9wings,
As
m3red has alluded to, I have become a bit of a regular F'er (right, that's the humour taken care of).
Now, prior to flying in F with EK, my regular jaunt was with QR on the A380. I also fly BA F once a month (either A380 or 787-9), CX F once every two months, and have flown other airlines including EY in F too.
However, I think your post deserves a few comments from me (Disclaimer: I'm in a really bad mood due to TG, so apologies if it comes across in this post).
1) Lets start with the easy to address issues; namely those which others either agree with, or have already commented.
The fact that the doors to your Suite did not close, is frustrating. Is it a regular occurrence? I would say not in my experience, but I have encountered it once. In that instance, I simply forced them closed manually - no harm no foul. Had it happened on my first EK F experience, I would think it pretty shoddy, but a regular flyer (like yourself with BAEC Silver and TK Gold [I assume status match offer from last year
]) is used to small issues.
The food on EK is pretty average, but the food in the F Lounge at DXB is pretty good, so it very much depends where you start your trip. I second the advice given by
m3red in terms of having the fish - EK are the exception to the rule of not eating it on a plane!
2) The IFE screens on the older A380s, are bad. Full stop. End of story. They should be upgraded, and it's a shame EK put these older aircraft on certain flagship routes (LHR), but I appreciate that rotating aircraft is far harder than I imagine.
You are wholly correct in your assertions, and like
DYKWIA has said, I too have had to change movie due to the difficulty in viewing a dark film (which actually shouldn't have been that dark).
However, on the newer A380's (the vast majority of them), the IFE screen is huge and HD quality. As such, I simply find it unfortunate when I get an older bird, but I wouldn't say it stops me from watching the screen.
What I will add, is that the selection is excellent. It is changed monthly, and there's usually plenty to watch - or re-watch as is sometimes the case.
3) You mention that storage was an issue. I sort of agree, but experience has shown me that the A380, upstairs in F, isnt the highest ceiling.
It's a real first world problem to have your bags by your feet, but my wheely sits upright in the corner, and I have to lay my smaller bag flat on the ground - otherwise it gets squashed by the seat when in 'Bed' mode. My bags are similar size to yours, and laying my bag flat isn't great.
I think EK ought to find a solution to this, but it is far easier said than done - QR struggle and have to put all wheely bags in a storage closet at the front of the F cabin. This is a pain, and they haven't found a solution.
4) QR provide an ottoman in F, as do CX and BA. I won't bring EY into this equation, because The Apartment concept doesn't have an ottoman per-se.
I like an ottoman - however, even here I am picky. I like the one on QR but not on the others. Why? Because I like to wriggle. I have taught myself to sleep like a mummy on a plane, but when the seat is wide enough, and I can move about, I take advantage.
QR allow this, because the seat is extra-wide, and the ottoman is lengthy enough for a baby (in a travel cot) to sleep on. However, at 6ft tall, I still cannot reach it when sat upright, and have to move the seat to allow my feet to nestle.
The EK seat can be contorted into hundreds of different positions, but this can be fiddly to do - and you often end up more uncomfortable than you were to start with!
EK don't let me wriggle, due to the fact that the seat isnt long enough for my feet to remain stable. If they put a little lip at the very front of the suite, that would help. However, that is a very personal option, and everyone has their own preferred sleeping patterns.
5) Is it better than EK J? I think this is one area I cannot agree with you.
EK J on the A380 is a very good product - although in my view QR J is better on the same aircraft.
The movie selection is near identical, the food comparable, the service comparable (due to the sheer number of crew who work in the J cabin).
The seat is not as wide, and when you like to move around in your sleep, bashing into the foot-coffin, or the hard plastic on the side of the seats, is quite painful!
The storage on the sides in J is excellent I grant you, but with my bags at my feet in F, I simply reach forward to get what I want opposed to looking in the side-bin for my laptop or phone (which has been bashed about due to the lack of padding in the cubbies).
In terms of the overhead bins, they are being removed in J on the newest A380s, so perhaps you will prefer the F option.
Ultimately, it is a real case of YMMV. Everyone has their preferred options, and EK F is a bit of a novelty - the shower is great fun (but not exactly vital), the make-up mirror and over-engineered drinks cupboard is hilariously ridiculous, and the writing kit makes for jokes when you ask the crew where the post-box is.
I have found F to be cheaper than J on my current route, hence my regularity, and I do like the product.
However, if I was to fly it for the first time (and encounter the issues you did) I would probably feel similar. This is where FT excels itself, because we are able to say that some of the issues are one-offs. For instances where its pot luck (IFE), it's just part of the life of a frequent flyer.
You take the good and the bad, but hopefully you'll be willing to fly EK F once again, and, fingers crossed, you have a newer plane with the newest IFE (THE SCREEN IS RIDICULOUSLY HUGE), and be welcomed into a fully closed suite.
Safe travels,
M
P.S. Why am I in a bad mood? Because TG decided to play Christmas music...on a very loud setting...15mins before we were due to land into BKK...and it was muzak! Who on earth thought that would be a good idea!