SFO-Dubai
 

I was wondering if the flight from SFO-Dubai is 15 or 16 hours each way? Would this be the ideal flight to go in First Class or Business Class due to the length? It seems like you will be fed a lot during the long flight and I can enjoy champagne and good wine.

Whats the ROI with regards to booking this flight in FC vs a SFO-NRT on ANA 787?

I want to use some credit card points that have been accumulated and have the option to have a companion if I book a full fare ticket. So if I could get my Father to go with me that would be great.

Since I visited Israel would an Israeli stamp be a problem in my passport going to Dubai? I doubt it because my brother flew Emeirates to India via JFK and he visited Israel as well and this was part of a Jewish volunteer group and they flew them on Emeriates.

Is the SFO flight on the A380? If I wanted to fly on the A380 where should I fly out from?

SFO-Dubai
 

Technically an Israeli stamp bars you from entering any GCC country as Israel is not recognised by most Arab countries. Dubai has historically turned a blind eye until Mossad sent a hit squad with false passports into Dubai. Now I would say If an over zealous passport control officer spots the stamp you might be denied entry.

I agree and not wanting to take buisnrss away from EK. I would go with the ANA just to be safe.

If they do pick EK then I wouldnt go waffting my passport about and bragging that there was an Isreali stamp in it.

Your issue lies with immigration in the UAE and not EK. If you are simply transiting in DXB then no one is going to find out.

And I agree again, on re-reading the post I think the OP wants to end up in the UAE. EK couldnt give two hoots what kind of stamps you have in your passport.

The flight is usually c. 15 hours each way (Ek states 15h45 for SFO-DXB, but when I did it in March it took 14h45). In J and F, you have two full meals plus 'light bites', which can be ordered at any time. In F it is dine on demand. SFO also has its own EK lounge, which to me is a plus.

Currently SFO-DXB is operated on a 777-300ER. There is a rumour it is to be changed to an A380 once the newer, longer-haul A380s arrive. I am not sure if/when that will happen.

If you want the A380, fly out of JFK or YYZ.
As stated above, dining is on demand in First class, so it's whatever you want whenever you want it.

-ek202

Each time I fly it, it is a hair under 15 hours of flight time.

If you are ever going to splurge on F, this is one of the flights to do it on.

ROI as in Return on Investment? Not sure what you are asking. Do you want to go to Dubai or Narita?

Not sure what you are saying here. You have credit card points and plan to use them to book a companion ticket on Emirates? I have never heard of this. I do think AMEX has/had a companion ticket program, but you would be paying the $24k round-trip price of SFO-DXB F.

Not true at all.......I have UAE residency as well as over 10 Israel stamps in my passport. No one has ever said a word. In fact, you can now travel to Israel from Dubai via CAI or AMM ON THE SAME TICKET. That stupid Israeli stunt did no harm to people w Israeli stamps in their passports at all.

I just flew from DXB-SFO but as usual I flew thru JFK. It's nice to break the flight up & get some air + I prefer the 380 so it may be worth it to OP if he's never flown EK F before to do it out of JFK & get the 380 (if he's paying for the tkt, the fare is almost exactly the same LAX-JFK-DXB as LAX-DXB & he can choose UA or AA F for the transcon

I agree, if he's paying for it this one time, he should fly the A380.
Do you book your tickets on the multicity booking page on the EK website for the UA/AA to LAX/SFO?

Okie Dokie well you should take a hop over to the EL AL forum and have a look (always good for a giggle) at some off the older threads on the subject.

Alot of people carry two passports because of this very situation and whilst it might not directly impact Dubai it does in alot of other middle east countries.

I know for a fact that you can ask for no stamp when entering Isreal and they will stamp a seperate piece of paper and remove it when you leave.

And I still wouldnt go up to immigration in any middle eastern country waffting my passport around and bragging there was 10 Isreali stamps in it. I/O or not because EK would be of NO HELP (in fact I think they would run a ferkin mile and a bit) if a situation developed.

More importantly, who gets the frequent flyer miles in such situations? The actual flyer, the person whose identity was...ummm..."borrowed" or the person whose credit card was...ummm...borrowed? Such are the issues that must perplex the Jewish cardinals to no end.:p

:D:D:D

I call the EK sales office (not reservations) to book & tkt. I've become friendly w some of the staff in Dubai & NY & i like knowing everything is done right. It does not cost anything extra & is much easier when adding 1 or 2 other airlines on the same tkt (which I've never been able to do online). I had a tkt I needed to book & issue that included an SQ & a LH flight a few months back. Just a straight F fare, ticketing was closed, the web site was useless so I tried doing it on Expedia & not only did it book / ticket it but it offered me an A fare saving me a lot of $$ so I will now use Expedia as well as EK Sales on complicated tickets

I never said I would "brag about it" or waive my stamps in front of them. That's just ridiculous. I ignore the fact they are there & immigration does as well. The UAE has seen these stamps at the very least when I got my residency & that was years ago - they didn't care then & they don't care now. But your right, I certainly would not point them out to anyone.

In your post You said "older threads". that's the key. I have always had 2 passports for this same reason but it's no longer necessary (has not been for 2 years at least). In fact, the US used to allow a 2nd passport for people who visited Israel & the GCC & other Arab countries. Now they no longer allow it as ALL Arab/Muslim countries have agreed to allow US citizens in even w Israeli Stamps (except Lebanon & Syria) you can still get 2 passports if visiting Lebanon.

I have not had problems in any GCC country except KSA because of my Israeli stamps & even KSA let me in, they just questioned the stamps

I agree with all of the above........ but why would The federated States of Micronesia care? I would have thought that they would have been too busy hanging flowers around your neck and roasting a pig just because you bothered to turn up to even look at your passport.

Micronesia :D. Where did that come from?

AHHH - "KSA". I didn't know that was the airport code for Micronesia, KSA = Kingdom of Saudi Arabia :)

:) but how the heck we got to talking alot of twaddle about Micronesia from the original post is another matter :D