Note: some of this is written in the present tense and some in the past tense, depending on when I actually had a chance to get my computer out, so I must apologise for the incongruous style…

Very impressed with the lounge in Dubai. Plenty of reading material, fast wifi, decent selection of food and drinks. Shame there isn’t a separate lounge for First Class but all in all I really can’t complain.

The service in here is also very good. They are making regular sweeps of the lounge to clear any empty plates and glasses. Very quiet and professional.
I left the lounge about half an hour before boarding time – I figured that as the plane would already be at the stand (having arrived from Dubai as Bangkok is just a stop on the way to Hong Kong) that they might let me board early. No such luck…

I’m now sitting on the plane enjoying a gin and tonic. I also had a glass of water which I managed to spill, but hey ho. I must look like such a novice to the crew, particularly as I came on board and dropped my boarding pass which very nearly fell through a gap in the airbridge, then proceeded to sweat like Jill Dando trying to get her key in the lock… (apologies for the poor taste of that joke)

The service is ever so attentive. As well as being provided with my drink I’ve been offered a stuffed date, a hot towel, some slippers, a newspaper and a magazine – that’s 6 times I’ve been offered service of one kind or another! I’m rather tragic and took a Hello Magazine. Not something I normally read but sometimes one needs to give the grey cells a rest.

There’s a guide to using the First Class Suite on board – who would think that an aeroplane seat could be so complicated?! There is a sort of detachable tablet that functions as a wireless remote control for the tv and the seat. Even the blinds are electronically controlled. There is also a soft-drink mini bar that appears at the touch of a button and a little vanity unit with some moisturizer and other bits. A table lamp, vase of orchids and a basket of snacks make up the rest of the suite. The seat itself is very comfortable – leather, quite wide. The fixtures are all in a sort of walnut burr with gold trimmings – very Arab but not as bling as I was expecting.

First Class appears to have just five people in it including myself, however I haven’t taken a wander to Business Class yet to see if it’s full.

Take off was very smooth, I was actually waiting for the plane to really speed up for lift off when it rose into the air! We were already travelling fast enough but it sounded too quiet to be going so fast!
After lift off the very charming Korean flight attendant brought me a menu – I’ve chosen Lemongrass Prawns with Thai salad, followed by roasted duckling in orange sauce. She also offered me a glass of champagne – Dom Perignon 2003. It’s delicious. I was disappointed not to see caviar on the menu but I guess you can’t have everything.

I’ve put the latest Mission Impossible movie on the tv – the screen is huge and so clear. Not that I’m concentrating too much on the movie as I’m writing this and trying to take in my surroundings – to really enjoy and appreciate the moment. Most people live their whole lives never being able to experience flying like this so I feel blessed to be able to try it. I worry that it will make my future economy flights rather depressing…

I’m going to ask for an amenity kit later into the flight – I understand that they’re not offered as a matter of course on such a short flight but they might be kind and give one to me. I’m also going to take a look at the bar at the back of Business Class, then walk down to Economy and back up to First at the front of the plane.

This space is where I had my meal – nothing special to be honest as it’s not a full meal service on such a short flight, but the wines were very nice – I won’t go into detail here but I’ll list the wine choices on a separate post later.

I’ve just had the most marvellous chat with a flight attendant back in Business Class. I went down to the bar and had a couple of gin and tonics. Of course, once I start to get merry I become quite chatty, so I asked the girl which part of the UK she was from. She asked me where I thought she was from and I must admit I had no idea – she was accentless to my ears, but she was from Liverpool! But lived for a long time in Angel, London, which I know quite well, so we chatted about that. Charming girl. When I told her how excited I was to be on the a380 she whipped out a Polaroid camera and took a picture of me behind the bar, which she then put into a souvenir frame! The bar then became quite busy so I made my way down to economy to take a look (quite spacious I thought) and then back up to First Class via the stairs at the front.

Once seated again I asked for an amenity kit and was told that they don’t normally give them out on this sector but would make an exception for me – such good service! I didn’t really like the bag – perhaps it was real leather but it felt rather faux to me, plus the shape wasn’t very nice. I prefer the little Rimowa case they give you on Thai Airways.

I’m writing this now two days after the flight and I must confess that my memory of the end of the flight is a little vague – I over-imbibed a tad, maybe, and can’t really remember with total clarity, however I can safely say that the service on the flight was the best I have yet encountered on a plane – friendly and professional. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Emirates First Class and hope to be able to enjoy it again sometime soon.