SIN-BNE 25AUG 777-300
Sch. Dep. 2120hrs
Act. Dep. 2205hrs

Due to the late arrival of the aircraft from Dubai, the flight was delayed for approximately 30 minutes (or so). Checking in at the counters at Changi, I was escorted from the security point to an empty check-in counter, which was an impressive gesture by emirates even for economy class passengers. When asked if my request for emergency exit seats was successful, I was told that yes it was, and the flight is only 1/3 full, and whether I would have wanted 2 rows of window seats for my brother and myself. Declined the latter and took the emergency exit seats instead (I later regretted this).

While waiting in the holding gate for boarding, we realised that we were the only two Singaporeans for this flight. Smooth boarding process, with priority given to premium class pax and economy class by row numbers. The greeting was as normal, but the plane gave me a very .. how should I say this, it was dull and rather "moody". Beige seats and walls, and beige uniforms on the FAs. One thing that totally threw me off was how cramped the seat was. I knew that emirates does the 10-a-row compared to other airlines' 9-a-row seating in Y class, but the Emergency exit seats totally gave packed-like-sardine a total new sense of cattle class. Sitting on the aisle seat of the emergency exit, my shoulder was continually bumped by the bum of the air stewardess pulling the cart along the aisle for drinks and meals.

I'm not sure if the quick turnaround had anything to do with this, but headsets for the IFEs were not passed around to us or placed on our seats when we boarded. I asked a FA for one after the drink service and she gruntled "not another one", and went behind to get my brother and myself one.

Flight departed on the retimed schedule and towelettes were given out (small like those from Qantas). A rather uneventful flight, all I can remember from this was a drink cart service shortly after the flight levelled out, and a meal service immediately after that. It was a choice of either lemon chicken or beef goulash. I choose the latter and it was good. The trays on Emirates seem to have kept it's original size with 2 appetisers (sashimi and seasonal salad), dessert (cheesecake, yummy!), a nice dinner roll, cheese and crackers, packed mineral water, coffee/tea, small slice of after-dinner chocolate. Other airlines apparently have sliced it in half (QF and SQ, I mean you!!).

The FAs were extremely diligent in checking the toilets, that it seems unnatural if they didn't push the door to check the toilets whenever they walked past. However, I'm not sure if it's just a routine that they peer in to look at the toilets or if they are meant to clean it, because having sat next to them, the smell of human faeces totally lingered on throughout the flight.

While Y class being 1/3 full was a welcomed surprise, screaming babies with trailer-trash parents are not. Wont go into details, all of you will know what i mean.

Breakfast of a croissant, banana muffin and fruits with tea or coffee was served about an hour before landing. An FA came around with a basket of croissant for people who want seconds.

Flight landed at about 7-ish in the morning. Not sure if it's a good thing or not, but we were meant to land at 6.20am together with a 743 Qantas and 772 SQ should the plane departed on its original schedule. All those who have passed through Brisbane will know how impossible getting through immigration is, so having almost a thousand passengers in the arrival hall will mean erm.. think New Delhi in its full glory of a human massacre stampede during morning peak hours. By the time our flight landed the immigration was 3/4-way through clearing a JAL flight from Japan with kids on a field trip.

Nonetheless we managed to get out of the arrival hall about an hour after we stepped off the plane.