EK409 Mel - DXB
 

Departs 2.40am. Wondering what meal is served after take-off and at what time? Flying J

Is the lounge at MEL ok for food? May eat there and then sleep on plane.

Here's the menu for this flight.

http://cdn.ek.aero/downloads/ek/pdfs...d209e80beff880

The food in the MEL lounge is very good - in variety, quality and quantity. Hot food, salads, appetizers, desert, snacky things. (This is a blog report of EK in SFO but the layout of the lounge and the food selection is similar to MEL and there's lot of pictures of food. :) )

You could certainly make a good meal of it in the lounge and maximum your sleeping time on the flight.

Disclaimers:
I flew EK 407 (departs 9:25 pm) out of MEL late last year; I would assume that they keep the buffet stocked until your flight goes in the early morning. And I was in Y (:() so can't comment on whether the J onboard food is a better choice or how quickly they serve it.

If it's anything like the EK 404 SIN-MEL, they'll dinner service after take off takes about 2 hours, and there's a full breakfast service before arrival in Melbourne that starts 1.5 to 2 hours before arrival. Between that, and a cabin packed 7 across, sleep time is rather minimal for these sectors, IMO.

OP, here's one review of the EK lounge at MEL; http://milesdownunder.com/2015/01/re...nge-melbourne/ I assume much like their counterpart in Singapore, the lounge keeps the food going till the last departure and as such having your fill on the ground to try and get sleep once on board is quite possible (cabin lights/noise permitting).

Had a (somewhat concerned .... :eek:) double-take as I read the opening line of the OP's query, "departs 2.40am...." because I'm booked to fly the same sector next month, the flight number looked the same, yet I felt sure MY ticket quoted a departure time of 22.25. But in fact I'm on 409, which is a non-stop......

As for the lounge/food issue .....this will be my first time out of MEL (normally leave from SYD) and I was planning to check-in just before 8pm, have dinner in the lounge, and then try to get some sleep on-board.

Was a little concerned by a recent comment by eightblack on a status-run thread where, in reference to EK Australian lounges, he said that "the one in MEL is very very tired and cramped..."

There are not many things I prefer about QF over EK, but I might now consider using the QF lounge in MEL before my flight. The QF business lounge will be no better than the EK lounge, but all indications are that the QF First lounge will be.
Happily, being Gold with EK, plus booked in F on the 409, will allow me access to both lounges ; and perhaps that's the case for the OP too.

This is my preferred way of doing it lately when flying in J, but it's not remotely feasible in Y. Melbourne lounge food is not bad at all, and lounge size is not a problem for this flight as it's on a 77W so not huge numbers of F and J passengers, even if full in both those classes.

Trust me, you'll take one look in the tired old EK lounge and then high tail it to the QF lounge right beside it. Not even remotely close in comparison. I used to fly SIN-MEL twice a month in F and as soon as the deal went down with the flying Kangaroo, I was never to be seen again in the EK lounge. I was in the EK lounge a few weeks ago and man it is a sorry sight. Staff were apologising to me for the state of it and complaining that EK Australia didnt want to invest in the refurb, the view of the airfield has been obliterated by the new extension (and apparently which EY are building the mother of all lounges).

I was in F to AKL and was faffing about in the EK lounge looking for a place to plug my laptop in when I had that Eureka moment and realised I could be in total tranquility next door. So I took off next door. A la carte dining, Spa, a range of decent champagnes, great workspaces and plenty of places to sit, work and plug your laptop in. Lounges are the one thing that QF run rings around EK on.

And just wait until you see the crowd in there prior to the 409 pushing. You wont be able to swing a cat in the place...

As the OP is flying J, the QF F lounge may not be an option. :(

In my opinion, based on my single experience in the (Sydney) QF F lounge, a single experience in the MEL EK J/F lounge, and countless visits to the (Sydney) QF int'l J lounge,

QF F lounge >> EK J/F lounge >> QF J lounge for food and
QF F lounge >> EK J/F lounge = QF J lounge for spaciousness, staff service, ambiance, spa (or lack of).
That's similar to my conclusion, although I did think the EK lounge had a lot more choice for food. than the QF J lounge.

His last post mentions F on the 409. But I agree with you, let him try both lounges and he can see which one suits him. I know what I would do though...;)

Also, if he's on the 0240 departure via MEL, the QF lounge won't be open. It closes after QF9 departs around 10 PM.

:confused: I was talking about the OP of this thread; not subject2load.
But, yes, given the choice of the QF F lounge, I know what I'd do too!

Many thanks for the additional thoughts eightblack. All carefully noted ! ^

I was going to ask why it is that the EK lounge is not only of (relatively) poor quality and cramped, and yet the QF lounge is by comparison a luxurious oasis of calm. But then I deduced that your key point is that the EK lounge is a combined J/F, whereas the QF lounge you've described is a F-only facility (and of course in one of their twin flagship locations, the other being SYD)

All that said, it's disappointing that EK have not addressed these shortcomings in what is a fairly high profile, business-orientated station such as MEL. I'm not actually based out in Oz, but was here not that long ago and used the EK lounge a couple of times in SYD and must say I didn't think it was too bad at all - even if significantly below the standard of say, LHR (a more commercially more important station of course). But perhaps I was just lucky to be there at a quiet spell.

Ps RadioGirl - thanks for your input too ^

Thanks everyone for your info and suggestions.

Just by way of self-correction, in case I've managed to confuse :eek: anyone else already booked on - or looking to book - this route :
My flight number is in fact 407, departing as stated at 22.25.

The OP correctly quoted his own flight (departure 2.40am) as 409

And the lounge is WAY more crowded for this flight that it is for 409.