LGW - DXB - PER, Emirates (EK) in First and Business
Dec 26, 2006, 11:39 pm
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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Posts: 1,077
LGW - DXB - PER, Emirates (EK) in First and Business
Saturday 16th January 2006 (Very long! Please feel free to ask any questions.)
The tickets for this trip were booked through Wexas Travellers Club in the UK, who I thought I would take advantage of, having been a member for a couple of years but had booked nothing through them. The tickets were no cheaper nor more expensive than anywhere else though the service received was good.
I’m a well travelled person, and usually book tickets direct with airlines. However, on this occasion it made much more sense to purchase from an agent for two reasons. First, we can pay a 10% deposit and not pay the rest until 10 weeks before the journey and second, we got a cheaper rate through Wexas than we would have done from Emirates direct. In reality, it would have been more beneficial to purchase the tickets on the spot, as Emirates went on to raise their prices after about 3 months, meaning that we had an option to buy at the held rate, or take the hit of a fare increase in June/July. I was half expecting this anyway, given that it had happened on the previous journey booked in exactly the same way. If doing the same again, I would probably book direct with the airline, and pay immediately rather than pay a deposit.
It’s a little confusing when you are not given clear instructions about what you are going to receive and when now that e-tickets prevail – you pay £2,500 for a ticket and don’t get anything to speak of in advance of travel – this can be a little confusing/worrying! We got an itinerary/confirmation, but six months in advance of the journey, did not actually reflect the journeys that took place (there were several time changes mainly due to the adoption of daylight saving in Western Australia)!
Friday 15th January 2006
The limousine company called at about 4pm to confirm the time for pickup on Saturday. The elected time was 06:15, which was probably the best time given that the weekend getaway had commenced at Gatwick.
Limousine
The limousine arrived at just before 06:15, and we were in it an on our way after about 5 minutes. The car was a Volvo Estate of some description (sorry not very good with car models), which left plenty of room for our large quantity of luggage (3 large bags, and two well filled pieces of hand-luggage). The ride from south east London through to Gatwick was uneventful and smooth, no traffic at this time of the morning en-route, and we arrived at Gatwick at 07:15. The queue for the car park was enormous, trailing back to the round-about that you turn off from the spur-road. The queue for the departures area was also fairly long, due (I suspect) to people who do not wish to park because of the closure of the multi story car park, and chose instead to remain in their cars until such time as a relative calls to say they've arrived!
The ride was pretty good all-told, so Emirates get a thumbs up for this. ^
Check-in
The check in hall was absolute carnage, thanks in the main to First Choice Airways who seem to block up the whole area with their passengers. I would choose not to travel with First Choice Airways based on this alone. Anyway, Emirates are located on the left hand side of the terminal (the nearest point on the left as you drive up to the departures area ramp). There is a dedicated First and Business check in desk to the left of the main check-in area. The economy check-in area is to the right. At 07:20 or so there were not many passengers about, so we approached the First desk, there was only one other passenger checking in at the Business counter. Before you get to the counter there is a podium, which was staffed by two gentlemen who give out the pre-written lounge invitations. We had a general invitation for the Gatwick Lounge and a Business Lounge invitation for DXB.
At the check-in desk we were asked how many pieces of luggage we had, and were given 'First' tags for our hand luggage. Our checked bags were tagged 'First Priority' even though we only had one segment in First. Check in was fairly swift taking only a few minutes. ^
Security - LGW (Gatwick)
In short - a pathetic attempt at security, my customer satisfaction level was incredibly low at this point. There is no fast-track service on offer here, and no sign of a decent level of service. The queues are not managed and some make-shift queue lengthening (like you get in theme parks) was in action making the queues appear shorter than they actually are. BAA/Ferrovial get your act together, you've had 4 months since the 'security scare' and enough is enough – you are seriously letting the UK down in terms of visitor’s first impressions of a country! Most of the scanners were operational, but there were at least two that were not. The queues have a rather pointless shoe on or off policy, whereby if you want to avoid taking your shoes off, you just look for a queue where people are not being asked to take off shoes. Either make everyone take them off or no-one, but not this stupid/pointless mix!
The Gatwick Lounge
After plodding around the departures area and getting a few bits and pieces, we wandered through to the Gatwick Lounge. We were greeted by a man and a woman wearing the Emirates uniform. We were asked if we had been to the lounge before, to which we replied 'no' and asked if we wanted a tour. It was about 08:40 at this stage and we were told that boarding would be in about 30 minutes (it did not take an hour to get through security, more like 30 – 40 minutes, which I though was more than long enough when it used to take a matter of minutes). We were shown where the television's, the smoking room, the food and drink, and the business centre were, and all told it is a quality lounge. Plenty of chairs – there must have been more than 200 (almost as big as Dubai), there were about 16 computer terminals in the business centre, and about 6-8 desks for laptop use. There were newspapers and magazines available at various positions throughout the lounge, and free Internet Access. The chairs were beige and brown leather and the flooring was a mix of carpet and tiles.
The lounge was spacious and had a reasonably sized dining area near the food. The food was not cooked on mass, and was put out as required. All food looked like it had been carefully prepared rather than being mass produced. The drinks available included a full bar, coffee, tea and soft drinks.
The toilets were well appointed (Kenneth Turner Blue Tangerine hand wash and moisturiser were available) and there were 2 or 3 shower cubicles available for use. A Hair Dryer and shaver point was also available.
EK12 - LGW - DXB, First
We were called to board at about 09:20, and the gate was 102 which is on the relatively new pier which is a good 10-15 minute walk from the lounge. You have to go up a rather long escalator, along a rather long walkway, and down an equally long escalator. When we arrived at the gate, there was no-one else at the gate apart from the staff. Our documents were checked and we were ushered through for immediate boarding. We were the first on board (in First), and were shown to our seats.
The A330-200 aircraft was clean and spacious, but obviously one of the older aircraft based on the seats that were available. They were large, rectangular seats, with a 'hood' above the head and a slide-out footrest. The seats were generally comfortable, but after a few hours I found my back beginning to ache. The lumbar support did nothing to help. There were no power points in the seats, though the crew offered to recharge my computer in the galley if I ran out of battery power – I didn’t take them up on this offer. The controls for the seat were in the arm-rest, and the recline/upright, legrest in/out, lumbar support buttons were all on the left arm-rest (I was by the window), and the hood control was in the side of the arm-rest. I could not tell you what the seat pitch on the A330 was, but we were in row 2 and I could not reach the seat in front without sliding down in my chair. I am 6’ 3” if that helps you work it out. When in full recline, the seat in front *could* have ‘squashed’ my feet which would have been uncomfortable at best, and painful at worst.
Overhead storage was only available above the side seats, and none was available above the centre seats. There seemed to be plenty to go around, and I'm sure the crew would have done whatever they could to secure storage for first passengers if there had been a problem.
The boarding continued, and as First Class was full, we waited for the others to board. Thinking our luck was in and First Class was really empty, our peace was shattered by two unruly children, a fish wife and her mute, browbeaten husband. We were then privileged with two more children and their parents, alongside two individuals who were travelling independently.
Completely OT: The story of the children was a contrasting one. The second set of children took their seats, their mum and dad sat behind them, and they played the games and watched the films quite contently, only becoming noticeable when one of them won a game. Being the other side of the cabin we barely heard a peep out of them. The two that were sat in front of us were truly vile children, but probably nothing that wouldn't have been tempered by a bit of attention from their parents who were both adamant that they were going to sleep the entire flight and ignore their unruly beasts. The crew tried their best, but the children were not interested in talking. Parents normally have a bundle of 'things' to keep their children occupied, games, toys, colouring books, food, and whatever else it takes to occupy them. Not so in this case.
Now, as a rule, I enjoy the company of children, not having any myself, and unlikely to, I get enjoyment out of seeing children laughing and playing together. What I don't like is when parents have little or no control over their children, and worse, when the parents do little or nothing to shield unwilling participants in the children's game from bad behaviour. The flight in our little A330-200 was not a smooth flight, but the children decided that once the meal service was over, they would recline their chairs and start to play on them like trampolines. The mother with her eyeshades on, and the father having taken some sedative (I would assume) decided that being a parent was not for him today. Thank god they were travelling no further than Dubai!
The entertainment system was the old-style loop system where they play one 'track' followed by another. This means that they do not repeat the same 'loop' twice and you get a different set of films and entertainment on each loop. I think they may have repeated one of them, since the flight was 6 and a half hours long, and the loops were about 2 and a half hours each. Although not as good as ICE, I still think this is a good system (although it can be a little complex to decode the entertainment listing magazine as they cram 2 months into every edition), which presents a variety of content. I believe that there were also games on the system, though I did not look at any of these.
Our noise cancelling headphones were supplied in seat in a black velvet bag. The headphone plug was a triple pin design, I suspect two of them handle the power for the noise cancelling feature of the headphones. They were very effective at drowning out the noise of the children and the fish wife!
Beverage service
We were served a lovely Dom Pérignon 1998 having boarded the plane, this turned out to be a requirement to keep us slightly sedated and prevent any unnecessary deaths on board. Boarding seemed to take about an hour by the time it was complete, and I think we must have left the lounge just after 09:00. We were left with our glasses for take-off which seemed a little odd given that they were empty, and they were glass! Shortly after this, the pre-take-off 'pings' happened, and one of the children decided that he did not want to fly today, so started screaming at the top of his voice 'let me off, I want to get off, get me out of here' to which the head steward (sorry don't know what they are referred to on Emirates) appeared from behind the galley curtain and said 'what's going on here, we can't have this behaviour on board' (which was obviously very effective for calming down a 4/5 year old screamer!) at which the mother appeared from behind her eyeshades and swapped seats with one of the children and calmed him down. Then we took off!
The wines that were available on this flight were: -
White Wine
William Fèvre - Châblis 1er Cru Montmains
Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa – Valley Fumé Blanc
Rijk’s – Private Cellars Smillon
Red Wine
Château Pichon-Longueville – Pauillac
Heitz Cellers, Napa Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon
Ermitage Chapoutier – Ermitage ‘Les Climats’
Port was also served – Croft 1998
There was also a full bar service which I did not take advantage of (too busy drinking the exclusive features of the First Wine, Champagne and Port selection), as well as a supporting role of still water.
Lunch
Lunch consisted of Cocktails with Canapés, Appetisers, Soup and Salad, Main Course, Dessert, Cheese, Fruit and hot beverages & chocolates.
One thing I noticed about the service is that the crew were not very confident about how to best serve the food. It was all done in a silver service style, but this is not always suited to an aircraft with the major and minor turbulence that you experience. Although there was little/no spillage of food (well not that I noticed anyway), I always think tongs would be more suited to serving food than a spoon and a fork! Just a little side thought for you!
Cocktails and Canapés
We started with hot canapés of Spinach fatayer, chicken kibbeh, lamb kebab and seafood vol au vent. I selected the chicken kibbeh and the lamb kebab. Both were tasty, though the chicken kibbeh was the most enjoyable (and unusual) for me.
Appetizers
The choices for appetizers were Iranian Caviar, Arabic Mezze and a Seared Tuna Fillet. I chose the Arabic Mezze, some of which was a little ‘smoky’ for my western tastes (what is it they use to get that smoky flavour, is it a spice of some description?). The tabbouleh, aubergine salad and marinated artichokes suited me down to the ground though. There were 6 different mezze’s served.
Soup and Salad
The Mezze was followed by a superb Broccoli and Stilton Soup. It had the crunchiest and tastiest croutons I have ever had in soup, and the soup itself was absolutely delicious! There was also a choice of a seasonal salad served with croutons, shaved parmesan with mayonnaise and chive or balsamic dressing.
Main Course
My choice for the main course was the braised lamb shanks which were not quite what I expected, but very nice anyway. They were served Arabic style (stuffed with haloumi or feta cheese and spinach I think). The lamb was accompanied by roasted and steamed vegetables.
I selected the Château Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac to have with my lunch, which was a more than suitable accompaniment!
The other menu choices were Grilled Chicken Breast, Fillet of Halibut, Saffron Linguini and Salmon Fillet.
Dessert
There were only two choices for dessert, Lemon Tart and Date Cake, both of which I skipped in favour of cheese. By this stage I was a little stuffed, and not that keen on eating much more.
The dessert, cheese, and fruit were presented on a trolley from which you could select all or any of the options.
Cheese
This was just a simple selection of cheeses which were labelled on the trolley, so I could pick and choose what I wanted. I selected some cheese and crackers and had some fruit with them.
I will try and post the full menus and drinks lists once I have access to a scanner.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea consisted of a selection of sandwiches, a variety of pastries, scones, and Dundee Cake served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, as well as tea, coffee and other beverages. The scones are large and were well warmed through. They did not do a second round, but did offer additional drinks as they started to clear away (I’m sure if you wanted another scone, they would have been more than happy to supply one).
Summary
The service was just about paced at the right speed, not rushed and not too long, though it must have been a good two hours by the end of the service. I enjoyed the service that we were given and found the staff to be attentive but not over-attentive. Hot towels were provided at various points throughout the flight, and were welcome too (though were very hot).
All meals were served on quality china, and all drinks were served in glasses. The glasses were left with us during take-off (even though they were empty) which was a little annoying, had they been full the story would have been different. The cutlery was metal with the exception of knives which were plastic from London, and I thought they were metal from Dubai to Australia but I may have that bit wrong!
Our seats in the first cabin were secured using an upgrade with miles from the business cabin (though I did try to purchase the upgrade using cash which seemed to be a foreign concept to the staff at the Emirates call centre). The process for upgrading by phone was quick and easy (as I could not successfully submit the form on the web site), and I have found in general the Emirates call centre staff to be friendly and capable of their jobs. For this upgrade, we purchased an additional 22,000 miles, and we secured two seats on this flight without any trouble at all.
The annoying children were the only main problem on the flight. I will not start the children in premium cabins debate here, as I do not think children should be excluded from any cabin (why shouldn’t they travel with their parents in a premium cabin?), but I do not see any reason why children should be allowed to run free, cause havoc and annoy 10, 50 or 200 other people that do not know them, and they do not know.
I like Emirates, and feel that they do their best to offer a quality service at a reasonably price. The tickets for this flight were not cheap, but they were amongst the cheapest for a business class fare, and Emirates offer a good connection time in Dubai (though we elected to take a longer connection time to explore the airport a bit more - tip, don't extend the connection time unless you have to, there's not that much to do!). The service that is offered can feel a little complicated or fussy, but I think that's because you can usually see some part of the organisation taking place. There is always a food trolley that gets wheeled down the aisle because it's in the wrong place to start with and it either needs to be wheeled from business to First or vice-versa. This would be my only criticism of Emirates. I can't recall meeting any of the 'culture clashes' that I have seen reported on other trip reports, and have not witnessed any surly staff on board.
I've not yet experienced poor service from Emirates, though anything is possible. Travelling as a Blue, Silver and currently Gold Skywards member has made little/no difference to my travel experience to date, but may well have some bearing on it in the future.
EK420 - DXB - PER, Business
Coming soon!
Code:
LGW - DXB EK12 10:00 First (F) DXB - PER EK420 02:35 Business (J)
I’m a well travelled person, and usually book tickets direct with airlines. However, on this occasion it made much more sense to purchase from an agent for two reasons. First, we can pay a 10% deposit and not pay the rest until 10 weeks before the journey and second, we got a cheaper rate through Wexas than we would have done from Emirates direct. In reality, it would have been more beneficial to purchase the tickets on the spot, as Emirates went on to raise their prices after about 3 months, meaning that we had an option to buy at the held rate, or take the hit of a fare increase in June/July. I was half expecting this anyway, given that it had happened on the previous journey booked in exactly the same way. If doing the same again, I would probably book direct with the airline, and pay immediately rather than pay a deposit.
It’s a little confusing when you are not given clear instructions about what you are going to receive and when now that e-tickets prevail – you pay £2,500 for a ticket and don’t get anything to speak of in advance of travel – this can be a little confusing/worrying! We got an itinerary/confirmation, but six months in advance of the journey, did not actually reflect the journeys that took place (there were several time changes mainly due to the adoption of daylight saving in Western Australia)!
Friday 15th January 2006
The limousine company called at about 4pm to confirm the time for pickup on Saturday. The elected time was 06:15, which was probably the best time given that the weekend getaway had commenced at Gatwick.
Limousine
The limousine arrived at just before 06:15, and we were in it an on our way after about 5 minutes. The car was a Volvo Estate of some description (sorry not very good with car models), which left plenty of room for our large quantity of luggage (3 large bags, and two well filled pieces of hand-luggage). The ride from south east London through to Gatwick was uneventful and smooth, no traffic at this time of the morning en-route, and we arrived at Gatwick at 07:15. The queue for the car park was enormous, trailing back to the round-about that you turn off from the spur-road. The queue for the departures area was also fairly long, due (I suspect) to people who do not wish to park because of the closure of the multi story car park, and chose instead to remain in their cars until such time as a relative calls to say they've arrived!
The ride was pretty good all-told, so Emirates get a thumbs up for this. ^
Check-in
The check in hall was absolute carnage, thanks in the main to First Choice Airways who seem to block up the whole area with their passengers. I would choose not to travel with First Choice Airways based on this alone. Anyway, Emirates are located on the left hand side of the terminal (the nearest point on the left as you drive up to the departures area ramp). There is a dedicated First and Business check in desk to the left of the main check-in area. The economy check-in area is to the right. At 07:20 or so there were not many passengers about, so we approached the First desk, there was only one other passenger checking in at the Business counter. Before you get to the counter there is a podium, which was staffed by two gentlemen who give out the pre-written lounge invitations. We had a general invitation for the Gatwick Lounge and a Business Lounge invitation for DXB.
At the check-in desk we were asked how many pieces of luggage we had, and were given 'First' tags for our hand luggage. Our checked bags were tagged 'First Priority' even though we only had one segment in First. Check in was fairly swift taking only a few minutes. ^
Security - LGW (Gatwick)
In short - a pathetic attempt at security, my customer satisfaction level was incredibly low at this point. There is no fast-track service on offer here, and no sign of a decent level of service. The queues are not managed and some make-shift queue lengthening (like you get in theme parks) was in action making the queues appear shorter than they actually are. BAA/Ferrovial get your act together, you've had 4 months since the 'security scare' and enough is enough – you are seriously letting the UK down in terms of visitor’s first impressions of a country! Most of the scanners were operational, but there were at least two that were not. The queues have a rather pointless shoe on or off policy, whereby if you want to avoid taking your shoes off, you just look for a queue where people are not being asked to take off shoes. Either make everyone take them off or no-one, but not this stupid/pointless mix!
The Gatwick Lounge
After plodding around the departures area and getting a few bits and pieces, we wandered through to the Gatwick Lounge. We were greeted by a man and a woman wearing the Emirates uniform. We were asked if we had been to the lounge before, to which we replied 'no' and asked if we wanted a tour. It was about 08:40 at this stage and we were told that boarding would be in about 30 minutes (it did not take an hour to get through security, more like 30 – 40 minutes, which I though was more than long enough when it used to take a matter of minutes). We were shown where the television's, the smoking room, the food and drink, and the business centre were, and all told it is a quality lounge. Plenty of chairs – there must have been more than 200 (almost as big as Dubai), there were about 16 computer terminals in the business centre, and about 6-8 desks for laptop use. There were newspapers and magazines available at various positions throughout the lounge, and free Internet Access. The chairs were beige and brown leather and the flooring was a mix of carpet and tiles.
The lounge was spacious and had a reasonably sized dining area near the food. The food was not cooked on mass, and was put out as required. All food looked like it had been carefully prepared rather than being mass produced. The drinks available included a full bar, coffee, tea and soft drinks.
The toilets were well appointed (Kenneth Turner Blue Tangerine hand wash and moisturiser were available) and there were 2 or 3 shower cubicles available for use. A Hair Dryer and shaver point was also available.
EK12 - LGW - DXB, First
We were called to board at about 09:20, and the gate was 102 which is on the relatively new pier which is a good 10-15 minute walk from the lounge. You have to go up a rather long escalator, along a rather long walkway, and down an equally long escalator. When we arrived at the gate, there was no-one else at the gate apart from the staff. Our documents were checked and we were ushered through for immediate boarding. We were the first on board (in First), and were shown to our seats.
The A330-200 aircraft was clean and spacious, but obviously one of the older aircraft based on the seats that were available. They were large, rectangular seats, with a 'hood' above the head and a slide-out footrest. The seats were generally comfortable, but after a few hours I found my back beginning to ache. The lumbar support did nothing to help. There were no power points in the seats, though the crew offered to recharge my computer in the galley if I ran out of battery power – I didn’t take them up on this offer. The controls for the seat were in the arm-rest, and the recline/upright, legrest in/out, lumbar support buttons were all on the left arm-rest (I was by the window), and the hood control was in the side of the arm-rest. I could not tell you what the seat pitch on the A330 was, but we were in row 2 and I could not reach the seat in front without sliding down in my chair. I am 6’ 3” if that helps you work it out. When in full recline, the seat in front *could* have ‘squashed’ my feet which would have been uncomfortable at best, and painful at worst.
Overhead storage was only available above the side seats, and none was available above the centre seats. There seemed to be plenty to go around, and I'm sure the crew would have done whatever they could to secure storage for first passengers if there had been a problem.
The boarding continued, and as First Class was full, we waited for the others to board. Thinking our luck was in and First Class was really empty, our peace was shattered by two unruly children, a fish wife and her mute, browbeaten husband. We were then privileged with two more children and their parents, alongside two individuals who were travelling independently.
Completely OT: The story of the children was a contrasting one. The second set of children took their seats, their mum and dad sat behind them, and they played the games and watched the films quite contently, only becoming noticeable when one of them won a game. Being the other side of the cabin we barely heard a peep out of them. The two that were sat in front of us were truly vile children, but probably nothing that wouldn't have been tempered by a bit of attention from their parents who were both adamant that they were going to sleep the entire flight and ignore their unruly beasts. The crew tried their best, but the children were not interested in talking. Parents normally have a bundle of 'things' to keep their children occupied, games, toys, colouring books, food, and whatever else it takes to occupy them. Not so in this case.
Now, as a rule, I enjoy the company of children, not having any myself, and unlikely to, I get enjoyment out of seeing children laughing and playing together. What I don't like is when parents have little or no control over their children, and worse, when the parents do little or nothing to shield unwilling participants in the children's game from bad behaviour. The flight in our little A330-200 was not a smooth flight, but the children decided that once the meal service was over, they would recline their chairs and start to play on them like trampolines. The mother with her eyeshades on, and the father having taken some sedative (I would assume) decided that being a parent was not for him today. Thank god they were travelling no further than Dubai!
The entertainment system was the old-style loop system where they play one 'track' followed by another. This means that they do not repeat the same 'loop' twice and you get a different set of films and entertainment on each loop. I think they may have repeated one of them, since the flight was 6 and a half hours long, and the loops were about 2 and a half hours each. Although not as good as ICE, I still think this is a good system (although it can be a little complex to decode the entertainment listing magazine as they cram 2 months into every edition), which presents a variety of content. I believe that there were also games on the system, though I did not look at any of these.
Our noise cancelling headphones were supplied in seat in a black velvet bag. The headphone plug was a triple pin design, I suspect two of them handle the power for the noise cancelling feature of the headphones. They were very effective at drowning out the noise of the children and the fish wife!
Beverage service
We were served a lovely Dom Pérignon 1998 having boarded the plane, this turned out to be a requirement to keep us slightly sedated and prevent any unnecessary deaths on board. Boarding seemed to take about an hour by the time it was complete, and I think we must have left the lounge just after 09:00. We were left with our glasses for take-off which seemed a little odd given that they were empty, and they were glass! Shortly after this, the pre-take-off 'pings' happened, and one of the children decided that he did not want to fly today, so started screaming at the top of his voice 'let me off, I want to get off, get me out of here' to which the head steward (sorry don't know what they are referred to on Emirates) appeared from behind the galley curtain and said 'what's going on here, we can't have this behaviour on board' (which was obviously very effective for calming down a 4/5 year old screamer!) at which the mother appeared from behind her eyeshades and swapped seats with one of the children and calmed him down. Then we took off!
The wines that were available on this flight were: -
White Wine
William Fèvre - Châblis 1er Cru Montmains
Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa – Valley Fumé Blanc
Rijk’s – Private Cellars Smillon
Red Wine
Château Pichon-Longueville – Pauillac
Heitz Cellers, Napa Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon
Ermitage Chapoutier – Ermitage ‘Les Climats’
Port was also served – Croft 1998
There was also a full bar service which I did not take advantage of (too busy drinking the exclusive features of the First Wine, Champagne and Port selection), as well as a supporting role of still water.
Lunch
Lunch consisted of Cocktails with Canapés, Appetisers, Soup and Salad, Main Course, Dessert, Cheese, Fruit and hot beverages & chocolates.
One thing I noticed about the service is that the crew were not very confident about how to best serve the food. It was all done in a silver service style, but this is not always suited to an aircraft with the major and minor turbulence that you experience. Although there was little/no spillage of food (well not that I noticed anyway), I always think tongs would be more suited to serving food than a spoon and a fork! Just a little side thought for you!
Cocktails and Canapés
We started with hot canapés of Spinach fatayer, chicken kibbeh, lamb kebab and seafood vol au vent. I selected the chicken kibbeh and the lamb kebab. Both were tasty, though the chicken kibbeh was the most enjoyable (and unusual) for me.
Appetizers
The choices for appetizers were Iranian Caviar, Arabic Mezze and a Seared Tuna Fillet. I chose the Arabic Mezze, some of which was a little ‘smoky’ for my western tastes (what is it they use to get that smoky flavour, is it a spice of some description?). The tabbouleh, aubergine salad and marinated artichokes suited me down to the ground though. There were 6 different mezze’s served.
Soup and Salad
The Mezze was followed by a superb Broccoli and Stilton Soup. It had the crunchiest and tastiest croutons I have ever had in soup, and the soup itself was absolutely delicious! There was also a choice of a seasonal salad served with croutons, shaved parmesan with mayonnaise and chive or balsamic dressing.
Main Course
My choice for the main course was the braised lamb shanks which were not quite what I expected, but very nice anyway. They were served Arabic style (stuffed with haloumi or feta cheese and spinach I think). The lamb was accompanied by roasted and steamed vegetables.
I selected the Château Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac to have with my lunch, which was a more than suitable accompaniment!
The other menu choices were Grilled Chicken Breast, Fillet of Halibut, Saffron Linguini and Salmon Fillet.
Dessert
There were only two choices for dessert, Lemon Tart and Date Cake, both of which I skipped in favour of cheese. By this stage I was a little stuffed, and not that keen on eating much more.
The dessert, cheese, and fruit were presented on a trolley from which you could select all or any of the options.
Cheese
This was just a simple selection of cheeses which were labelled on the trolley, so I could pick and choose what I wanted. I selected some cheese and crackers and had some fruit with them.
I will try and post the full menus and drinks lists once I have access to a scanner.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea consisted of a selection of sandwiches, a variety of pastries, scones, and Dundee Cake served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, as well as tea, coffee and other beverages. The scones are large and were well warmed through. They did not do a second round, but did offer additional drinks as they started to clear away (I’m sure if you wanted another scone, they would have been more than happy to supply one).
Summary
The service was just about paced at the right speed, not rushed and not too long, though it must have been a good two hours by the end of the service. I enjoyed the service that we were given and found the staff to be attentive but not over-attentive. Hot towels were provided at various points throughout the flight, and were welcome too (though were very hot).
All meals were served on quality china, and all drinks were served in glasses. The glasses were left with us during take-off (even though they were empty) which was a little annoying, had they been full the story would have been different. The cutlery was metal with the exception of knives which were plastic from London, and I thought they were metal from Dubai to Australia but I may have that bit wrong!
Our seats in the first cabin were secured using an upgrade with miles from the business cabin (though I did try to purchase the upgrade using cash which seemed to be a foreign concept to the staff at the Emirates call centre). The process for upgrading by phone was quick and easy (as I could not successfully submit the form on the web site), and I have found in general the Emirates call centre staff to be friendly and capable of their jobs. For this upgrade, we purchased an additional 22,000 miles, and we secured two seats on this flight without any trouble at all.
The annoying children were the only main problem on the flight. I will not start the children in premium cabins debate here, as I do not think children should be excluded from any cabin (why shouldn’t they travel with their parents in a premium cabin?), but I do not see any reason why children should be allowed to run free, cause havoc and annoy 10, 50 or 200 other people that do not know them, and they do not know.
I like Emirates, and feel that they do their best to offer a quality service at a reasonably price. The tickets for this flight were not cheap, but they were amongst the cheapest for a business class fare, and Emirates offer a good connection time in Dubai (though we elected to take a longer connection time to explore the airport a bit more - tip, don't extend the connection time unless you have to, there's not that much to do!). The service that is offered can feel a little complicated or fussy, but I think that's because you can usually see some part of the organisation taking place. There is always a food trolley that gets wheeled down the aisle because it's in the wrong place to start with and it either needs to be wheeled from business to First or vice-versa. This would be my only criticism of Emirates. I can't recall meeting any of the 'culture clashes' that I have seen reported on other trip reports, and have not witnessed any surly staff on board.
I've not yet experienced poor service from Emirates, though anything is possible. Travelling as a Blue, Silver and currently Gold Skywards member has made little/no difference to my travel experience to date, but may well have some bearing on it in the future.
EK420 - DXB - PER, Business
Coming soon!
Last edited by jakesterUK; Dec 28, 2006 at 10:10 pm Reason: Some additional thoughts (in green)..
Mar 12, 2007, 4:22 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (Oneworld Sapphire), VS Silver, Skywards Blue, UA General, Qantas Bronze.
Posts: 1,077
I promised more, so here you are!
Business Class Wine list to follow, followed by more trip report and full menus.
Mar 12, 2007, 4:28 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (Oneworld Sapphire), VS Silver, Skywards Blue, UA General, Qantas Bronze.
Posts: 1,077
Business Class Wine List
Disclaimer!
If there are any spelling mistakes, I apologise, but I have scanned the menus and used OCR to turn them into text for this review! Apologies to any French (and any other nationalities) who may be reading this document and not seeing the correct spelling/grammar - OCR is not good at identifying which language things are written in!
Champagne
Charles Ellner
Cuvee de Reserve Brut
The family-run house of Charles Elmer owns vineyards in the best sites in the Champagne region, allowing them to produce wines of great finesse and quality.
The Cuvee de Reserve is made from a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, giving it a combination of sweet, ripe buttery fruit with an underlying backbone of racy acidity, perfect either as an aperitif or with seafood.
White Wine
Pascal Jolivet – Pouilly Fumé
Vintage 2004
One of the youngest wine houses in France, Pascal Jolivet is also acclaimed to be one of the most dynamic. Situated east of Sancerre and Bourges, the Pascal Jolivet PouiIly vineyards are set high in the hills overlooking the Loire River. A wine of considerable finesse, this PouiIly Fumé is steely, with attractive minerality, verve and balance.
Wither Hills – Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage 2005
Produced by John and Brent Marris, the oldest family dynasty in the Marlborough wine industry, this vibrant wine presents a brilliant lemon-lime colour. Distinctive herbaceous and gooseberry aromas support a balanced palate offering purity of ripe fruit coupled with a lingering, harmonious finish. The seamlessness of this wine is driven by the exceptional flavours, providing elegance rarely seen with this variety.
Red Wine
Chateau Potensac – Médoc
Vintage 1996
In common with all fine winemakers, the Delon family’s success at Chateau Potensac has its roots in the vineyard. A classic Cabernet nose is followed by the lovely presence of blackcurrants, figs and some spice and herbal notes on the palate. With evident super-ripe tannins, this powerful Médoc makes for deep. rich and splendid drinking.
Torbreck Estate Barossa Valley Old Vines – Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre
Vintage 2004
These vineyards are some of the most precious in the world. The original cut¬tings, from James Busby’s 1831-2 journey to France and Spain, were planted on their own roots. The old vines produce an immense depth and concentration of flavours. Ready for enjoyment, the wine offers dark cherry, cinnamon and clove flavours with hints of earth and chocolate.
Port
Warre’s Late Bottled
Vintage 1999
Derived exclusively from the prime quality vineyards that, in exceptional years, make up Warre’s renowned Vintage Ports, Warre’s Late Bottled Vintage 1999 has a full, deep ruby colour. The nose is wonderfully complex, combining fresh red fruit aromas with lifted floral hints. Rich and full bodied on the palate, there are firm tannins and a long finish.
If there are any spelling mistakes, I apologise, but I have scanned the menus and used OCR to turn them into text for this review! Apologies to any French (and any other nationalities) who may be reading this document and not seeing the correct spelling/grammar - OCR is not good at identifying which language things are written in!
Champagne
Charles Ellner
Cuvee de Reserve Brut
The family-run house of Charles Elmer owns vineyards in the best sites in the Champagne region, allowing them to produce wines of great finesse and quality.
The Cuvee de Reserve is made from a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, giving it a combination of sweet, ripe buttery fruit with an underlying backbone of racy acidity, perfect either as an aperitif or with seafood.
White Wine
Pascal Jolivet – Pouilly Fumé
Vintage 2004
One of the youngest wine houses in France, Pascal Jolivet is also acclaimed to be one of the most dynamic. Situated east of Sancerre and Bourges, the Pascal Jolivet PouiIly vineyards are set high in the hills overlooking the Loire River. A wine of considerable finesse, this PouiIly Fumé is steely, with attractive minerality, verve and balance.
Wither Hills – Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage 2005
Produced by John and Brent Marris, the oldest family dynasty in the Marlborough wine industry, this vibrant wine presents a brilliant lemon-lime colour. Distinctive herbaceous and gooseberry aromas support a balanced palate offering purity of ripe fruit coupled with a lingering, harmonious finish. The seamlessness of this wine is driven by the exceptional flavours, providing elegance rarely seen with this variety.
Red Wine
Chateau Potensac – Médoc
Vintage 1996
In common with all fine winemakers, the Delon family’s success at Chateau Potensac has its roots in the vineyard. A classic Cabernet nose is followed by the lovely presence of blackcurrants, figs and some spice and herbal notes on the palate. With evident super-ripe tannins, this powerful Médoc makes for deep. rich and splendid drinking.
Torbreck Estate Barossa Valley Old Vines – Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre
Vintage 2004
These vineyards are some of the most precious in the world. The original cut¬tings, from James Busby’s 1831-2 journey to France and Spain, were planted on their own roots. The old vines produce an immense depth and concentration of flavours. Ready for enjoyment, the wine offers dark cherry, cinnamon and clove flavours with hints of earth and chocolate.
Port
Warre’s Late Bottled
Vintage 1999
Derived exclusively from the prime quality vineyards that, in exceptional years, make up Warre’s renowned Vintage Ports, Warre’s Late Bottled Vintage 1999 has a full, deep ruby colour. The nose is wonderfully complex, combining fresh red fruit aromas with lifted floral hints. Rich and full bodied on the palate, there are firm tannins and a long finish.
Mar 12, 2007, 4:54 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (Oneworld Sapphire), VS Silver, Skywards Blue, UA General, Qantas Bronze.
Posts: 1,077
EK420 - DXB - PER, Business (17th December 2006)
Because the trip finished so long ago, most of this is coming from memory (no, I didn't make any notes!).
We recieved our boarding passes and lounge invitations at London Gatwick (by the way, Gatwick does now offer a Fast Track service which was re-introduced at the beginning of this year - 2007), and our invitation was for the Business Lounge in Dubai. I thought about trying to get into the First lounge, but really did not have the will or inclination to try!
We chose to have a longer wait in Dubai by catching an earlier flight from Gatwick than was necessary - next time we shall not bother, and we will probably fly from Heathrow (as that now seems to have the superior aircraft assigned to it). There's something about Dubai airport that I like - probably its simple layout. However, as many others have noted it is usually very busy with people everywhere. On this occasion though, Dubai airport was unusually quiet, with not as many people as I would have expected to see. The security lines were clear (of course we were among the first off the plane, and I think we arrived near the beginning of a 'wave' of arrivals). I really wish the security staff at Dubai would pay more attention to their jobs and less to their conversations with each other - they do not even give the impression of being interested.
We went down to the duty free area to have a look around. I thought it would be nice to have a leisurly stroll through duty free and make some pre-Christmas purchases. However all I wanted to do was go to the lounge and finish some work that I had wanted to do on the previous journey (but couldn't due to no in-seat power supply - Emirates offer a charging service in the Galley, but I did not take advantage of this, as I just couldn't be bothered!). Anyway, bored with duty free and having made a few purchases, we trundled off to the lounge.
Surprisingly, it was not full and there were plenty of seats to choose from - this was in stark contrast to previous visits. However, the lounge did begin to fill up as the night went on. I plugged in my laptop and worked for a good two hours - and cleared enough work that I could sit back and relax whilst in Perth.
Although we weren't really hungry, there is something to be said for the food in lounges, and I have also read that some people have not enjoyed the food in Emirates' lounges. However, I have to disagree - the food may not be exquisite, but there is a broad range, and tastes to suit everyone's pallette. The food is replaced frequently, and the staff generally keep the tables clear. It's a tough job with so many tired and weary people flooding through for a period of a few minutes to a few hours.
The flight was called on time, and we strolled off to the aircraft.
I do not remember much of boarding, so can only assume that it was pretty painless. Going back to the previous thread about children, there were also children on this flight, but we did not hear a peep out of them - perhaps the ICE kept them occupied?
Anyway, we settled in and awaited departure.
To this day, I find the haphazard attention to safety a bit bizarre. In my opinion, airlines like BA and Virgin put over their safety briefing in the clearest possible way, and the fact that Emirates does not do this puts me off ever so slightly. They certainly need a new, more up to date briefing (their current one is very dated). Anyway, they do it twice, first in English and then in Arabic, the second one seems to be ever so slightly abbreviated, but that might just be the perception. I'm not for one minute suggesting that Emirates do not take safety seriously, but the briefing does not make me feel as secure as other airline briefings do.
The briefing is better than the Austrian Airlines one which is funny the first time, but just irritating thereafter!
The plane took off, and the whole journey was pretty uneventful. These days, the flight crews seem to be very good at avoiding turbulence - part of me likes a bit of turbulence (a bit wierd, I know), but the other part of me likes a smooth flight. My partner does not enjoy flying, and so for comfort and less stress a smooth flight is best (A bit of codeine in a pain reliever seems to reduce the stress of flying).
The food served on this flight was a little odd, or rather the sequence was a little odd, however it did seem to work in a slightly bizarre way.
Emirates Menu
Emirates is pleased to invite you to enjoy its award-winning cuisine, complemented by the finest beverages.
No pork products are used in the preparation of Emirates’ cuisine. All meats served are prepared according to the Halal method.
Bar Service
Aperitifs and Cocktails
Sweet or Dry Sherry, Campari, Dry Martini,
Sweet or Dry Vermouth, Gin or Vodka Martini Old Fashioned,
Bloody Mary, Manhattan, Negroni.
Sours: Whisky, Gin, Brandy, Gin Fizz, Tom Collins.
Champagne Cocktail.
Highballs: Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Rum.
Wines
A selection of wines from the finest vineyards of the old and new world, Champagne Brut.
Spirits
Whisky: Scotch, Malt, Jack Daniels, Rye, Gin, Vodka, Bacardi Rum.
Liqueurs
Drambule, Cointreau, Tia Maria, Cognac V.S.O.P.
Bailey’s Irish Cream, Late Bottled Vintage Port.
Beers
Assortment of Beers
Soft Drinks
Fruit Juices, Cola, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water,
Natural Spring Water, Iced Tea.
Savoury Snack
Sandwiches
A Selection of Sandwiches
which include smoked salmon on kraft korn bread, grilled vegetables on white ciabatta and beef pastrami on rye bread
Savouries
A Selection of Hot Savouries
which includes grilled lamb kibbeh and samosa prawn wrap
Pastries
a selection of pastries which include melon tartlette, Philadelphia cream cheese cake with cherry mirror, sacher torte and pear bardalouse
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated. Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Brunch
Appetizers
Assorted Fruit of seasonal fruits
Main Courses
Cheese Omelette
served with roasted cherry tomatoes, turkey rashers and fried potato cubes
Fillet of Beef
seared fillet of beef, served in a asparagus and onion ragout, accompanied with spicy pomme Parisienne, spinach and yellow courgette with tomato concasse
Chilli Chicken
accompanied with steamed rice and Chinese mixed vegetables
Cheese
Cheese Selection
a selection of cheese, which includes goat cheese, port salut, cheddar, Emmenthaler, served with crudit2s, olives and tomato wedges
Desserts
Tiramisu
Italian tiramisu cake, made with coffee soaked sponge and filled with mascarpone cheese
Bread
Bread Basket
selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with butter and preserves
Beverages & Chocolates
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated. Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Chocolates
Afternoon Tea
Sandwiches
Assorted Sandwiches
selection of cheddar cheese, spicy chicken, pesto grilled lamb and prawn cocktail sandwiches
Scones
Fruit Scones
traditional fruit scones, served warm with jam and clotted cream
Cookies
selection of chocolate fudge, apricot, coconut crunch and orange macaroon cookies
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft.
As I said, the meal service was done in a bit of an odd order, however, it did 'work' in a funny sort of way, providing a quick snack after departure and allowing some quality sleep time, followed by a tasty brunch and afternoon tea before arrival. This service split up the journey into nice chunks. Not once did I feel the need to go to the galley for a snack.
The power points in the seats did not seem to want to work, so though I had my laptop with me (and some of my own entertainment), I did not get to use it as it had run out of batteries. The crew provided an adapter (there seemed to be one in Business class).
On arrival, I always make a swift exit from the plane, and try to avoid duty free, however, we were at the front of the queue and we did stop at Duty Free for a bottle of something or other! I entered immigration with my partner who is an Australian citizen. I am not, but we went in the 'local queue for local people' together and were admitted without any problems. Australian customs are very hot on anything that they require you to declare upon entry into the country, and my advice is be honest.
We were carrying some Twinings Tea (a gift) and I think about 800 cigarettes. We had to go for secondary screening with the tea, and we were only allowed our limit of 500 (I think) cigarettes. ecause the tea was wrapped/sealed, they did let us go without searching our bags manually (we obviously looked as if we were lying), however I think they had bigger fish to fry and just sent us to the machine scanners. This meant we had to chuck away 15 boxes of cigarettes before we hit customs. They used to be a little more discrete and allow a little over the odds, but they've obviously cracked down in recent times. We were carrying some bike chains/parts and the guy on the xray machine was able to identify them and check that that is what they were...
Summary
Another good trip with Emirates, no real complaints, though I would have liked a newer seat on the plane. Disappointed about the in-seat power not working, and wish that they would make power sockets slightly more robust so they can bear the weight of a plug with adaptors (some sockets have pathetic grasp of any plug that you may insert into the socket, and you have to fine a mechanism of plugging in and keeping the cable in a certain position) - or is this only my experience!
I like the 777-300ER, and the cabin feels big and spacious (we were in the second slightly larger cabin). Would have preferred to be in the First cabin, but miles and money would not stretch to this. Maybe next time!
We recieved our boarding passes and lounge invitations at London Gatwick (by the way, Gatwick does now offer a Fast Track service which was re-introduced at the beginning of this year - 2007), and our invitation was for the Business Lounge in Dubai. I thought about trying to get into the First lounge, but really did not have the will or inclination to try!
We chose to have a longer wait in Dubai by catching an earlier flight from Gatwick than was necessary - next time we shall not bother, and we will probably fly from Heathrow (as that now seems to have the superior aircraft assigned to it). There's something about Dubai airport that I like - probably its simple layout. However, as many others have noted it is usually very busy with people everywhere. On this occasion though, Dubai airport was unusually quiet, with not as many people as I would have expected to see. The security lines were clear (of course we were among the first off the plane, and I think we arrived near the beginning of a 'wave' of arrivals). I really wish the security staff at Dubai would pay more attention to their jobs and less to their conversations with each other - they do not even give the impression of being interested.
We went down to the duty free area to have a look around. I thought it would be nice to have a leisurly stroll through duty free and make some pre-Christmas purchases. However all I wanted to do was go to the lounge and finish some work that I had wanted to do on the previous journey (but couldn't due to no in-seat power supply - Emirates offer a charging service in the Galley, but I did not take advantage of this, as I just couldn't be bothered!). Anyway, bored with duty free and having made a few purchases, we trundled off to the lounge.
Surprisingly, it was not full and there were plenty of seats to choose from - this was in stark contrast to previous visits. However, the lounge did begin to fill up as the night went on. I plugged in my laptop and worked for a good two hours - and cleared enough work that I could sit back and relax whilst in Perth.
Although we weren't really hungry, there is something to be said for the food in lounges, and I have also read that some people have not enjoyed the food in Emirates' lounges. However, I have to disagree - the food may not be exquisite, but there is a broad range, and tastes to suit everyone's pallette. The food is replaced frequently, and the staff generally keep the tables clear. It's a tough job with so many tired and weary people flooding through for a period of a few minutes to a few hours.
The flight was called on time, and we strolled off to the aircraft.
I do not remember much of boarding, so can only assume that it was pretty painless. Going back to the previous thread about children, there were also children on this flight, but we did not hear a peep out of them - perhaps the ICE kept them occupied?
Anyway, we settled in and awaited departure.
To this day, I find the haphazard attention to safety a bit bizarre. In my opinion, airlines like BA and Virgin put over their safety briefing in the clearest possible way, and the fact that Emirates does not do this puts me off ever so slightly. They certainly need a new, more up to date briefing (their current one is very dated). Anyway, they do it twice, first in English and then in Arabic, the second one seems to be ever so slightly abbreviated, but that might just be the perception. I'm not for one minute suggesting that Emirates do not take safety seriously, but the briefing does not make me feel as secure as other airline briefings do.
The briefing is better than the Austrian Airlines one which is funny the first time, but just irritating thereafter!
The plane took off, and the whole journey was pretty uneventful. These days, the flight crews seem to be very good at avoiding turbulence - part of me likes a bit of turbulence (a bit wierd, I know), but the other part of me likes a smooth flight. My partner does not enjoy flying, and so for comfort and less stress a smooth flight is best (A bit of codeine in a pain reliever seems to reduce the stress of flying).
The food served on this flight was a little odd, or rather the sequence was a little odd, however it did seem to work in a slightly bizarre way.
Emirates Menu
Emirates is pleased to invite you to enjoy its award-winning cuisine, complemented by the finest beverages.
No pork products are used in the preparation of Emirates’ cuisine. All meats served are prepared according to the Halal method.
Bar Service
Aperitifs and Cocktails
Sweet or Dry Sherry, Campari, Dry Martini,
Sweet or Dry Vermouth, Gin or Vodka Martini Old Fashioned,
Bloody Mary, Manhattan, Negroni.
Sours: Whisky, Gin, Brandy, Gin Fizz, Tom Collins.
Champagne Cocktail.
Highballs: Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Rum.
Wines
A selection of wines from the finest vineyards of the old and new world, Champagne Brut.
Spirits
Whisky: Scotch, Malt, Jack Daniels, Rye, Gin, Vodka, Bacardi Rum.
Liqueurs
Drambule, Cointreau, Tia Maria, Cognac V.S.O.P.
Bailey’s Irish Cream, Late Bottled Vintage Port.
Beers
Assortment of Beers
Soft Drinks
Fruit Juices, Cola, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water,
Natural Spring Water, Iced Tea.
Savoury Snack
Sandwiches
A Selection of Sandwiches
which include smoked salmon on kraft korn bread, grilled vegetables on white ciabatta and beef pastrami on rye bread
Savouries
A Selection of Hot Savouries
which includes grilled lamb kibbeh and samosa prawn wrap
Pastries
a selection of pastries which include melon tartlette, Philadelphia cream cheese cake with cherry mirror, sacher torte and pear bardalouse
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated. Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Brunch
Appetizers
Assorted Fruit of seasonal fruits
Main Courses
Cheese Omelette
served with roasted cherry tomatoes, turkey rashers and fried potato cubes
Fillet of Beef
seared fillet of beef, served in a asparagus and onion ragout, accompanied with spicy pomme Parisienne, spinach and yellow courgette with tomato concasse
Chilli Chicken
accompanied with steamed rice and Chinese mixed vegetables
Cheese
Cheese Selection
a selection of cheese, which includes goat cheese, port salut, cheddar, Emmenthaler, served with crudit2s, olives and tomato wedges
Desserts
Tiramisu
Italian tiramisu cake, made with coffee soaked sponge and filled with mascarpone cheese
Bread
Bread Basket
selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with butter and preserves
Beverages & Chocolates
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated. Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Chocolates
Afternoon Tea
Sandwiches
Assorted Sandwiches
selection of cheddar cheese, spicy chicken, pesto grilled lamb and prawn cocktail sandwiches
Scones
Fruit Scones
traditional fruit scones, served warm with jam and clotted cream
Cookies
selection of chocolate fudge, apricot, coconut crunch and orange macaroon cookies
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft.
As I said, the meal service was done in a bit of an odd order, however, it did 'work' in a funny sort of way, providing a quick snack after departure and allowing some quality sleep time, followed by a tasty brunch and afternoon tea before arrival. This service split up the journey into nice chunks. Not once did I feel the need to go to the galley for a snack.
The power points in the seats did not seem to want to work, so though I had my laptop with me (and some of my own entertainment), I did not get to use it as it had run out of batteries. The crew provided an adapter (there seemed to be one in Business class).
On arrival, I always make a swift exit from the plane, and try to avoid duty free, however, we were at the front of the queue and we did stop at Duty Free for a bottle of something or other! I entered immigration with my partner who is an Australian citizen. I am not, but we went in the 'local queue for local people' together and were admitted without any problems. Australian customs are very hot on anything that they require you to declare upon entry into the country, and my advice is be honest.
We were carrying some Twinings Tea (a gift) and I think about 800 cigarettes. We had to go for secondary screening with the tea, and we were only allowed our limit of 500 (I think) cigarettes. ecause the tea was wrapped/sealed, they did let us go without searching our bags manually (we obviously looked as if we were lying), however I think they had bigger fish to fry and just sent us to the machine scanners. This meant we had to chuck away 15 boxes of cigarettes before we hit customs. They used to be a little more discrete and allow a little over the odds, but they've obviously cracked down in recent times. We were carrying some bike chains/parts and the guy on the xray machine was able to identify them and check that that is what they were...
Summary
Another good trip with Emirates, no real complaints, though I would have liked a newer seat on the plane. Disappointed about the in-seat power not working, and wish that they would make power sockets slightly more robust so they can bear the weight of a plug with adaptors (some sockets have pathetic grasp of any plug that you may insert into the socket, and you have to fine a mechanism of plugging in and keeping the cable in a certain position) - or is this only my experience!
I like the 777-300ER, and the cabin feels big and spacious (we were in the second slightly larger cabin). Would have preferred to be in the First cabin, but miles and money would not stretch to this. Maybe next time!
Mar 12, 2007, 6:26 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (Oneworld Sapphire), VS Silver, Skywards Blue, UA General, Qantas Bronze.
Posts: 1,077
EK 421 PER - DXB Business Class (5th January 2007)
Menu
Light Meal
Appetizers
West Australian Crayfish
marinated crayfish. placed on a bed of vegetable and baby spinach salad, accompanied with a macademia dressing
Seared, Peppered Venison
served with marinated goat cheese medallion and roasted capsicum salsa
Salad
Seasonal Salad
served with a choice of dressings
Main Courses
Australian Prime Beef Tenderloin
accompanied with jus. oven roasted shallots and garlic, fresh garden vegetables and new roast potatoes
Seared, Red Emperor Fillet
served with sweet and sour tamarind sauce, stir-fried green chills. pak choy, yellow squash. red peppers and steamed rice
Stir-Fried Chicken with Hor Fun Noodles
wok fried chicken. hor fun noodles and Chinese greens, topped with oyster sauce
Desserts
Rich Raspberry Chocolate Cake
served with vanilla ice cream
Cheese
A Selection of Cheeses
a selection of cheese which includes stilton arid camembert. served with crackers and grapes
Beverages & Chocolates
Tea: Ceylon. Green Tea. Earl Grey. Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Chocolates
Savoury Snack
Sandwiches
Assorted Sandwiches
selection of roast beef, chicken curry, cream cheese and tuna sandwiches, accompanied with olives and pickled onions
Savouries
Selection of Hot Savouries
vegetable pakoda, lemon ginger prawns. lamb samosa and garlic and pepper quail breast
Cookies - assorted baked cookies
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon. Green Tea. Earl Grey. Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Breakfast
Juice
Fruit Juices
Appetizers
Assorted Fruit of seasonal fruits
Fruit Voghurt
Main Courses
Australian Mixed Grill
consisting of grilled beef tenderloin, lamb cutlet, veal sausage, saut2ed field mushrooms, slow roasted tomato, braised beans and roesti potatoes
Herb Omelette
served with chicken sausage, grilled tomato and Lyonnaise potatoes
Crepes with Scrambled Eggs
crepe filled with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. gratinated with cheese, accompanied with sugar snap peas and tomato provençale
Cheese
Cheese Selection
mature farmhouse rarago, peppered boursin and goat cheese, served with grilled vegetables, olives, cucumber and celery sticks and spring onions
Bread
Bread Basket - selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with butter and preserves
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon. Green Tea. Earl Grey, Camomile Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft.
Trip Report
Check-in
Perth was a little bit chaotic, though the First and Business queues were empty. Whilst my partner went for a cigarette, I decided to weigh our bags, since last trip,. we had to bail out several bags of Cherry Ripes and Violet Crumbles (though the check-in staff were happy, as we donated the chocolates to them!). Anyway, the bags were well within the limits, so we proceeded to check in. The First counter was busy by this time, so we went to the Business queue where we were given lounge invitations and boarding passes for the entire trip. We were also able to be accommodated in some slightly better seats in First Class from Dubai to London - I prefer the aisle and window (by this time my fingers were well and truly crossed for a new 777-300ER).
The Limousine
The limo company called about 2 days beforehand to confirm the pickup time. Emirates had it scheduled for about 5 hours before the departure time - this may have been something to do with the addition of Daylight Saving time. However, we re-scheduled for 3 and a half hours before departure - we figured 30 minutes for the journey, half an hour for jumping through hoops at the airport and 2 and a half hours to get through the airport and relax in the lounge.
Perth International Airport
Perth International Airport is a funny place, for such a small airport it has quite good facilities, however, because of the infrequent departures (Perth has only 5-6 departure gates in the international terminal) the shops and so on are only open about 2 hours before departure. In fact, up until Emirates opened their lounge, you could only get through to the departure gates 2 hours before departure. I don't know what's happened, but Perth airport now open security, customs and immigration 3 hours before departure - but only for Emirates flights. Beware, if you are on an economy ticket, you may find yourself airside with nothing to do!
Lounges
Anyway, we got to the lounge and there was a man and a woman on reception - very well turned out. We were greeted by the woman who asked if we had been to the lounge before. We said no, and she proceeded to show us around.
The lounge was very spacious, but not as big as the Gatwick lounge. I think there was room for about 200 people. There was a couple of TV's, a well equipped business centre, a dining area and a bar area. The drinks were a little on the limited side, but sufficient for our needs. The food is another story. Very fresh, hot (when cooked obviously), carefully laid out, not left out to dry out, and often replenished. I was quite impressed - this in stark contrast to some other lounges (though BA's LHR Gate 1 and JFK Terraces lounges has a good concept with food cooked to order from a menu). Overall, I was impressed with the Emirates lounges outside Dubai - London Gatwick and Perth (the Dubai lounges are too small for the number of passengers that Emirates are trying to cram into them).
Boarding was announced about 20 minutes before the flight - the flight was slightly delayed, though don't remember why. The gate area was more or less clear, and we were free to board at our leisure.
The flight
Firstly, the hot towels on Emirates are fantastic. Thick, hot, wet enough and feel a certain quality, not like the dry -over microwaved - old things you get on some other airlines (come on BA, stop cost cutting - it's getting embarrassing).
The flight itself was uneventful, seat pitch was good, though I was rather hoping for one of the aircraft with the new seats (saw them on the Emirates stand at ITB last week, they are nice, but I still am surprised that Emirates hasn't gone for something a little bigger/better/flatter in Business. However, their product is still strong, and their prices are better than the competition - whilst the product is weaker, they may have inadvertently shot themselves in the foot!
Had the same power problem on this plane, and I was in the same seat (wonder if it was the same plane as on the way out?), the plug wouldn't stay in the socket and the power wouldn't work (the light was green). Anyway, had ICE so just watched lot's of TV - films were a bit rubbish, so avoided them...
Light Meal
Appetizers
West Australian Crayfish
marinated crayfish. placed on a bed of vegetable and baby spinach salad, accompanied with a macademia dressing
Seared, Peppered Venison
served with marinated goat cheese medallion and roasted capsicum salsa
Salad
Seasonal Salad
served with a choice of dressings
Main Courses
Australian Prime Beef Tenderloin
accompanied with jus. oven roasted shallots and garlic, fresh garden vegetables and new roast potatoes
Seared, Red Emperor Fillet
served with sweet and sour tamarind sauce, stir-fried green chills. pak choy, yellow squash. red peppers and steamed rice
Stir-Fried Chicken with Hor Fun Noodles
wok fried chicken. hor fun noodles and Chinese greens, topped with oyster sauce
Desserts
Rich Raspberry Chocolate Cake
served with vanilla ice cream
Cheese
A Selection of Cheeses
a selection of cheese which includes stilton arid camembert. served with crackers and grapes
Beverages & Chocolates
Tea: Ceylon. Green Tea. Earl Grey. Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Chocolates
Savoury Snack
Sandwiches
Assorted Sandwiches
selection of roast beef, chicken curry, cream cheese and tuna sandwiches, accompanied with olives and pickled onions
Savouries
Selection of Hot Savouries
vegetable pakoda, lemon ginger prawns. lamb samosa and garlic and pepper quail breast
Cookies - assorted baked cookies
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon. Green Tea. Earl Grey. Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Breakfast
Juice
Fruit Juices
Appetizers
Assorted Fruit of seasonal fruits
Fruit Voghurt
Main Courses
Australian Mixed Grill
consisting of grilled beef tenderloin, lamb cutlet, veal sausage, saut2ed field mushrooms, slow roasted tomato, braised beans and roesti potatoes
Herb Omelette
served with chicken sausage, grilled tomato and Lyonnaise potatoes
Crepes with Scrambled Eggs
crepe filled with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. gratinated with cheese, accompanied with sugar snap peas and tomato provençale
Cheese
Cheese Selection
mature farmhouse rarago, peppered boursin and goat cheese, served with grilled vegetables, olives, cucumber and celery sticks and spring onions
Bread
Bread Basket - selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with butter and preserves
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon. Green Tea. Earl Grey, Camomile Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft.
Trip Report
Check-in
Perth was a little bit chaotic, though the First and Business queues were empty. Whilst my partner went for a cigarette, I decided to weigh our bags, since last trip,. we had to bail out several bags of Cherry Ripes and Violet Crumbles (though the check-in staff were happy, as we donated the chocolates to them!). Anyway, the bags were well within the limits, so we proceeded to check in. The First counter was busy by this time, so we went to the Business queue where we were given lounge invitations and boarding passes for the entire trip. We were also able to be accommodated in some slightly better seats in First Class from Dubai to London - I prefer the aisle and window (by this time my fingers were well and truly crossed for a new 777-300ER).
The Limousine
The limo company called about 2 days beforehand to confirm the pickup time. Emirates had it scheduled for about 5 hours before the departure time - this may have been something to do with the addition of Daylight Saving time. However, we re-scheduled for 3 and a half hours before departure - we figured 30 minutes for the journey, half an hour for jumping through hoops at the airport and 2 and a half hours to get through the airport and relax in the lounge.
Perth International Airport
Perth International Airport is a funny place, for such a small airport it has quite good facilities, however, because of the infrequent departures (Perth has only 5-6 departure gates in the international terminal) the shops and so on are only open about 2 hours before departure. In fact, up until Emirates opened their lounge, you could only get through to the departure gates 2 hours before departure. I don't know what's happened, but Perth airport now open security, customs and immigration 3 hours before departure - but only for Emirates flights. Beware, if you are on an economy ticket, you may find yourself airside with nothing to do!
Lounges
Anyway, we got to the lounge and there was a man and a woman on reception - very well turned out. We were greeted by the woman who asked if we had been to the lounge before. We said no, and she proceeded to show us around.
The lounge was very spacious, but not as big as the Gatwick lounge. I think there was room for about 200 people. There was a couple of TV's, a well equipped business centre, a dining area and a bar area. The drinks were a little on the limited side, but sufficient for our needs. The food is another story. Very fresh, hot (when cooked obviously), carefully laid out, not left out to dry out, and often replenished. I was quite impressed - this in stark contrast to some other lounges (though BA's LHR Gate 1 and JFK Terraces lounges has a good concept with food cooked to order from a menu). Overall, I was impressed with the Emirates lounges outside Dubai - London Gatwick and Perth (the Dubai lounges are too small for the number of passengers that Emirates are trying to cram into them).
Boarding was announced about 20 minutes before the flight - the flight was slightly delayed, though don't remember why. The gate area was more or less clear, and we were free to board at our leisure.
The flight
Firstly, the hot towels on Emirates are fantastic. Thick, hot, wet enough and feel a certain quality, not like the dry -over microwaved - old things you get on some other airlines (come on BA, stop cost cutting - it's getting embarrassing).
The flight itself was uneventful, seat pitch was good, though I was rather hoping for one of the aircraft with the new seats (saw them on the Emirates stand at ITB last week, they are nice, but I still am surprised that Emirates hasn't gone for something a little bigger/better/flatter in Business. However, their product is still strong, and their prices are better than the competition - whilst the product is weaker, they may have inadvertently shot themselves in the foot!
Had the same power problem on this plane, and I was in the same seat (wonder if it was the same plane as on the way out?), the plug wouldn't stay in the socket and the power wouldn't work (the light was green). Anyway, had ICE so just watched lot's of TV - films were a bit rubbish, so avoided them...
Last edited by jakesterUK; Mar 12, 2007 at 12:30 pm Reason: Added review information on top of menu
Mar 12, 2007, 6:41 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (Oneworld Sapphire), VS Silver, Skywards Blue, UA General, Qantas Bronze.
Posts: 1,077
EK15 DXB - LGW (First Class) 6th January 2007
Champagne
Dom Pérignon
Vintage 1999
The Dom Pérignon 1999 is full of life, with a fresh nose that dances through a spiral of aromas, blending hints of angelica, dried flowers, pineapple, coconut, cinnamon and cocoa. A highly complex vet vibrant palate gives spice, fruit and hints of smokiness. Another brilliant vintage from Cellar Master, Richard Geoffrey.
White Wine
Corton-Charlemagne – Domaine Bonneau du Martray
Vintage 1991
A rare wine indeed. Now approaching fifteen years of age, this venerable Grand Cru Burgundy is a perfect example of how Chardonnay develops. The Domaine Bonneau du Martray team are fastidious in the vineyard and allow mother nature to call the shots. Showing maturity, intensity, minerality and delicacy fused seamlessly.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough
Vintage 2005
One of the first five wineries established in Marlborough, Cloudy Bay quickly became recognised as a benchmark producer of New Zealand Sauvignon. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is widely regarded as the quintessential expression of the acclaimed Marlborough region, noted for its vibrant aromatics, layers of pure fruit flavours and fine structure.
Red Wine
Chateau Palmer – Grand Cru Classe, Margaux
Vintage 1997
A perfumed nose of jammy black fruits, smoked meats and cedar.
The wine remains full bodied and extremely well integrated tannin and fruit. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the palate is seductive and generous in equal amount. Approaching full maturity, Chateau Palmer can be every bit as profound as any of the First Great Growths.
Ridge, Geyserville – California
Vintage 2005
Ridge has made a Geyserville from the Trentaduc family ranch for thirty-six consecutive years. The wine is made predominantly from low yielding old vine Zinfandel with a dollop of Petite Syrah and Grenache. It brings together loads of brambly, blackberry fruit, creamy oak and subtle notes of dark chocolate, and it sports just enough tannin to give spine to its essentially supple style.
Michel Chapoutier – Ermitage ‘Les Climats’
Vintage 2002
US wine guru, Robert Parker, describes Michel Chapoutier’s 2002 as ‘sublime’, scoring them 94 points. Chapoutier’s achievements, in what was deemed a difficult vintage in the Rhône, are testament to his ability. Emirates is delighted to have picked up a parcel of four single vineyard wines: Le Meal, L’Ermite, Le Pavilion and Les Greffieux which will be featured throughout the year.
Dessert Wine
Chateau Guiraud – Premier Cru Sauternes
Vintage 1997
One of the great vintages of Sauternes. An opulent and exotic wine, with a beautiful aromatic intensity. Soft and honeyed in the mouth, with a concentration of orange marmalade, melted butter and cinnamon. Much freshness and good acidity. Absolutely delicious with pudding, cheese or sipped on its own. The myriad complex flavours linger for, seemingly, an eternity.
Port
Croft Late Bottled Vintage
1998
Established over 300 years ago, Croft produce their Late Bottled Vintage only in very good years. Bottled six years after harvest, the silver medal-winning 1998 Late Bottled Vintage is deep in colour with a rich, creamy nose of sweet blackberry and cherry fruit. With hints of dark chocolate and juicy berry notes on the palate, its gentle tannins give it a very approachable style, making it suitable for any occasion.
Emirates is pleased to invite you to enjoy its award-winning cuisine, complemented by the finest beverages.
We have teamed up with Dubai hotel group Jumeirah to offer the Culinary talents of their top Chefs for your dining pleasure.
Our Guest Chef this month is Luigi Gerosa, the ExeCutive Chef of Jumeirah Emirates Towers. The hotel is not only a visible statement of the region’s growing Corporate success, but also a destination for a multitude of dining choices out of this world.
Chef Luigi has many years experience and has gained world recognition in a career that has spanned Continents, from Europe to Australasia.
For Emirates, Chef Luigi has Chosen to Combine a collection of the hotel’s Cuisine. We hope you will find his Creations, a gourmet experience that will add to your enjoyment of flying with Emirates.
Bar Service
Apbritifs and Cocktails
Sweet or Dry Sherry. Campari. Dry Martini,
Sweet or Dry Vermouth, Gin or Vodka Martini Old
Fashioned, Bloody Mary. Manhattan, Negroni.
Sours: Whisky, Gin, Brandy, Gin Fizz, Tom Collins.
Champagne Cocktail.
Highballs: Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Rum.
Wines
A selection of wines from the finest vineyards of the old and new world, Champagne Brut.
Spirits
Whisky: Scotch. Malt, Jack Daniels, Rye, Gin, Vodka, Bacardi Rum.
Liqueurs
Drambuie. Cointrcau. Tia Maria, Cognac V.S.O.P. Bailey’s Irish Cream, Late Bottled Vintage Port.
Beers
Assortment of Beers
Soft Drinks
Fruit Juices, Cola, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water,
Natural Spring Water, Iced Tea.
Continental Breakfast
Juice
Fruit Juices
Appetizers
Assorted Fruitof seasonal fruits
Yoghurt - natural or fruit
Assorted Cereals
Cheese
Cold Selection - a selection of cheese, which includes Red Leicester, Emmenthal, smoked cheese and feta cheese. served with garnish
Bread
Bread Basket - selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with butter and preserves
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Lunch
Cocktails with Canapés
a selection of hot canapés, which includes chicken tikka skewer, mango and cheese in fib parcel, mini Iamb kofta and prawn dumplings
Appetizers
Iranian Caviar - served with traditional accompaniments
Arabic Mezze - selection of traditional Arabic mezze, which includes tabouleh, hommous, stuffed vine leaves, makdous and spinach fatayer
Lobster Confit - medallions of lobster, served on a marinated dill and cucumber salad, enhanced with salmon roe and fresh chervil
Soup and Salad
Cappuccino of Wild Mushrooms
a creamy wild mushroom soup, enhanced with chervil oil
Freshly Prepared Salad
salad prepared by your crew to your liking with a choice of accompaniments
offered with chive mayonnaise and vinaigrette dressing
Main Courses
Herb Crusted Chicken Breast
slow roasted chicken breast with a gratinated herb crust, served in a tangy tomato sauce
Fillet of Perch
pan-fried fillet of perch, served on buttered spinach, accompanied with lemon marinated prawns. topped with a chive coulis
Veal Pockets
saut6ed veal pockets, filled with mozzarella cheese, accompanied with vegetable sticks, served with a red pepper fond
Penne Pasta
penne pasta with cheese, cream and chives, served with kalamata olives arid crispy seasonal vegetables
Poached Hammour (256 K calories)
your choice of a low calorie meal will be fillet of poached hammour, served with a citrus salsa. accompanied with baby squash, spinach and steamed rice
Vegetables
assorted turned baby vegetables, ralatouille, sugar snap peas, steamed rice and roast potatoes with crushed black pepper
Desserts
Apple and Berry Crumble
baked apple crumble filled with berry compote, served with sauce Anglaise
Symphony of Sweets
which include chocolate passion fruit dome and fresh fruit in a tulip basket
Cheese
International Cheeseboard
a selection of international cheese, served with crackers, grapes and crudit6s
Fruit
Selection of Seasonal Fruit
Beverages & Chocolates
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight. except Airbus A310 aircraft
Chocolates
Dom Pérignon
Vintage 1999
The Dom Pérignon 1999 is full of life, with a fresh nose that dances through a spiral of aromas, blending hints of angelica, dried flowers, pineapple, coconut, cinnamon and cocoa. A highly complex vet vibrant palate gives spice, fruit and hints of smokiness. Another brilliant vintage from Cellar Master, Richard Geoffrey.
White Wine
Corton-Charlemagne – Domaine Bonneau du Martray
Vintage 1991
A rare wine indeed. Now approaching fifteen years of age, this venerable Grand Cru Burgundy is a perfect example of how Chardonnay develops. The Domaine Bonneau du Martray team are fastidious in the vineyard and allow mother nature to call the shots. Showing maturity, intensity, minerality and delicacy fused seamlessly.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough
Vintage 2005
One of the first five wineries established in Marlborough, Cloudy Bay quickly became recognised as a benchmark producer of New Zealand Sauvignon. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is widely regarded as the quintessential expression of the acclaimed Marlborough region, noted for its vibrant aromatics, layers of pure fruit flavours and fine structure.
Red Wine
Chateau Palmer – Grand Cru Classe, Margaux
Vintage 1997
A perfumed nose of jammy black fruits, smoked meats and cedar.
The wine remains full bodied and extremely well integrated tannin and fruit. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the palate is seductive and generous in equal amount. Approaching full maturity, Chateau Palmer can be every bit as profound as any of the First Great Growths.
Ridge, Geyserville – California
Vintage 2005
Ridge has made a Geyserville from the Trentaduc family ranch for thirty-six consecutive years. The wine is made predominantly from low yielding old vine Zinfandel with a dollop of Petite Syrah and Grenache. It brings together loads of brambly, blackberry fruit, creamy oak and subtle notes of dark chocolate, and it sports just enough tannin to give spine to its essentially supple style.
Michel Chapoutier – Ermitage ‘Les Climats’
Vintage 2002
US wine guru, Robert Parker, describes Michel Chapoutier’s 2002 as ‘sublime’, scoring them 94 points. Chapoutier’s achievements, in what was deemed a difficult vintage in the Rhône, are testament to his ability. Emirates is delighted to have picked up a parcel of four single vineyard wines: Le Meal, L’Ermite, Le Pavilion and Les Greffieux which will be featured throughout the year.
Dessert Wine
Chateau Guiraud – Premier Cru Sauternes
Vintage 1997
One of the great vintages of Sauternes. An opulent and exotic wine, with a beautiful aromatic intensity. Soft and honeyed in the mouth, with a concentration of orange marmalade, melted butter and cinnamon. Much freshness and good acidity. Absolutely delicious with pudding, cheese or sipped on its own. The myriad complex flavours linger for, seemingly, an eternity.
Port
Croft Late Bottled Vintage
1998
Established over 300 years ago, Croft produce their Late Bottled Vintage only in very good years. Bottled six years after harvest, the silver medal-winning 1998 Late Bottled Vintage is deep in colour with a rich, creamy nose of sweet blackberry and cherry fruit. With hints of dark chocolate and juicy berry notes on the palate, its gentle tannins give it a very approachable style, making it suitable for any occasion.
Emirates is pleased to invite you to enjoy its award-winning cuisine, complemented by the finest beverages.
We have teamed up with Dubai hotel group Jumeirah to offer the Culinary talents of their top Chefs for your dining pleasure.
Our Guest Chef this month is Luigi Gerosa, the ExeCutive Chef of Jumeirah Emirates Towers. The hotel is not only a visible statement of the region’s growing Corporate success, but also a destination for a multitude of dining choices out of this world.
Chef Luigi has many years experience and has gained world recognition in a career that has spanned Continents, from Europe to Australasia.
For Emirates, Chef Luigi has Chosen to Combine a collection of the hotel’s Cuisine. We hope you will find his Creations, a gourmet experience that will add to your enjoyment of flying with Emirates.
Bar Service
Apbritifs and Cocktails
Sweet or Dry Sherry. Campari. Dry Martini,
Sweet or Dry Vermouth, Gin or Vodka Martini Old
Fashioned, Bloody Mary. Manhattan, Negroni.
Sours: Whisky, Gin, Brandy, Gin Fizz, Tom Collins.
Champagne Cocktail.
Highballs: Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Rum.
Wines
A selection of wines from the finest vineyards of the old and new world, Champagne Brut.
Spirits
Whisky: Scotch. Malt, Jack Daniels, Rye, Gin, Vodka, Bacardi Rum.
Liqueurs
Drambuie. Cointrcau. Tia Maria, Cognac V.S.O.P. Bailey’s Irish Cream, Late Bottled Vintage Port.
Beers
Assortment of Beers
Soft Drinks
Fruit Juices, Cola, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water,
Natural Spring Water, Iced Tea.
Continental Breakfast
Juice
Fruit Juices
Appetizers
Assorted Fruitof seasonal fruits
Yoghurt - natural or fruit
Assorted Cereals
Cheese
Cold Selection - a selection of cheese, which includes Red Leicester, Emmenthal, smoked cheese and feta cheese. served with garnish
Bread
Bread Basket - selection of bread and breakfast pastries served with butter and preserves
Beverages
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight, except Airbus A310 aircraft
Lunch
Cocktails with Canapés
a selection of hot canapés, which includes chicken tikka skewer, mango and cheese in fib parcel, mini Iamb kofta and prawn dumplings
Appetizers
Iranian Caviar - served with traditional accompaniments
Arabic Mezze - selection of traditional Arabic mezze, which includes tabouleh, hommous, stuffed vine leaves, makdous and spinach fatayer
Lobster Confit - medallions of lobster, served on a marinated dill and cucumber salad, enhanced with salmon roe and fresh chervil
Soup and Salad
Cappuccino of Wild Mushrooms
a creamy wild mushroom soup, enhanced with chervil oil
Freshly Prepared Salad
salad prepared by your crew to your liking with a choice of accompaniments
offered with chive mayonnaise and vinaigrette dressing
Main Courses
Herb Crusted Chicken Breast
slow roasted chicken breast with a gratinated herb crust, served in a tangy tomato sauce
Fillet of Perch
pan-fried fillet of perch, served on buttered spinach, accompanied with lemon marinated prawns. topped with a chive coulis
Veal Pockets
saut6ed veal pockets, filled with mozzarella cheese, accompanied with vegetable sticks, served with a red pepper fond
Penne Pasta
penne pasta with cheese, cream and chives, served with kalamata olives arid crispy seasonal vegetables
Poached Hammour (256 K calories)
your choice of a low calorie meal will be fillet of poached hammour, served with a citrus salsa. accompanied with baby squash, spinach and steamed rice
Vegetables
assorted turned baby vegetables, ralatouille, sugar snap peas, steamed rice and roast potatoes with crushed black pepper
Desserts
Apple and Berry Crumble
baked apple crumble filled with berry compote, served with sauce Anglaise
Symphony of Sweets
which include chocolate passion fruit dome and fresh fruit in a tulip basket
Cheese
International Cheeseboard
a selection of international cheese, served with crackers, grapes and crudit6s
Fruit
Selection of Seasonal Fruit
Beverages & Chocolates
Tea: Ceylon, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee: freshly brewed or decaffeinated
Espresso or Cappuccino coffee will be available at any time during the flight. except Airbus A310 aircraft
Chocolates
Mar 12, 2007, 12:33 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (Oneworld Sapphire), VS Silver, Skywards Blue, UA General, Qantas Bronze.
Posts: 1,077
The end...
First Class Lounge (Dubai)
When travelling to a holiday destination, I usually try to enjoy the journey as much as the actual holiday itself. Particularly when paying a couple of grand, you want to get what you can out of the journey itself. On the way home, however, sometimes you just want the whole thing to be over as soon as possible. So you can imagine I was over the lounge experience. Although it was less crowded than other lounges on previous trips, and I'm sure the drinks and food was of a higher quality, I just wanted to go home. The duty free held no interest whatsoever (though I did look for a magazine that my partner wanted - couldn't find it though).
Boarding
When we arrived at the gate, my partner had forgotten his Jacket, so he ran back to the lounge – it didn’t matter as the queue to get into the lounge was pretty long (someone must have been having problems with their passport). Anyway, he returned before the queue had moved very much, we got into the departure lounge and walked straight down the airbridge. The best thing about Dubai airport is that all the gates seem to have dual airbridges, so if you are at the front, you get on board quicker. This isn’t always an advantage (particularly if you are in the second business class cabin), however, as we were in First, that wasn’t an issue for us!
Anyway, we walked straight onto the plane, and I was very disappointed to find the old First seats in place, and no ICE. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was, even though I figured it would be fairly unlikely that we would get them (they weren’t timetabled, so no idea why I thought they would be there). So, that put a damper on the remainder of the trip, and in some small way I felt cheated by Emirates (even though I know they did not promise new seats, and nor do they over-advertise them), still I couldn’t help but feel a little let down.
So, what more is there to tell… Not a lot to be honest - if you want to ask any questions, please do!
When travelling to a holiday destination, I usually try to enjoy the journey as much as the actual holiday itself. Particularly when paying a couple of grand, you want to get what you can out of the journey itself. On the way home, however, sometimes you just want the whole thing to be over as soon as possible. So you can imagine I was over the lounge experience. Although it was less crowded than other lounges on previous trips, and I'm sure the drinks and food was of a higher quality, I just wanted to go home. The duty free held no interest whatsoever (though I did look for a magazine that my partner wanted - couldn't find it though).
Boarding
When we arrived at the gate, my partner had forgotten his Jacket, so he ran back to the lounge – it didn’t matter as the queue to get into the lounge was pretty long (someone must have been having problems with their passport). Anyway, he returned before the queue had moved very much, we got into the departure lounge and walked straight down the airbridge. The best thing about Dubai airport is that all the gates seem to have dual airbridges, so if you are at the front, you get on board quicker. This isn’t always an advantage (particularly if you are in the second business class cabin), however, as we were in First, that wasn’t an issue for us!
Anyway, we walked straight onto the plane, and I was very disappointed to find the old First seats in place, and no ICE. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was, even though I figured it would be fairly unlikely that we would get them (they weren’t timetabled, so no idea why I thought they would be there). So, that put a damper on the remainder of the trip, and in some small way I felt cheated by Emirates (even though I know they did not promise new seats, and nor do they over-advertise them), still I couldn’t help but feel a little let down.
So, what more is there to tell… Not a lot to be honest - if you want to ask any questions, please do!
Mar 12, 2007, 1:22 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Thanks for the concluding chapters to this report. An interesting read.
It is a shame fleet fitout for a some carriers is a bit of a gamble. Particularly where the new product is far superior to the airlines older style seats.
It is a shame fleet fitout for a some carriers is a bit of a gamble. Particularly where the new product is far superior to the airlines older style seats.
Last edited by Moomba; Mar 12, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Mar 12, 2007, 2:12 pm
#12
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