service was done by old fashioned Silver two tier trolley. Note Trolley not cart
I actually prefer this method as there is nothing nicer than a freshly tossed salad at your seat.
Wines
Champagne
Dom Perigon vintage 1995
Chassagne Montrachet 2001
Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay 1998
Domaine De Chevalier 1994
Rutherford Ranch Napa Valley, Cabernet 1999
Taylor's Port 1997 late Vintage
We hugged the African Coast as we made our way up Africa. We crossed over Mombasa, Kenya and directly over Mogadishu, Somalia.
We passed directly through the tip of the HORN of AFRICA before turning Northwards towards the Arabian Peninsula and Dubai.
Airshow told us the position of the plane in proximity to Mecca at all times-presumably for those of the muslim faith aboard.
Then it was time for a nice savoury Snack and entertainment...
(To be continued)
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-27-2003).]
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
This trip was a whirlwind business trip to London and apart from being my first trip report, it was also the first time I have ever flown on the 777. Nearly all my long haul flying has been on the Boeing 747, 767, and various config Airbus Aircraft. However, on this trip I wanted to take advantage of Emirates's double miles sign up offer for Skywards with an additional 50% bonus for First Class travel.
Emirates operates the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A330-200into South Africa.
I also find the CPT-LHR and JNB-LHR flights quite longish so as a MARLBORO MAN I wasn't adverse to a little stopover in Dubai for some Nicotine Therapy and a little of the famous duty free shopping and to check out the award winning lounges!!
I left my home at 6 am in the beautiful and peaceful, Cape Town seaside suburb of Camps Bay early on a Sunday morning in order to catch the first shuttle to Johannesburg at 7am. The shuttle was a KULULA.com Boeing 737-400 with an all economy class configuration.
For such a short flight (2 hours or less) it really doesn't bother me as to what service I can expect, just so long as I am not wedged into my seat with a shoehorn and the airline gets me to where I'm going to on time, with a minimum of fuss. I usually find that if I have no expectations, I am usually not surprised. There's nothing memorable about these short hops.
On the JNB-CPT shuttle route there are several choices of airlines with precious little difference between them in both Y and J classes (Although Kululu is the low cost one class carrier with a comic book superheros marketing theme. What for? Maybe the superheros actually do the maintenence on these old planes inflight). These are Nationwide, Kulula, British Airways/Comair,South African Airways and South African Express.
Check-in with two bags was exactly 30 seconds and I was issued with my boarding pass.
I don't remember anything about this flight because I promptly fell asleep until we were 20 mins out of JNB when we hit bad weather and had a very rough and bouncy ride in.
My first stop of the morning was a breakfast meeting at the swish upscale INTERCONTINENTAL a hotel conveniently located between the Domestic and International terminals at JNB. I had a two hour meeting, a nice English Breakfast and my required countless coffees until it was time to check-in for Dubai and London.
During breakfast, the bad weather finally closed in and the grey African sky chose to open up as I raced a rickety wobbly wheeled luggage trolley from the Hotel Lobby to the International departures terminal. In that short but seemingly endless sprint I was drenched from head to toe. Moral? Allow the doorman of the Intercontiental Hotel to escort you to the terminal with an opened umbrella next time!
Oct 19, 2003
JNB-DBX / EK 763
Sched: 14:15-00:25
Actual: 14:30-00:15
Boeing 777-300
Seat 2A
Class F
Emirates has two daily flights from JNB to Dubai and it operates a code share with South African Airways, so todays flight was full. Check-in is done by South African Staff and is monitored by Emirates employees- strikingly dressed, like all Emirates Aircrew in Tan colored uniforms with distinctive red pillbox hats draped with white veils which flow down the shoulders on one side. The faces are not covered.
First Class has its own dedicated check-in counter complete with the red carpet and flowers. Business Class too has its own counter, and Economy Class has several. There was a huge and patient line in Economy with the end of that line somewhere out of sight in the nether regions of the airport.
Check-in was pleasant and efficient and I was given an invitation to the South African Airways First Class CYCAD LOUNGE
Security screening and immigration was a breeze.
I took some Photos of the Lounge and will upload these when I find some time to master the complexity of doing so.
Nonetheless, the Lounge, as beautiful as it is was deserted at this time of day as most flights leave for Europe in the late afternoon and evenings. It is one of the most beautiful if not one of the best lounges in the world, but on this occasion the kitchen was only serving toasted sandwiches and petit fours. I had about an hour to kill until boarding so I ventured to the Duty Free Area to buy some excellent wines to serve as business gifts.
The bad weather didn't delay boarding and today there were only 4 passengers travelling in First. This 777-300 is configured for 18 First with 2 abreast seating in the old style airline seats. But, Hey, these seats are ENORMOUS. They stand out like the inviting, tasteful,pastel colored overstuffed armchairs they are. One could throw a party in the space between the seats on this new 777-300. A look back at the full J class makes for interesting comparison. The J seats are also old fashioned types but they are configured in an unacceptable 2-3-2.
(More on this later- I lived through that horror!)and compared to F seats they look really tiny. The meal service in J looks like a collection of minatures while everything in F is larger than life...
But enough of J class. That's for later.
The F class crew this flight were 5 people- 4 female FA's and one male Purser. They were a mixture of Korean, Australian, Arabic and British. One of the problems with Emirates F service is that you are not greeted by name- something that is easy to do when there are only 4 passengers-but perhaps not when there are 18. This flight was no exception.
A Hot towel service is immediately offered along with a glass of Dom, or the beverage of your choice. This is soon followed by a platter of stuffed arabic dates and a thimble of freshly poured arabic coffee from an ornate gold pot.
The menus are distributed in big leather folders and the wine list is passed out.
Noise reduction headphones, elegantly packaged in black and gold bags are already tucked into you seatrests but no amenity kits are given out- except for slippers, socks and eyeshades. Apparantly this is normal for a daylight flight going into night. Only night flights get the kits but in the FC toilets there is an ample supply of razor blades, shaving foams, toothbrushes, toothpaste (Colgate) Aftershaves and Colognes (Paco Rabanne)(Bvlgari)
Push back was a little late and the taxi out was in torrential rain. The nosewheel camera was displayed on the main cabin screen and it makes the wait for take-off that much easier to bear as one can see the aircraft in the queue.
The most thrilling moment for me in many, many years of flying was the take-off roll in the 777-300. The aircraft taking off just before us departed in such a cyclonic wall of water that for a few seconds I wondered if it would aquaplane right off the runway.
Another thing I notice sitting cocooned in the behemoth 777 is that the A-340 and the 747-400 look like TOYS
The take-off roll was quite extraordinary. As the engines howled up to maximum, the whole aircraft juddered and shook. The overhead bins rattled and visibly moved. The whole fuselage seemed to bend for a split second and the massive engine roar was Loud. Then the brakes came off and for an instant there was no traction until the tyres bit into the lake that was the runway and became claws...whee...hee...we were off and our backwash probably made rain in several African countries that day!
We climbed to our cruising altitude of 37,000 feet and hot towel service was offered again, followed by bar service.
We cruised Northeast of South Africa over Northern Mozambique and Southern Tanzania.
Just before Dar-ES-Salaam we were served some nibbles with our cocktails.
Canapes
Lamb kebabs on bamboo skewers
Chicken kebabs on bamboo skewers
Meatballs
Calamata olives
Then our tables were set for LUNCH
Place settings were in full size Royal Doulton China with stainless steel cutlery
by Arthur Price.
REAL steel knives were used. And BIG ones. TWO each.
LUNCH
Appetisers
Seafood Medley
smoked butter fish, grilled Kingklip fillet and gravlax served with a dill mustard and honey mayonnaise dressing
Smoked Springbok
slices of smoked springbok and grilled duck, served with melon fan accompanied with sweet chili sauce
Soup and Salad
Cream of Mushroom Soup
creamy mushroom soup, garnished with sauteed parsley mushrooms
Freshly Prepared Salad
salad prepared by your crew to your liking with a choice of accompaniments offered with
chive yoghurt or tomato and basil vinaigrette
Main Courses
Grilled Fillet of Beef
grilled fillet of beef served with wholegrain mustard butter, garnished with rosemary sprig and cherry tomatoes
King Prawns
sauteed king prawns Szechuan style, garnished with sliced spring onion
Baked Chicken Breast
chicken breast marinated with spices, topped with olive and served with lemon sauce
Farfalle Pasta
pasta in cream sauce topped with chopped asparagus,mushrooms, sun dried tomatoe and sliced olives
Vegetables
turned carrots, broccoli florets, cauliflower, roasted pumpkin with cinnamon,
sauteed marrows topped with red pepper julienne, baby jacket potatoes and egg fried rice
Desserts
Pancake
sesame pancake filled with mango, deep fried and served with custard sauce
Apricot Yoghurt Mousse
A refreshing apricot and yoghurt mousse, topped with chocolate ganache
Cheese
International Cheeseboard
a selection of international cheeses which include, smoked Andean cheese, brie,
simonzola,cheddar, and chevin pepper cheese, served with crackers, grapes and crudites.
Fruits
Selection of Seasonal Fruits
Beverages and Chocolates
Tea
Ceylon, Green tea, Earl Gray, Camomile
Coffee
Cappuccino, expresso, freshly brewed, decaffeinated
Chocolates
Godiva Belgian Chocolates
The Lunch service was done by old fashioned Silver two tier trolley. Note Trolley not cart
I actually prefer this method as there is nothing nicer than a freshly tossed salad at your seat.
Wines
Champagne
Dom Perigon vintage 1995
Chassagne Montrachet 2001
Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay 1998
Domaine De Chevalier 1994
Rutherford Ranch Napa Valley, Cabernet 1999
Taylor's Port 1997 late Vintage
We hugged the African Coast as we made our way up Africa. We crossed over Mombasa, Kenya and directly over Mogadishu, Somalia.
We passed directly through the tip of the HORN of AFRICA before turning Northwards towards the Arabian Peninsula and Dubai.
Airshow told us the position of the plane in proximity to Mecca at all times-presumably for those of the muslim faith aboard.
Then it was time for a nice savoury Snack and entertainment...
(To be continued)
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-27-2003).]
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
Oct 27, 2003, 8:15 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
An excellent, well detailed report so far!
Looks like we have a new
Star in Trip Reports! 
Looks like we have a new
Star in Trip Reports!
Oct 28, 2003, 1:47 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cape Town, South Africa.
Posts: 84
Emirates IFE is pretty impressive. It ranks right up there with Virgins. There's video on demand with a huge selection of titles from around the globe. There's games, and yes Movies. Lots of them. On this flight there was a choice of 9 or 10.
I watched Pirates of the Caribbean and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen before tummy rumblings demanded that I partake of an excellent snack
Savoury Snack
Sandwiches
Selection of Sandwiches
Sauteed King Prawns
sauteed prawns with chili sauce, served on multikorn French loaf
Smoked Duck
smoked duck breast, offered with melon slices on French bread
Roast Beef
roast beef slices, accompanied with sundried tomatoes and basil cream on wholemeal bread
Grilled Vegetable
whole wheat slice with pecan nuts and grilled vegetables
Pastries
a selection of pastries which include apricot mille feuille, fondant petit four, maple syrup, pecan biscuit and blueberry mousse tart
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, Green tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
Freshly brewed, decaffeinated, Expresso or Cappuccino
Emirates must have the most frequent hot towel service in the Sky. These are not flimsy bits of rags. They are thick, man size affairs. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a working laundry onboard just for towels They tong them out at least 4 times inflight.
While the seats as mentioned earlier, are not fully flat, they do recline almost flat and allow a decent level of comfort. What struck me was the ample width and pulshness of the seats. Ok. They're not beds, but they'll DO as I don't buy the idea that anyone can even pretend to get a proper (motionless) night's sleep on a plane. This wasn't a night flight anyway.
All too soon, we were crossing the endless sand dunes and flats of the Arabian Desert and descending into Dubai. We flew low out over the still waters of the Persian Gulf, purring over Toy ships, all lit up and at anchor, before looping back to Dubai Airport and a gentle landing.
I just hate it when crew hand out your coat a good 20 mins from landing. Why can't they pass you the coat as you leave the aircraft? There's so much stuff at your seat which needs sorting so your coat invariably ends up on the floor all creased again. Why bother hanging it in the first place? I ask you.
It's past midnight as we enter Dubai Terminal. I actually stopped a few seconds to take it all in. For one thing, it is huge. There's palm trees from one end to the other. It's a soaring symphony of glass
and neon. I can't see the end of the Hall. It's crazy excessive, but it's NICE.
Transit passengers have to clear security again before access to the terminal proper, and for the first time in my travels I am ordered to remove my shoes and place them in the xray machine. Oh the indignity of it all. The TSA have set a global trend.
The terminal is humming for such an early hour. A good chunk of flights leave between 02.00 and 04.00 for the Far East, Australia and points beyond. My first order of business, seeing that I have a 6 hour wait for the London flight, is to snag myself a bedroom and a shower. I had read somewhere that the Emirates First Class Lounge offers bedrooms ensuite and getting one was supposed to be difficult because people use them the night before a flight to save on the cost of a hotel. Now with the price of hotels in Dubai averaging around $200-300 per night, I'm not surprised. And so, it was off to the First Class Lounge to see if I could make the difficult easy.
Emirates has two lounges on either side of the long hall about mid way through the terminal. First Class lounge and Business Class Lounge. They stare at each other from positions directly opposite. Down the center of the hallways, between the Palm trees and the walkways sits(or sprawls) the masses of humanity Arabic travellers are bunched in tight knit groups,huddled on the marble floors deep in conversations with each other or on cellphones. Others are sleeping, splayed like logs and wrapped up in shawls like corpses. Western travellers sit haggard,unshaven and look bewildered as they wait for the continuation of their journey to places unknown. There's a haunted look in their eyes- a look that asks what am I doing here? I think most are Australian.
There is a Heaven and it's inside Dubai Airport. It's tucked away behind frosted glass doors and it awaits the annointed. A red and gold invitation issued in Johannesburg allows the unworthy, like myself, to sample the forbidden fruit in copious amounts for at least a few hours.
And so I stepped over humanity, reached for my pass, and with a gentle whirr I was inside a quiet and unfamiliar world unlike any I had ever seen before.
The Angel, and a beautiful tan dressed one, with a red pillbox hat with a flowing white veil,
smiled at me and handed me a card key over the counter. The bedroom was mine.
The lounge is the largest I have ever seen. It is built on two levels, with curved walls and windows which look out on to the jetways, runways and the waiting planes. I am reminded of the Starship Enterprise and I am on the bridge as the alien guest.
The upper level was designed especially for the use of The Marlboro Tribe while the ground level rewards those with pure lungs Everything is made from marble, granite and tan leather. The colors are Gold and Black. There are massage chairs, lounge chairs, sofas, Plasma screen tvs, flat screen computers,statues,big potted palms, small potted palms, and framed horse racing prints the length and breadth of the place. There's a business center and washrooms.
The ground level dining area is the size of a large cafeteria. Every brand of drink and liquor known to humankind is available. There were sandwiches, cakes, pastries, cheese boards, fruits, dates, and for those with more demanding appetites, a buffet spread of bacon, veal sausages, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, toast, breads and preserves. Another buffet of Eastern delights awaited.
There were meatballs, samoosas, kebabs, curries,Lassi, rices and roast potatoes all for the taking.
There were maybe 10 people in the lounge. It was 1 o'clock in the morning.
Upstairs, are more seating areas, a smaller bar area and a much smaller buffet- but with the same type of food. There are thick crystal ashtrays dotted around, a computerised plasma flight announcement board, a bank of computers, and a decent expresso machine.
There is a small door near the computers which you need to look for otherwise it could be missed. Open this and step into a small corridor and you will be faced with 5 other doors. These are the hallowed bedrooms and they are single and queen sized.
My room had a nice double bed made up with bolster cushions, a wall mounted TV set, a wardrobe with plenty of hangers and shelves. It was windowless but spotlessly clean and cosy. The bathroom adjoins the bedroom with a seperate door. It is all marble and chrome. There's a high tech shower cubicle with a power shower and Molton Brown liquid soap and shampoo.
There are the all important Fluffy white towels and there is a hairdryer and complimentary toothbrush, toothpaste and razorblade.
Time for a wash and a change of shirt then its off to the famous Dubai Duty Free I am busy looking for A magic carpet when I spy a Mercedes SL 500 a Porchse 911 and a Harley Davidson on offer for the FULL OF SUPRISES LIMITED DRAW with tickets selling at over $100 each. I enter the MILLION DOLLAR TAX FREE DRAW limited to 1000 tickets at $240 apiece. Brother and Sister FT'ers. Please cross your fingers for me...
Time really does fly in this debauched little OASIS So, with a final nibble of delectable smoked salmon scrambled eggs it's off to my bed for some shuteye and maybe dreams of Arabian Nights Heh Heh. I've simply GOT to be fresh for a business dinner in London later this day and I ask my Emirates Angel to wake me for flight EK001. (To be Cont'd)
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
I watched Pirates of the Caribbean and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen before tummy rumblings demanded that I partake of an excellent snack
Savoury Snack
Sandwiches
Selection of Sandwiches
Sauteed King Prawns
sauteed prawns with chili sauce, served on multikorn French loaf
Smoked Duck
smoked duck breast, offered with melon slices on French bread
Roast Beef
roast beef slices, accompanied with sundried tomatoes and basil cream on wholemeal bread
Grilled Vegetable
whole wheat slice with pecan nuts and grilled vegetables
Pastries
a selection of pastries which include apricot mille feuille, fondant petit four, maple syrup, pecan biscuit and blueberry mousse tart
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, Green tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
Freshly brewed, decaffeinated, Expresso or Cappuccino
Emirates must have the most frequent hot towel service in the Sky. These are not flimsy bits of rags. They are thick, man size affairs. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a working laundry onboard just for towels They tong them out at least 4 times inflight.
While the seats as mentioned earlier, are not fully flat, they do recline almost flat and allow a decent level of comfort. What struck me was the ample width and pulshness of the seats. Ok. They're not beds, but they'll DO as I don't buy the idea that anyone can even pretend to get a proper (motionless) night's sleep on a plane. This wasn't a night flight anyway.
All too soon, we were crossing the endless sand dunes and flats of the Arabian Desert and descending into Dubai. We flew low out over the still waters of the Persian Gulf, purring over Toy ships, all lit up and at anchor, before looping back to Dubai Airport and a gentle landing.
I just hate it when crew hand out your coat a good 20 mins from landing. Why can't they pass you the coat as you leave the aircraft? There's so much stuff at your seat which needs sorting so your coat invariably ends up on the floor all creased again. Why bother hanging it in the first place? I ask you.
It's past midnight as we enter Dubai Terminal. I actually stopped a few seconds to take it all in. For one thing, it is huge. There's palm trees from one end to the other. It's a soaring symphony of glass
and neon. I can't see the end of the Hall. It's crazy excessive, but it's NICE.
Transit passengers have to clear security again before access to the terminal proper, and for the first time in my travels I am ordered to remove my shoes and place them in the xray machine. Oh the indignity of it all. The TSA have set a global trend.
The terminal is humming for such an early hour. A good chunk of flights leave between 02.00 and 04.00 for the Far East, Australia and points beyond. My first order of business, seeing that I have a 6 hour wait for the London flight, is to snag myself a bedroom and a shower. I had read somewhere that the Emirates First Class Lounge offers bedrooms ensuite and getting one was supposed to be difficult because people use them the night before a flight to save on the cost of a hotel. Now with the price of hotels in Dubai averaging around $200-300 per night, I'm not surprised. And so, it was off to the First Class Lounge to see if I could make the difficult easy.
Emirates has two lounges on either side of the long hall about mid way through the terminal. First Class lounge and Business Class Lounge. They stare at each other from positions directly opposite. Down the center of the hallways, between the Palm trees and the walkways sits(or sprawls) the masses of humanity Arabic travellers are bunched in tight knit groups,huddled on the marble floors deep in conversations with each other or on cellphones. Others are sleeping, splayed like logs and wrapped up in shawls like corpses. Western travellers sit haggard,unshaven and look bewildered as they wait for the continuation of their journey to places unknown. There's a haunted look in their eyes- a look that asks what am I doing here? I think most are Australian.
There is a Heaven and it's inside Dubai Airport. It's tucked away behind frosted glass doors and it awaits the annointed. A red and gold invitation issued in Johannesburg allows the unworthy, like myself, to sample the forbidden fruit in copious amounts for at least a few hours.
And so I stepped over humanity, reached for my pass, and with a gentle whirr I was inside a quiet and unfamiliar world unlike any I had ever seen before.
The Angel, and a beautiful tan dressed one, with a red pillbox hat with a flowing white veil,
smiled at me and handed me a card key over the counter. The bedroom was mine.
The lounge is the largest I have ever seen. It is built on two levels, with curved walls and windows which look out on to the jetways, runways and the waiting planes. I am reminded of the Starship Enterprise and I am on the bridge as the alien guest.
The upper level was designed especially for the use of The Marlboro Tribe while the ground level rewards those with pure lungs Everything is made from marble, granite and tan leather. The colors are Gold and Black. There are massage chairs, lounge chairs, sofas, Plasma screen tvs, flat screen computers,statues,big potted palms, small potted palms, and framed horse racing prints the length and breadth of the place. There's a business center and washrooms.
The ground level dining area is the size of a large cafeteria. Every brand of drink and liquor known to humankind is available. There were sandwiches, cakes, pastries, cheese boards, fruits, dates, and for those with more demanding appetites, a buffet spread of bacon, veal sausages, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, toast, breads and preserves. Another buffet of Eastern delights awaited.
There were meatballs, samoosas, kebabs, curries,Lassi, rices and roast potatoes all for the taking.
There were maybe 10 people in the lounge. It was 1 o'clock in the morning.
Upstairs, are more seating areas, a smaller bar area and a much smaller buffet- but with the same type of food. There are thick crystal ashtrays dotted around, a computerised plasma flight announcement board, a bank of computers, and a decent expresso machine.
There is a small door near the computers which you need to look for otherwise it could be missed. Open this and step into a small corridor and you will be faced with 5 other doors. These are the hallowed bedrooms and they are single and queen sized.
My room had a nice double bed made up with bolster cushions, a wall mounted TV set, a wardrobe with plenty of hangers and shelves. It was windowless but spotlessly clean and cosy. The bathroom adjoins the bedroom with a seperate door. It is all marble and chrome. There's a high tech shower cubicle with a power shower and Molton Brown liquid soap and shampoo.
There are the all important Fluffy white towels and there is a hairdryer and complimentary toothbrush, toothpaste and razorblade.
Time for a wash and a change of shirt then its off to the famous Dubai Duty Free I am busy looking for A magic carpet when I spy a Mercedes SL 500 a Porchse 911 and a Harley Davidson on offer for the FULL OF SUPRISES LIMITED DRAW with tickets selling at over $100 each. I enter the MILLION DOLLAR TAX FREE DRAW limited to 1000 tickets at $240 apiece. Brother and Sister FT'ers. Please cross your fingers for me...
Time really does fly in this debauched little OASIS So, with a final nibble of delectable smoked salmon scrambled eggs it's off to my bed for some shuteye and maybe dreams of Arabian Nights Heh Heh. I've simply GOT to be fresh for a business dinner in London later this day and I ask my Emirates Angel to wake me for flight EK001. (To be Cont'd)
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
Oct 28, 2003, 10:23 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cape Town, South Africa.
Posts: 84
A gentle but persistent knocking on my door.
I look at my watch in the darkness and it is 7.00am. I shower for the second time and poke my head outside the corridor. HEY. Whats this? I can just about lean out and touch a 777 from my bedroom!
The lounge has perhaps 12 people scattered around including two unfortunates who probably don't know about the bedrooms. I briefly contemplate waking them but
I can't find it in my heart to tell them my little secret Time to go. Heaven can wait until the way back. On the way out I grab an INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE from a stack of at least 20 downloaded and printed worldwide newspapers. Ah the wonders of technology.
Oct 20, 2003
DBX-LHR / EK 001
Sched: 07:45-12:15
Actual: 08:15-12:45
Boeing 777-300
Seat 2A
Class F
Flying time: 7hr 30 min
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end- but hopefully not all at once!. I should have heeded the ominous warnings which swirled about like the early morning fog at Dubai Airport.
The gate was BEDLAM This mornings Heathrow flight was clearly overbooked and people were milling about at the boarding gate. The jetway remained closed until all the errant cattle were herded into the waiting pen. Priority Boarding? It doesn't exist. Take a place in line.
First Class is completely full. The cabin crew, this time is a mix of geninuely friendly English, South African
and Australians. We await the arrival of a VIP- some important Arab important enough to merit recognition from the crew and then we're off. Again, the famous hot towel service, mineral water, Champagne or a refreshing fruit cocktail of lemonade with mint, mango, green apple juice and grenadine. Dates are proffered on a silver platter and thimbles of Arabic coffee are poured around the cabin.
Take-off is powerful, yet uneventful and from my seat I observe heavy freighter traffic into Dubai. There are no carriers other than Emirates at this hour.
We head out over the Gulf and climb to our cruising altitude of 34,000 and begin our Northern trek bringing us over Bahrain, and Damman, Saudi Arabia at which point a continental Breakfast was served.
Juice
Fruit Juices
Appetizers
Assorted fruit
of seasonal fruits
yoghurt
natural or fruit
Main courses
Cold Selection
a selection of cheese, which includes red leicester, Emmental, smoked cheese and feta cheese, served with garnish
Bread
Bread Basket
selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with Normandie butter and preserves
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
freshly brewed, decaffinated, expresso or cappuccino
Most passengers chose to sleep or watch their PTV's. This aircraft was identical to the previous one I flew up from JNB in, but a quick check of the magazine rack told me that it wasn't the exact same aircraft. It was hard to tell the difference as both aircraft were new.(or clean!)
I stretched out on my sleeper seat with one eye on AIRSHOW and noted that the pilots took a very careful course which skirted outside the southern border of IRAQ . Perhaps Iraqi Airspace is restricted or the airline is simply not taking the chance of meeting an errant missile Whatever; I feel safe.
I must have nodded off because the aircraft is now over Southern Turkey and the tables are set for LUNCH and this time we get PLASTIC knives. ButBIG PLASTIC Knives. I am surprised how sharp and strong they are and I fiddle with them for a long time.
Several bottles of good VINTAGE DOM PERIGON 1995 are decanted into glasses around the cabin and after a hot towel service, some delicious morsels are tonged onto waiting plates from heaped silver platters
Canapes
a selection of hot canapes, which includes Arabic pizza, crab claws, cheese poppers and chicken kofta
Over Bulgaria we ate a magnificant repast served with flair and care from a fully laden silver trolley This is what inflight catering should be and it was.
Lunch
Appetisers
Caviar
served with traditional accompaniments, sour cream and blinis
(This was served from the biggest tin I've ever seen and a massive mound was scooped onto my plate. Oddly enough, only a small number of passsengers chose to enjoy this and it was the first and last time Caviar was offered
on all of my flights)
Arabic Meeze
a selection of traditional Arabic mezze, including hommous, tabouleh, makdous, stuffed vine leaves and herbed feta cheese
Marinated Thai Chicken
marinated and braised Thai chicken breast, served with a kumquat confit, accompanied with a tangy sweet chilli sauce
Soup and Salad
Smoked Aubergine Soup
creamy soup made from smoked aubergines, served with garlic roasted croutons
Freshly Prepared Salad
salad prepared seatside by your crew to your liking with a choice of accompaniments
offered with chive mayonnaise or vinaigrette
Main Courses
Moroccan Chicken
Moroccan style lemon chicken, served with a thick olive and herb coulis
Lamb Rack
spiced roasted lamb rack on the bone, served with a succulent date and fig chuntney
Seared Scallops
wok seared scallops and prawns, served in a mild creamy coconut sauce, enhanced with green asparagus and pak choy leaves
Rucola Ravioli
ravioli filled with rucola and a variety of three Italian cheese, served with a sun dried tomatoe sauce on a bed of Mediterranean vegetables, topped with shaved parmesan
Fillet of Garoupa
your choice of a low calorie meal will be seared fillet of garoupa, served with sauteed cherry tomatoes, linguini pasta and vegetable medley
Vegetables
sauteed pak choy, French beans, ****ake mushrooms, grilled baby leeks, turned mixed vegetables, saffron rice and chateau dill potatoes
Desserts
Chocolate Rice Puff
crispy chocolate rice puff and almond mousse set on a sponge base, topped with a cherry mirror, served with a berry compote
Caramelized Pineapple
caramelized pineapple on creme patissier, served slightly gratinated
Cheese
International Cheeseboard
a selection of international cheese, served with crackers, breads, grapes and crudites
Fruit
Selection of Seasonal Fruits
Chocolates
a selection of Godiva Belgian Chocolates
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
Freshly brewed, decaffinated, expresso, cappuccino
This meal ended somewhere over Austria and the rest of the flight passed with appreciative burps all around. I couldn't vouch for the back of the plane, but the last time I looked, the J class passengers were eating and drinking out of what looked like thimbles
I've flown into Heathrow more times than I care to count, but this time the routing was different in that we flew directly over the mouth of and UP the Thames I had an amazing view of the coastline as far as the eye could scan. I have never seen the legendary green fields of England in such a scorched palette of BROWNS. The long hot summer of 2003 has left its indelible mark.
Drayton Approach consigned us promptly to the Sin Bin and we endlessly circled the far north and far eastern terraces of London, all the while marvelling the sprawling row houses which seemed to spiral on forever.
I'm never sure which immigration line will be shorter in Heathrow, so to be safe I have a Fast Track insurance pass in my back pocket. It won't be needed.
and I'm through Terminal 3 in a shot. 12.45pm is a good time to arrive.
Emirates provides all First and Y passengers with a chauffeur drive service and my driver was patiently waiting to whisk me off to my central London hotel in a very smart black Merc. Traffic was minimal and I was at 41 Hotel near Victoria in less than 40 mins and ready to tackle come what may.
(To be Con't)
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
I look at my watch in the darkness and it is 7.00am. I shower for the second time and poke my head outside the corridor. HEY. Whats this? I can just about lean out and touch a 777 from my bedroom!
The lounge has perhaps 12 people scattered around including two unfortunates who probably don't know about the bedrooms. I briefly contemplate waking them but
I can't find it in my heart to tell them my little secret Time to go. Heaven can wait until the way back. On the way out I grab an INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE from a stack of at least 20 downloaded and printed worldwide newspapers. Ah the wonders of technology.
Oct 20, 2003
DBX-LHR / EK 001
Sched: 07:45-12:15
Actual: 08:15-12:45
Boeing 777-300
Seat 2A
Class F
Flying time: 7hr 30 min
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end- but hopefully not all at once!. I should have heeded the ominous warnings which swirled about like the early morning fog at Dubai Airport.
The gate was BEDLAM This mornings Heathrow flight was clearly overbooked and people were milling about at the boarding gate. The jetway remained closed until all the errant cattle were herded into the waiting pen. Priority Boarding? It doesn't exist. Take a place in line.
First Class is completely full. The cabin crew, this time is a mix of geninuely friendly English, South African
and Australians. We await the arrival of a VIP- some important Arab important enough to merit recognition from the crew and then we're off. Again, the famous hot towel service, mineral water, Champagne or a refreshing fruit cocktail of lemonade with mint, mango, green apple juice and grenadine. Dates are proffered on a silver platter and thimbles of Arabic coffee are poured around the cabin.
Take-off is powerful, yet uneventful and from my seat I observe heavy freighter traffic into Dubai. There are no carriers other than Emirates at this hour.
We head out over the Gulf and climb to our cruising altitude of 34,000 and begin our Northern trek bringing us over Bahrain, and Damman, Saudi Arabia at which point a continental Breakfast was served.
Juice
Fruit Juices
Appetizers
Assorted fruit
of seasonal fruits
yoghurt
natural or fruit
Main courses
Cold Selection
a selection of cheese, which includes red leicester, Emmental, smoked cheese and feta cheese, served with garnish
Bread
Bread Basket
selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with Normandie butter and preserves
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
freshly brewed, decaffinated, expresso or cappuccino
Most passengers chose to sleep or watch their PTV's. This aircraft was identical to the previous one I flew up from JNB in, but a quick check of the magazine rack told me that it wasn't the exact same aircraft. It was hard to tell the difference as both aircraft were new.(or clean!)
I stretched out on my sleeper seat with one eye on AIRSHOW and noted that the pilots took a very careful course which skirted outside the southern border of IRAQ . Perhaps Iraqi Airspace is restricted or the airline is simply not taking the chance of meeting an errant missile Whatever; I feel safe.
I must have nodded off because the aircraft is now over Southern Turkey and the tables are set for LUNCH and this time we get PLASTIC knives. ButBIG PLASTIC Knives. I am surprised how sharp and strong they are and I fiddle with them for a long time.
Several bottles of good VINTAGE DOM PERIGON 1995 are decanted into glasses around the cabin and after a hot towel service, some delicious morsels are tonged onto waiting plates from heaped silver platters
Canapes
a selection of hot canapes, which includes Arabic pizza, crab claws, cheese poppers and chicken kofta
Over Bulgaria we ate a magnificant repast served with flair and care from a fully laden silver trolley This is what inflight catering should be and it was.
Lunch
Appetisers
Caviar
served with traditional accompaniments, sour cream and blinis
(This was served from the biggest tin I've ever seen and a massive mound was scooped onto my plate. Oddly enough, only a small number of passsengers chose to enjoy this and it was the first and last time Caviar was offered
on all of my flights)
Arabic Meeze
a selection of traditional Arabic mezze, including hommous, tabouleh, makdous, stuffed vine leaves and herbed feta cheese
Marinated Thai Chicken
marinated and braised Thai chicken breast, served with a kumquat confit, accompanied with a tangy sweet chilli sauce
Soup and Salad
Smoked Aubergine Soup
creamy soup made from smoked aubergines, served with garlic roasted croutons
Freshly Prepared Salad
salad prepared seatside by your crew to your liking with a choice of accompaniments
offered with chive mayonnaise or vinaigrette
Main Courses
Moroccan Chicken
Moroccan style lemon chicken, served with a thick olive and herb coulis
Lamb Rack
spiced roasted lamb rack on the bone, served with a succulent date and fig chuntney
Seared Scallops
wok seared scallops and prawns, served in a mild creamy coconut sauce, enhanced with green asparagus and pak choy leaves
Rucola Ravioli
ravioli filled with rucola and a variety of three Italian cheese, served with a sun dried tomatoe sauce on a bed of Mediterranean vegetables, topped with shaved parmesan
Fillet of Garoupa
your choice of a low calorie meal will be seared fillet of garoupa, served with sauteed cherry tomatoes, linguini pasta and vegetable medley
Vegetables
sauteed pak choy, French beans, ****ake mushrooms, grilled baby leeks, turned mixed vegetables, saffron rice and chateau dill potatoes
Desserts
Chocolate Rice Puff
crispy chocolate rice puff and almond mousse set on a sponge base, topped with a cherry mirror, served with a berry compote
Caramelized Pineapple
caramelized pineapple on creme patissier, served slightly gratinated
Cheese
International Cheeseboard
a selection of international cheese, served with crackers, breads, grapes and crudites
Fruit
Selection of Seasonal Fruits
Chocolates
a selection of Godiva Belgian Chocolates
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
Freshly brewed, decaffinated, expresso, cappuccino
This meal ended somewhere over Austria and the rest of the flight passed with appreciative burps all around. I couldn't vouch for the back of the plane, but the last time I looked, the J class passengers were eating and drinking out of what looked like thimbles
I've flown into Heathrow more times than I care to count, but this time the routing was different in that we flew directly over the mouth of and UP the Thames I had an amazing view of the coastline as far as the eye could scan. I have never seen the legendary green fields of England in such a scorched palette of BROWNS. The long hot summer of 2003 has left its indelible mark.
Drayton Approach consigned us promptly to the Sin Bin and we endlessly circled the far north and far eastern terraces of London, all the while marvelling the sprawling row houses which seemed to spiral on forever.
I'm never sure which immigration line will be shorter in Heathrow, so to be safe I have a Fast Track insurance pass in my back pocket. It won't be needed.
and I'm through Terminal 3 in a shot. 12.45pm is a good time to arrive.
Emirates provides all First and Y passengers with a chauffeur drive service and my driver was patiently waiting to whisk me off to my central London hotel in a very smart black Merc. Traffic was minimal and I was at 41 Hotel near Victoria in less than 40 mins and ready to tackle come what may.
(To be Con't)
[This message has been edited by catch22 (edited 10-28-2003).]
Oct 28, 2003, 7:02 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Great report! It sounds like the service style is up to the same quality as the amazing new first class suites on the A345s which will be appearing in Sydney soon... could this be the new winner for the most comfortable and luxurious way to get from Australia to Europe?
Nov 22, 2003, 12:57 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Any word on the LHR-DBX-JNB return yet?
Great report so far. Looking forward to your return.
Great report so far. Looking forward to your return.