A welcome to one n all,

I have a flight setup for jan. Have to be in singapore for a short visit..couple of questions about the far east and emirates in general..pls help yeah

Emirates is the arab airline, I respect their life and everything..but will they serve alcohol on board. is it offensive to ask for beer, wine or anything like that?

what beverages will be on board? should i ask for what i want or will i get served without asking?

me plane stopsover in dubai and colombo (sri lanka). It stops about 2 hrs in dubai and about 6 hrs in colombo on the way to singapore.

what can i do for 6 hrs in colombo to keep meself occupied..do i need to have their local currency...where can i get their money changed to? is it a safe airport/place given the fightings they have had?

on the return flight...i have a 9 hrs wait in colombo!!...What should I do, if I wish to wander out of the airport? is that possible? I dont want to be sitting 9 hrs in an airport!!

on the same return plane..I reach dubai 2am from colombo and leave for manchester at 2pm!! a 12hr wait....again can i wander out of the airport? is it safe to do so in the country?

flights were booked by the company.. and I have half a mind to bark at the lady who booked with such long waiting times..but it seems this are them cheapest flights !! cost cutting and all

I guess if i have my ... stuck in this exotic places..i make the best of it...so boys what can a bloke do in colombo nd dubai while waiting to get back?

in singapore.. i get a sat night off before getting back in the week...decent bars there? i hear of a resort island worth a visit sentos...

I hope the places are hot..cold to the bones in here

cheers boys

Hi
I have travelled on the singapore to manchester flight and the stopover in colombo was only about an hour while we picked up more passengers!!! are you sure its 6 hours?

Regarding drink, Fill your boots LOL Emirates are ok for alcohol and serve the drink during meal times and if you want more, then just ask the FA.

I cant remember now why i was in singapore for with emirates but i only flew into colombo on the return flight.

Plenty to do in Singapore airport, You can have a free tour of the city and also go and see a movie.

Long stopovers in dubai are OK if you are silver or gold but you might be able to get into town for the morning on your return

Malc

I'd check those stop times in CMB, they don't seem right at all.

Personally I found Sentosa to be rubbish! Not for me at all.

Plenty of places to eat and drink in Singapore, but it is pricey in the touristy areas, better to head into china town and eat and drink around there, much more reasonable.

Actually some of the connections through CMB are separate flights. The 348/ 349 have only a 1.5 hr stop, but on some routings they put you on one of those between SIN and CMB and a 6xx between DXB and CMB. It's just very bad flight planning really.

Nice bars in Singapore - Ku De Ta at Marina Bay Sands (there's also a casino in the vicinity), New Asia Bar at Swissotel, Chijmes has several (across the Carlton), Clarke Quay has many as well, as does Sentosa. Sentosa has a very bad beach, a couple of good beach clubs and Universal Studios.

I find the questions about alcohol onboard and safety in Dubai quite ludicrous so I'll let the OP do some research on his own!

Just a postscript:
I noticed your user name, if that is your tipple sorry you will be out of luck, no cider

Yes- Dubai is perfectly safe.

Maybe grab a hotel downtown for a few hours sleep, then for few hours in the morning you could explore the Dubai creek/old town area, ride a little ferry across the river. I can't remember whether anything will be open in the morning though. It's a quick cab ride to the airport.

you lot have been informative...cheers

I rechecked the timings..they are right about what i said....my engineer would be proud

and i change planes each time..its not the same one from manchester..i have to change to differnet planes in colombo and dubai..might be why the delay is so long..

I finally get to use my passport for some proper travelling..nnone of that blackpool seaside muck now (apologies if anyone from there yeah..but is not the sharm..) gonna get out of blighty to look around..woo

I really dont know wat beverages are on offer or what they offer on the plane...I will google or something for the info..

can I get the bubbly or is that gonna get me some stares on the flight?..

before anyone thinks i m gg to have a p iss up in the skies..no way....i just curious whats on offer and just excited..its all...and get to try out the offerings on the biggest plane now..the 380s...i am young but not stupid yeah.

abt the waiting...how do I get out for a few hrs looking around colombo and dubai? do i need to go thru customs and all that? pay a premium on the tix price? how does it work...I just turn up in colombo and say hey let me out for a bit..i want to look over? i dont think it works that way mate.

if it helps...i m on the economy flight..no frequent flyer number yet...as i dont see my self travelling much..altho it might changes seeing as there is work to be done in the east and if i get sent to it..

no cider on tap? the far east needs a lot of educating
...stick to the bubbly then...and sure they would have beers on there...and the kebabs and curries..cant be that bad not to have those mate.

ta everyone.. and have a good evening..

sure u can ve bubbly, u just ve to cough up extra money for it on the flight
oh and m sure the far east will survive fairly well without cider. Note less teenage pregnancies, for starters.

beer, kebabs, curries. Sounds like you are aiming for a night out instead of a flight. Oh well expectations of flying.

Strongbow, you'll always change planes in Dubai. It is Emirates' hub, that is where their flights start and end. Dubai airport is large and there is plenty to see and do. Shop, eat and drink.

Colombo Airport has improved greatly in recent years and is now a nice modern facility, but it has less things to do and not a great deal of places to eat or shop if I recall.

You need to see with who has issued your tickets as to whether you are classed as having a stopover due to the long transfer times. Then you might be able to leave the airport and do a few hours sightseeing. Dubai is easy for that as you can get around on the metro. Not the same for Colombo mind, but taxis are cheap and plentiful.

Everywhere has kebabs and curry, not always on the planes though.

And if you have time in Dubai, there is an Irish Bar inside the terminal that will I'm sure serve Cider, just don't turn up at the gate pixxed !

cheers groobs

I was beginning to think I was not welcome on here..

the tix all issued by emirates EK..

example:

I take the EK650 from Dubai..land at Colombo at 0830
then I take the EK348 from colombo at 1445 to get to singapore

so in between i have me 6 hrs in colombo...

On flying back home:
I take the ek349 from singapore which lands at colombo at 0135
then i take the ek653 at 2135 from colombo which lands at dubai and so on..

thats 20 hrs in colombo!!!!!!!!!!

following that I land at dubai at 0255 and leave dubai at 1435 for manchester
thats 12 hr in dubai!!!!!

its all says ek flights..so its all on emirates..

do i get to venture on outside the airport at colomboa and dubai?
how do I do it..do i need to get my bags out from the check in?

I just want to have a look around this places..its not everyday i get to places like dubai or colombo dont wan to be cooped up in some airport seat best to get out and about a bit you know..

I'l keep that in mind tezzer..Irish will do...cheers

everyone have a safe winters in, its -1 where Im at...hot chocs snds lovely to warm up or a warm brew...

Holy countdown! Is this how people from Manchester write now?

No...

I got as far as the first paragraph before giving up.

I'm having flashbacks from my days of chatting online to blokes from online dating sites

Yes I'm still single.