October 23, 2013
Emirates Airlines London - Dubai 500p – 250a A380-800 First Class

Boarding for the 5:00pm departure of Emirates flight 30 to Dubai was announced at 4:25pm. Unlike most flights where I tend to linger in the lounge and board after the initial rush, for this flight I was ready and waiting by the windows. We boarded directly from the lounge, first taking an escalator down a level and then a jet bridge up to the upper deck where the premium cabins are located.

A bevy of flight attendants were in attendance at the door as we arrived. They all looked quite chipper and attractive in their beige uniforms, white scarves and red hats. My boarding pass was inspected and then I was cordially welcomed and led to my suite 2K on the right hand side of the cabin. As many of you must surely know or at least strongly suspect by now, my usual preference is 2A in the left hand side. However, with our early evening departure I was hoping to get a few glimpses of the setting sun as we climbed out of Heathrow.



The First Class Cabin on Emirates A380



The Business Class Cabin on Emirates A380

Emirates A380s are outfitted with fourteen suites, arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Tonight they were all occupied. Standing at the rear of the cabin and looking out over the tops of all the suites, I thought the cabin looked rather cluttered. That said, while it’s not the most elegant cabin I’ve ever seen, the real beauty of Emirates’ suites isn’t totally realized until you’ve sat down and settled in for the flight. Like any First Class seat or suite there are plenty of storage areas, a big table and an impressive television screen. What makes the Emirates suite so special are the little touches such as lamps instead of overhead lights, warm faux marbled walnut table tops and window frames, carpeted suite sidewalls and gold trim on most everything. Add to that the sliding doors and you’ve got a very private and nice looking compartment in which to enjoy your flight.

Service on the A380 is no different than it is on the 777, so you all know the drill by now with regard to pre-departure hand outs and formalities. Champagne? But of course! And what better wine to toast my first flight on the Big French Girl than a nicely chilled glass of that most iconic of French brands, Dom Pérignon! Bon voyage!



Champagne Toast on the Emirates A380

As we pushed back from the gate, the Captain took a few moments to introduce himself and provide us with some details about the flight. It was a beautiful night for flying and the forecast was for smooth conditions all the way to Dubai. Flight time was projected at six hours and twenty minutes. Please sit back and enjoy the flight and I’ll check back as we commence our descent into Dubai.

As we made a slow and stately taxi out to the runway, I sipped Champagne and took in the Heathrow scene. It really is a fascinating collection of buildings and airplanes that I should imagine would impress even the most pragmatic of air travelers. It certainly had my attention! Unfortunately, the A380’s windows are not very large and on the upper deck at least there’s about an 8” gap between the fuselage wall and the window that effectively inhibits all but the most straight out viewing. I had been hoping to get one of those iconic wing and engine shots at sunset but given the placement of the windows my view of the engines was limited to the nacelles.

As we made our way ever closer to the head of the runway, I set the onboard camera function to the forward view with adjusted it for full screen. We were following a British Airways 767 and it was an interesting perspective to watch the 767 from behind as it turned onto the runway and commenced its takeoff roll.

Now it was our turn. Whose heart wouldn’t skip a beat as the four mighty engines spooled up and we began our 45 second takeoff roll. The noise from the engines was surprisingly muted and as you can see and hear from the video below, it was so quiet that you can even hear a couple of light coughs from nearby passengers.

Climbing smoothly into the evening sky, I listened as the landing gear was retracted and watched as London passed by beneath us. We made a wide sweeping turn to the left and soon were pointed in an east-southeasterly direction while we climbed through 10000 feet. Next stop: Dubai – just 3,410 miles away.

We were only six or seven minutes into the flight when Amritka stopped by to present the menu and wine list for this evening’s service. She was one of four flight attendants working the First Class cabin and would serve as my primary flight attendant for this flight. As with all Emirates flights, the menu was encased in a large brown leather folder while the wine list is presented on its own. Interestingly, bar service is presented as part of the menu rather than the wine list.

Now when it comes to cocktail hour I’m definitely more of a bourbon or mixed drink guy than a wine drinker, so let’s review the offerings from the bar:


BAR SERVICE

Aperitifs
Campari Bitter
Martini Vermouth – Dry/Sweet

Beers
A selection of international beers including Heineken, Budweiser and Amstel Light

Cocktails
Black Russian, Bloody Mary, Bucks Fizz, Champagne Cocktail, Cosmopolitan (US routes), Fantasy Island, Kir Royal, Manhattan, Martini Cocktail Classic, Screwdriver, Vodka Martini

Mocktails
Jumeirah Delight

Spirits
Premium Scotch Whisky - Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Single Malt Whisky - Glenfiddich 21 Years Old
Bourbon - Woodford Reserve
Cognac - Hennessy Paradis
Vodka - Grey Goose
Gin - Bombay Sapphire
Rum - Bacardi Superior

Liqueurs
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Tia Maria
Drambuie
Cointreau


Try though I might – and believe me, I’ve had a pretty good go at it over the years - I have yet to acquire a taste for fine single malt Scotch whisky. I tried and even managed to get down a glass of the 21 year old Glenfiddich on the Seattle-Dubai flight but once was enough and I have no desire to try it again. Instead, I opted to go with the old tried and true – a glass of fine Kentucky bourbon. Woodford Reserve. On the rocks, please.

My bourbon was delivered with a small plate of mixed nuts. A plate of hot canapés would be delivered shortly. Out my window the sky was quickly changing from blue to indigo to black. As we continued climbing toward our cruising altitude of 38000 feet, I reclined my seat a bit and had a sip of the exquisite bourbon. Now this is First Class…



Bourbon and Nuts to Start The Flight



Bourbon and Canapés

Shortly thereafter another flight attendant stopped by with a brochure about the onboard showers. There are two of them aboard each A380 and their use is reserved exclusively for First Class passengers. Due to potential high demand, use of the showers is by reservation only. Referred to by Emirates as Shower Spas, they offer a generous five minutes of shower time in a modern, spacious shower stall. The actual lavatory that houses each shower is huge – far and away the largest facility of its type on any airliner I’ve ever flown upon. It’s larger than many bathrooms I’ve seen in houses on terra firma.



The Shower Spa on the Emirates A380



The Big Sink (Wash Basin) on the Emirates A380

Now I realize that many people are absolutely fascinated by the concept of showering onboard an airplane. While I think it’s great that Emirates has used some of the extra space on its A380s to make showers available, on a flight of this length and timing I just can’t generate enough excitement about them to go out of my way to use them. If this were on a longer flight or one from which I’d be going right to work, I’d definitely be signing up for one. As it is however, I showered this morning at my hotel and since then have spent the bulk of the day in cool, dry conditions indoors and out. When we arrive at Dubai I’m going to find a nice dark corner of the Quiet Room and try to get a few hours’ sleep. Tomorrow morning before my fourteen hour flight to Seattle is when I’ll really be looking forward to a shower, and that’ll happen in the First Class Lounge. Besides, it’d be just my luck that the “Return to Seat” sign would come on as I was in the middle of a good lather!

Dining is on demand for Emirates’ First Class passengers and so I had indicated to my lovely flight attendant Amritka that I’d like to start dinner at 7:00pm. First however, I needed to consult the wine list and menu to make my selections. Hmm...


WINE LIST

Champagne
Cuvée Dom Perignon 2003

White Wines
Le Clarté de Haut Brion 2010 Pessac Léognan
Marchand & Burch Chardonnay 2011 Australia
Domaine des Senechaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2011 Rhone
Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2009 Napa Valley

Rosé Wine
Château d’Esclans Garrus 2010 Provence

Red Wines
Château Cos d’Estournel 2000 St Estephe
Sequana Sundawg Ridge Pinot Noir 2010 Russian River
Château Phelan Segur 2004 St Estephe
Amancaya Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Mendoza

Dessert Wines
Château de Suduirat 2006 Sauternes
Grahams Single Vintage Tawny Port 1974 Douro


* * * -----------------------------------------------* * *


DINNER

Canapés
A selection of hot and cold savories including tender minted lamb skewer, creamy tomato zaatar quiche, fresh crayfish spring roll, marinated mixed olives, and labneh cheese with chives and sumac

APPETIZERS

Caviar
Perfectly prepared chilled caviar presented with a traditional selection of finely chopped onion, chopped boiled egg, sour cream and lemon, served with crisp melba toast and soft blini pancakes

Traditional Local Arabic Mezze
The flavors of our home, presented as a generous spread of traditional Arabic savory dishes including hommous, tabouleh, baba ghannouj, makdous, muhammara, moutabal, spinach and cheese fatayer, stuffed vine leaves and lamb kibbeh, all complemented with local garnishes and bread

Seared Prawns
Fresh plump prawns, marinated and pan seared, served with a tangy tomato chutney, dressed with a light chilli mayonnaise

Buffalo Mozzarella
Fresh buffalo mozzarella on a crisp avocado and button mushroom tart, served with a grilled cherry tomato and fragrant basil pesto

Salad Bar
Crisp fresh garden salad leaves topped with your choice of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, mixed olives, shaved parmesan and celery moons, tossed in your preferred dressing


SOUPS

Tomato Consommé
A rich clear seasoned tomato bouillon, served with green asparagus tips, tomato concassé and sprinkled with fresh basil leaves

Spring Pea Soup
A comforting creamy spring pea soup, stirred through with crème fraiche


MAIN COURSES

Roast Chicken
Tender golden roasted chicken breast flavored with fragrant savory herbs, served with a light chicken jus, accompanied by buttered leek, carrots and pan-fried bubble and squeak cakes

Lamb Tagine
Traditional Moroccan-style tender braised lamb ragout, topped with dried apricots, served with okra stew and seasoned vegetable couscous

Grilled Salmon
Tranche of fresh salmon, lightly grilled and topped with artisan tomato ratatouille and roasted pine nuts, served with aubergine cannelloni and creamy hommous mashed potatoes

Porcini Ravioli
Handmade pasta cases generously filled with Italian porcini mushrooms, tossed in a creamy parmesan sauce, topped with green asparagus spears, cherry tomatoes and freshly shaved parmesan

Fillet of Cod
Firm fresh fillet of cod, oven roasted and dressed with a light dill fond, served with green pea and parsnip mash, baby carrots and sugar snap peas

Steak Sandwich
From the menu of our partner Qantas, we are pleased to offer one of the specialty signature sandwiches created by renowned chef and restaurateur Neil Perry of Rockpool. A warm sourdough Ciabatta bread sandwich with seasoned minute steak, fresh rocket and a rustic tomato and chilli relish

A la Carte Vegetables
Our chefs have paired each meal with their ideal accompaniments, but we offer a variety of alternative vegetables to your taste, including vermicelli rice, new potatoes in their skins, carrots tossed in cumin, and mixed sautéed vegetables

Bread Basket
Choose soft, crusty, granary, garlic or Arabic from our variety of freshly baked rolls and breads


SWEET DELIGHTS

Selection of Arabic Desserts
Choice of delightful regional delicacies, including green mafroukeh, Arabic almond cake and baklava

Black Forest Velvet
A soft chocolate brownie base layered with a fruity morello cherry filling, topped with a rich chocolate mousse, encased in a chocolate velvet finish, served with a cherry and balsamic jus

Apricot and Raspberry Gratin Tart
A light almond infused sponge, topped with fresh apricot and raspberries, finished with a gratinated glaze and served with a fresh fruity raspberry confit

Selection of Fruits
A seasonal selection of fresh cut fruits


INTERNATIONAL CHEESE SELECTION

A carefully chosen assortment of the finest boutique cheese from around the world, served with a selection of crudités, crackers, dried fruits and nuts

Belton’s Red Fox Leicester Cheese

Colston Bassett Blue Stilton

Graindorge Camembert

Sandham’s Goat Cheese

Arrigoni Tallegio


HOT BEVERAGES

Tea
Black and herbal teas from around the world, featuring Ceylon, China, Earl Grey and Chamomile

Coffee
Brewed to order, your choice of decaffeinated, espresso and cappuccino finale

Chocolates
A luxurious rich chocolate selection provides the perfect finale


As ever, Emirates’ chefs had put together an enviable and enticing selection of foods. Anybody who collects First Class airline menus couldn’t help but salivate just a little bit over this one. Imagine yourself sitting in my suite while pondering the choices on this menu. What would you order?

I took a sip of Woodfords and considered my choices. By the time Amritka had returned, I had my order ready.

Let’s start with a plate of caviar followed by the seared prawns appetizer. I’ll follow that with a salad. Dressing? What do you have? Yogurt or Thousand Island. Hmm… I think I’ll go with the oil and balsamic vinegar provided on the side. For my main course, let’s go with the Lamb Tagine. I remember having lamb at a Moroccan restaurant once and it was delicious! If this dish even approaches the flavor of that one, I’ll be a happy camper!

I generally never order cheese or dessert initially, mainly because after eating my way through canapés, caviar, an appetizer, soup or salad and a main course I’m usually too full to continue. Even though hotdogs aren’t on the menu, with all this food I couldn’t help but wonder (ever so briefly) what Joey Chestnut, the perennial winner of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest would have ordered.

Interestingly, I think Emirates is the only airline where I’ve ever had caviar served with proper blinis. Not that I’m complaining mind you, but my personal preference is Melba Toast and/or toasted garlic bread slices. Both were available in my bread basket and oh… was that caviar delicious!



Time for Caviar!

The prawns appetizer was beautifully presented. In fact, let’s review that description:

“Fresh plump prawns, marinated and pan seared, served with a tangy tomato chutney, dressed with a light chilli mayonnaise”

That about sums it up. Though simply presented, this was one of the better appetizers I’ve had in recent memory. Well done, Emirates!



Seared Prawns Appetizer

The nicest thing about the salads on Emirates is that they’re decently sized. So many airlines present you with this dinky little bowl of salad but for those of us who really enjoy a good salad, Emirates definitely delivers. Cathay Pacific also puts out a nice salad. The shaved parmesan cheese added warm flavor and texture while the combination of extra virgin olive oil and tangy balsamic vinegar helped create a delicious masterpiece.



Salad Course

Ah… the Lamb Tagine. Simply put, it was one of the better First Class entrees I’ve ever eaten. The lamb was tender and the sauce flavorful while the couscous was possibly the finest starch I’ve ever been served aloft. I’ve been a big fan of couscous for over thirty years and as it was presented this evening, well – I could’ve eaten an entire plate of nothing else. It was that good!



Lamb Tagine

As was usually the case, I needed a break before I could even consider the mere concept of dessert. No problem! By the time my plates and linens were cleared there were still almost three hours left in the flight. Now was as good a time as any to have a look at the entertainment options available on Emirates’ highly regarded ICE entertainment system.

Consider now that I knew going in that I didn’t want to watch an entire two hour movie. I was well aware that there was a lounge at the rear of the upper deck and I fully intended to pay it a visit. Right now however, I felt not unlike an anaconda after ingesting a 100 pound capybara. It was time to digest for a while. Let’s check out one the shorter television programs and then we’ll visit the lounge.

Emirates offer an impressive selection of current television programming though two of my favorites – Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy – were not listed. What I settled on was a program I never knew existed, probably because I don’t get cable or satellite out where I live. Well, I could have satellite I suppose but only if I purchased one of those huge military grade satellite dishes to put out front of my cabin. No thank you.

Given the wide variety of choices that Emirates offers, some of you may be surprised or even disappointed at the choice I ultimately made. That’s right – Steven Seagal: Lawman. I’ve only seen a couple of Seagal’s movies and that was many years ago. According to the description of the show, Steven Seagal is and has been for the past twenty years a sheriff’s deputy in Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana. Whaaaaat? No way. Way. Check it out!



After Dinner Entertainment



After Dinner Dessert

So I did. It wasn’t all that bad either – a lot more police procedural than Seagal wreaking havoc on the bad guys. In fact, not one bad guy got punched. Seagal is a big guy – about 6’5” and a little heavier than in the movies I saw years ago. He’s an imposing presence that probably inhibits aggressive behavior from most criminals. Some of them wanted his autograph afterwards. But enough reviews of C-grade television shows. On to the lounge!

Back in the halcyon days of air travel (prior to 1975), most international airlines of any repute provided onboard lounges for their First Class passengers. Most everyone knows that when the 747 was first introduced, many airlines used the upper deck as a First Class lounge. What a lot of people may not know is that even many narrow bodied aircraft such as the 707 and DC-8 also featured lounges. In fact, if you go even farther back, well, lounges had long been an integral part of First Class when airlines actually strived to make long distance flight a special experience to be remembered and cherished. . Many long distance propeller aircraft such as the Boeing Stratocruiser or the Lockheed Constellation had not only lounges but also sleeper berths.



Seventy Years Ago

These days, most airlines view lounges as an unnecessary frill that take up a lot of space that could better be used for revenue seating. I had the good fortune to fly aboard a number of lounge equipped aircraft back in the seventies. On domestic flights within the U.S. the lounges got a lot of use. Internationally though - at least on the flights I was on – they often sat empty. I remember flying Qantas First Class from Vancouver to Honolulu back when their 747s still had the beautiful Captain’s Club upstairs. It was as nice a lounge as has ever graced an airliner and yet on the five and a half hour flight over to Honolulu, I was the only person up there.

My best lounge experience was on a United 747 flying First Class from Honolulu to Los Angeles in 1976. After a delicious five course dinner served seat side from the trolley, it seemed like most of the First Class cabin headed upstairs for Mai Tais and Macadamia nuts. We all had a marvelous time up there and as a result that flight flew by much too fast.

So far as I know, only three airlines worldwide still offer anything approaching a lounge of old – Virgin Atlantic, Arik Air and Emirates. None of them are as large or as cozy as the old 747 upstairs lounges but for those of us who enjoy a bit of diversion during a long flight, any lounge is a good lounge. Qatar and Korean provide some small seating areas onboard select aircraft but I would hesitate to call those dedicated lounges.

Emirates’ A380s are the only lounge equipped airplanes in the fleet. Emirates promotional materials indicate that there is a separate First Class lounge onboard but the reality of it is essentially an attractive liquor showcase on the other side of the forward bulkhead. There are no seats up there and its location adjacent to the galley insures that any socializing up there is more likely to be with the flight attendants than any of your fellow passengers.

The big lounge that by now we all know and fantasize about visiting someday is located at the rear of the upper deck, behind the Business Class cabin. After having walked the length of a couple of 777-300s of late, I was surprised at how much shorter the walk was to the rear of the A380 but then the upper deck cabin is quite a bit shorter than the main cabin on the lower deck.

Parting the heavy beige curtains at the rear of the Business Class cabin, I paused for a moment to survey the scene (two guys talking business at the bar) and then entered the lounge and hitched a rail at the bar. A single flight attendant was manning the bar and he looked thankful to finally have something to do since the two businessmen looked to be doing a lot more talking than drinking. I requested a Jack Daniels on the rocks and chatted for a bit with the bartender. He was a young fellow – only 23 – originally from Egypt but essentially raised in France. What a life! To be only 23 and flying all over the world while tending bar on an A380 for the movers and shakers of the world (and the occasional bus driver).

I asked the guys if they’d mind if I took a quick picture of the bar. No problem! They relocated to the back wall for a moment while I fired away. The diminished lighting added nicely to the ambience of the lounge but didn’t contribute to very good or clear pictures. As such I’ll use one of the stock photos from Emirates to best display this lounge at its best.



Emirates A380 Lounge
Photo Courtesy of Emirates



Emirates A380 Lounge Bar
Photo Courtesy of Emirates


I asked the bartender if this was a particularly quiet evening. Oh yes, he replied, but there are times – especially on longer daytime flights – that this lounge really gets rocking. I should imagine the Australia to New Zealand flights would provide quite a lot of good times. I wish this were one of those times but perhaps the late hour and the fact that we were less than an hour and a half out from Dubai had diminished that desire to mingle. After finishing my drink, I also returned to my seat.

Overall, I think the horseshoe shaped bar is the nicest feature of this lounge. Aside from that the only seating consists of two curved couches along each wall and while this arrangement is certainly functional, I would have preferred to see some individual chairs and tables, much like you see in Qantas’ lounge pictured HERE.

It’ll be interesting to see how Virgin Atlantic designs its onboard lounge, but we’ll have to wait a while as they’ve recently put off delivery of their first A380 until 2017.

Back at my suite, I took a moment to reflect on my first flight on the A380. Most people I know would be thrilled just to fly on this airplane, and here I am doing so while sitting in a premium seat on the upper deck! Back in my younger days I would have been so excited just be flying on this plane that you could have put me in a non-reclining row in the very back of the cabin and I would still have been thrilled. No doubt there’s a lot to be said for flying First Class on Emirates’ model as opposed to any class on most any other airline but - regardless of what airline or class you’re flying – this really is an impressive airplane. The cabin noise level is exceptionally low and the sheer size of the aircraft feels like you’re flying in a building more so than an airplane. Conversely, while sitting in my suite with the doors closed, there’s really no difference between flying aboard this A380 or a 777 or even a 737 if such an aircraft were equipped with similar suites. Your world is entirely within your suite because the walls and sliding doors effectively block out the rest of the cabin. That said, I should imagine sitting down on the main deck amidst a sea of 405 other passengers could prove to be a bit tedious after a while but then my perspective comes from years of having enjoyed the good life up in First or Business Class. I will say this though: I’ve had a great first flight and am very much looking forward to my next date with the Big French Girl, hopefully with another comfy seat or suite on the upper deck.

As we lined up for our final approach into Dubai, I set my screen to the tail mounted camera to better enjoy its unique perspective on flying into Dubai. This is only the second time I’ve been in a position to watch a nighttime approach while looking forward. The first time was back in the early 1980s while sitting in the cockpit jump seat of an Air New Zealand 737 as we descended into Papeete, Tahiti in the wee hours of the morning. How I ended up there is a long story for another time but suffice to say it’s far preferable to be looking forward than sideways, especially at night.

We touched down quite nimbly for such a huge jetliner. A slight tug of the brakes could be felt but mainly we just slowed down very smoothly and then commenced a long tour of the Dubai International Airport along the myriad taxiways that surround its terminals.

Oh please let us park at Terminal A! Nope, there it goes. Oh well – looks like it’s gonna be Terminal B then. Whaaaat? If not there, where? Well, we parked at a D gate, wherever that was. I was hoping for Terminal A mainly because it’s newer and the First Class lounge there had what looked to be a nicer Quiet Room than the one in Terminal B’s lounge. That said, by the time we’d docked at the gate it was near 3:00am local time and I was tired. Since my Seattle bound flight was scheduled to depart in less than seven hours from B32, I decided to head on over to Terminal B.

Alas, it wasn’t quite as simple as simply traipsing off the plane and over to the lounge. First I had to check-in with the transit desk, then go through security, then make my way up one level and then down another to the inter-terminal train and then finally hoof it on over to the First Class lounge. After scoring a nicely chilled bottle of water, I headed over to the Quiet Room to set up camp.

Uh oh - what’s this? My trusty $5.00 alarm clock doesn’t work! I bought that alarm clock new in 2004 and it has faithfully awoken me from contented slumber on well over three hundred nights spent on airport floors since then. In truth the number is probably quite a bit higher than that. This year alone I have spent 61 nights on airport floors.

A cursory inspection of the clock revealed a loose wire. It couldn’t be fixed tonight so I pulled out my cell phone and wrist watch and set them for 8:00 and 8:05am respectively. By the time I finally got to sleep though, it was about 4:15am.