in the previous episode...
picking up from where we left off, i was - thanks to the great travel guys from my office - booked on EK766 departing JNB on Fri 26 Mar 22:20 and eta DXB on Sat 27 Mar 08:20, and connecting EK404 etd DXB 09:40 and eta SIN 20:50. With this return secured, i had headed to the EK lounge to rest some.
At abt 21:00, I checked the boarding time and gate no, when i discovered - horror of horrors - EK766 was delayed! and by a good 1 hr! High risk of me missing EK404.
I ask the Lounge lady whether i'll be missing connecting but she's obviously the wrong person to know.
I headed to the gate eventually, and after the long security screening - there's no separate queue for premium pax -
i asked the gate agents what's EK766's eta DXB. They didnt know; and no, they also didnt know if I'll miss connecting flights.
"Can you call ahead to DXB to arrange for earliest connections to neighbouring destinations pl?" i asked.
"You asked the FAs in the plane," was told.
--------------------
JNB-DXB
Flight: EK766
Aircraft: Airbus A340-500
Class: C
Seat: 6A
A glimpse of my JNB-DXB ride.
Plane had apparently arrived late, 1 hr to be precise, and is now expected to arrive at 09:20, which wld be in time for me to see my connecting EK404 to SIN push back (again!) at 09:40. Wonder if pilots could speed up to make up for lost time; if they could claw back 30 mins, i wld prob still make it.
This was to be my 1st EK flight and i like view of cabin upon boarding. Seat 6A, with accompanying 6B for perspective.
space between seats is actually alright - guy who eventually sat next to me was rather, shall we say, big, but didnt feel he intruded into my space. When i had to use the lav and he was asleep, I did have to cross over his legs. But mine was 1st row bulkhead seats; didnt take a look at regular seats to see if it wld be tough getting out over a sleeper-mode seat.
Forgot to time pushback and take-off, but you'll understand my mind's pretty pre-occupied with connections and also rather weary at this point.
Found the ICE (Info, Comms, Entertainment) rather interesting, if not altogether user-friendly, perhaps due to my unfamilarity.
Both the screen and the hand-held are touch-screen, tho i find navigating the cursor with the handheld's directional keys rather cumbersome. maybe i'm doing it wrong.
once i found the FAs settled down, i caught hold of one to ask our ETA into DXB. Was told it shd be 09:20 which was 1 hr behind schedule. I told him I had a connection to catch at 09:40 - he tried to assure me that EK staff at DXB wld be prepared for us since the whole plane-load wld be missing connections. I had by then found a timetable in the seat-pocket, and asked FA to call ahead to arrange for KUL-bound departing at 10:xx from DXB, or if not to arrange for CGK or BKK or HKG. He said he wld do his best.
i fell asleep soon after taking off, giving the 'dinner' (at 23:++!!!) a miss. When i woke, discovered i managed to sleep some 5 hrs +; the sun was rising
A peek into the lav, and close up on the toothbrush set
thot such a large tube of toothpaste for a use-and-throw rather wasteful
continental breakfast, consisting of bread basket and fruit platter
Plane began descend protocol soon after and Dubai (well, i assume) came into view
We landed at 09:20 - pilots hadnt made up for lost time at all - and by the time we were at the gate, it was close to 09:40. i was 1st off the plane, thanks to being at 6A; 6B was terminating his journey at DXB and when he heard my plight earlier had helpfully pointed the way to the transfer desk, offered additional ideas and step aside to let me off the door ahead of us.
so, off i went, in a near sprint, and was the 1st to be at the Transfer Desk. And in time to confirm the obvious; EK404 had indeed taken off.